Ravens hedge their bets at linebacker

By Darrell Laurant  |   Monday, May 29, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Baltimore Ravens
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What's the going rate for linebacker insurance? As far as the Baltimore Ravens are concerned, it comes to about $585,000 a year.

That's what the team will be paying free agent linebacker Tim Johnson for the 2006 season, hoping to shore up depth at that position. Johnson signed with Baltimore earlier this month.

The last time Johnson was a Raven, as a rookie out of Youngstown State in 2001, he left the veterans rolling with his Shannon Sharpe imitation on Rookie Talent Night (or so says the official Ravens' Website). Now, the team's worst fear is that Johnson will be called upon to do his best on-field imitation of All-Pro Ray Lewis.

Lewis said recently that he was "85 percent recovered" from a torn hamstring that sidelined him last season, and there seems to be little anxiety among the Baltimore coaching staff. Still, there's always that nagging doubt, and when you scan down the Ravens' list of linebackers, there's reason for concern.

Lewis remains atop the depth chart at middle linebacker, with the productive Bart Scott (62 tackles, four sacks in 2005) and Terrell Suggs flanking him. Adalius Thomas, perhaps best-known for once breaking Michael Vick's leg in a pre-season game, is also in the mix, but he's 6-2, 270 -- not exactly linebacker dimensions. For that matter, the 6-3, 260-pound Suggs is also just as likely to play defensive end.

The Baltimore Ravens only drafted one linebacker prospect in April, Syracuse's Ryan LaCasse of Syracuse in the seventh round. The current backups -- Dennis Haley, Mike Smith, Roderick Green and Zac Woodfin -- are relatively untested. Another linebacking prospect, 6-2, 258-pound Ricky Foley, played at York College in Toronto and is regarded as promising but raw.

Hence the recent cattle-call tryout that netted Johnson, who spent three years with the Oakland Raiders after Baltimore cut him in 2001. A 6-0, 245-pounder, he recorded 32 tackles in 2003 and started three games. In the 2004 finale against Jacksonville, he recorded nine tackles, defended two passes and had an interception. He also played in Super Bowl XXXVII for the Raiders and blocked a punt.

Before playing his college ball at East Mississippi Junior College and Youngstown, Johnson lettered in three sports in high school as a linebacker, point guard and catcher. On the pro level, he's regarded as a willing foot soldier that goes all out on special teams.

He just isn't Ray Lewis. But then, who is?

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