The final Penn State-Michigan soccer recreation was a tricky one for Odafe Oweh. A 12 months after he helped put away the Wolverines in one in every of his remaining school video games, the Ravens outdoors linebacker needed to watch from afar because the Nittany Lions gave up a late lead in a slim dwelling loss.
Aside from the entire beating-his-alma-mater factor, although, Oweh remembers liking what he noticed from the Wolverines. Below then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, now in his first 12 months overseeing the Ravens’ protection, Michigan developed one of many nation’s pass-rush duos. On one aspect was Aidan Hutchinson, the eventual No. 2 total choose in April’s NFL draft, and on the opposite was David Ojabo, a first-round expertise who fell to the Ravens within the second spherical due to harm considerations.
“He lets them go,” Oweh stated Friday of Michigan’s edge rushers underneath Macdonald. “That’s what I like. He lets them go. He lets them have freedom and simply be who they're. So I’m wanting ahead to how he makes use of me.”
Three days into coaching camp, it’s unattainable to know simply how the Ravens will use Oweh, or how their cross rush will look, or how a lot the blitzing tendencies may change from the times of Don “Wink” Martindale, as a result of Macdonald himself nonetheless doesn’t know what his unit can do. The constraints of final 12 months’s cross rush have been obvious by season’s finish; the potential of the 2022 group remains to be unknown.
In his first information convention of camp, Macdonald, 35, recalled defensive gamers and coaches promising each other that they “needed to be the protection that we envisioned.” However he acknowledged that these outlines are, for the second, sketched out in pencil, not pen.
“I simply assume it’s an analysis of your workforce,” Macdonald stated. “We realized final 12 months that our greatest gamers [at Michigan] have been our edge guys, and we needed to allow them to do what they do. So we’re within the course of proper now of determining who our greatest gamers are, what they do finest, after which the objective will likely be to allow them to go do these issues, you recognize? It’s not rocket science, but it surely’s in all probability simpler stated than completed. However that’s what we’re trying to do.”
For a coordinator taking on one of many NFL’s most disappointing defenses — the injury-ravaged Ravens completed twenty eighth within the league in effectivity final season, in response to Soccer Outsiders — Macdonald doesn’t have to fret a couple of teardown job. The secondary must be one of many NFL’s strongest and most versatile. The defensive position must be stout. There’s lastly continuity at inside linebacker.
Outdoors of vast receiver, although, no Ravens group has been extra scrutinized than the workforce’s cross rush. Final 12 months, in Martindale’s remaining season as coordinator, the Ravens had a 31% blitz price (uncharacteristically low, but nonetheless sixth highest within the NFL) however completed with simply 34 sacks in 17 video games (eleventh fewest) and a 23% strain price (ninth lowest). In high-leverage conditions, they have been even worse: simply 12 sacks on third and fourth down, the Ravens’ fewest since 2002, with simply two over their remaining eight video games.
Accidents have completed the cross rush no favors. Outdoors linebacker Tyus Bowser, who led the workforce with seven sacks final season, remains to be recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and has not been cleared to apply. A shoulder harm restricted Oweh to particular person work over the workforce’s offseason program, although he’s impressed as a full participant within the opening days of camp.
“I undoubtedly didn’t like the way in which final season went, all of the accidents and stuff,” outdoors linebacker Justin Houston, who re-signed earlier this month, stated Thursday. “However I’m excited for this 12 months. I feel we’ve received loads of issues going — loads of particular issues going. I simply pray that we keep wholesome.”
With good well being, the Ravens ought to have a strong rotation on the sting. The 33-year-old Houston, who graded out because the Ravens’ high pass-rushing outdoors linebacker final season, in response to Professional Soccer Focus, is the group’s “sensei,” Oweh joked. Outdoors linebackers Daelin Hayes and Vince Biegel have each flashed. Ojabo, who’s nonetheless unsigned, might emerge as a situational cross rusher if he recovers from his torn Achilles tendon in time to contribute.
The Ravens also needs to have an improved inside cross rush, with rookie Travis Jones and an improved Justin Madubuike serving to to lighten fellow lineman Calais Campbell’s workload. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen, who’s poised to turn into a extra common third-down presence this season, has impressed as a blitzer in camp.
“One factor we’re difficult the fellows proper now all through camp is, we’re in search of the most effective three, 4, 5 guys at any given time that not solely rush the most effective however work collectively the most effective within the cross rush,” Macdonald stated.
Macdonald’s most spectacular feat in his one 12 months at Michigan may’ve been the Wolverines’ pass-rush turnaround. Michigan completed with nearly 2 1/2 sacks per recreation final season, up from 1 1/2 per recreation in 2020, whilst its blitz price fell from 42.5% to 30.1%, in response to Sports activities Information Options.
Standouts at each stage of the Ravens’ protection, from the secondary to the defensive position, have raved about Macdonald’s skills as a trainer, how he could make the complicated appear easy. Six weeks from the season opener, Oweh’s optimistic concerning the bounce the protection could make.
“Everyone seems to be speaking in a different way,” Oweh stated. “We’re all fired up. I don’t need to examine something. Clearly, on the finish of the day, it’s as much as the gamers making performs and every little thing, however I really feel like everybody’s fired as much as begin one thing new, be speaking extra, be extra sound and every little thing. So it must be a great 12 months.”
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