Getty Cal Ripken Jr. before a game.
The Baltimore Ravens have put the finishing touches on a solid draft class, and now that the group is transitioning to a new city, who better than a local legend to welcome them home.
Saturday afternoon, former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. hopped on Twitter and shared a special welcome with all the new players. He also told his own story of being drafted, which is much different than the football players deal with today.
Here’s a look at Ripken Jr. and his welcome:
To the new @Ravens: @patrickqueen_, @Jkdobbins22, @MadubuikeJustin, @Leek_39, @Dev_Duv5, @Tyrethefuture, Ben Bredeson, Broderick Washington, James Proche & @GenoStone22, welcome to Baltimore! Excited to watch you play this @NFL season.
Obviously, it’s nice for the players to get such a royal welcome to their new home in Baltimore from a man who is truly a legendary figure in the city.
Michael Phelps Welcomed Patrick Queen to Ravens
Ripken Jr. wasn’t the only Baltimore figure wishing the players luck. After the Baltimore Ravens selected linebacker Patrick Queen with pick No. 28 in the 2020 NFL Draft, Phelps hopped on and provided a welcome to Queen. Additionally, he also gave him some top notch advice as to how to begin his career in town.
1. Welcome to Baltimore.
2. Call @raylewis 😂
@MichaelPhelps welcomes @Patrickqueen_ to Baltimore and offers some advice. 😈
“First thing, welcome to Baltimore. Second piece of advice? Call Ray Lewis. That man knows everything you need to know about covering the middle. Play well. You already won one championship. Let’s do it again in the big leagues. Good luck,” Phelps said.
A call to Lewis is never a bad idea for any Ravens newcomer, but for Queen, it might be vital. The young linebacker will be taking over a key position on the defense, and one Lewis knows well. Queen is self aware enough that he is likely to take this advice and run with it to help himself out.
Phelps would also know what it takes to be successful in an athletic field, so it would be wise for Queen to heed the words of the legend.
Ravens Day 3 Draft Primer
In the past, the Ravens have done some damage in the late stages of the draft. They’ve been able to mine gold with names such as Matt Judon, Pernell McPhee and Za’Darius Smith just to name a few day 3 selections from the past. Obviously, Baltimore’s scouting department is comfortable with their late day work.
So far, Baltimore’s draft has been highlighted by big name steals that have fallen to the team such as Patrick Queen, J.K. Dobbins, Devin Duvernay and Justin Madubuike. All of those players had higher grades and fell into the lap of the team on days 1 and 2, proving the Ravens have a great scouting staff and great timing on their side most of all.
With these spots, the Ravens will be looking to fill out more key needs on offense and defense ahead of the 2020 season even though they have done solid work already. The team will have a chance to move around as well during these rounds if they want, but they will start off with these selections.
Ravens Offseason Needs
The Ravens are seemingly in a decent spot in terms of both sides of the ball thanks to the fact that they have a young roster, but there’s little question that the team needs to make a few well placed additions, especially on offense, as general manager Eric DeCosta has hinted. Baltimore could still use another receiving threat to help Lamar Jackson, and depending on what happens with some of the team’s own free agents, another linebacker could be on the docket as well, though that position could get filled in the NFL Draft.
Baltimore shouldn’t need many more dramatic moves after what they have already done in free agency, but should continue to lock up their own talent while looking to make a few well-placed additions to the mix. While in the draft, the team could be expected to load up on depth on both sides of the ball.
Continuing to add depth, develop those drafted players and keep the right players in house could be a huge benefit to the team moving forward that helps them continue to cultivate a championship roster. So far, that’s been the move for the Ravens this offseason and in past years as well.
The work this offseason and in the draft is set to get rave reviews given the number of impact players the team has scored.
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