Baltimore Ravens: The Future is Bright
By Brandon Suir
At the conclusion of the 2014 regular season, I couldn’t help but notice how differently I felt as opposed to how I thought I was going to feel about the Baltimore Ravens moving forward in the Post-Ray Lewis/Ed Reed era. “Culture change” is a term often used when discussing what’s next for the Ebony Birds. To say the Baltimore Ravens had a successful season is, to me, a bit understated. I can’t remember in recent memory a more tumultuous season for a NFL team.
The Ravens survived it all: off field controversy, injuries, and a schedule in the toughest single season division ever and still make the playoffs. Not bad for a team who seemed destined for dark times after an 8-8 season and parting ways with eight players from the 2012 Super Bowl winning squad, including two future first-ballot Hall of Famers. Honestly, who saw this coming?
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Most of the credit goes to Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. From drafting players to free agency to building a coaching staff, Newsome simply knows how to put a winning franchise together. Ozzie is easily one of the top-three GM’s in the NFL, if not the best. And the 2014 Draft was a perfect example of why that is, as Newsome overhauled the Ravens defense, taking three defensive players in the first three rounds.
C.J. Mosley, Timmy Jernigan, and Terrence Brooks were all key contributors and made immediate impacts. Being an SEC guy, Mosley was a player I’ve paid close attention to during his college tenure. I guess I will brag for a bit when I genuinely say, “I saw what Ozzie saw in him.” Mosley not only was a steal even in the first round, he’s already poised to be the cornerstone of this defense.
Ozzie again seemed to be one step ahead of us when he drafted Crockett Gillmore in the third round and Lorenzo Taliaferro in the fourth.
You had to feel bad for Gillmore at first. I mean, the guy seemed forced into a situation with all odds against him, having to start in place of two injured, Pro Bowl tight ends in Dennis Pitta and Owen Daniels. Remember his first start at Tampa Bay Week 6? He looked more like a 10-year veteran than a rookie. With excellent footwork and some key blocks, Crockett played like a natural.
Taliaferro faced a somewhat similar situation, having to step up after the loss of another Pro Bowler from the Super Bowl squad. By now everyone is certainly familiar with everything over the past year involving Ray Rice. Combined with Pro Bowl running back Justin Forsett, Lorenzo stepped up to give the Ravens a running game that ranked eighth in the league in 2014.
There’s still much work to be done. The Ravens are a different team. But that’s not to say business isn’t as usual. As always, in Ozzie we trust. The future for the Baltimore Ravens looks bright.