ExtremeRavens Posted 8 hours ago Posted 8 hours ago They sat in a corner sandwiched by uncertainty; four of the Ravens’ 11 draft picks less than one full day removed from the end of their rookie season, and 24 hours before their first NFL head coach was fired. It was locker room clean-out day. Mike Green organized a pile of game-worn jerseys to exchange with his buddies. Beside him, Emery Jones Jr. rounded up his belongings. Teddye Buchanan sat hunched over, leaning on his left knee because his right was wrapped in a prominent brace. Aeneas Peebles grabbed a sharpie to sign a purple jersey on the floor. They laughed. They hugged. And they went their separate ways, signaling the start of their first NFL offseason. Here’s a look back at how their individual inaugural seasons unfolded and thoughts about where they go from here: Malaki Starks, safety When the Ravens first interviewed Starks last spring, they asked who he believed was the best safety in the NFL. Kyle Hamilton “was the first person I said,” he recalled. In July, the All-Pro Hamilton said the No. 27 overall pick was “miles ahead” of where he was upon entering the league. Still, there were early concerns about Starks’ missed tackle rate (13.3%) and coverage lapses, most of which he cleaned up by the back half of the season — a credit to him being a quick study and the circumstantial increased role. Starks played more coverage snaps than any other NFL safety and ranked in the top 11 in total defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. The question(s) here: How does a Minter defense deploy the versatile Hamilton, and how does Ar’Darius Washington return health wise and is free agent Alohi Gilman still on the team? Nevertheless, a Hamilton-type trajectory would mean Starks could be a centerfield fixture for years to come. Mike Green, outside linebacker Don’t expect Green to show up at training camp having undergone some complete physical transformation. He’d like to get in better shape and put on a bit more muscle mass, Green said, but “I think my size and my speed come with its own advantages.” He finished the year third on the team in sacks (3 1/2) and tied for second in tackles for loss (7). Those rankings look a lot better on a team that struggled to pressure the quarterback and collectively recorded their fewest sacks (30) in 15 seasons. Asked what he learned over his first NFL season, Green gave an affirming, “I’m just capable of doing everything that I think I can do. “Rookie coming in to fill big shoes, it definitely wasn’t easy. It came with its own trials and tribulations, of course. I think I did good for the most part doing that. Just coming in here and trying to make a name for myself the first year — which a lot of rookies really can’t — was pretty tough. For my first year here, I left a mark. There are plays and things that we wish that we can get back, but I think it shows your true personality when you’re able to overcome everything that you’ve been through.” When the Ravens traded away Odafe Oweh and endured injuries across the defensive line, Green accepted a regular role. He played the second most pass rush snaps of any rookie edge rusher. The Ravens will certainly address the position either with a splash in free agency or in the draft but it’s clear they see Green as a centerpiece of their future at the position. Emery Jones Jr., guard Because of a shoulder injury, the third-round rookie didn’t see the practice field until Oct. 1. He wasn’t active for a game until late November. Jones played sparingly in place of Andrew Vorhees as part of a guard rotation that didn’t last long. Former coach John Harbaugh thought he played “OK” in his debut but that he “didn’t outplay” Vorhees or Daniel Faalele. A new offensive line coach in the well-respected Dwayne Ledford plus a likely addition via free agency or the draft could rewrite the offensive line room. Based on last year’s struggles, the guard position is an open competition. Teddye Buchanan, linebacker The fourth-round rookie was promoted to a starting linebacker role by Week 2. It had been 20 years since the last time a Day 3 pick started on the Ravens’ defense within his first two games. Buchanan survived the normal, step-slow struggles of a rookie. Then around the midway point of the season, he turned a corner. Buchanan logged 93 tackles, two quarterback hits, half a sack and a forced fumble before tearing his ACL in Week 15. Assuming a full recovery with no major setbacks, Buchanan is primed to be the starter beside Roquan Smith (barring a blue chip free agent signing, of course). Carson Vinson, tackle Vinson took seven reps on the offensive line this past season: six in relief for the injured Ronnie Stanley in Week 15 then one two weeks later against the Packers. There was never an obvious path for him sans major injury along the offensive line. The Ravens drafted him as a long-term project. After the draft, DeCosta described Vinson as a “polished, tough, tenacious guy.” Both tackle spots are locked up by Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten. A significant step forward for Vinson might mean he’d be first off the bench. A step back, or if the Ravens draft a replacement, could leave Vinson closer to the practice squad. Bilhal Kone, cornerback Kone’s rookie year ended before it started. The sixth-round pick showed promise in training camp then suffered a major knee injury in the preseason opener. By November, he was lightly jogging in a pool at the facility and by season’s end he seemed to float around the locker room with ease. He should get another try to compete for a roster spot this summer. Tyler Loop, kicker The image of a football curving east of the uprights, fading into a flood of swirling yellow towels tarnished what was an otherwise productive first year. Loop will long be remembered for the errant 44-yard kick that boxed Baltimore out of the playoffs. That was his only missed field goal inside 50 yards. He missed three from 50-plus, despite showing supreme leg strength in the preseason. Kicking is “a terrible job,” owner Steve Bisciotti said, showing sympathy for the 24-year-old and first kicker drafted by the Ravens in 30 years. But that swing won’t forever define him. “That kid’s resilient enough from what I’ve learned,” Bisciotti said, “and he’ll be our kicker next year.” Ravens kicker Tyler Loop reacts after missing a field goal in a Week 18 loss to the Steelers. Loop's missed kick kept Baltimore out of the postseason. (Matt Durisko/AP) Loop hadn’t attempted a pressure-cooker kick like that before. His get-back will be a talking point throughout training camp but the expectation in Owings Mills is that he is still their long-term solution at kicker. Bisciotti said as much. Plus, Loop’s direct kicking coach, Randy Brown, survived what was a near-total staff turnover. LaJohntay Wester, wide receiver The sixth-round pick set a high bar for himself early. Wester’s most memorable play of the year came in the preseason, returning a punt 87 yards for a touchdown against the Colts. He vowed to be a speedy field flipper come the regular season. That never quite manifested but Wester showed flashes and, despite a critical muffed punt in Cleveland, maintained a roster spot because of his return ability. That will continue to be his path to playing time next season. Aeneas Peebles, defensive tackle Former defensive line coach Dennis Johnson once called Peebles, a Day 3 draft pick, the most explosive defensive lineman he’d ever seen. Hyperbole? Perhaps a smidge, but the point was that Johnson saw legitimate potential in the undersized rookie. Peebles played depth reps through the first five weeks of the season, sat for two months, played four more snaps in Week 13 then healthy scratched the final weeks of the season. The Ravens should address their defensive line in free agency and the draft, especially if Nnamdi Madubuike’s neck injury means he’s unavailable next season. But if Peebles takes a sophomore step forward, he could stick around as an insurance piece — or more — on the active roster. Robert Longerbeam, cornerback DeCosta’s prophetic analogy comparing cornerbacks to sports cars that break down quickly struck another sixth-round rookie. Longerbeam, like Kone, was placed on season-ending injury reserve after Baltimore’s preseason opener. Last year’s draft marked the fourth time in five years the Ravens selected multiple cornerbacks in the same class. A healthy Longerbeam figures to battle for a roster spot this August, more likely sticking around on the practice squad. Garrett Dellinger, guard Baltimore selected Dellinger with the 243rd overall pick. DeCosta said they saw him play at the Senior Bowl and thought he had “traits” to eventually be a contributor. Then in December, the Browns plucked him off the Ravens practice squad and the Titans claimed him off waivers a week later. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article Quote
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