Arthur Brown, Albert McClellan, Zachary Orr ILB Competition.
Ravens’ Nation, we have been completely spoiled when it comes to the MLB position. For 17 years we had a lynchpin in the middle of the defense, exercising leadership, initiative, and overall Hall Of Fame talent. When the Baltimore Ravens lost Ray Lewis to retirement, the GM Genius Ozzie Newsome stepped up and placed an experienced veteran in Daryl Smith in the fold to help fill the huge void left by Lewis. He has now gone on to greener pastures, which creates a vacancy at the ILB spot.
Competition for the spot?
C.J. Mosley clearly asserted himself in one of the ILB spots. But who does the other position belong to? Who will be the guy to dominate in the 2016 offseason to claim the position? Below are the candidates:
45 Beyer, Brennen
50 McClellan, Albert
59 Brown, Arthur
54 Orr, Zach
46 Luckett, Cavellis
Brown Underrated?
I have my favorite and even had this to say about the competition in a previous article about the draft:
“The Ravens have been threatening to get rid of Brown since a year after they drafted him. He continues to fight to keep out of hot water. Albert seems to do just enough to inspire but not enough to provoke. The jury is still out on Orr.”
You can find that article here.
Arthur is an athletic freak that has been buried on the depth chart since 2013. Being a huge fan, I am glad John Harbaugh is actually allowing him to compete this year.
Buried on depth chart
Let’s be honest, in the past, with the politics of football, there is no way a team places a first round pick (C.J. Mosley) on the bench for Brown. They especially won’t when Ozzie Newsome is in your ear yelling “Roll Tide” in favor of his new Alabama product. Some have even went as far as saying he needs to be better against the run.
In the ever-changing game that is the NFL, the Ravens need a guy who is better against the pass. I believe that pass defense is Brown’s strength. When the team starts facing these teams with slot receivers like Julian Edelman or RBs coming out of the backfield, Brown will be the best suited to take them on.
Hi Haters!
Of course the haters will continue to hate though.
Rotoworld.com is especially good at blasting the grinder saying:
“Brown has provided nothing to the team since being taken with the 56th overall pick in the 2013 draft, but the Ravens are having a hard time giving up on the former second-round pick. Odds are he’ll be inactive more often than not.”
There is a reason this guy has managed to make the 53 since 2013. My expectation is that Brown shocks the world and claims the depth chart spot next to Mosely with authority. Anyway, on to the next legitimate competitor for the position. Zachary Orr
Favorite on social media
Many pegged Orr to replace Daryl Smith. Why is that? Did he really shine the last two seasons? No. Not exactly. He had 22 total tackles in 2015 and even had some pretty good Pro Football Focus grades, but there is no substantial tape on the young North Texas product to make that determination. He wasn’t exactly the thriller of preseason either.
In fact it was Brown who set that stage with his 5th ranked 23 tackles in the 2015 preseason. Orr had 19, which still put him in the top-20 of preseason tacklers that year. Orr has special teams value, which is what may have given him the edge over Brown in the past, but is it enough to solidify him as the guy this year?
Wildcard or just depth?
I am not sure the special teams card will be in play here because the Ravens went out of their way to pick up a ST standout in Cavellis Luckett as an undrafted free-agent. The former Middle Tennessee player is a speedster who really excels at breaking down and wrapping up defending against kickoff returners. He will be fighting for roster spot not a starting job.
Most game time experience…
The most intriguing prospect in my opinion is Albert McClellan. This is a guy just signed a three-year extension to remain with the team. He has made the move inside to ILB and has the experience to lead. He played 161 snaps last season and had 17-tackles, 1-sack, 1 pass def, and 1-fumble recovery. He has been with the Ravens since 2010 and has been listed 4th on the depth chart at OLB. Can his transition to the inside mean Harbs and Dean Pees are looking at him being the favorite? It would be cool to see such a talented guy finally getting his shot at starting. With arms like tree trunks, you have to put him on the field somewhere.
I am excited to see who rises to the top in this competition now that it actually is a competition. Either way C.J. will have a great sidekick come game come of 2016.
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