Ravens backup LBs (1 Viewer)

[Chachi]

Just curious what will happen in Baltimore. Prescott Burgess or Tavares Gooden the heir to Ray Lewis? Who steps in if he were to get injured this season. I'm also curious as to thoughts on Antwaan Barnes. This isn't a Asst coach question, I did draft Barnes/Burgess/Gooden in a 53 man draft + rookie draft. My guess is Gooden is the guy but last year i heard Burgess. I"m thinking of dropping Barnes soon, he was my last pick.

 

[obxlegends]

Just curious what will happen in Baltimore. Prescott Burgess or Tavares Gooden the heir to Ray Lewis? Who steps in if he were to get injured this season. I'm also curious as to thoughts on Antwaan Barnes. This isn't a Asst coach question, I did draft Barnes/Burgess/Gooden in a 53 man draft + rookie draft. My guess is Gooden is the guy but last year i heard Burgess. I"m thinking of dropping Barnes soon, he was my last pick.

You're looking at Gooden being the heir apparent to Lewis in the future. However, look for Nick Greisen to be his replacement if Lewis goes down in the first part of the season. He's a veteran and as long as the team is competitive I see him being the more immediate replacement. I don't see Burgess in the mix inside at all. Mike Smith is the wild card behind Greisen.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Just curious what will happen in Baltimore. Prescott Burgess or Tavares Gooden the heir to Ray Lewis? Who steps in if he were to get injured this season. I'm also curious as to thoughts on Antwaan Barnes. This isn't a Asst coach question, I did draft Barnes/Burgess/Gooden in a 53 man draft + rookie draft. My guess is Gooden is the guy but last year i heard Burgess. I"m thinking of dropping Barnes soon, he was my last pick.

You're looking at Gooden being the heir apparent to Lewis in the future. However, look for Nick Greisen to be his replacement if Lewis goes down in the first part of the season. He's a veteran and as long as the team is competitive I see him being the more immediate replacement. I don't see Burgess in the mix inside at all. Mike Smith is the wild card behind Greisen.

IMHO if Ray Ray got hurt this year you'd see more of both Antwan Barnes and Gooden, with some of Burgess - until a clear frontrunner emerged.Barnes and Burgess have the most experience with the other LBs and Jarrett Johnson can help out to bridge the gap. Scott would be the biggest IDP performer, I would say.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Just curious what will happen in Baltimore. Prescott Burgess or Tavares Gooden the heir to Ray Lewis? Who steps in if he were to get injured this season. I'm also curious as to thoughts on Antwaan Barnes. This isn't a Asst coach question, I did draft Barnes/Burgess/Gooden in a 53 man draft + rookie draft. My guess is Gooden is the guy but last year i heard Burgess. I"m thinking of dropping Barnes soon, he was my last pick.

You're looking at Gooden being the heir apparent to Lewis in the future. However, look for Nick Greisen to be his replacement if Lewis goes down in the first part of the season. He's a veteran and as long as the team is competitive I see him being the more immediate replacement. I don't see Burgess in the mix inside at all. Mike Smith is the wild card behind Greisen.

Good analysis here - Greisen is the stopgap, Gooden is the long term answer. Smith has been a great preseason player, but has also gotten hurt when he got a chance to play in 06, then ended up on IR last year. Barnes is a pass rusher first and foremost (one of the best first steps in the league) - good player to own in deep sack heavy leagues, but I'm not sure if he'll ever be an everydown LB.

 

[PewterFan]

I'll just add that if it becomes apparent that the Ravens won't make the playoffs Gooden will get plenty of playing time. Might as well see what you got.

 

[Tenacious D]

I wouldn't rule Burgess out, he impressed in the preseason last year.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Just curious what will happen in Baltimore. Prescott Burgess or Tavares Gooden the heir to Ray Lewis? Who steps in if he were to get injured this season. I'm also curious as to thoughts on Antwaan Barnes. This isn't a Asst coach question, I did draft Barnes/Burgess/Gooden in a 53 man draft + rookie draft. My guess is Gooden is the guy but last year i heard Burgess. I"m thinking of dropping Barnes soon, he was my last pick.

