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The Passing Game, The Running Game and another OL Injury

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it
 

UPennChem

Hall of Famer
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it

Isn't it crazy how good Stephens has been?! Im not acting like he's some all pro, but he's been playing a lot of snaps, crazy early for a rookie and has done a good job for the most part. That's a very different outcome from what everyone expected when they'd never even heard the guy's name, heard that he's a converted running back, and is playing a new position altogether. Must be a really high IQ guy.
 

rmcjacket23

Ravens Ring of Honor
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it
The bigger question's are a) what is going to be the price to keep Averett and b) does it mean that we cut Peters to do it.

I think the latter is a very real possibility. It's not impossible that we do, but I just don't see the Ravens paying market value for 3 Corners at the same time, which is precisely what they'd be doing if they extend Averett and keep Peters (obviously Marlon the other). The only way you can really justify it is that you have no other high $ players on your defense. We all assume Campbell and Williams will be gone, and if they don't extend Elliott, your most expensive defensive players will be entirely in the secondary.

That also, of course, pushed Marlon back into the slot most of the time, because he's clearly the best of the three at playing inside.

If Averett is cheaper than we think (like $10M a year or less), then you can probably just cut Tavon and it'll only really cost a couple million to keep Averett, which is affordable. If he's more than the, I think it's a choice between Averett and Peters.
In that case, you roll with whoever you choose and Marlon on the outside, likely keep Tavon, and then add a Corner or two in FA/draft.

I think extending Averett almost certainly guarantees, at a minimum, that Peters won't be extended beyond his current contract in 2022.

The other aspect to consider is that if we assume we need at least 2-3 more Dlineman this offseason, I can't see them all coming from the draft. At least one will likely come from FA in some form or fashion, which means decent cap capital to obtain. Based on their performance this year, linebacker, both inside and outside, is still very much on the table for next year also. They could conceivably be looking to add at least 4 players to the front 7 in the offseason. The draft isn't getting all of that.
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Isn't it crazy how good Stephens has been?! Im not acting like he's some all pro, but he's been playing a lot of snaps, crazy early for a rookie and has done a good job for the most part. That's a very different outcome from what everyone expected when they'd never even heard the guy's name, heard that he's a converted running back, and is playing a new position altogether. Must be a really high IQ guy.

he looks so sharp mentally and is already communicating pretty well - i think he got caught on the broncos TD with a legal rub route and some hesitation but otherwise showed tons of promise and he's getting better and better - it says a lot that they were comfortable having him not just play dime but backup Deshon and not Jimmy or Geno (or some combination of them) instead

but the physical skills you see are so smooth and impressive - his 2 years at corner really help with his ability to mirror and transition as a safety - really fluid athlete
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
The bigger question's are a) what is going to be the price to keep Averett and b) does it mean that we cut Peters to do it.

I think the latter is a very real possibility. It's not impossible that we do, but I just don't see the Ravens paying market value for 3 Corners at the same time, which is precisely what they'd be doing if they extend Averett and keep Peters (obviously Marlon the other). The only way you can really justify it is that you have no other high $ players on your defense. We all assume Campbell and Williams will be gone, and if they don't extend Elliott, your most expensive defensive players will be entirely in the secondary.

That also, of course, pushed Marlon back into the slot most of the time, because he's clearly the best of the three at playing inside.

If Averett is cheaper than we think (like $10M a year or less), then you can probably just cut Tavon and it'll only really cost a couple million to keep Averett, which is affordable. If he's more than the, I think it's a choice between Averett and Peters.
In that case, you roll with whoever you choose and Marlon on the outside, likely keep Tavon, and then add a Corner or two in FA/draft.

I think extending Averett almost certainly guarantees, at a minimum, that Peters won't be extended beyond his current contract in 2022.

The other aspect to consider is that if we assume we need at least 2-3 more Dlineman this offseason, I can't see them all coming from the draft. At least one will likely come from FA in some form or fashion, which means decent cap capital to obtain. Based on their performance this year, linebacker, both inside and outside, is still very much on the table for next year also. They could conceivably be looking to add at least 4 players to the front 7 in the offseason. The draft isn't getting all of that.

of course this is all adding difficulty to the offseason - i get that it would feel weird to be paying 4 of our 5 DBs but that's clearly where we value depth and guaranteed high quality play over other positions - yes there'd be a task replacing major contributors on the defensive line and adding more EDGE talent but i also am not sure we will be adding to the LB room just yet

i think you're right that paying Averett would mean committing to not resigning Peters after his deal runs out but I think you do try and find a way to keep those 3 guys together for the year especially as it gives us some future stability at the position too but idk - i think if averett leaves that you might see us using big capital at corner in the 2022 draft just because of how valuable the position is to the scheme

and this is also why we're seeing EDC stack picks because he knows we're going to need to restock with young talent all over the team once we have to pay the stars superstar money

i just think that if averett's playing at this high a level you find a way to not let him leave
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it
Well Tavon will most likely be cut at the end of the season and yes he has been improving over the last couple weeks, I just don't think he makes it past this season. Maybe he could be traded for a 5th or 6th round pick.

