Bengals shouldn't have much issue putting pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco

Much has been said this offseason about the demise of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens while the Cincinnati Bengals have enjoyed nothing but positive press as the team on the rise in the AFC North.

The downfall of the Ravens has been extremely over-exaggerated.

Baltimore lost Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. That's a valid thing to point out when analyzing the offseason for Baltimore. The problem is, Lewis was a liability on the field, and one opposing teams were quick to expose in the passing game.

The same goes for Reed, now a member of the Houston Texans. Reed was good for a big play every now and then but would oft times show his age in coverage and fragility in run support.

There's something to be said for the leadership qualities Reed and Lewis brought to the table, but many are acting as if great leaders such as Haloti Ngata and Ray Rice are gone as well.

Despite what many may lead you to believe, the Ravens had a great offseason. Reed has been replaced by Michael Huff and a first-round rookie in the form of Matt Elam. Expect the same quality of play from the safety position as last season, if not better.

The heart of the defense was neutered with the loss of Lewis and Dannelle Ellerbe, but a promising rookie in Arthur Brown will man the middle with a more athletic presence.

Much has also been said about the loss of outside linebacker Paul Kruger to the rival Cleveland Browns, but he played his best only when Terrelle Suggs was on the field. For whatever reason, the acquisition of one of the NFL's best pass-rushers in Elvis Dumervil has been getting swept under the rug as well.

Did we mention Lardarius Webb is set to return from injury? Webb gave Darrelle Revis a serious run for his money as the best corner in the league before going down with a season-ending injury last year.

If you couldn't tell, defense is why the Ravens won't skip a beat in 2013.

All of this equates to serious issues for the Bengals in the two matchups against Baltimore.

For one, the young Bengals have yet to prove they can get it done consistently in high-pressure games. Every game against Baltimore means something.

Two, the offense could struggle against the Baltimore defense, even if it doesn't have familiar faces. There won't be a slower middle linebacker to exploit anymore. No cornerback to exploit for Andy Dalton when he tosses it up to A.J. Green. Instead, Green will have to battle an elite corner in Webb.

Defensively the Bengals shouldn't have much issue putting pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco. Running back Ray Rice is another story as he has always given Cincinnati issues. There are holes at both cornerback and strong safety the Bengals have to answer before going against Baltimore or Flacco could pick the defense apart. Can rookie Shawn Williams have an impact at safety? Can Dre Kirkpatrick stay healthy and perform under the pressure of being thrown at constantly in what essentially amounts to his rookie season?

These questions and more will dictate whether or not the Bengals can win against the Ravens in 2013.

It's unlikely the Bengals are taking the Ravens lightly, but it's worth detailing why fans and media should not. The media can tell plenty of stories as ridiculous as Tim Tebow being a starting quarterback.

Cincinnati may be the talk of the town in the AFC North after back-to-back playoff appearances and multiple exceptional drafts, but it's Baltimore that went out and won a Super Bowl.

The Bengals still have plenty to learn from the Ravens.

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McKinnie is the oldest player on the Ravens roster at 33 years old

Last season the Baltimore Ravens defensive line was a mess. They gave more rushing yards then they have in over a decade and dealt with injuries throughout the season.

Baltimore made several signings to ensure that the defensive line would improve in 2013. They brought in Marcus Spears from the Dallas Cowboys and drafted Branden Williams in the third round of the 2013 draft. Also, in what may have been the teams most underrated move of their entire off season, the Ravens brought in defensive lineman Chris Canty from the New York Giants.

Standing 6'7" and weighing in at 317 lbs Canty is a scary sight for any offensive lineman. Not to mention that he has Super Bowl experience from his time in New York, So far in his short time with the Ravens he has shown great leadership qualities and should become a staple in the new look Ravens defense.

Although the Ravens brought in a big name defender in pass rusher Elvis Dumervil and a very versatile safety in Michael Huff, Canty may turn out to be one of the most important signings the team made. He can play every position on the line and excels in both rushing the passer and stopping the run. Combining Canty with perennial Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata, Spears and rookie Brandon Williams could return Baltimore's defense to their once elite status.

Last week, Bryant McKinnie was sitting at his locker at the head of the Ravens locker room, looking at all the young faces surrounding him.

“I looked around and I was like, ‘Wait, who’s been around longer than me?’” McKinnie said. “Ray Lewis is gone, Ed Reed is gone, Matt Birk is gone. I’m like, ‘Wait a minute …’”

Yes, McKinnie is the oldest player on the Ravens roster at 33 years old. Born on Sept. 29, 1979, McKinnie is two days older than Ravens cornerback Chris Johnson.

Last year, Lewis (38), Reed (34), Birk (36), defensive lineman Ma’ake Kemoeatu (34) and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (36) were all older than McKinnie.

The roster has undergone a youth movement this offseason, however. McKinnie’s not worried about it though.

“I’m alright because I feel young,” he said.

“I hang with young people and just stay active. People start feeling old when they sit down and get in that cycle of doing the same thing. That’s why I had to pick up tennis. It gives me something else to do to stay active and stay young.”

