USAT: Ravens Wire audio clip

USAT: Ravens Wire

Feb 19, 2022

The Baltimore Ravens have an exceptional track record of drafting developing talent. While there have been certain positions that the team has had more success with than others, it’s been clear that Baltimore knows how to find great players in the early rounds and diamonds in the rough as the draft go on. - One of those players is outside linebacker Matthew Judon. He spent four years with the team before signing a big-money deal with the New England Patriots, and flourished under Bill Belichick during the 2021 season on his way to a career-high in sacks. When listing out the top 10 free agent signings of the 2021 offseason, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com gave Judon the No. 3 spot, only behind Cordarrelle Patterson of the Atlanta Falcons and Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals. - “The three-time Pro Bowler quickly embraced the Patriot Way as the team’s top defender. Judon led New England with 12.5 sacks while displaying a diverse repertoire of pass-rush moves off the edge. With Bill Belichick tapping into the veteran’s versatility and high IQ, the Pats’ marquee free-agent addition merited the four-year, $56 million deal he signed last March.” - Brooks wasn’t done talking about former Ravens defenders, as just two spots below Judon at No. 5 he put Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. While Ngakoue wasn’t drafted and developed by Baltimore, he had a resurgent 2021 season in silver and black after struggling in a Ravens uniform. - “Reuniting the one-time Pro Bowler with his former head coach (Gus Bradley) sparked a renaissance for the sixth-year pro. Ngakoue notched double-digit sacks (10.0) for the first time since 2017 and helped the Raiders’ front line become a more disruptive unit. With the veteran joining Maxx Crosby to create a formidable tandem on the edges, the Raiders are well-positioned to continue to wreak havoc on opponents on passing downs, even with Bradley heading to Indianapolis in 2022.” - Many argue that Baltimore’s defensive scheme under now-former defensive coordinator Don Martindale wasn’t fit for players such as Judon and Ngakoue to reach their full potentials. There have been numerous examples of outside linebackers who have left the Ravens over the last few years and turned into or returned to being exceptional pass rushers, including Za’Darius Smith. Regardless, Judon and Ngakoue continued to prove that they are immensely talented, and contributed in big ways to their new teams during the 2021 season. - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Ravens Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Ravens Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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