5 AAF players the Baltimore Ravens should take a look at

The Baltimore Ravens should pay attention to players from the AAF.

The Baltimore Ravens must pay attention to the new pool of talent that is in the AAF. You may have seen the title of this post and wondered what the AAF is. It’s a new football league and it’s initials stand for Alliance of American Football. There are eight teams that are coached by names you probably remember from the NFL and College Football. Former Ravens assistant coach, Mike Singletary is the head coach of the Memphis Express. Former Ravens’ quarterbacks coach Rick Neuheisel is the head coach of the Arizona Hot-Shots. Other notable coaches are Mike Martz and Steve Spurrier.

The rosters are made up of players with former NFL experience and NFL hopefuls who need the platform to get their shot. Many of the players are familiar names, especially if you’re a football nerd like myself. Today we’re going to look at players the Ravens should pay attention to that are off to fast starts in the AAF. If you missed the AAF’s opening weekend, let me fill you in on some details first.

The AAF is set up to almost be a minor league to the NFL. It presents itself much like the NFL and one of the big purposes for it is to get players ready to take the step up. This past weekend games were on CBS, CBS Sports Network and NFL Network. Next weekend TNT will also broadcast AAF football.

The first week in a 10 week season concluded yesterday and the opening weekend saw some fun twists to the game. In the AAF there are no kickoffs. The ball starts at the 25 yard line with a team on offense and a team on defense.

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The most fun part of the game is that there are far fewer commercials. Two-point conversions accompany every touchdown and that’s fun as well. Onside kicks are replaced by a play from the 12 yard line. With that in mind here are 5 players the Ravens should keep their eyes on from the AAF.

• 1. Quinton Patton, Wide Receiver (Birmingham Iron): One of the standout performances from week 1 in the AAF was from Quinton Patton. Patton made a few plays down the field that were very impressive. Patton was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. Patton never got it going in the NFL, but he had 183 receptions and 24 touchdowns in two years at Louisiana Tech. Patton may deserve another chance in the NFL.
• 2. Jonathan Massaqoui, Linebacker (Birmingham Iron): This is a defensive standout from an AAF team that started the season with a shutout victory. He played at Troy from 2010-2011 and recorded 18 sacks and 31 tackles for a loss. He played for the Atlanta Falcons from 2012-2014 and had six sacks in his NFL career. He’s 30 years old, but he’s still looking for an opportunity to shine. He looked pretty explosive against the Memphis Express.
• 3. Greg Ward Jr., Wide Receiver (San Antonio Commanders): Greg Ward Jr. was very impressive on the opening night of the AAF. In a game where there wasn’t a ton of great offense, he looked like the most dynamic wide receiver. Ward Jr. spent his collegiate career at Houston and he played quarterback. Ward Jr. is a great athlete who may merit a training camp invitation as a wide receiver.
• 4. Nick Orr, Linebacker (San Antonio Commanders): Orr is going to have the attention of Ravens fans because he is the brother of beloved linebacker, Zach Orr. Nick Orr is a little undersized but he is a player that I’m rooting for. At TCU he totaled 126 solo tackles and nine interceptions. While my interest mostly comes from who he’s related to, Orr is a speedy linebacker to keep your eyes on.
• 5. Channing Strimbling, Cornerback (Memphis Express): This is just a player that really impressed me yesterday. Unlike the rest of the list, I never really remembered hearing his name before. He is a defensive back that played at Michigan from 2013-2016. He had six career picks as a Wolverine. He’s been in NFL training camps but he’s still looking to make his first NFL team. He had impressive technique and I could see him thriving as a nickel back in the NFL.

The AAF gives us football after the Super Bowl and it was surprisingly fun. The Baltimore Ravens should keep an eye on the games, because this new league of second chances might have some gems to find.