Month: July 2015

The Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Greg Little.
Little caught six passes for 69 yards with the Bengals last season with one start.
Little was previously with the Cleveland Browns.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson cover the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun

Last season was a heartbreaking one for the Baltimore Ravens.  

The difference between them appearing in the AFC Championship game, against the Indianapolis Colts, and a Divisional Round exit was a gift interception to the New England Patriots with only 36 yards away from victory.

With last season now in the books, it should come as no surprise that heading into this season the Ravens seem primed to make another deep playoff run.

Since John Harbaugh took over head coaching duties in 2008, the Ravens have consistently made deep playoffs runs, as shown in the table below.

In terms of sheer performance, Harbaugh is one of the NFL’s best head coaches; the Ravens’ 10 playoff victories under Harbaugh (since 2008) rank as the NFL’s most.

Led by consistency at the head-coaching position, there are a lot of things to like about the Ravens coming into this season and with a muddy AFC race on the horizon, the Ravens stand out.

Offense

As a whole the Ravens’ offense was highly efficient last season, posting a 9.4% DVOA, according to Pro Football Outsiders.

Under Gary Kubiak‘s offense Joe Flacco flourished; he had arguably his best regular season as a quarterback, evidenced by the table shown below.

His statistical performance showed on tape too, as Flacco seemed to have a better understanding of the field and cut down on the mistakes that plagued his 2013 campaign. Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and Flacco has proven that he can lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl victory.

Under new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, the Ravens figure to be a more vertical offense and this should help first round pick Breshad Perriman flourish.

Perriman posted a 4.24 40 yard dash at his pro-day, and will help mitigate the loss of now-San Francisco 49ers’ wide-receiver Torrey Smith.

Perriman compares similarly to T. Smith (top-flight speed, good size, inconsistent hands); if he can keep defenses honest with his speed, this offense shouldn’t miss a beat.

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens might have lost one Smith at wide-receiver this offseason, but the ageless Steve Smith remains. S. Smith is still as aggressive as they come at wide-receiver and is a nice reliable option for Flacco.

At tight end, there is some uncertainty for the Ravens heading into the 2015 season with Dennis Pitta expected to remain on the physically unable to perform list to start the season.

It’ll be interesting to see how snaps are divided between 2015 second round pick Maxx Williams and 2014 third round pick Crockett Gilmore. Trestman normally operates out of 11 personnel (one running-back, one tight-end), so you will rarely see them on the field at the same time.

Justin Forsett was one of the most productive running backs in the NFL last season, but seemed to be more of a product of a spectacular run blocking offensive line. Forsett has great vision and rarely misses the hole, but doesn’t have enough power or agility to consistently shake off defenders. If this offensive line can stay healthy, he could possibly replicate his 2014 season anyway.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The strength of this offense comes in the form of their spectacular offensive line where there don’t seem to be many, if any, weaknesses.

Usually stout in pass protection, left-tackle Eugene Monroe was bullied on occasion last season; much of this could be explained by Monroe struggling with knee and ankle injuries. Monroe has proven to be a really good left-tackle in his career, so it should be expected for him to improve this season.

Opposite Monroe, Ricky Wagner starts at right-tackle for this offensive line. Wagner, a 2013 fifth round pick, surprisingly emerged last season and put together a solid 2014 campaign.

According to Pro Football Focus, Wagner only gave up 23 total pressures last season, which was tied for the sixth-least out of offensive tackles.

At center we have the fairly solid Jeremy Zuttah. Zuttah is probably the worst among this group, but is still a good player in his own regard.

Now we come to the strength of this offensive line with Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, who form the best guard duo in football; Yanda was Pro Football Focus’ highest graded guard last season by a wide margin, and Osemele finished ranked sixth.

Altogether this offensive line does a great job of keeping Flacco clean in the pocket, and opening huge running lanes for Forsett. 

Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Defense

The Ravens’ defense will be the heart and soul of this team, and for very good reason; this defense has talent at all levels, and combined with a great run defense and improved passing defense, should consistently terrorize offenses this season.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens quietly have the best front seven in football that figures to be even better in 2015.

This front seven is littered with seasoned veterans (Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Daryl Smith), and young emerging stars (C.J. Mosley, Timmy Jernigan).

We start at inside-linebacker with this defense where Mosley is entering the second season of his NFL career, and should already be considered one of the best players at his position.

If Mosley isn’t already the best player on this talented defense, he will be by the end of this season. Mosley showed rare instincts for a rookie and had a tremendous ability to find the ball.  

Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Next to Mosley, we have the very underrated D. Smith; D. Smith is a very well rounded defensive player, who is good in coverage and against the run.  

D. Smith was Pro Football Focus’ seventh highest graded inside-linebacker in 2014 and, combined with Mosley, forms one of the best inside-linebacker duos in the NFL.

Speaking of great line-backing duos, Suggs and Dumervil form a lethal combination on the outside of this defense. Suggs and Dumervil know how to get after the quarterback and create chaos for offensive coordinators.

The loss of Pernell McPhee to the Chicago Bears broke up one of the most productive trios of outside-linebackers in the NFL, but the Ravens are consistently replacing departing defensive free agents with draft picks successfully.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Upfront, the Ravens’ defensive line last season helped produce the third-3rd lowest rushing yards per attempt in the NFL.

This group will lose a mainstay in Haloti Ngata, who was traded to the Detroit Lions this offseason. 

Despite the loss of one of their defensive leaders, the Ravens shouldn’t be too worried without him.

This has to do with the emergence of Jernigan, who was Ngata’s replacement during his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances at the end of the season.

Jernigan in limited snaps flashed rare pass rushing ability for a 3-4 defensive lineman, and amassed four sacks in the process.

If Jernigan can stay healthy, he could have a big season for this defense.  Other members of this defensive line include the underrated run-stuffing-defensive-tackle Brandon Williams and the solid Chris Canty.

Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

We head to the secondary, where this unit was a significant weakness for this Ravens team last season. Some players returning from injury and some free agent additions should see this group improve.

This secondary is led by co
rner-back Jimmy Smith. J. Smith was playing like one of the best corner-backs in football last season before he had his season cut short because of injury.

J. Smith is an aggressive corner who loves to get his hands on wide-receivers; his return should be a real boost to this unit.

Opposite J. Smith is corner-back Lardarius Webb. Webb has battled through injuries, last season and throughout his career, but has proven that when healthy, he can produce some really good seasons at corner-back.

Adding Kyle Arrington at nickel-back will also be beneficial to this corner-backing group, who saw some bad performances last season at this position.

Will Hill and Kendrick Lewis figure to be the starting safeties this season, and both are solid players at their respected positions.

If the Ravens’ secondary can keep the mediocre Matt Elam off the field because of injury or performance, this group should actually be pretty solid this season.

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Conclusion

The AFC figures to be a muddy race this season, but the Ravens seem to be the team that shares one key difference between all of these contenders: the Ravens don’t have glaring weaknesses.

The Patriots have glaring holes in their secondary; the Denver Broncos have concerns about Peyton Manning‘s health; the Colts have Andrew Luck, and not much else; and the Steelers have a huge question mark on defense.

Talent is the true determining factor of the NFL Playoffs, and the Ravens seem poised to be playing in February this season.

Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

When Jim McElwain was hired to be the head coach of the Florida Gators, the expectation was for him to revamp the offense, much like Urban Meyer did. And, typically to rebuild an offense, the first step is to find a quarterback to lead the team. However, a lot of Florida fans were scratching their heads after it was announced the program had signed 2-star QB Kyle Trask out of Manvel, Texas.

Sure, it’s been rough down in Gainesville the past couple seasons, but was it really bad enough that they had to reach all the way down for a 2-star QB? This is a program that regularly seems to pluck four- and five-star recruits on normal basis from the fertile recruiting ground of the state of Florida. So why would the Gators take a chance on Trask? 

First off, let’s get the notion that the star rating system actually determines a player’s skill level out of our heads. That system can give you an idea of what to expect out of a player, but it’s never 100% correct. For instance, arguably the best defensive player in the NFL, J.J. Watt, was only rated a 2-star recruit when he originally signed with Central Michigan.

It seems to be a perplexing move at first, but watching film on Trask and taking into account Florida’s current situation at the position makes the move a bit more understandable.

At first glance, there’s no special skill that pops out at you. However, leading an offense doesn’t necessarily demand the strongest of arms or the quickest feet. It instead requires an ability to move the ball, and that appears to be something that Trask can do quite well.

Watching the footage, it’s clear to notice that Trask is a true pocket passer. Very rarely leaving the pocket, Trask stands tall with his upright posture, patiently watching the play develop until he finds an open receiver.

