Getty Former Ravens DT Derek Wolfe is one of several former players that have spoke out about former strength coach Steve Saunders.
The NFL Players Association recently released a survey that polled over 1,300 current players asking them to rank eight key elements for all 32 teams ranging from quality of staff and team facilities to how they treat players and their loved ones.
Those elements specifically included the treatment of families, nutrition, weight room, strength and conditioning staff, training room, training staff, locker room, and travel.
Each team was assigned a letter grade for each element and the Baltimore Ravens received passing or exemplary grades in all but one, strength staff. They were not only the lone team in the league that didn’t receive an ‘A’ for that element, they received the lowest possible grade possible an ‘F-‘.
“At the core of these issues is the team’s former head strength coach, Steve Saunders (recently parted ways with); assessment of him by player respondents was markedly negative. Only 38% of player respondents felt that they receive an individualized plan for their strength training, and many complained that the training room is understaffed.”
This grade isn’t all that surprising given that the team parted ways with strength and conditioning coordinator Saunders on February 23, 2023, after seven years and there have multiple former players that had been advocating for him to lose his job sooner.
Several Former Ravens Confirm Poor Assessment
In the days since the report cards have been out, numerous players that spent time on the team during Saunders’ time at the helm took to social media to sound off again or for the first time.
Told you the Ravens strength staff was 🗑️
Three players went as far as to blame Saunders and the Ravens’ strength staff for derailing or absolutely ruining their respective young careers. Veteran defensive tackle Carl Davis who was a third-round pick by the Ravens in 2015 claimed to be “a victim of the strength coaches” citing that he sustained two Labrum injuries and “multiple pectoral strains”.
Davis went on to say in another post that Saunders told the coaching staff he “wasn’t working hard” and that he was “being rebellious” when he refused to follow what he knew to be ill-advised instructions.
Bam Bradley and Quincy Adeboyejo signed with the team as undrafted free agents in 2017 and claimed to have their careers ruined by Saunders’ lack of individualized programs to build players back up and prevent re-injury.
Bradley spent two seasons with the team from 2017-2018 and claimed that he was instructed to resume certain exercises before his surgically repaired knee from a torn ACL was given sufficient time to properly heal.
Adeboyejo was with the team during the same period of time and was released ahead of training camp for his third season. He said that Saunders “definitely ruined” his career in a long thread of tweets detailing and citing specific examples.
“Definitely ruined my career. 3 year season-ending injuries in a row after being healthy my entire career prior,” Adeboyejo tweeted. “Rookie year training camp I suffered the same knee injury Lamar had this year . I was forced to practice 3 days later because I was a “bubble” guy.. they cared less about treating me. Year 2 .. I went thru a full week of off season training with the team just for a surprise text day before rookie mini camp saying they wanted me to participate. 15 minutes into practice I tear my quad completely off the bone. Everything went downhill from there. Let’s just say it’s never good when the training room and strength coaches aren’t on the same page. They didn’t like each other and it showed. Huge disconnect between the two which led to multiple injuries for a lot of guys. No hard feelings tho. I still love Harbs and the organization as a whole.
The two most notable former Ravens players that have gone on record and been outwardly critical of Saunders in the past are four-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Matt Judon and retired defensive tackle Derek Wolfe.
“I think [why they’re injured so much] has a lot to do with who is running the weight room,” Wolfe told Bobby Trosset during a radio interview on 104.3 The Drive. “And that was my beef. I’ve never had beef with a strength coach ever in my life. Those are usually my favorite guys. [Saunders] was ultimately the reason why I couldn’t play football anymore.”
Current Players Have Confidence Change is Coming
The Ravens replaced Saunders by promoting second-year assistant strength and conditioning coach Scott Elliott and per the report, 100% of current players on the team that were polled believe the organization will make the necessary changes to better accommodate their players.
The team’s overall ranking was 17th which isn’t exactly middle of the pack because so many were clustered together with similar marks. Their other grades included A’s in team travel and locker room, a B+ in training staff, a B- in Food Service/Nutrition, a C+ in treatment of families and weight room, and a C in training room.
“The players do believe in Ravens owner Steve Biscotti’s commitment to high quality, as 100% of them believe he is willing to invest in upgrades to the facility.”
The Ravens have been ravaged by injuries in each of the past two seasons at key positions on both sides of the ball and even when some of their players were initially believed to be recovered, they suffered setbacks and went back on the shelf for another period of time or had to undergo additional surgeries.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and veteran blocking tight end Nick Boyle are two prime examples as it took both of them nearly two years to fully recover from gruesome injuries suffered in 2020 as both suffered multiple setbacks that cost them the vast majority of the following season in 2021.
Former first-round wide receiver, Rashod Bateman, retweeted a post from a fan pointing out that he had no problem with injuries but now has yet to be able to finish a full season since being drafted by the Ravens in 2021.
Improving how players build their bodies back up following injuries and improve upon them whether they’re coming into the league or vested veterans is paramount to a team’s success on the field and the perception of their franchise to prospective players and business partners. In order to give themselves the best chance to put their recent injury woes behind them, having an emphasis on individualized recovery, ramp-up, and workout plans for injured and ailing players are essential.