That being said, I believe Averett will want to play on the boundary and be a starter. That doesn't happen when Peters comes back next season. I'd love to find a way to keep him as well, but I'm not sure it happens.
 
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JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it
I spotted this innate ability to break early on the ball in week 1, I can’t remember what play it was but it was early in the game and he backpedaled in off coverage with eyes in the backfield, and the receiver was running an out, averett broke on the route perfectly in sync with the receiver without even taking his eyes off the qb, and he took a PERFECT angle and the receiver didn’t have a chance.

for me there’s no question at all, tavons gotta go and bozeman and averett need to stay, I don’t care about the ramifications of putting marlon in the slot, do it, because you can get an absolute shitload of production out of him there, averett has been an absolute stud this year and he was last year as well
 

Deebo813

Hall of Famer
After watching this week's coaching film I think maybe Wink wasn't exaggerating when he said he thought Anthony Averett was an all-pro level corner... he's been dominant and he just has a knack for breaking on the ball and has an innate feel in coverage - could have had 3 picks against the Broncos and none of them would have been lucky bounces like the 1 against the Raiders. Teams are challenging his side of the field and getting nothing from him.

And on the other side, Brandon Stephens is coming along quick... As much as I like Deshon, I think we've found his cheaper replacement for 2022

for me it's getting to the point where we just have to find a way to keep Averett - if it means cutting Tavon then so be it
As much as i dnt like our safeties, i wouldnt mind keeping deshon and trying to find a spot for him.. with, chub, hunt, mixon, harris and often henry that we play against… he is much needed but its no reason to only keep him for that i guess
 

Deebo813

Hall of Famer
Isn't it crazy how good Stephens has been?! Im not acting like he's some all pro, but he's been playing a lot of snaps, crazy early for a rookie and has done a good job for the most part. That's a very different outcome from what everyone expected when they'd never even heard the guy's name, heard that he's a converted running back, and is playing a new position altogether. Must be a really high IQ guy.
That and its not really hard to steal snaps from our safties.
 

Deebo813

Hall of Famer
I spotted this innate ability to break early on the ball in week 1, I can’t remember what play it was but it was early in the game and he backpedaled in off coverage with eyes in the backfield, and the receiver was running an out, averett broke on the route perfectly in sync with the receiver without even taking his eyes off the qb, and he took a PERFECT angle and the receiver didn’t have a chance.

for me there’s no question at all, tavons gotta go and bozeman and averett need to stay, I don’t care about the ramifications of putting marlon in the slot, do it, because you can get an absolute shitload of production out of him there, averett has been an absolute stud this year and he was last year as well
Yep i remember that play too..crazy cause when he first came out, i didnt like his ass at all. Watched his tape before injury and i couldnt believe my eyes like no bs.. mf looked like a whole new person man
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
I spotted this innate ability to break early on the ball in week 1, I can’t remember what play it was but it was early in the game and he backpedaled in off coverage with eyes in the backfield, and the receiver was running an out, averett broke on the route perfectly in sync with the receiver without even taking his eyes off the qb, and he took a PERFECT angle and the receiver didn’t have a chance.

for me there’s no question at all, tavons gotta go and bozeman and averett need to stay, I don’t care about the ramifications of putting marlon in the slot, do it, because you can get an absolute shitload of production out of him there, averett has been an absolute stud this year and he was last year as well

yeah im not fussed about who plays where... we use our guys as matchup weapons anyway - only really marcus peters who's tethered to a particular spot on the field at this point

so many teams's best weapons are TEs or slot receivers anyway - you trust marlon to take away the most important guy on the field on high leverage downs etc. no matter what position they play - just look at the raiders game where we saw him matched up vs waller and renfrow and edwards and ruggs at different points

or look at the chiefs game where averett was left 1v1 in the slot vs Tyreek on 3rd down and blanketed him

if we can find a way to keep all 3, who cares who's playing in the slot...

