LB Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens
So maybe Ray Lewis wouldn’t be his Pro Bowl self, but make no mistake, he still could play. The seven-time All-Pro linebacker set fear into a backfields eyes, piling through the offensive line and swallowing running backs behind the line of scrimmage.
Finishing his career with over 2,000 tackles, Lewis was the centerpiece of Baltimore’s defense for 16 seasons. Setting records left and right, his strong tackling along with excellent pursuit made him one of the league’s top defenders every season. Throw in 31 interceptions and 41.5 sacks; Lewis will go down as one of the all-time greats on defense.
The Ravens lost CJ Mosley during free agency and saw Terrell Suggs return home to Arizona. Lewis’ veteran leadership (on the field only) would help set the tone for the Baltimore Ravens up the middle. While Kenny Young is looking to be the next solid MIKE backer, it’ll be interesting to see if Shane Ray and develop inside.
Lewis does come with the off the field issues, but on the field, his talent cannot be ignored. While he probably would look worse than his 2012 campaign, you think anyone else up the middle is better? Probably not at the moment to be honest. With Lewis, at least there’s a veteran presence to help keep the Ravens’ defense one of the best in the league.
