Breaking: Ravens’ Defense Gets Another Makeover: Team Shuffles Linebacker Rotation Again
Despite having one of the best players at the position in Roquan Smith, linebacker has been a position with several question marks throughout the season for the Baltimore Ravens. Not because of Smith’s play, but rather the search for a suitable partner for him after the departure of Patrick Queen this offseason.
Trenton Simpson, a 2023 third-round pick from Clemson, has played next to Smith for most of the season, but he’s definitely shown his inexperience at times. More recently, Malik Harrison and Chris Board have seen more snaps to form a true rotation at the position.
In Sunday’s win over the New York Giants, the Ravens gave the position even more of a shakeup. Harrison played a season-high 79 percent of defensive snaps and Board played 43 percent, the former playing more against the run and the latter more against the pass. Simpson, on the other hand, played just seven percent of defensive snaps and did not see the field until the fourth quarter.
When asked about the rotation on Monday, head coach John Harbaugh explained how it helps all three players.
“Malik played well. Chris played well, and Trenton played well when he went in,” Harbaugh said. “So, to see that, from a standpoint of Trenton, it’s good for Trenton to maybe take some pressure off him a little bit. He’s a young guy, and he plays all heart – all heart, and [he] cares so much. So he can kind of take a breath a little bit just in terms of his picture [and] his side of it and come back in there like he did in the game and play well.
“Then for Malik to get this opportunity to prove himself – he’s been working hard for that opportunity, and he’s done great with it. And Chris Board same thing – he’s even more of a veteran guy. I know those guys appreciate that, and they’re making the most of it.”
Harrison and Board, who are in their fifth and seventh NFL seasons respectively, have both taken advantage of their increased snap counts. The younger Simpson, meanwhile, gets a chance to learn from afar while still seeing some action.
Based on that, it’s easy to see where Harbaugh and co. are coming from with this approach.
