Bleacher Report - Articles by Dave Hudgins

Baltimore Ravens: 2009 NFL Mock Draft Database - Top 50 Of The No 26 Position

Dave Hudgins — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:36:23 -0400

So, who will Ozzie Newsome and staff select at the No. 26 position of the 2009 NFL Draft?

Well, there are of course lots of different opinions on the matter of who would benefit the Baltimore Ravens the most. But it does seem that some names (or at least positions) appear to pop up on the radar more than others.

Here’s a breakdown of the top 50 - No. 26 position from a local mock draft database (DC Pro Sports Report):

Wide Receiver (27 picks = 54 percent)
Player	No. of times selected
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland	17
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri	3
Percy Harvin, WR, Florida	3
Hakeem Nicks, WR N. Carolina	2
Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers	2

Cornerback (10 picks = 20 percent)
Player	No. of times selected
Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois	6
Alphonso Smith, CB, WF	2
Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut	1
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati	1

Linebacker (7 picks = 14 percent)
Player	No. of times selected
Rey Maualuga, LB, USC	3
Brian Cushing, LB, USC	2
Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia	1
Michael Johnson, LB, GT	1

Defensive End (4 picks = 8 percent)
Player	No. of times selected
Michael Johnson, DE, GT	2
Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State	1
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee	1

Defensive Tackle (1 pick = 2 percent)
Evander Hood, DT. Missouri

Center (1 pick = 2 percent)
Alex Mack, C, California

But what about the Ravens' proclamation that they'll pick the best football player available at No. 26, regardless of position?

Well, last year, the Ravens filled a somewhat desperate need at quarterback with Joe Flacco and, at least for the time being, it seems to have paid off.

To illustrate the complexities of what may seem like a relatively simple draft year, here’s a hypothetical (albeit somewhat likely) scenario.

Please assume the following:

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey is ranked as an early second rounder, according to the Ravens' draft board
CB Vontae Davis is ranked as a late first rounder (let’s say No. 29, for argument's sake), according to the Ravens' draft board
C Alex Mack is the next-highest ranked player available, according to the Ravens' draft board
All three of the above are available at 26th overall when it comes time for the “Wizard Of Oz” to make his pick
The Ravens keep the pick (as in, they don't trade up or down)

So, what does Newsome do?

Does the lack of free agency activity at wide receiver suggest that Baltimore should pick one up in the draft? Derrick Mason remains their best receiver, but he is a slot-receiver who's contract is up at the end of '09 season.

Joe Flacco needs a burner to throw to. Mark Clayton (Ravens 2005 1st round draft choice) has shown signs of greatness as a wideout, but he has been inconsistent at best.

DHB is a burner, a local kid from McDonough H.S., and seems to fit the apparent WR "need" for the Ravens. Still, Baltimore's history with first-round receivers is not something to boast about.

Does the signing of Dominique Foxworth during free agency suggest that the team is done filling the CB position? Consider that Vontae Davis is also a local kid (brother of former U of MD TE, Vernon Davis) and could pay off instantly as a potentially elite cover corner.

The signing of Matt Birk in free agency seems to fill the hole left by Jason Brown at the Center position. But is Chris Chester enough (or the right kind of) depth?

And this is just the first-round of turmoil! Welcome to Ozzie Newsome’s world.

The Ravens have a history of turning late round draft selections into elite football players, so the Ravens faithful shouldn’t worry too much if the unexpected occurs in the 2009 Draft.

In Ozzie We Trust!

2008 Baltimore Ravens: How Far Can They Go in the Playoffs?

Dave Hudgins — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:34:42 -0500

Thus far it’s been a glorious year for the Ravens. Sporting a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback, it’s safe to say that not many Ravens fans expected a 10-win season while headed into the final week of the regular season looking to secure a playoff berth…at least not many outside of the Ravens' organization!

I certainly don’t want to disturb the karma of “the next game up” concept preached by John Harbaugh, because the Ravens still have to come out a winner vs. the Jaguars in Week 17 to secure their playoff hopes…

…but assuming they do, how far can the Ravens go into the playoffs?