Just then as he releases the ball that you can see why the Gators would take a shot on him. Trask consistently hits his receivers time-and-time again, showing the type of accuracy that McElwain covets and demands out of his QBs. I know it is just a highlight film, and there aren’t any incomplete passes or interceptions, but looking at his stats, the footage doesn’t lie. Through 19 total varsity games, according to MaxPreps, Trask has completed 73% of his passes for 1061 yards, including seven touchdowns. 

Trask doesn’t possess a cannon for a right arm like most would hope for in a QB competing in the SEC, but his touch and placement make up for it. He has a great feel for his throws, seeming to have a knack for how hard or soft to throw it. Throughout the video there are examples of him either floating a nice deep ball that hits a receiver in stride or throwing a frozen rope into a tight window.

It’s no secret that Trask lacks mobility, but the big fellow can move when he has to. Trask has good awareness, staying on his toes in the pocket and can avoid a sack while managing to keep his eyes down the field. But even when the 6-foot-5 QB decides to pull the ball down and run he can be effective. His size makes it harder for opposing defenses to bring him down, and he can execute draws efficiently.

Seeing the headlines of the Florida Gators signing a 2-star QB may be puzzling to most fans and experts at first, as Trask was a relative unknown until his commitment. Heck, Trask has yet to even start in a game for his high school. But his recruitment has really started to heat up over the last few months as smaller schools such as Houston Baptist, McNeese State and Lamar each offered him a scholarship. There’s no telling what will happen now that he has impressed the Florida coaching staff enough to make him an offer.

Trask may be rated as a 2-star right now, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him move up to at least a 3-star recruit by the time he finishes up his senior season. Even if he doesn’t get bumped up a star, Gator fans should just take this signing for what it is, a pure depth move. Florida currently has two scholarship QBs on its roster in Will Grier and Treon Harris, so adding Trask to the mix as an insurance policy surely doesn’t hurt.

Whether Trask lives up to his billing as a 2-star QB or becomes a diamond in the rough remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to take a low-risk, high-reward gamble at this point. 

The college football staff at SQ have put together a ranking of the top-25 teams heading into 2015. To get our readers prepared for the upcoming season, the staff has created a preview for each one of these teams. Today’s focus is on #19 Oklahoma.

Team: Oklahoma Sooners

SQ Ranking: 19

2014 Record: 8-5

Finish in AP Poll: Not Ranked

Head Coach: Bob Stoops (17th Year)

Key Arrivals: DT Neville Gallimore, ILB Ricky DeBerry, CB PJ Mbanasor, RB Rodney Anderson, S Will Sunderland

Key Departures: TE Blake Bell, S Quentin Hayes, K Michael Hunnicutt, OT Tyrus Thompson, OG Daryl Williams

Previewing the Sooner Offense: With a returning starter in RB Samaje Perine — who set the NCAA record for most rushing yards in a game last year with 427 against Kansas — and a QB conundrum between the incumbent starter Trevor Knight and Baker Mayfield, the Sooners will be a competitive team in the Big 12. 

Perine will need to be the workhorse as the QB details become more ironed out as the season progresses. Last season, Perine packed about 6.5 yards behind each carry en route to a 1,713 yard season. A dark horse in the running department is Alex Ross. The junior only touched the ball 88 times last year, but raked in 595 yards — a little better yard per carry average than Perine.

Perine’s record breaking day against Kansas last year.

Knight, who’s highlight as the Sooner’s starting QB was the carving of the Alabama Crimson Tide two years ago in the Sugar Bowl, is 11-4 when he’s been given the nod to start. However, in his last two outings as starting QB, the Sooners stumbled — first it was a heartbreaking OT loss to Oklahoma State, then it was a shellacking  by Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

This doesn’t bode well for Knight. Head coach Bob Stoops was 33-2 following a loss up until the Clemson catastrophe. Stoops isn’t the type of coach who follows up a rough year with an equally rough year. Prior to last season, the last time Oklahoma didn’t reach a BCS/New Year’s Six Bowl game was in 2011 — a win against Stoop’s alma mater, Iowa,  in the Insight Bowl. The Sooners followed that campaign with a trip to the Cotton Bowl in 2012. Look for the same kind of outcome this year for the young men from Norman, Okla. 

Two observations after first half of OU spring game: No discernible difference between 4 QBs; WR position gonna be better, maybe way better

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) April 11, 2015

Observation made by Jake Trotter during the Oklahoma Spring Game indicated that the starting QB job could be a toss-up. 

