The Ravens are going to have a new look on both sides of the ball this season.
Trading Joe Flacco completely turns the offense over to Lamar Jackson and the team has talked a lot about changing the system to fit his style of play. On defense, the team has said farewell to Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith and Eric Weddle.
All of those changes will create different on-field roles for the players still on hand and linebacker Patrick Onwuasor said those players know that they will be filling a void in the locker room as well.
“It is going to hurt us a little bit,” Onwuasor said, via the Baltimore Sun. “Those guys were the leaders from the first day, but [Suggs] said it is time for the new breed, that it’s time for us to start our own legacy and carry on the tradition of playing great defense here. ... I think we have a lot of young guys who can step up and become leaders. When I first got here, I was always watching guys like Siz, C.J. and [Eric Weddle]. I wanted to learn from them. Even when they would eat, I would watch them and I think they appreciated us because we didn’t talk so much. But they are gone. And it’s our turn.”
Change is easy to find in the AFC North outside of Baltimore as Odell Beckham enters, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell depart and the Bengals break in a new coaching staff. The team that adapts to their new shape the quickest will get a leg up in the race for a playoff spot.