PDA

View Full Version : Young Guns: Brown & Chester REAL OG'S?



Prolific
11-20-2006, 02:14 PM
Hey guys, it's 'Pro' here dishing out his irrepressible thoughts on his beloved Ravens week in and week out. Some may know me, others may not but I haven't gotten flamed yet although the night is young.

In the Atlanta game, we fans got a taste of what's to come as the future of the Ravens offensive line is starting to emerge and will eventually become intregal parts to how the Ravens execute their offensive gameplans.

Of course I'm talkin about O-linemen Jason Brown and Chris Chester, the REAL OG's. Both players are new to da game as it was Brown's 3rd or 4th game maybe and Chester's first but both took different paths to get to where they are today.

Jason Brown, the 6`3, 320 pound 4th round draft pick out of North Carolina has been playing at the OLG spot in Edwin Mulitalo's place since the tricep injury that claimed him for the rest of the season.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/uploads/photos/perm/main/GJMKEAFDPNPA/Redskins13.jpg

Here's what they had to say about Brown on ESPN Scouts:

Brown is smart, tough and competitive. He has good size and play strength. He is quick off the snap and into blocking patterns. He will maintain his pad level at the point of attack.

He is quick enough to get position and wall off to create inside running lanes. He understands angles and plays with above-average technique. He can rub off and get position on second-level combination patterns. He plays with good awareness in pass protection.

He can be effective in a phone booth against power rushers. He can maul and maintain pocket depth. He has a powerful punch and stab.

But Brown isn't very athletic. He has limitations in space, off pulls and in pass protection. He lacks mobility and struggles against quickness.

I'm figuring that last part is the reason he needed a solid year of NFL coaching in order to overcome his stuggles in space and pass protection. That's because up to this point he's been nothing short of outstanding.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/uploads/photos/perm/main/EGOOOIKDIBKJ/BODY_DEN_brown.jpg

He has a low center of gravity and really gets a push on D-linemen to open up holes when he sinks his hips properly. He's got a great base with those tree-trunk legs of his and he's impressively strong.

While I wouldn't be looking for any 'Pro'-bowl considerations yet (he's still got alot to improve on), he's shown that they can put him out there and he'll deliver a solid performance.

Chris Chester on the other hand, the 6`3, 305 pound 2nd round rookie draft pick out of Oklahoma started his first game ever this past Sunday in place of the oft-injured or oft-ineffective RG Kendrick Vincent.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/photo/2006-06/23940909.jpg

Here's what Eric DeCosta, Ravens Director of College Scouting said about Chester when they drafted him:

"He's probably one of the best athletes on the offensive line to come out in the last 5 years. There are probably some guys that are similar, but he's pretty gifted. He's a guy that we think has a tremendous upside at the guard/center position. He can bend his knees and move his feet. He's very good in space."

And just for a non-biased opinion on Chester coming out the draft, here's a quote from Football's Future 2006 Draft Scout's Take:

From an athletic standpoint, Chester is the ideal center prospect. The fact that he was a tight end shows his mobility, and he has maintained that with his increase in weight. He is an excellent athlete and shows the mobility to get out and pull, and block on the move. Took to the offensive line very well, and was a solid playing in his only season as a lineman.

Chester only has one year of experience on the line, and has some troubles with his consistency. He relies mostly on his athletic gifts and will need time to further develop his skills. He has bulked up to over 300lbs, but still needs to get stronger. Powerful defensive tackles and push him around, and he will need to become more stout at the point of attack.

Chester is a late rising player because of his upside. His play was solid, but not spectacular in his only season on the line. But teams look at the inexperience and talent and think they can mold him into a standout lineman. If Chester can land with a good line coach, the sky is the limit. He has athletic gifts that most interior lineman do not have.

That being said, it says to me that Chester has all the tools, they just didn't have enough to go on to say that he'd be able to contribute now or down the line.

http://www.baltimoreravens.com/uploads/photos/perm/main/GBADHNKEIBKJ/Giants12.jpg

But his play, particularly in the 2nd half of the Falcons game showed me that at the very least this kid has great potential. His seal-block against 2 defenders at the second level to spring Jamal Lewis for that TDwas a masterpiece, a real work of art.

His athletic ability was apparent when Chester popped that one defender then shifted and blocked another guy which prompted Jamal to cut back to his left after originally rushing towards his right and careening in for a body-ting touchdown.

Now neither of these guys are what the Ravens need to them to be; yet. But it's comin and from what I saw after they both settled down in the 2nd half that could be a preview of wonderful things to come for the Ravens rushing attack.

