The Baltimore Ravens have the need for several players to step up for them on defense, and after a busy offseason of change and departures, most of those players are on the defensive side of the ball.
Specifically, the Ravens could use players along the edge stepping up and playing well, and one player who has a major bullseye on him for that is linebacker Tyus Bowser. Re-signed this offseason by Baltimore, Bowser returns to the mix as a player who needs to find a way to step up and make something happen at a key spot on the roster.
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Bleacher Report took a look at looking at one player who is a sleeper heading into training camp. According to writer Gary Davenport, Bowser is the answer for Baltimore team who needs to see an immediate uptick in pass rush this season in order to account for some losses on that side of the ball. While Bowser is underrated, he also has to step up big soon.
He wrote:
“It might seem odd to call edge-rusher Tyus Bowser a “sleeper.” He may well be the highest-paid player in this piece after inking a four-year extension worth up to $27 million in March.
But the reality is Bowser has been mostly asleep as a professional. Over four seasons, the 2017 second-round pick out of Houston has managed just 10.5 sacks, including two last year.
The Ravens badly need him to wake up. The departure of edge-rushers Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue in free agency leaves the team thin at the position. Baltimore used a 2021 first-round pick on a pass-rusher in Penn State’s Odafe Oweh, but the position often carries a steep learning curve.
For the Ravens to make a deep playoff run in 2021, Bowser needs to be an anchor of the pass rush.”
By re-signing Bowser, the Ravens are making the statement that they believe he can be a bigger part of what the team wants to accomplish up front. While Bowser might be underrated now, it’s clear that soon, more folks will know his name if he steps up and dominates as hoped.
Pressure on Young Ravens Linemen
Knowing how many questions this defensive group has, how will the Ravens have success? That will depend on a few young guns stepping up like Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes. Additionally, the Ravens have some other players who need to step up such as Jihad Ward and Pernell McPhee. The only way the team is going to account for this is to have multiple players stepping up and contributing, which was just how things were when Judon and Ngakoue were playing for the squad last year.
Through the years, the Ravens have managed to find players to pressure the passer. They will be called on to do that again so they can avoid this potential regret. Bowser is a good example of another player who is being relied on in a major way to make something good happen.
Bowser’s NFL Statistics
Coming into the 2020 season, Bowser has been a very productive player during his time in the NFL. He has put up 80 tackles and 10.5 sacks to go with 4 interceptions. He’s become a force off the edge and the type of player who can disrupt things in a major way on the field for the Ravens. Bowser has been a find for the Ravens since being a draft pick of the team in 2017 out of Houston. With production like this, it’s not a surprise to see the Ravens re-sign him and make him a big part of the future.
Now, the pressure is mounting on Bowser to deliver.
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Analyst Calls Out Key Ravens Pass Rusher Ahead of 2021 Season