Ebony Bird
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Baltimore Ravens: 5 players to build the future around

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 10: Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 of the Baltimore Ravens is intoduced before the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 10: Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley #79 of the Baltimore Ravens is intoduced before the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Defensive tackle Brandon Williams #98 of the Baltimore Ravens is introduced prior to the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) ***Local Caption*** Brandon Williams
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 29: Defensive tackle Brandon Williams #98 of the Baltimore Ravens is introduced prior to the start of a preseason game against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) ***Local Caption*** Brandon Williams /

4. Brandon Williams:

When the Baltimore Ravens inked Brandon Williams to a very lucrative five year contract, a lot of people griped about it. The detractors of the move thought that the Ravens had a poor man’s Brandon Williams in Michael Pierce and that the defensive line was stacked. When Brandon Williams was sidelined for several games with an injury, everybody who knew anything at all about football talked about how important the return of number 98 was.

While the run defense still struggled against the Vikings, Williams showed that he was part of the solution. Solving the problems of the defense is bigger than putting Williams on the defensive line, but he is a huge part of the solution. There probably aren’t five players on the entire roster that are capable of giving the high level of play that Williams gives them.

Williams is a strong defensive lineman who can blow plays up on a regular basis. He is an immovable object with an attitude, a dominant force that demands double teams. This is the anchor of the defense. Everything in the game of football starts at the line of scrimmage. Players like Williams help the defense own the line of scrimmage and win the battles in the trenches. The Ravens knew exactly what they were doing when they re-signed their Pro Bowl worthy defensive lineman. You can criticize the Ravens for many things from this offseason, but committing to number 98 isn’t one of them.

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