Bold Prediction: Calais Campbell is going to have a monster season
Calais Campbell will play at a high level and make a Super Bowl caliber defense tick:
The Baltimore Ravens will get a lot of Calais Campbell. In fact, the former Jacksonville Jaguar and Arizona Cardinal will have the best season of his career. He’s 33 years old and despite coming close he’s still looking for a Super Bowl ring. Being on a Super Bowl contender is going to energize him. He’s a 33 year old defensive end, yet he’s going to play with the mindset of a player in his prime.
Campbell is a special player in the NFL. He was the Walter Payton Man of the Year last year. He’s an awesome person and a long-time star in the league. He’s been going strong since the 2008 season. 2008 was the first year of the Joe Flacco/John Harbaugh era. For Campbell it was a rookie year where his Cardinals team lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Yes, it was that long ago.
Since Campbell’s second season he has become the most consistent pass rushing defensive end. Since 2009 he’s had at least six sacks every season. Campbell gave the Jaguars six and a half sacks last year. The Ravens know that should Campbell stay healthy, they are looking at no less than excellent run defense, six sacks and a good bit of quarterback pressures.
The Ravens seem to be the perfect situation for Campbell though, and the quality minimum is not what the Ravens are about to get out of him. Campbell’s best season saw him have 14.5 sacks. That was the year that the Jaguars defense was loaded enough to get them to the AFC Championship Game.
If you put Campbell in the right defense and the right situation he will be even better. Don Martindale is going to see Campbell as an all out weapon against the other team. The defensive coordinator already known for scheming up pressure now has a five technique that can do anything. It’s going to be fun to watch.
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Campbell will be a traditional 3-4 defensive end but there will be a lot of different looks for the defense. There will be plays where he lines up in the middle of the defensive line or maybe in a three technique over the outside shoulder of the guard. There will be plays where he’s standing up like a rush linebacker. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him drop back into coverage once in a blue moon. He’s a 6’8″ 300 pound defensive superstar. The Ravens are going to get everything they can out of him.
14.5 sacks is a very high number to top. Campbell may not set a new career high but 12-14 sacks is very possible for him. Winning one on one battles with offensive linemen will get him six or seven sacks. Creative stunts will get him three or four sacks. If the stacked secondary forces a lot of coverage sacks, Campbell could get a handful of them.
It’s important to remember how good Campbell’s set up is. On the opposite side of him he’s got Derek Wolfe. The offensive line trying to stop Campbell will also have to contend with Brandon Williams, Matt Judon, Pernell McPhee and the rest of the defensive line. While the Ravens don’t have to blitz as much with their new defensive line, Martindale is always going to make teams fear the blitz. Offensive coordinators can’t just have two blockers on Campbell and call it pass protection.
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With Campbell you have a great addition to the locker room and a player with a track record you feel comfortable betting on. Being put on an aggressive minded defense is a great recipe for one of the most determined and experienced players in football. Put Campbell down for double digit sacks and a lot of tackles.