The Ravens’ offensive line is particularly youthful. The next closest in age to McKinnie is Marshal Yanda at 28, and Michael Oher and center A.Q. Shipley are both 27.

McKinnie said some rookies have come to him and said they liked watching McKinnie – when they were in middle school.

“I was like, ‘Whaaaat!?!?!’” McKinnie said. “That’s kinda scary.

“That’s probably why [Run Game Coordinator] Juan [Castillo] keeps using me as an example in the meeting rooms. I didn’t really get it. He’ll say, ‘Bryant, isn’t this right?’ I’ll be like, ‘I don’t know why you’re asking me, Coach.’”

 

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Juan Castillo can be heard from across the field during practice and Pernell McPhee Enjoying New Role

 

The Ravens’ new run game coordinator is active and energetic, barking out commands as he runs the offensive line through drills. He makes his way from player to player, critiquing them and pushing them on every rep.

“His passion for the game is very evident,” second-year center Gino Gradkowski said. “I think it’s contagious. Guys are buying into his passion, his energy.”

The longtime Philadelphia Eagles coach joined the Ravens during the playoffs last season, teaming up with Offensive Line Coach Andy Moeller. Castillo has a reputation as one of the premier line coaches in the NFL, and the players gravitated toward his instruction almost immediately.

“He tries to simplify everything as best he can,” Gradkowski said. “I know Coach Moeller built me a great foundation my first year. Coach Castillo, I think, is just taking my game to the next level, and I’m very excited about where I’m going as a player. I think a lot of players feel the same way.”

In addition to the energy he brings, Castillo is known for his attention to detail. A number of players have praised Castillo’s focus on the fundamentals, which has been a point of emphasis during the offseason.

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie, a 12-year veteran, said that working with Castillo was part of the attraction to participating in the entire offseason program.

“He focuses on our technique, and that’s something that I kind of get away from sometimes,” McKinnie said. “Right now is a great time for us to work on our technique and me in pass protection – sitting straight back. So, Juan’s been a great help.”

Castillo works with everyone on the line, but he’s spending a good deal of time with the young linemen. He had a knack for developing a number of small-school prospects during his 10 years with the Eagles, and he’s looking to continue that trend in Baltimore.

Castillo played at Texas A&I in college and eventually went on to coach there, which is part of his attraction to coaching players from small schools.

“I never coached at a big school. I went from Division II to the NFL,” Castillo said. “Throughout my years, the biggest thing that I enjoyed coming from a Division II school is that at our place what we learned is that it didn’t matter who you got; you developed whatever you got, because you didn’t have that many players.”

The Ravens currently have eight rookies or first-year offensive linemen on the 90-man roster, including a number of undrafted or late-round prospects, and Castillo is relishing the opportunity to coach them.

“I really enjoyed developing players, and I think that’s something that throughout my career at Philadelphia that I’ve done, especially college free agents,” Castillo said.

That excitement is mutual for the players.

“We have fun with him,” Gradkowski said. “We work hard, but we have fun at the same time. He’s a very intelligent guy. He’s very intelligent and I think it’s going to be good for all of us.”

Pernell McPhee feels like he’s undergoing “a new change in life."

He has shifted from playing defensive end to outside linebacker, playing more of a stand-up role in the Ravens defense behind Terrell Suggs.

After a tough 2012 season, the change has McPhee thinking big.

“It’s a new style of play, new position coach, new year, new everything,” McPhee said at the conclusion of minicamp. “There are zero stats. You can be Defensive MVP, a Pro Bowler. Who knows? Why not?”

McPhee was a big-bodied college defensive end. At 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, he added bulk last season, when he competed with Arthur Jones for a starting position.

The change didn’t work out largely because of injuries. McPhee, who finished second on the team with six sacks as a rookie in 2011, notched just 1.5 sacks and 21 tackles last year.

Knee injuries erased McPhee’s offseason last year, then flared up and caused him to miss four regular-season games midway through the year. Now McPhee is healthy, and focused on getting back at the quarterback.

His change to more of a rush linebacker should help with that. McPhee said he’s the same weight he was last year, but trimmer and more muscular.

Asked for his opinion of his new position, McPhee said, “It’s cool, it’s good.”

“I won’t know until we put on pads and we have to cover people,” he said. “Anybody can be a football player without pads. When you put on those pads, that’s going to determine it. It comes down to how fast can I move with the pads on, cover and get in my drops, know my reads.”

But most of all, McPhee anticipates seeing more pass-rush abilities this year.

It’s where he has excelled in the past. Before his six sacks as a rookie, McPhee posted seven sacks at Mississippi State. In 18 games at Itawamba Community College, he logged 32.5 sacks. He led the nation with 13.5 sacks in 2008.

“That’s how I eat and I’m going to keep it like that,” McPhee said. “Put me down in that three-point stance and go after the quarterback.”

Veteran addition Elvis Dumervil, who sits at the locker next to McPhee, has taken the young linebacker under his wing. The two lift weights together and spend extra time after practice doing football exercises.

The work seemed to pay off, as McPhee looked to have good burst and still held the edge well during the Ravens’ three minicamp practices.

“The guy’s been working really hard, man,” Dumervil said.

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