Drinking The Purple Kool Aid

Thomas Rule Not Exception April 26, 2010

Odds are you read all the same things I do. Jamison Hensley of the Sun whipped up a breakdown of all the ex-Ravens who signed big contracts and ultimately did nothing. It’s quite a list. The article claims Bart Scott is the exception to the rule, but 2009 was Bart’s worst as a pro. He registered a career-low in tackles and had the fewest sacks (1.0) since 2007, where he had four more passes defensed and one more tackle. Plus, the Jets run defense wasn’t at the same level as their pass D from a year ago, and frankly Hot Sauce wasn’t even the best ILB on the roster (David Harris clearly was). In fact, Scott’s only great year was 2006, where he had 104 tackles, two picks, and 9.5 sacks. Coincidentally, that was also the season that got AD his big-money contract from New England.

Quickly on Adalius Thomas, who is a good guy and was a good football player: the Ravens and Jets are the two teams talking about the newly freed agent. Three things to say here:

1) Neither the Ravens nor the Jets need him. While both wanted another pass rusher, the Ravens got theirs in the draft and the Jets got theirs from Miami. If he was on the Baltimore roster, who would he play ahead of?

2) With the exception of Reggie White, no free agent pass rushers over 30 work out. They just don’t. And White is a bad example because his sack numbers never dipped. AD only had one double-digit sack season in his career and a TOTAL of 14.5 in his three years with New England. He’s not getting better going to New York or Baltimore.

3) Belichick doesn’t cut bad players. Kinda like the Ravens’ defenders, how many ex-Patriots go on to do anything on a new team?

Back to that topic: the Ravens’ defense has been designed around Ray Lewis and every great player is a byproduct of that. That’s not to say Ed Reed isn’t the best safety of all time (he’s probably second to Ronnie Lott at this point). Reed is sort of in his own world because he doesn’t really play the system, he just sorta plays. Everyone else is there to do their job in the context of Ray. Haloti Ngata would probably be a pro-bowler elsewhere. But everyone else serves as a compliment to Ray, from Terrell Suggs to Sam Adams. Even with declining physical skills, this formula has bred consistent success, and that success breeds envy. Everyone wants to get to do a ridiculous dance and get Maximus Decimus Meridius’ introduction at their stadium. The problem with that is they aren’t great coincidentally alongside 52, they’re great with 52. So would most players be. Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody are going to look a whole lot better than they actually are.

Jamison’s list is a hell of one, including many names from the past other teams thought were going to be their defensive difference-maker. Along with Defensive MVPs and stats from 2000, they should read this list at Lewis’s Canton coronation. Not only does he make everyone around him better, he makes them rich.