RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Baltimore Ravens do not need to remove a safety from the field simply because an offense changes its formation. Mike Mickens believes the increasing athletic ability of modern defensive backs has made three-safety packages valuable throughout the NFL. Baltimore possesses the personnel to take advantage.
Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks provide the foundation, while veteran Jaylinn Hawkins gives the Ravens another experienced option. Their versatility allows Jesse Minter to adjust coverage without substituting or revealing which player will handle each assignment.
“When you have three safeties out there, different looks and like-minded bodies, you can rotate other ways and still play the same coverage,” Mickens said on The Ravens Lounge.
Similar body types create uncertainty for the quarterback. One safety can align near the line of scrimmage before dropping deep, while another rotates into the box or covers the slot. The defense can reach the same coverage through several movements. Hamilton is particularly useful because he has already succeeded at deep safety, nickel, linebacker depth, and pass rush. Starks’ range and attention to detail give Baltimore another player capable of exchanging responsibilities.
Three-safety packages can also help the Ravens respond to offenses that use athletic tight ends or receiving running backs. Baltimore can retain enough size to tackle while adding more coverage ability than a traditional linebacker might provide.
The approach does not mean the Ravens will abandon their cornerbacks or inside linebackers. Personnel decisions will remain dependent on the opponent, down, distance and available matchups.
Mickens’ point is that the additional safety provides answers without limiting the call sheet. Minter used versatile defensive backs during his previous coaching stops, and Baltimore’s roster gives him greater freedom to continue that strategy. The Ravens want to disguise their intentions and force quarterbacks to diagnose movement after the snap. Hamilton, Starks and Hawkins can make the same formation lead to several different results.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens have ideal personnel for a positionless secondary
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