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02-26-2015, 12:36 PM
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#9 |
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Rookie
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
New Era (Part III)
Late Round Gems Andrew Medlock  Medlock was born and raised in Sedgewick, Kansas, a town with 1,000 people in it. Medlock prided himself as a cowboy. He was big into hunting, farming and football. He was always big for his age. He was also one of the strongest kids in his grade. His dad raised him to be a quarterback. His dad would help him become a good quarterback by doing drills with him. Andrew would also do push-ups every other day. By the time he was a freshman in high school, he was 6’3, 190 but most of that was muscle. Sedgewick was a small high school so he immeadiately played on varsity. A four year starter in high school, Medlock was an effective quarterback. Sedgewick was not a football school however and they never finished with a winning record. Medlock owned most school passing records by the time he was a sophomore. He threw for over 6,000 yards in his career. He wasn’t scouted by any colleges however. In fact, it was because of a fluke that he played in college and didn’t become a Navy SEAL like planned. It was early September 2010, and Buffalo had an early season game against Kansas. Head coach Turner Gill brought his recruiting staff along with him in order to scout multiple sport star Bubba Starling in his Friday night game. However, the staff found themselves at the wrong high school. They decided to stay at the game and they were very impressed by Medlock. He had exceptional arm strength and they talked to him after the game. Medlock was unknown to the college football world so he was an easy signing. Medlock was the backup quarterback for the first few weeks of his freshman season but poor quarterback play gave Medlock an opportunity. Buffalo was trailing Ohio 30-7 at halftime and a halftime adjustment sparked the Buffalo offense in the second half. Although they didn’t win, they found their QB for the next 4 years. Medlock played on a lackluster Buffalo team and never would play in a bowl game. He dealt with a lot of adversity. Poor line, running game, drops, penalties. It was rough sometimes for him. Medlock’s passing numbers rose every year however. He threw for 2457 yards in his freshman year, then 2894 in his sophomore year, then 3241, and 3838 in his senior year. He also eclipsed 25 touchdowns all four years. Even so, he received little attention in the NFL draft. He was not invited to the draft combine. Scouting reports listed him as “flat-footed” and a turnover machine. His arm strength was known but his accuracy was shaky. That’s why he was listed as a 7th round/Priority free agent. The Ravens were looking for a young quarterback to compete for a backup spot. Little did they know they found a quarterback that could be groomed to be the successor of Joe Flacco. GM Ozzie Newsome admitted that, “We took a flier on him (Medlock).” In his first preseason game, he showcased elite arm strength connecting on two long touchdown passes. Medlock would not be a starter for the first time in his life but he also would play for a successful team. This is the Ravens QB of the future. Medlock is very similar to Flacco because they are both flat footed in the pocket but they elite arm strength and questionable accuracy at some points. Flacco has more speed than Medlock however. Player Comparison: Joe Flacco Brandan Perry  Perry grew up in the streets of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Perry did not have a happy or childhood. His dad was convicted of manslaughter and his mother fought drug addiction. Sometimes, Perry would sleep in school just to avoid his mom. Perry was a standout on the gridiron however. He and his 5 brothers and sisters were raised by his grandmother. They became really close because Brandan was the man of the household and helped raise his brothers and sisters. In high school, Perry attended Frederick Douglass high school where he became the best corner in the state of Maryland. He was a four star prospect and received attention from BCS schools such as Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan. He committed to Penn State before his senior season in high school. He had an outstanding senior year but Perry’s plays spoiled his reputation. He was considered a “dirty player” as he was accused of targeting or leading with his crown. In college this issue continued. He redshirted his first year. The following year he received decent playing time on special times and he was also fourth on the depth chart at cornerback. Against Minnesota, he was ejected from the game for targeting receiver Eric Decker. His coach Joe Paterno benched him and he would see little playing time the rest of the year. Perry became the #2 corner the next year and excelled. He had 4 interceptions and was named second team All-Big Ten. That year, the Sandusky sex scandal broke lose and his head coach Joe Paterno was fired. Perry had very controversial comments saying, “The Board of Trustees bs’ed the football program.” Perry gained a lot of respect for Paterno and was upset that he was fired. The next January, Paterno passed away. Perry was very emotional and spoke at his funeral. “He was like the father I never had. When I came to Penn State, I was an immature kid. Now, I’m a man. You can’t replace a guy like this in your life.” The sanctions that were