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It’s time to appreciate Ozzie Newsome while we can

By Connor Brooks

OWINGS MILLS, MD - MAY 05: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens speaks with general manager Ozzie Newsome after a practice during the Baltimore Ravens rookie camp on May 5, 2013 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
OWINGS MILLS, MD - MAY 05: Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens speaks with general manager Ozzie Newsome after a practice during the Baltimore Ravens rookie camp on May 5, 2013 in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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Ozzie Newsome has been unreasonably scrutinized by the Ravens fan base, but he has had nothing but great success since he started with the organization.

For all of the Baltimore Ravens’ flaws this season, one of the better things going for them is their young talent.

Key contributors on defense 25 years old or younger:

Willie Henry, DL; Michael Pierce, DL; Carl Davis, DL; C.J. Mosley, ILB; Patrick Onwuasor, ILB; Tyus Bowser, OLB; Tim Williams, OLB; Za’Darius Smith, OLB; Matthew Judon, OLB; Tony Jefferson, S;Chuck Clark, S; Marlon Humphrey, CB; Maurice Canady, CB; Tavon Young, CB (did last year, will next year);

Key contributors on offense 26 years old or younger:

Alex Collins (2016 starter, injured), OL; Ryan Jensen, C; Ronnie Stanley, LT;  Alex Collins, RB; Kenneth Dixon (2016 starter, injured), RB; Nick Boyle, TE; Buck Allen, RB;

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There is a lot more on the defensive side of the ball, yes. However, I fully expect Ozzie Newsome to address these issues on offense in the next couple of drafts. There are still veterans holding the offense together at this point, and soon enough there will be younger talent taking on the reigns.

No one is complaining now that the Ravens chose Marlon Humphrey with the 16th pick, especially after Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith’s injury. Nor are we complaining about resigning Brandon Williams to a large deal this past offseason. We sure as heck aren’t complaining about drafting Matt Judon or Willie Henry.

Guys like Terrell Suggs, Eric Weddle, and Brandon Carr are still very good players but they are getting up there in age. The good news is, there are guys to keep things going and we can only imagine what Ozzie does here in the next couple of drafts to add to that talent. He has proven to arguably be the best defensive drafter in the NFL.

For those of you that ridiculed Ozzie Newsome for his 2017 draft, shame on you. Obviously, Ozzie knows the Ravens were going to have to win with defense. No weapons on offense could help Joe with how poorly he is playing. The Ravens have always prided themselves on defense and the little things. For those of you wanting Ozzie Newsome fired, that would be detrimental to this organization. He is one of the best and most respected general managers around the league.

Ozzie isn’t perfect and definitely has his flaws. His inability to draft a quality wide receiver and playmakers on offense is well noted. However, he makes his money where it matters, in the trenches. The Ravens lost two of their best offensive lineman to injuries and lost another great one to free agency in right tackle Rick Wagner. Yet, they have still managed to string together a fairly strong offensive line.

Also, let’s forget the first generation of Ravens including Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, and more. Ozzie drafted those guys too. He started out strong and has stayed successful throughout the years.

The Ravens are very fortunate to have a GM like Ozzie. He has kept the Ravens relevant throughout his tenure, which doesn’t happen often with organizations. Most of the time, teams have to blow it up and spend years of failure in order to rebuild. Credit to Ozzie for continuing to keep the Ravens going this long.

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I love the direction the Ravens are going right now. They have a ton of young talent on both sides of the ball. Most of it is on the defensive side but who is complaining? Isn’t that what Baltimore fans know and love? Don’t worry, Ozzie won’t forget about the offense. I’m sure he has big plans for the next few drafts. Remember, the Ravens don’t rebuild, they reload and that’s thanks to the front office.

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