this offseason i think we get Lamar done and then bozeman, averett and ricard and see where that leaves us after cutting tavon
it'll be tough i think on the cap next year to get all those deals done depending on how we structure lamar's deal

just looking at how much base salary is in MP's deal in the final year - i do wonder whether he's a candidate to be extended depending on how much money he's looking for too...

i dont envy being EDC and Pat Moriarty trying to figure all these deals out
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
As much as i dnt like our safeties, i wouldnt mind keeping deshon and trying to find a spot for him.. with, chub, hunt, mixon, harris and often henry that we play against… he is much needed but its no reason to only keep him for that i guess

i think it's a case of not being able to pay everyone - and at this point i think averett's more valuable than deshon
deshon's been good and as you say is a great tone-setter vs physical runners but i dont know that his value isnt replaceable
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Yep i remember that play too..crazy cause when he first came out, i didnt like his ass at all. Watched his tape before injury and i couldnt believe my eyes like no bs.. mf looked like a whole new person man

there were signs late in his 2nd year that he was turning the corner and then last year he really matured into a trustworthy and starting level piece - and this year he's come into his own
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
yeah im not fussed about who plays where... we use our guys as matchup weapons anyway - only really marcus peters who's tethered to a particular spot on the field at this point

so many teams's best weapons are TEs or slot receivers anyway - you trust marlon to take away the most important guy on the field on high leverage downs etc. no matter what position they play - just look at the raiders game where we saw him matched up vs waller and renfrow and edwards and ruggs at different points

or look at the chiefs game where averett was left 1v1 in the slot vs Tyreek on 3rd down and blanketed him

if we can find a way to keep all 3, who cares who's playing in the slot...

this offseason i think we get Lamar done and then bozeman, averett and ricard and see where that leaves us after cutting tavon
it'll be tough i think on the cap next year to get all those deals done depending on how we structure lamar's deal

just looking at how much base salary is in MP's deal in the final year - i do wonder whether he's a candidate to be extended depending on how much money he's looking for too...

i dont envy being EDC and Pat Moriarty trying to figure all these deals out
With averett and Humphrey, you can’t beat us with just speed or in the slot, averett is a legit mid 4.3 and lengthy corner, Humphrey is a track star who can play in all directions as well as any defender in the league and is too physical for any TE or big slot, then with peters you risk throwing a pick every time you throw to your right. Offenses have 3 options there, double move against peters or jumpball against Humphrey, and good luck successfully doing either lol.

I desperately wanna keep this trio together
 

JoeyFlex5

Hall of Famer
Yep i remember that play too..crazy cause when he first came out, i didnt like his ass at all. Watched his tape before injury and i couldnt believe my eyes like no bs.. mf looked like a whole new person man
Frankly averett only struggled as a rookie, he struggled with injuries after that but the only time he was actively playing and looking straight up bad was his rookie year.

I’m not the least bit surprised, maybe I didn’t expect all this out of him, but I thought at worst he was gonna be cb3 on the ravens and starting caliber on basically 28 or 29 other teams in the league, I’d say he’s a few notches above that, and I don’t think there’s a team in the league that couldn’t fit him into the top 2 on the depth chart right now
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
Frankly averett only struggled as a rookie, he struggled with injuries after that but the only time he was actively playing and looking straight up bad was his rookie year.

I’m not the least bit surprised, maybe I didn’t expect all this out of him, but I thought at worst he was gonna be cb3 on the ravens and starting caliber on basically 28 or 29 other teams in the league, I’d say he’s a few notches above that, and I don’t think there’s a team in the league that couldn’t fit him into the top 2 on the depth chart right now

especially not with all the league-wide injury issues at the position
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
With averett and Humphrey, you can’t beat us with just speed or in the slot, averett is a legit mid 4.3 and lengthy corner, Humphrey is a track star who can play in all directions as well as any defender in the league and is too physical for any TE or big slot, then with peters you risk throwing a pick every time you throw to your right. Offenses have 3 options there, double move against peters or jumpball against Humphrey, and good luck successfully doing either lol.

I desperately wanna keep this trio together

those 3 with chuck Clark playing his career best right now would be awesome - yes it leaves us light in funds to spend on the front 7 but I’m willing to take that risk somewhat - we’ve got some nice pieces that we need to supplement rather than overhaul - we probably do need to try and add at least 1 high quality defensive lineman but that might be a drafting scenario

My hope is that this draft is full of trench prospects on both sides of the ball
 
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