You're looking at Gooden being the heir apparent to Lewis in the future. However, look for Nick Greisen to be his replacement if Lewis goes down in the first part of the season. He's a veteran and as long as the team is competitive I see him being the more immediate replacement. I don't see Burgess in the mix inside at all. Mike Smith is the wild card behind Greisen.

IMHO if Ray Ray got hurt this year you'd see more of both Antwan Barnes and Gooden, with some of Burgess - until a clear frontrunner emerged.Barnes and Burgess have the most experience with the other LBs and Jarrett Johnson can help out to bridge the gap. Scott would be the biggest IDP performer, I would say.

To my point on Antwan Barnes:Baltimore Sun

Ravens' Barnes testing himself for bigger role

2nd-year LB gains valuable pass coverage experience practicing against Heap

By Edward Lee |Sun reporter June 25, 2008 After nearly every drill at Ravens passing camp this month, outside linebacker Antwan Barnes sought counsel from a trusted source. But it wasn't position coach Mike Pettine or assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

It was tight end Todd Heap.

Heap is the Ravens' all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Barnes, entering his second year as a pro, said he has learned a lot in his one-on-one encounters with the two-time Pro Bowl veteran this offseason.

"He tends to push off a little bit," Barnes said with a smile. "But it's all good. ... I'm getting the work in against one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Todd Heap. I'm working against him every day, and it doesn't get any better than that."

Pass coverage is the next step for Barnes, who at 23 is expected to become a more integral contributor to a Ravens defense that has ranked in the top six in the NFL in yards allowed in the past three seasons under Ryan.

Barnes, 6 feet 1, 240 pounds, appeared in 14 of the team's 16 games last year, but he didn't begin to have an impact until the latter half of the season, when he totaled 10 tackles and two sacks in the final seven games.



Barnes' ability to rush the quarterback off the edges helped persuade the team's management that it didn't have to select a pass rusher in the draft in April.

Pettine said Barnes, who attended Florida International, will assume a larger role in the defense's third-down packages, but the objective is to mold him into an every-down linebacker.

"We might have some things where he'll be in there with some of the stuff that we did with Adalius Thomas possibly down the road," Pettine said. "But he's got to prove to us first that he can master the individual techniques, and as we feel good about him being able to do certain things, then we'll be able to add more to his plate. But the sky's the limit with him."

Heap said he has been impressed with Barnes' tenacity.

"A lot of times when we're going against each other, coverage is not his strong point right now, but he's getting better," Heap said. "After every play, we're talking and he's asking me, 'Why did you do this?' It's just the little back-and-forth that we have to make each other better."

Barnes' desire to become a starter for the Ravens ("Just to have that honor, I've been waiting on that for the longest," he said.) can be partly traced to his relationship with his grandmother Addie Addington.

Addington raised Barnes and his four siblings starting in 1991 because of conflicts Barnes said he had with his mother. Addington instilled in Barnes a sense of discipline and the importance of education.

Addington did not see Barnes graduate from Norland High School in Miami. She fell into a diabetic coma and died during his junior year in 2001.

Barnes' right biceps bears a tattoo with the words "In memory of Addie." Because of NFL uniform rules, he can no longer slip her picture between his thigh pad and uniform pants as he did at Florida International. But he still acknowledges his grandmother by raising two fingers to the sky after making a sack or a tackle for a loss.

"She was a lot to me," Barnes said. "When I was young and I needed somebody to talk to, she was there for me. She wasn't a disciplinarian, but she liked to talk things over. She just fought for me real hard and for my brothers and sisters. I really thank her for that. Because of her, that's why I'm at where I'm at today."

That is why Barnes is testing himself against Heap, who has gotten open a few times at the linebacker's expense.

"But he's getting better," Pettine said. "He's definitely a work in progress, and it's one of those things where we're going to throw a lot at him, and when the smoke clears, we'll see what he's capable of and what he can do. And we're not going to put him out there unless we feel good that he's mastered the skills."

Barnes said, "I want to show them that I can do it."

 

[Chachi]

If I were to ever have to cut one of Gooden, Burgess or Barnes, which would be the right one to cut??? (Zealots league)

I have them currently ranked (In order from good to bad)

1. Gooden

2. Barnes

3. Burgess

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

If I were to ever have to cut one of Gooden, Burgess or Barnes, which would be the right one to cut??? (Zealots league)I have them currently ranked (In order from good to bad)1. Gooden2. Barnes3. Burgess

This looks like the right rankings of these 3 to me.I like them all, but part of the problem is that there are a number of good LBs already starting / playing - so it'll be a while before you see much from them as far as IDP performance. Ray Ray and Scott will steal most of the thunder for several years to come, IMHO.

