As the Ravens assessed their roster going into the NFL Draft, they acknowledged their special teams play was quite ordinary last season, especially in the return game once star B.J. Sams missed the final 15 games with a knee injury.
So instead of bolstering the unit through trades and free-agent signings, first-year coach John Harbaugh, who had spent the past 10 years guiding the Philadelphia Eagles? special teams, tried doing it through the draft.
“I think you will see immediate dividends in terms of special teams probably from Day One,” said Eric DeCosta, the Ravens director of college scouting. “Looking at our special teams last year, we felt like, I feel like personally, I did a poor job of really bringing in some guys to help us. We changed that this year.”
Among the players who could help on special teams this year are running backs Ray Rice (Rutgers) and Allen Patrick (Oklahoma), safety Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame), receiver Marcus Smith (New Mexico) and linebacker Tavares Gooden (Miami).
Smith and Patrick each have extensive experience as kickoff returners, as they averaged 23.3 and 30.8 yards per return last season. Zbikowski averaged 11.5 yards and had three touchdowns during his career as a punt returner.
“Those were some areas where we got hit pretty hard last year and we ended up taking guys off our practice squad and taking guys off the street,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “Over the course of the next three or four years, we selected guys that could become starters for us.”
Harbaugh said the player he is intrigued with the most as a potential return specialist is Rice, who finished with 4,926 yards and 49 touchdowns during his three-year career with the Scarlet Knights.
“He wasn?t a guy who could do it for Rutgers, just because they couldn?t afford to do it,” Harbaugh said. “He?s definitely a return guy as far as having the ability.”
Ravens special teams coach Jerry Rosburg said special teams can?t be ignored because a big play can be the difference between winning and losing. The Ravens also are hoping to fare better in the battle for field position this year. Last season, 19 of the Ravens? 36 touchdowns allowed came when opponents started at their own 40-yard line or better.
“A prime function of special teams is to create and change momentum,” Rosburg said. “If we?re able to have a special teams unit in Baltimore that can do those type of things, I think it helps not only the field position and the scoring and all those things that special teams do.”