Let’s revisit some key match-ups the Ravens have faced during the regular season…

Ravens vs. Steelers, Weeks 4 (20-23 OT) and 15 (9-13), L x 2: “Dominated” might be too strong a word for these defensive battles, but for the first three quarters, the Ravens statistically beat the Steelers in both of these games. However in the end, the Steelers came up with a game-winning drive to seal the deal, again, for both games.

Titans @ Ravens, Week 5 (13-10), L: This game eerily resembled both match-ups with the Steelers…strong defense and low-scoring offense for both teams. Like the Steelers games, the Titans came up with a game-winning drive at the end.

Ravens @ Dolphins, Week 7, (27-13), W: Coming off a three-game losing streak, this game could easily be highlighted as the turnaround game for the Ravens’ season. As usual, the Ravens-D was dominant, but the offense came into their own scoring two TD's, one in the air and one on the ground.

Of course, Terrell Suggs’ pick-6 in the second quarter helped to “light a fire” under the team and get things going. This match-up is particularly important because in all likelihood there will be another Ravens @ Dolphins match-up in the wild-card round of the playoffs!

Raiders @ Ravens, Week 8, (29-10), W: The Ravens' victory over the lowly Raiders in week 8 might not seem too important, but this is the game that cranked up the Baltimore fans' enthusiasm for the Ravens’ offense.

In this game, Cam Cameron opened up the “wildcat” play book to make Joe Flacco a receiver of a 43-yard toss from the No. 2 QB Troy Smith.

Again, this may not seem important, but it is likely the Ravens were just as enthusiastic about the play-calling in this game as the fans were. After 10 years of the most predictable play-calling “ever”, what a breath of fresh air!

Ravens @ Browns, Week 9, (37-27), W: At this point of the season, the lowly Browns weren’t so lowly and attempting a comeback from a disappointing 0-3 start. In week 9, the Browns were winners of three of their last four games…one of which being a 35-14 stomping of the now No. 1-seeded NFC East Champion (& ’07 Superbowl Champion) NY Giants.

Although the Ravens routed the Browns easily in week 3, this game is where the Ravens learned how the come from behind win. Down 27-13 late in the third quarter, the Ravens scored 24 unanswered points to sweep the Browns in ‘08.

Since their defeat to the Ravens, the Browns have lost seven of their last eight games. Coincidence?...maybe?

Eagles @ Ravens, Week 12, (7-36), W: The Ravens D was so dominant in this game that Andy Reid decided to bench his franchise QB Donovan McNabb in the second half.

Also, Ed Reed came away with two interceptions of which one went back for a touchdown while setting a record for the longest pick-six in NFL history.

The offense held their own throughout the game vs. a tough and “blitz happy” Eagles defense.

Redskins @ Ravens, Week 14, (10-24), W: Labeled the “Beltway Bowl,” the Ravens secured four years of bragging rights in their rout of the Redskins. Remember in the fourth quarter when the Ravens performed that special drive…12 plays, 10 by way of McClain on the ground, capped off by a 28-yard TD pass to Mason? That drive broke the Skins’ backs!

Ravens @ Cowboys, Week 16, (33-24), W: “How About Them Ravens, Hon?” This game was a setup if ever there was one? It is rumored (and highly likely) that the Ravens were hand picked by Cowboys owner/General Manager Jerry Jones to compete with the Cowboys in the last game at the “hole in the roof” Texas Stadium. Undoubtedly, Jerry must have thought the '07 5-11 Ravens would be the ones to show up?!?!

Once again, this was a defensive battle laced with heroics on the part of special teams and the offense, e.g., 77- and 82-yard runs (McGahee and McClain), a gimpy Derrick Mason and fake punt for first down (Sam Koch) in another “crazy” offensive drive.

As Ray-Ray said in the post-game interview, “be careful when picking your poison!” The only thing more fitting for the Ravens rout of the Cowboys in week 16 was if it had occurred in week 17.

It would have been the perfect ending of the regular season headed into the playoffs…what momentum this should bring?

There are other games not mentioned such as those vs. the Bengals and Texans, but these appeared to be fairly easy routs for the Ravens.