 

[Jene Bramel]

JP, how would you handicap the odds that the Ravens will re-sign Lewis? I've heard opinions going both ways -- that they'll keep him regardless of cost and that they're happy to let him test the market. Assuming he doesn't get injured this season and none of the youngsters get more than special teams duty primarily, how likely is it that Lewis signs a multi-year deal?

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Gooden seems to be the favorite to replace Lewis at this point, but at the same time, he has not played a down, so the situation bears watching. It is possible Scott could play the middle, as he did a few years ago when Lewis missed some games and if I recall correctly, he played well there. I don't believe Barnes could play inside. I like Burgess enough to keep an eye on him, but that's about it right now.

 

[eric rymer]

If I were to ever have to cut one of Gooden, Burgess or Barnes, which would be the right one to cut??? (Zealots league)I have them currently ranked (In order from good to bad)1. Gooden2. Barnes3. Burgess

This looks like the right rankings of these 3 to me.I like them all, but part of the problem is that there are a number of good LBs already starting / playing - so it'll be a while before you see much from them as far as IDP performance. Ray Ray and Scott will steal most of the thunder for several years to come, IMHO.

Agree completely. If anything happens to Ray (God forbid), Scott is the guy you want. Gooden may take over in time, but it might not be real soon. Even if he comes in right away, Scott will be the guy I would want in my lineup for now.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

JP, how would you handicap the odds that the Ravens will re-sign Lewis? I've heard opinions going both ways -- that they'll keep him regardless of cost and that they're happy to let him test the market. Assuming he doesn't get injured this season and none of the youngsters get more than special teams duty primarily, how likely is it that Lewis signs a multi-year deal?

This is the (multi-)million dollar question, isn't it?Here's my take.I think Ray Ray is 100% in HC Harbaugh's corner, and he wants to win again - and in Baltimore. This is the only organization he's ever known, and despite the org trying to put different faces on the Ravens, it is undeniably Ray's team. McNair, Heap, McGahee, Ed Reed - all pale in comparison. The closest was actually Ogden, whom they just "lost" to retirement. Ray's in good shape and motivated to perform - both for himself, and for his contract year - but also he's one of the few players left in the league who are attached to their city and franchise. Neither the Ravens nor Ray Ray want to part company, and I seriously doubt that they do. I'd put it at 75% chance that they strike a multi-year deal before the deadline midseason just to put to bed any distractions and that Lewis ends his career where he started.Ray Lewis is too committed to performing at the highest level he can possibly attain, so I don't see any reason why Baltimore won't try and keep him when they can. He's not too old to still re-tool the org and center him as a fixture again in that defense. I think he plays 3-4 more seasons for Baltimore and retires as a Raven. This is why I'm not very high on the younger guys. They are talented, but Ray and Scott aren't going anywhere. This is a D first team, and I expect it to remain that way until Flacco and Ray Rice grow up and become true pros.

 

[obxlegends]

JP, how would you handicap the odds that the Ravens will re-sign Lewis? I've heard opinions going both ways -- that they'll keep him regardless of cost and that they're happy to let him test the market. Assuming he doesn't get injured this season and none of the youngsters get more than special teams duty primarily, how likely is it that Lewis signs a multi-year deal?

This is the (multi-)million dollar question, isn't it?Here's my take.I think Ray Ray is 100% in HC Harbaugh's corner, and he wants to win again - and in Baltimore. This is the only organization he's ever known, and despite the org trying to put different faces on the Ravens, it is undeniably Ray's team. McNair, Heap, McGahee, Ed Reed - all pale in comparison. The closest was actually Ogden, whom they just "lost" to retirement. Ray's in good shape and motivated to perform - both for himself, and for his contract year - but also he's one of the few players left in the league who are attached to their city and franchise. Neither the Ravens nor Ray Ray want to part company, and I seriously doubt that they do. I'd put it at 75% chance that they strike a multi-year deal before the deadline midseason just to put to bed any distractions and that Lewis ends his career where he started.Ray Lewis is too committed to performing at the highest level he can possibly attain, so I don't see any reason why Baltimore won't try and keep him when they can. He's not too old to still re-tool the org and center him as a fixture again in that defense. I think he plays 3-4 more seasons for Baltimore and retires as a Raven. This is why I'm not very high on the younger guys. They are talented, but Ray and Scott aren't going anywhere. This is a D first team, and I expect it to remain that way until Flacco and Ray Rice grow up and become true pros.