Just my opinion.-Pro-

GreenWave52
11-20-2006, 02:35 PM
Good piece pro. I asked this question in another thread but I'll do it here to:

Will both Chester and Brown stay at OG or will one move to C?

Gabrosin
11-20-2006, 02:37 PM
Hopefully these two are the beginning of the end for our O-line woes. I've been on the fence about Jason Brown so far, but I was very impressed by Chester against Atlanta. Either is an upgrade over Vincent; my hope is that one of them will show the intelligence and skill set to displace Flynn at center. I'm still not a huge fan of Pashos at RT (though I know some people here have been praising his performance thus far), but if these two young guys continue to play and produce, we'll have far less to worry about in the trenches.

Next step is letting go of Jamal Lewis. For all those that are praising his "big game" against Atlanta, I really didn't see him do anything that another average NFL back couldn't do just as well. He's not worth a big-money contract and he's not going to get any fresher. I'm thrilled for all he's contributed to our team over the past six years, especially his performance during our Super Bowl run, but it's time to let go and give someone else a chance. Maybe that's Mike Anderson, maybe that's Musa Smith, maybe that's a new RB from this year's draft for next season. But I don't see keeping Jamal as the smart move.

Art-Florida
11-20-2006, 06:16 PM
Excellent summation, Pro. The future does seem bright. I think we'll be happy with Terry too, once he steps in to fill the monstrous shoes of Jonathan Ogden.
Yup, bright indeed.

darb72
11-20-2006, 06:19 PM
I still think Chesters best fit is at center, but it's good to see him getting some playing time on the interior.

I think Mulitalo will come back next year and we'll see a starting offensive line of Ogden, Mule, Chester, Brown, Pashos.

Sephy
11-20-2006, 07:35 PM
Ogden for another year? Also I'd really hope we could improve on Pashos in the offseason.

darb72
11-20-2006, 07:55 PM
Pashos really isn't that bad. Maybe it's just because of how truly awful Zeus was, but the youngster has looked decent.

purplepoe
11-20-2006, 08:46 PM
I don't see Mulitalo coming back.

His cap number is growing and he cannot stay healthy.

A cap casualty IMO.

PP

highwater
11-21-2006, 01:12 PM
I don't see Mulitalo coming back.

His cap number is growing and he cannot stay healthy.PP

What is Mule's cap number for next year? Anyone know? I wouldn't mind him coming back if the price is reasonable.

purplepoe
11-22-2006, 04:39 PM
What is Mule's cap number for next year? Anyone know? I wouldn't mind him coming back if the price is reasonable.

I thought his cap # was pretty big (I looked for a second by didn't find it) but it might be smaller than I first thought.

Either way he cannot stay healthy and is way too one dimensional IMO.

I guess it depends on what they do with Brown/Chester. If one can replace Flynn then Mule might be back. But if they both stay at guard and we either sign or draft a center, I can't see Edwin coming back.

I love the guy but you gotta move on at some point.

PP

Filmstudy
11-24-2006, 02:43 AM
There has been some good stuff posted on Pashos, but if folks think we are going to get a better RT, I think they are dreaming. He gets some false start penalties, it's true, but very few holding calls, and one post had him allowing only 1 sack this year. I would state differently that the opposing LDE's have had only 2 sacks total in 11 games vs. the Ravens and there have been none by players whose last name did not start with "Peppers".

Kelly Gregg is tremendously underrated by the national media, but he gets attention for his play on boards such as this and YBR. Locally, the 2 most underrated Ravens now are Pashos and Ngata.

sailorsam
11-24-2006, 04:44 PM
playing rookies almost always means sacrificing today (bad plays, penalties, missed asignments) for quality tomorrow. Brown and Chester have gotten their feet wet without any or many problems; I see them only getting better from now on. I wonder if maybe Ozzie always felt the linemen were good enough, and it is only now under the new coordinator, what's-his-name, the Billick dude, that they are being properly utilized. at the very least, they have gotten some experience for future depth; here's hoping they can stay right in the starting lineup for the next 6-8 years.
I see the Ravens breaking down and drafting a monster LT the next year or two, maybe giving him some time at RT as JOg's career winds down. the team doesn't seem to have too many holes right now, so hopefully they can use a good choice or two there.
"putting the 'OL' in 'prolific'..."

darb72
11-24-2006, 10:43 PM
I think our line is mostly set for the next 5 or 6 years with Terry, Brown, Chester and Pashos.

The only thing we're missing is either a center or guard, depending on where we want to stick Chester/Brown full-time. We all know we aren't going anywhere with Flynn (now whether or not the coaching staff knows this I can't say).