Then there are the two awful games vs. the Colts and Giants. I’m thinking (hoping) these two games were more of an aberration for the Ravens vs. how they should normally match up against these two great teams!

…so with all of this being revisited, what does it mean to the Ravens in the playoffs?

Generally speaking, the Ravens match-up well with most, if not all, of the teams likely headed for the playoffs this year. They’ve already faced and competed very well with the two top seeds in the AFC (twice with Steelers) and while they were crushed by the top NFC seed NY Giants, again I think that was an aberration and would match-up well if the opportunity were to arise again.

The only real concern I have for the Ravens' playoff run is if they were to face the Colts. I fear the Ravens consider Peyton Manning and Co. to be a huge “monkey on their backs” after their past several meetings, but hopefully John Harbaugh & Co will be able to curtail any PTS (post traumatic stress).

The 31-3 loss to the Colts in week 6, again, was an aberration…and may have been the result of that Colt “monkey” not only being on their backs, but in their heads. If the “monkey” leaves, I think the Ravens could put plenty of pressure on Manning and destroy the Colts much the same way as was done to the Cowboys.

How far can the Ravens go in the playoffs? Only time will tell?

…but in the meantime, here is an article with a very interesting, conceivable & hopeful Raven playoff prediction.

The AFC North Race: Steelers Over Patriots...Better Or Worse For Ravens?

Dave Hudgins — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:25:26 -0500

With a Ravens (8-4) victory over the Bengals (who cares?) and a Steelers (9-3) victory over the Patriots (7-5), does this bring any clarity to the playoff picture for the Ravens?

The "knee-jerk" reaction to this question for any Ravens fan might be "hell no" because their infamous division rivals got another "W", keeping them still one game ahead in the AFC North. However, on second glance this might not be so bad. Here are the current AFC standings:

	AFC Team	Div	W	L
1	Tennessee Titans	ACS	11	1
2	Pittsburgh Steelers	ACN	9	3
3	New York Jets	ACE	8	4
4	Denver Broncos	ACW	7	5
5	Indianapolis Colts	ACS	8	4
6	Baltimore Ravens	ACN	8	4
7	New England Patriots	ACE	7	5
8	Miami Dolphins	ACE	7	5

If the Patriots had won, the Ravens would be tied with the Steelers in the AFC North, however, that may or may not have worked in the Ravens favor. Here is the current scenario:

Current Scenario Prediction

Remaining Games	Titans (11-1)	Pred	Steelers (9-3)	Pred	Jets (8-4)	Pred
WK 14	Browns	W	Cowboys	W	@ 49ers	W
WK 15	Texans	W	@ Ravens	L	Bills	W
WK 16	Steelers	L	@ Titans	W	@ Seahawks	W
WK 17	Colts	L	Browns	W	Dolphins	W
Reg Season Rec	13-3		12-4		12-4

Remaining Games	Broncos (7-5)	Pred	Colts (8-4)	Pred	Ravens (8-4)	Pred
WK 14	Chiefs	W	Bengals	W	Redskins	W
WK 15	@ Panthers	W	Lions	W	Steelers	W
WK 16	Bills	W	@ Jaguars	W	@ Cowboys	L
WK 17	@ Chargers	L	Titans	W	Jaguars	W
Reg Season Rec	10-6		12-4		11-5

Remaining Games	Patriots (7-5)	Pred	Dolphins (7-5)	Pred
WK 14	@ Seahawks	W	@ Bills	W
WK 15	@ Raiders	W	49ers	W
WK 16	Cardinals	L	@ Chiefs	W
WK 17	@ Bills	W	@ Jets	L
Reg Season Rec	10-6		10-6

The above scenario leaves the same standings as it is currently.

However, if the Patriots had ended up victorious over the Steelers, then...well, you do the math?

(Con't on next pg)

In summary, if the Pat's had won vs the Steelers and the rest of the above predictions carried out then the Ravens would be in a four-way tie with the Steelers, Colts, & Patriots. If that occurs, then the Ravens would still remain a sixth seed in the playoffs, but the Pat's loss allows the Ravens some leeway in the event they lose two of their remaining four games.