I'll add if they let Ray hit the market it'll be to set the market. I have no doubt Bischotti pony's up here.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

JP, how would you handicap the odds that the Ravens will re-sign Lewis? I've heard opinions going both ways -- that they'll keep him regardless of cost and that they're happy to let him test the market. Assuming he doesn't get injured this season and none of the youngsters get more than special teams duty primarily, how likely is it that Lewis signs a multi-year deal?

This is the (multi-)million dollar question, isn't it?Here's my take.I think Ray Ray is 100% in HC Harbaugh's corner, and he wants to win again - and in Baltimore. This is the only organization he's ever known, and despite the org trying to put different faces on the Ravens, it is undeniably Ray's team. McNair, Heap, McGahee, Ed Reed - all pale in comparison. The closest was actually Ogden, whom they just "lost" to retirement. Ray's in good shape and motivated to perform - both for himself, and for his contract year - but also he's one of the few players left in the league who are attached to their city and franchise. Neither the Ravens nor Ray Ray want to part company, and I seriously doubt that they do. I'd put it at 75% chance that they strike a multi-year deal before the deadline midseason just to put to bed any distractions and that Lewis ends his career where he started.Ray Lewis is too committed to performing at the highest level he can possibly attain, so I don't see any reason why Baltimore won't try and keep him when they can. He's not too old to still re-tool the org and center him as a fixture again in that defense. I think he plays 3-4 more seasons for Baltimore and retires as a Raven. This is why I'm not very high on the younger guys. They are talented, but Ray and Scott aren't going anywhere. This is a D first team, and I expect it to remain that way until Flacco and Ray Rice grow up and become true pros.

I'll add if they let Ray hit the market it'll be to set the market. I have no doubt Bischotti pony's up here.

I'll also agree with Jeff's take - if I had to bet, I'd say Ray stays. I could see Ray cutting ties before I could see the Ravens doing it. If they start out at something like 1-6 & look like they're going to go into full-scale rebuilding mode the next couple of years, Ray may decide to finish his career on a team that's more competitive.

 

[The Man With No Name]

Good analysis here - Greisen is the stopgap, Gooden is the long term answer. Smith has been a great preseason player, but has also gotten hurt when he got a chance to play in 06, then ended up on IR last year.

Barnes is a pass rusher first and foremost (one of the best first steps in the league) - good player to own in deep sack heavy leagues, but I'm not sure if he'll ever be an everydown LB.

Gooden signs 3 year dealHe will be a restricted free agent after 2010. If he is playing good, I would expect them to try and re-sign him before the 2010 season. He could get a huge offer from some team(s) if he does become a free agent because he will have 1-2 years of starting experience by then.

 

[KellysHeroes]

Bart Scott?

 

[dapace2]

Mike Simth was released.

 

[T Bell]

Good analysis here - Greisen is the stopgap, Gooden is the long term answer. Smith has been a great preseason player, but has also gotten hurt when he got a chance to play in 06, then ended up on IR last year.

Barnes is a pass rusher first and foremost (one of the best first steps in the league) - good player to own in deep sack heavy leagues, but I'm not sure if he'll ever be an everydown LB.

Gooden signs 3 year dealHe will be a restricted free agent after 2010. If he is playing good, I would expect them to try and re-sign him before the 2010 season. He could get a huge offer from some team(s) if he does become a free agent because he will have 1-2 years of starting experience by then.

Gooden is already impressing:

Best rookies in camp

Top three rookies in training camp so far have been running back Ray Rice, linebacker Tavares Gooden and safety Haruki Nakamura.

Rice finds holes and has good acceleration. He might be small, but he runs with both authority and power. Gooden is physical and plays with a lot of energy. He definitely has a passion for football.

