The National press is beginning to fall all over theirselves in praise of Flacco, and after becoming the first rookie QB to win his first two playoff games – it is certainly deserved.
His talent and demeanor speak for itself, and watching him to continue to mature in the coming years will be a joy.
He is the type of QB, that will annually give the franchise a chance to compete.
That said, in my mind it is the growth of the offensive-line which has allowed this team to reach the conference championship, and I think deserve additional publicity.
The best part going forward is that Gaither, and Grubbs are only in their 2nd year, Brown his 4th, Chester his 3rd and Terry his 4th.
Think about this group of Gaither, Grubbs, Brown, Chester, Anderson (Terry)
Chester was a 2nd round pick out of Oklahoma in 2006, that was much maligned during training-camp this past summer for his perceived lack of development. There was talk of moving him back to TE (which he played at times at OU).
After another 2nd year player (Marshall Yanda) went down after Week 6, the Ravens called on Chester, and he has performed…
His athleticism, and ability to pull and move has made a positive difference.
Terry was a 2nd round pick in 2005 out of Syracuse. The 6’8 330lb Tackle has continued to battle injuries, but started 7 regular season games and played in 12. His ability to come in and produce in the jumbo package has been huge.
Brown was named an All-Pro Guard by CNNSI’s Dr. Z after 2007… this year he made the position switch to Center.
Many players can not make that switch to Center, due to all the extra calls, and reads required. It has not been a problem for Brown.
2007 1st Rd pick Ben Grubbs never gets any mention, but he is going to be a solid anchor you depend on for years. This guy is 6’3, 315 lbs and runs a 5.1 40yd-dash… that is incredible athleticism.
How could anyone not feel good for Willie Anderson? The 1996 1st round pick, is a 4-time Pro Bowl selection that spent the past 12 years with the Bengals, and won zero playoff games. He is here for 5 months, and has already won two post-season games.
Last, and certainly not least, is 6’9 350lb Jared Gaither. Selecting Gaither in last years Supplemental Draft was a tremendously important decision. He does not just share the size of Ogden, he has large amounts of the skill-set.
Considering Ogden is a sure 1st-ball Hall of Fame talent, perhaps the greatest LT of all-time, that is a tremendous statement to make.
Gaither might a be a bit too stiff to reach quite those heights, but the footwork and power that allowed him to obtain Division 1 Basketball Scholarship to South Carolina, is apparent for all to see.
Another thing to keep in-mind is that Gaither is still very young in overall football experience, as he did not start playing until towards the end of High School. Outside of that, he had one year of prep-school, and two years at Maryland, and some rookie experience last-year.
Wait until next year, when he has had another year of lifting, and fine-tuning of his skills… he is going to become an annual Pro-Bowler.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.