handed out allowed him to transfer to any school without any penalty. Perry decided to stay and finish his career at Penn State. He created the phrase “For Joe.” His junior year, he continued to play well and made another appearance on the All-Big 10 team. In late December, his grandmother passed away. His younger brother and sisters were all on their own. Brandan made a tough decision. He entered the NFL draft. He gave an emotional speech announcing his declaration. “I didn’t want this to happen. I wanted to be here for Penn State. They are my second family. But first, I have to take care of my first family.” Perry was viewed as a fringe prospect who was good in zone coverage but would be a late round pick. Ozzie Newsome met with Perry and saw a bright future and a good kind in Perry. Perry was selected in the sixth round and made his impact ever since. Player Comparison: Tramon Williams. Jason Oltmans  Oltmans grew up in Ramapo, New Jersey. Oltmans doesn’t have a heartwarming childhood story like some of the other Ravens. He grew up in a middle class family. Oltmans played football throughout his childhood and grew up watching the New York Giants. He was always a big kid and enjoyed to eat. “Eating and football were my hobbies growing up,” Oltmans jokes. Oltmans was also very bright in school. He attended local Ramapo High School were Greg Schiano also graduated. He had a 3.9 GPA in high school and was an all-conference football player. Oltmans was the starting center for two years on varsity and was named to the Bergen County all-conference team. He was also enrolled in JROTC planning a career in the military. He decided to head to South Carolina and attend the Citadel. At first, Oltmans was thinking that his football career was over and he wanted to focus and become a cadet and join the Army afterwards. But he had a change of heart. Oltmans tried out for the football team and made it. He did not get much playing time his first two years but his junior year, that changed. Oltmans became the anchor of the line at the Citadel. He was named to the first team All-Southern conference and an honorable mention FCS All-American. His senior year, he had another solid season and was named first team All-American in the FCS. Oltmans had a 3.7 GPA in college and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Oltmans was invited to the senior bowl and the draft combine and had good showings in both. Later that spring, Oltmans was drafted in the fifth round by the Ravens and became the starting center. Player Comparison: Max Unger Trovon Miles  Miles was another local product. He hails from Catonsville, Maryland which is not too far away from Baltimore. Miles grew up playing football and basketball and he excelled at both. For high school, he attended local private school, Mount St. Joesph. He began doing extreme workouts and his strength was unprecedented for a high school student. He played DE mostly and overpowered almost any offensive linemen in the state. He was scouted as early as his sophomore year. He received scholarship offers from over 50 schools. Trovon had a tough decision. His top 4 schools were Ohio State, Florida, Penn State and Michigan. He was a five star prospect and carried the swagger of one too. On signing day, he settled on Ohio State. At Ohio State, he became a standout as well. He received lots of playing time his freshman year and became a starter his sophomore year. Miles recorded 14 TFL his sophomore year and 6.5 sacks. He was a force to be reckoned with. However in the offseason before his junior year, Miles was arrested for possession of marijuana twice and was suspended for the first two games. He was suspended for another game for skipping a team meeting. In 9 games, Miles still recorded 4.5 sacks and 8 TFL. That offseason he was arrested again for marijuana possession and Urban Meyer booted him off the team. Miles planned on transferring to Youngstown State to finish his collegiate career. However in June, he changed his mind and entered the supplemental draft. He was not selected and he became a free agent. The Ravens gave him a shot and he impressed them very much. He was given the Week One start at right end over Pernell McPhee. Miles is a building block on the defensive line and will have many good years out of him. Player Comparison: Red Bryant Last edited by DynastyBeast; 03-08-2015 at 06:41 PM. |
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03-06-2015, 01:07 PM
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#11 |
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Rookie
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
Last edited by DynastyBeast; 03-07-2015 at 04:09 PM. |
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03-07-2015, 10:57 AM
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#13 |
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Pro
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
__________________
NFL - OaklandRaiders MLB - Oakland Athletics |
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03-07-2015, 04:06 PM
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
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03-07-2015, 06:16 PM
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#15 |
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
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03-08-2015, 06:38 PM
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Re: Baltimore Ravens: A New Era
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