And:

Baltimore Ravens: Rookie ILB Tavares Gooden (6-1, 235) lacks ideal size, but he flies to the ball and the Ravens love his energy and passion for the game. ILBs Ray Lewis and Bart Scott are entering contract years, and it's unlikely the team will re-sign both. The goal is to get Gooden ready to step in next year.

-- Mike Preston

And:

Rookie linebacker Gooden right on time

A late bloomer, he's already part of team's plans

By Ken Murray

Sun reporter

July 24, 2008

Click here to find out more!

It took Tavares Gooden five years to find his best position at the University of Miami. It took him only 22 practices this summer to convince the Ravens he has a place in their future.

"If he's willing to work, study and really digest this defense ... I think this is a guy who at some point will be a difference-maker on our defense," said Eric DeCosta, the team's director of college scouting.

Gooden, 23, was a late bloomer at Miami, but he could turn out to be a third-round steal in the 2008 draft. It's not just his explosive burst, his ability to change direction and his aptitude in pass coverage that excite the Ravens.

It's also his passion, intelligence and pedigree that hint of something special.

How special?

At age 10, he found inspiration after the death of his mother, Sheila Gooden, from a heart ailment. He made a promise to her and then transformed himself from reluctant youth league football player to high school star in Miami.

Last season, after four years of trying to play outside linebacker for the Hurricanes, he was allowed to play middle linebacker. He led the team in tackles and was named the most valuable player on defense.

This summer, he has impressed Ravens coaches with his dedication and ability to learn defenses as a rookie.

"He's very conscientious about knowing where he's supposed to be," linebackers coach Greg Mattison said. "He very seldom makes mental mistakes. He's got a lot of pride. He does not like to have a coach say, 'That's not how we want it.' If you do, he's going to come back the next day to make sure he's got it right."

Gooden might have left the Hurricanes, but he has a lot of "the U" in and around him. Former Hurricanes Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Willis McGahee preceded him into the NFL - and to Baltimore.

Having already drawn on their experience and expertise, Gooden will draw more. He was scheduled to be Lewis' roommate once veterans checked into the team's Westminster training camp last night. At Miami, wearing Lewis' No.52, Gooden was called "Baby Ray."

"I talked to everyone [here] from Miami," Gooden said. "It's a brotherhood."

Before the 2007 season, Gooden's NFL prospects were less than promising. In 14 starts at both outside linebacker positions, he had underachieved. A torn labrum in his shoulder canceled his 2005 season. He made just 41 tackles in 2006.

As a freshman in 2003, he also was part of Miami's infamous 7th Floor Crew, a group of nine players who recorded a rap song that was, among other things, demeaning to women. The group was castigated for a song, Gooden said, that was never intended to be aired publicly.

"You can't take that back," Gooden said yesterday, looking his interviewer in the eye. "When you're young, you learn from your mistakes. ... I was 17, going on 18, just rapping. I didn't know that thing would blow up and be a big deal. We're perceived differently as athletes, so we have to be role models."

DeCosta said Gooden grew from the experience.

"We spent a lot of time with him in the spring," DeCosta said. "We worked him out, interviewed him at the combine. We think he's a good kid who made a mistake."

Mike Pettine, outside linebackers coach, visited Gooden in Florida before the draft.

"Mike was really impressed with him as a person, his character, as well as his athleticism," Mattison said.

The Ravens' medical team cleared Gooden, 6 feet 1, 235 pounds, as well - he has had a history of shoulder problems and missed the Senior Bowl with a hip injury - and DeCosta targeted him as a third-round pick.

The team's first-day maneuvering gave it the eighth pick of the third round, and it took Gooden.

"We had been trying for a couple years to draft some younger inside linebackers," DeCosta said. "Tavares was a player, quite frankly, who was undervalued by a lot of people in the scouting community."

The Ravens have Gooden behind veteran Bart Scott at inside linebacker. Though they expect him to contribute mostly on special teams this season, he could play in the dime (six defensive backs) package. And if either Lewis or Scott leaves after 2008 - both are in contract years - Gooden would be well positioned to take over.

"In some ways, he reminds me of Bart," DeCosta said. "He's got that same kind of explosion and burst. He's got all the upside in the world physically. ... We think his ceiling is very high."

The question is, if Gooden is the real deal, do they find a way to get him on the field before the MLB position opens up with Ray's retirement?