Ravens Fill Bart's Shoes Three Times

The last time a singular person filled the cleats alongside Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, it was Bart Scott, who is now helming the high-powered New York Jets’ defense.

But the fact that Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe and Tavares Gooden all see playing time with the first team isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

As the Ravens prepare to meet Scott and the Jets this weekend, the three-man mentality will get be showcased with the one-man show watching.

“What you always do is get the ‘backers on the field to maximize their abilities,” said Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison. “Some guys are great at playing the run and adequate at playing the pass. Some guys are better playing the pass, or even better blitzers than other guys.

“You don’t want to give it away by who’s in the game, but we’re always going to call what’s best for the guys in there. That’s what we do. We have a lot of guys playing the same position at times.”

While many have tried to peg one of three young linebackers as the permanent starter next to No. 52, the Ravens don’t think such a player exists on their current roster.

The indication coming out of training camp was that McClain would be the guy. He saw the most time with the “ones” this summer in base packages, even though it was typical for both Ellerbe and Gooden to get first-team reps.

“At the end of the day, the defense being able to get three linebackers on the field playing at a high level is important for the team,” said McClain, 25. “If nobody ever gets tired, we can all contribute.”

The Ravens just want their best players in the best positions. Admittedly, some of that hinges on the linebackers’ individual skill sets.

The book on all three is that McClain, a former collegiate defensive end, has an advantage in the pass rush, Ellerbe, 24, is the run-thumper and the speedy Gooden, 25, can hang with most receiving targets.

Looking at the preseason stat sheet, however, that’s not the case.

Gooden is the only one with a sack. Ellerbe deflected three passes and recorded an interception. And, McClain topped them all in tackles with nine.

That is why the snaps played might look like a veritable split at the end of games.

“Because those guys are so even, we try to let one guy get this many plays in a row, and then let another guy go in there and play,” Mattison said. “If we’re playing against a team that does something more than another, then we may have a different player in there more, but it’s pretty even as that goes.”

In Scott, the Ravens didn’t have to concentrate on any rotation. He burst onto the NFL scene starting 10 games for an injured Lewis in 2005, then made his first and only Pro Bowl in 2006, totaling 135 tackles, 9 ½ sacks and two interceptions with Lewis in his pocket.

When Scott joined former Ravens Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan in The Big Apple in 2009, Gooden started 12 games before Ellerbe took over for the rest of the campaign.

With McClain securely in the mix this year, the Ravens are not searching for the next Scott – and they believe there are advantages to the rotation.

It lets all players stay fresh on defense, and all three are special teams contributors, an area where Scott cut his teeth as a young player.

“With Bart Scott, he evolved into being able to do it all,” Mattison said. “That’s what happens over time. Bart’s developed into one of the better linebackers in the NFL, and that didn’t happen overnight.

“I know [McClain, Ellerbe and Gooden] are going to develop. They’ve only played football for two years for us. Most guys at their age are only playing special teams. Our guys are doing everything.”

One must also look at the Ravens’ supporting cast at weakside linebacker when there was only one player with that distinction.

From 2007-08, the Ravens essentially had journeymen Nick Griesen at backup inside ‘backer. Brendon Ayanbadejo signed on in 2008, but he was the Ravens’ special teams leader. McClain was on the team in ‘08, but he was playing outside linebacker at the time, while a rookie Gooden landed on Injured Reserve with a hip injury.)

At the end of the day, it seems the Ravens are relying on offensive formations to determine who gets the start. Pinning down one player down as the full-time first-teamer just wouldn’t be fair, no matter what the depth chart says.

“What you’re going to find out is, in one package, it’s Tavares, in one package, it’s Jameel, and another package has Dannell,” said Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh. “And the guy that’s going to start is whatever package we decide to put out on the field personnel-wise because we have good players we want to get out on the field, doing the things they do best.”