Whoever is named the starting QB will have weapons to work with. Sterling Shepard is the main go-to receiver for the Sooners. Expect the senior to eclipse the 1,000 yard receiving mark this season. However, the passing game will have to be quick as the offensive line will be inexperienced, having to fill the shoes left by Daryl Williams and Tyrus Thompson.

Previewing the Sooner Defense: As the saying goes: defense wins championships. A Bob Stoops defense stifles you on the passing and rushing game; this year is no different. Even with the loss of Jordan Phillips on the line, someone will fill the void. Senior defensive tackle Charles Tapper will have to step up and be a leader, but the support of Charles Walker (So.) and DJ Ward (So.) will help grow the defensive into a beast within the next couple seasons. 

If Tapper can cause some disruptions at the line, the Sooners can stifle runs (and force turnovers).

A gradual uptick in defensive production may be the goal for Oklahoma; however, Stoop’s history indicates great things. In 16 years, Stoops has managed to get the Sooners to 11 BCS or Cotton Bowl games, including four National Championship appearances. If there is any spot on the defense that puts the Sooner Schooner on the path to the CFP, it’s gonna have to come from dynamic playmaking at the corner and safety positions. 

Interceptions and broken up passes will need to be on the top of OU’s list of things to do, especially against TCU and Baylor. Zack Sanchez might be the most experienced (he’s a junior) at the corner position. Entering the Russell Athletic Bowl last season, Sanchez was within the top-10 of the FBS for interceptions.

Three Key Games

1. Oklahoma at Baylor (Nov. 14) — November is going to be the make-or-break phase of the season. IF the Sooners can get out of Waco, Texas with a win, they have all the momentum in the world for the showdown against TCU the following week. An Oklahoma loss against Baylor could put them in a position to lose three straight games, something unheard of in the Stoops Era.

2. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State (Nov. 28) — Rivalries are always tricky. Spreads don’t matter; pride does. OU wants to avenge the loss from a season ago, but they will have to do it in Stillwater, Okla. The Bedlam Battle caps off a monstrous month for the Sooners. The Red River Showdown with Texas will always be a tough game, but that’s a given. If OU comes in hot — possibly undefeated — against Oklahoma State, this becomes the game that derails its chances at a playoff birth. Since the Big 12 doesn’t have a championship game anymore, this will be the last impression before pollsters and the selection committee make their
cases. A blowout win over Oklahoma State will be needed if Oklahoma finds itself in playoff contention, which is why this game becomes very important.

3. Oklahoma vs. TCU (Nov. 21) – Last season, TCU defeated a then-No.4 Sooner squad. That loss broke the Sooners, as they would end up losing two of the next four. This year, OU is looking for revenge, but this time at home. Having Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in a sea of crimson will help in a victory. Stoops is 90-8 at home, compared to 52-20 away from Norman, Okla. If Perine can get the motors running, a breakout game will be in the works, and a potential Sooner victory becomes even more obtainable. 

The sour taste of defeat handed down by TCU can be quenched with a win in Norman, Okla. this November.

Final Analysis: Oklahoma is back. Don’t expect another trip to the Russell Athletic Bowl; think more New Year’s Six. Perine on the running attack will get him into award consideration come December. 

The QB situation will be a question mark entering the season, but it should be cleared by the bye week on Sept. 26. There are some minor road bumps in the beginning half of the season, but the Sooners can get to November unbeaten. However, November will define the Sooners as Big 12 contenders or Big 12 pretenders. This isn’t Stoops’ first rodeo, and  I don’t expect a huge collapse in November. Worse case, the Sooners will lose one regular season game (Baylor). They are my Big 12 favorite. 

Cut by the Indianapolis Colts, offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus visited the Buffalo Bills.
Up next: his former team, the Detroit Lions.
Cherilus was signed to a five-year, $34 million contract in 2013. However, he didn’t live up to expectations and dealt with knee, shoulder and groin injuries and was placed on injured reserve last season.
Cherilus had offseason knee surgery.
Follow me on Twitter: @RavensInsider
Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun
 

The Dallas Cowboys are threatening to fine holdout defensive end Jeremy Mincey $30,000.

Mincey is upset about his contract, which pays him $1.5 million last season.
“We certainly won’t be talking to him about it while he’s not here,” Cowboys executive Stephen Jones told Dallas reporters“He’s a player who is under contract. We expect all players under contract to be here.”
He’s the 70th highest paid defensive end.
Mincey had six sacks last season, two more in the playoffs.