Here are the NFL tie Braking rules:

Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step two. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
Strength of victory.
Strength of schedule.
Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best net points in conference games.
Best net points in all games.
Best net touchdowns in all games.
Coin toss

So from a Baltimore perspective, it may have been a blessing in disguise for the hated Steelers (a.k.a. squealers) to have ended up victorious over the Patriots.

Of course, nothing would make us Ravens fans happier than to see our beloved Ravens win out the AFC North division ahead of the Steelers!

...this is the NFL and as you know anything can happen "on any given Sunday"?

No Respect For The 2008 Baltimore Ravens: Tough to Be a "Homer"?

Dave Hudgins — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:39:50 -0500

This year it's tough to be a football "homer" in Baltimore...or is it?

The Baltimore Ravens have overcome enormous adversity these past 12 months with the hiring of rookie's head coach, quarterback, and running back, along with a new, albeit very experienced, offensive coordinator.

To top it off, here they are headed into week 13 with 16 players assigned to the IR (Injured Reserve) list. And yet, with a 7-4 record the national sports media, for the most part, seems to go out of their way to disrespect or to not acknowledge a fan's beloved Ravens. But then again, maybe that's a good thing?

Rookie Head Coach John Harbaugh has a feisty mix of veteran and young players this year and seems to have them bought into his tough, hard-nosed and disciplined football system.

In recent years, this very talented squad of players could not get done what was needed in order to be considered an elite NFL football team.

Their national attention on Sunday/Monday nights were filled with undisciplined behavior that resulted in not only losses to their opponents, but being labeled as the " lackluster-ed bad boys" of the AFC North...and by "bad", I don't mean good!

In 2008 however, it seems as though the new coaching staff has the team pointed in the right direction. In fact, the Baltimore Ravens' performance thus far has taken everyone in Baltimore by surprise...at least, everyone outside of the Ravens organization.

So, why is it that no one in the national sports media seems to acknowledge the Ravens success...especially under such adverse conditions?

As a Ravens fan, didn't you just hate it when...

...on 9/29, Monday Night Football, Ravens @ Steelers, Hall of Famer QB Steve Young and current ESPN analyst "hammered" the Ravens on national TV during the post game analysis?...and said the Ravens offense is "criminal because it is robbing the defense"...and "It was painful to watch the Ravens again not able to close the deal.''
...it seems as though it's everyone's opinion (outside of Baltimore) that the Ravens cannot compete with the elite teams of the NFL, while once again refusing to acknowledge that the Ravens nearly had and should have (if not for a couple of questionable game/momentum changing penalties) taken down two of them early in the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans.
...in week twelve, the Baltimore Ravens demoralized the Philadelphia Eagles with a 36-7 victory, even causing their franchise QB to be benched after the first half, and yet all the sports media seems to talk about is the "dismal" play of the Eagles versus how well the Ravens played? After a 48-20 Eagles pounding of the Cardinals in week 13 (Thanksgiving), maybe some will feel the Ravens just plain "out-played" the Eagles in week 12?

But I digress...maybe it is a good thing for the Ravens to (once again) "fly under the radar"???

In 2006 with a 9-2 record headed into week 13, and a 13-3 record headed into the post season, the Ravens flew under nobody's radar, but only to blunder to the Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs.

With the 2001 & 2003 seasons, two of the four times that the Ravens have made it to the post season in franchise history, no one will argue (or maybe they will?) that the Ravens did not fly under the radar due to the momentum of their Superbowl run earlier in the decade.

So, when was the last time the Ravens made it to the post season while flying under the radar? That's right...you got it...it was in 2000, when they held up the Lombardi Trophy at Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Fla.) after a 34-7 victory over the NY Giants to become Super Bowl XXXV champs.

Of course, this is no prediction that the 2008 Baltimore Ravens win (or even make it to) Super Bowl XLIII, but maybe it'll help to curb the ill feelings of "no respect" that seems to be occurring with Raven fans as a result from the lack of attention in the national sports media?

Oh by the way, did I mention?...Super Bowl XLIII is being played in Tampa this year and barring any mishaps or calamities, the NY Giants are the favorites to make it to the Super Bowl?

Coincidence, maybe?

...then again, maybe it's not so tough to be Baltimore Raven "Homer" this year?