Getty Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey believes the team has all the pieces to win a championship.
Since coming into the league as a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft at No. 16 overall, Baltimore Ravens’ star six-year veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey has been on some really talented rosters that looked scary “on paper” for opposing teams.
However, none of them, not even the loaded 2019 team that produced the best record in franchise history and secured them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff standings that year was able to win it all.
General manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh went to work this offseason and put together one of the most talented rosters and coaching staffs perhaps in the entire league and certainly since Humphrey has been on the team.
“I think the product we put out, that’s really all that really matters, but on paper, man, we look very scary,” he said in a press conference on June 15, 2023.
The Ravens currently have five first-round picks at wide receiver after delivering on the promise to remodel their depth chart at the premium position this offseason. The most notable additions were veterans Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency and rookie Zay Flowers via the 2023 NFL Draft out of Boston College.
They have a nice blend of experienced veterans and hungry recently drafted players on both sides of the ball chomping at the bit to prove themselves such as wide receiver Rashod Bateman and outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo.
There are also ascending talents looking to capitalize in the final year of their respective rookie deals such as inside linebacker Patrick Queen, running back J.K. Dobbins, and defensive tackles Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington.
DeCosta also added some promising talent in mid-to-late rounds of this year’s draft that could make immediate impacts such as versatile linebacker Trenton Simpson, pass rusher Tavius Robinson, and offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu who is “in the mix” for the starting left guard spot.
“They felt, more than ever, we’ve put a roster together that should be able to compete for a Super Bowl,” he said. “You pay the best quarterback in the league, you get Odell, you put all these pieces together. The talent is there; it’s just putting it all together. So, I’ve been very pleased with the front office – what they’ve done this offseason. So, that’s the biggest thing.”
Humphrey Delivered Powerful Message to Teammates
At the end of the Ravens’ three-day mandatory minicamp, the three-time Pro Bowler who is usually loud and outgoing in a playful way had some serious words for his fellow players before they parted ways for their last break before training camp.
He was inspired to speak up by a conversation that he and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson recently had while receiving treatment in the training room about what it’s going to take to win the Super Bowl.
While they want their brothers on the gridiron to enjoy themselves during their time away, both of them agree that it is going to take a higher level of all-in commitment that they know this group is capable of reaching.
“When we come back, we want everybody to be putting in as much time into football as you can,” Humphrey said. “The offseasons are long – plenty of time – but… These days, these practices … Being in the NFL, it’s a very short span compared to the rest of your life.”
He vowed that one of the things plans on doing differently this season is putting in more time than he has ever done before to prepare himself for a long season and what he hopes will be a deep playoff run.
“I think, if we can all echo that, be on the same one accord, I think special things can happen with this team,” Humphrey said.
When he first joined the team, there were several stalwart leaders such as cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr and future Hall of Famer Eric Weddle and Terrell Suggs. Now that he is one of the established veterans that young players look up to despite just being 26 years old, Humphrey accepts the responsibility and understands the importance of being a leader.
“I honestly didn’t see it then, because there were just so many guys that were those leaders for me that I still look up to – guys that just put so much in my ear,” he said. “But the last year or two. You start realizing, you’re telling stories that nobody else was here [for] other than you.”
Humphrey admitted that he is still caught off guard when he is constantly reminded by the team’s younger defensive backs that come in and say that they’ve been admiring his game since they were in high school.
“You kind of just realize it’s kind of your time to do that now, and I think being here for so long and getting a second deal, I think that was something that kind of was the unwritten thing that they expected me to do,” he said. “It’s a challenge with these young guys sometimes, but it’s kind of my duty to do that, so I just try to do the best I can.”
Newcomer to Secondary Wants to Keep Ascending
Humphrey is slated to have a new starting cornerback opposite of him for the 2023 season with fellow three-time Pro Bowler Marcus Peters still sitting on the unrestricted free-agent market. After not picking a prospect at the position in this year’s NFL Draft until the fifth-round selection of Kyu Blu Kelly out of Stanford, the first post-draft move that the Ravens made was signing young veteran Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year deal worth $6 million.
The former second-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019 played the last year of his rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. While he’s proud of what he has accomplished thus far, he still feels like there is another level to his game that he can reach.
“I feel like I put together a decent two years. I just want to keep getting better though,” Ya-Sin said. “I don’t want to get complacent at all. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here, [to] play and learn from guys like Marlon, his coaches, guys that got him to the place where he is. So, I’m trying to learn and continue to ascend.”
According to Pro Football Reference, he has appeared in 52 games in his career and logged 38 starts in which he recorded 183 total tackles, 27 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two tackles for loss.
Humphrey spoke highly of Ya-Sin and is especially impressed with his strength, toughness, and physicality because he sees a lot of similarities in their respective games.
“He is a strong guy, so I’m a fan of how strong he is. He plays really tough, as we’ve talked [about]. We’re both kind of built from the same cloth, as far as the physicalness, [and we] don’t really care if you get beat,” he said. “You want to have corners and DBs that don’t have any egos. You get beat, you get to the line, you play the same way, [and] you’re not worried about this, you’re not worried about that, [and] you don’t care who makes the play; you’re just wanting somebody to make the play.”
Even though Ya-Sin has predominantly played and prefers to line up on the outside as a boundary corner, he is open to moving side to the slot and helping out there if and when needed. The Ravens have a need for a new nickel defensive back with 2022 first-rounder Kyle Hamilton transitioning to safety full-time heading into his second season.
“I’m just going to do whatever they ask me,” Ya-Sin said. “I’m working mostly outside now, but things [can] change.
