ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 12:22 AM Posted yesterday at 12:22 AM A few NFL peers have already reached out to Dre’Mont Jones to commiserate about how taxing a midseason trade can be. They offered advice for what the newest Ravens edge rusher called “probably the craziest moment of my life.” The move from Tennessee to Baltimore happened quickly. Jones woke up Monday morning a Titan. General manager Mike Borgonzi called around 7 p.m. to deliver the news while Jones was home bathing his two toddlers. Baltimore traded a conditional fifth-round draft pick for him the night before deadline day. Moments later, he was on the phone with his agent, then the Ravens front office. “Next thing you know,” he said, “Baltimore.” Coach John Harbaugh expects Jones to play Sunday in Minnesota. “It’s been quick, but I’m ready for it,” Jones said, a seven-year pro coming off a hot streak of 4 1/2 sacks in four games. The Ravens need that level of pass rush help. They traded Odafe Oweh to the Chargers last month in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman. Tavius Robinson fractured his foot days later. They’re short-staffed and underperforming at the position Baltimore only dressed three outside linebackers the past two games. As a team, the Ravens have 11 sacks in eight games, tied for the second fewest in the NFL. Quarterback pressure has been a glaring shortcoming for the better part of this season. And yet, if the Ravens have it their way, Sunday would be the day they start to turn a corner, debuting Jones and recent outside linebacker signee Carl Lawson. “We’re just trying to get better all the time,” Harbaugh said, “just trying to improve all the time.” Lawson joined the Ravens at an awkward point. He stepped into a 1-5 locker room two days before Baltimore beat the Bears, so he didn’t dress on a tight turnaround. Given the short week, Lawson remained on the practice squad through their road trip to Miami. Wednesday was his first normal practice. Lawson’s main focus, he said, was to be as physical as humanly possible. Let the technique and all the studying of the past two weeks fall in line. Pass rushers have an easier time acclimating to new schemes and new teams than other positions. At the end of the day, they can lean on the same mindset Lawson had his first day wearing purple: “hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit.” The 30-year-old rusher was playing his best football by the end of last season in Dallas, where he registered five sacks in 15 games. He pancaked All-Pro offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs in late December and called it one of the highlights of his career. Lawson, who shied away from opportunities with other teams before the Ravens rang in late October, wants to be a “valuable asset” for a 3-5 team “on the rise.” Now, there’s a familiar face in similar circumstances sitting across the locker room. Another pass rusher who needs to get up to speed by Sunday. Lawson worked out in the same gym where Jones prepared for the NFL draft in 2019. Jones used to watch Lawson in Cincinnati playing alongside his former Ohio State teammate Sam Hubbard. “Carl’s a beast,” Jones said with a smile. Those two haven’t had much time to reconnect amidst Jones’ whirlwind week. But it helps to have some familiarity for the new guy. Gilman, another midseason acquisition who hasn’t yet said two words to Jones, noticed how quickly he’s getting up to speed with the playbook. Jones had positive reviews of his first meeting with the defensive coaching staff. He couldn’t say much. He barely knows all their names. But he appreciates the room’s “high energy.” Harbaugh called him a “good fit” in Baltimore, someone who can be a difference maker on passing downs and has the versatility to squeeze inside on run defense. The deal has been in the works for a while, Harbaugh said. It came together just in time, shortly after defensive lineman Broderick Washington underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon. Jones can help pick up some slack. “The Ravens are gonna get the best version of myself,” pass rusher Carl Lawson said. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Asked what he brings to Baltimore’s defensive front, Jones said that he’s someone who is “physical as hell,” taking the field with a “kill or be killed” mindset. As for Lawson, “the Ravens are gonna get the best version of myself,” he said. That’s exactly what this Ravens pass rush needs, two guys who can get up to speed and put hands on the quarterback as soon as possible. There’s confidence those two can contribute to a late-season playoff push. Gilman put it in simple terms: “Ballers will figure it out, and that’s just how it goes. You go out there on Sunday, and you just let it loose.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. View the full article Quote
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