I’ve been critical of Eric DeCosta on several occasions, most recently for the imbalance in this year’s roster. But this time I’m giving him a big bow. Don’t kid yourself that the Ravens’ top need was wide receiver because it wasn’t. I’ve moaned the entire season that the inside linebackers stunk. Teams were shredding the Ravens in the middle of the field, both running and passing. There was no way that the Ravens defense could be counted upon to take them to the Super Bowl. But now the potential is there. The Roquan Smith trade is the perfect move by the Ravens.
I’m not going to quibble over the “price” DeCosta paid. A second and fifth rounder (plus A.J. Klein – so what!) is well worth it. Smith is arguably the best inside linebacker in the game. Worst case, the Ravens will recoup a third round pick in 2024 if Smith walks away (let’s assume he does). From a net cost perspective, this really amounts to trading a third and fifth rounder for Smith. That’s worth it to make a Super Bowl run.
The Perfect Move – What Smith Brings
Smith is the perfect tonic for what ails the Ravens defense. He’s the three-down linebacker that the Ravens have missed. He can cover and blitz. But most importantly, he can read, diagnose, and tackle. He’s the best tackler the Ravens have had in the middle since C.J. Mosley. Smith has the speed that poor-old Josh Bynes just can’t offer. Here’s a true middle-of-the-field defender, one that crossing receivers will worry about. Smith is the bone-crushing and doesn’t-miss tackler that Patrick Queen isn’t (and will likely never be).
Smith will greatly add to the run defense. The D-line has done a very good job taking on blocks and penetrating this season. But Bynes and Queen just haven’t made the plays behind them. That should change with Roquan Smith, a pure tackler with sideline speed who should love playing behind the Ravens line.
Smith’s presence should have a beneficial impact on Queen. On passing downs, Queen can be tasked just with blitzing. Heretofore, in dime packages Bynes was taken off the field and Queen manned zone and middle of the field responsibilities. Now, Queen can ride the pines and Smith can prowl the middle. This is a very major upgrade.
Impact on Kyle Hamilton
Smith’s presence, in my view, may well further limit playing time for Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton’s best impact to date has been near the line of scrimmage. But I can foresee passing downs where Mike Macdonald elects to keep both inside linebackers on the field. For example, cases where he wants Queen to blitz. In those situations, there’s no place for Hamilton, whose role will almost surely diminish into just dime packages until (and if) he shows an ability to play in space. Don’t keep visions in your head of Hamilton replacing Geno Stone. It’s not going to happen. Stone has a much better understanding of the NFL game to this point.
I can also put to rest my gambit of putting Tyus Bowser in the middle. No need for that type of desperation now. Bowser can join the outside backers group that is on its way to being a good asset.
Patrick Queen – The (Seemingly) Weekly Comment
Queen is receiving too many accolades from beat writers and others regarding his recent play. Yes, he made several splash plays against the Buccaneers. But let’s examine those situations. In each case, Queen was tasked with run blitzing. None of these plays were of the “read-and-diagnose” type. On his splash plays Queen’s job was to attack, and this has been his strength all along. Kudos to him for his effectiveness in attack mode. It’s what keeps him on the field.
But when we look at the balance of his Tampa Bay game, things don’t look nearly so good. In my game notes I marked several plays where Queen simply missed open field tackles, and one where he completely whiffed on a pass to Leonard Fournette. I’m not in the camp that Queen is getting “better.” Rather, I think Mike Macdonald has done a good job figuring out how best to use Queen. Blitz baby blitz. To this point, I’d be surprised if the Ravens pick up Queen’s fifth year option.
But this was a good Monday for the Ravens. Eric DeCosta made the perfect move. And this defense should be much stronger. Just wait until Marcus Williams gets back.
