Poe the Raven
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- Mar 16, 2019
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We don’t know where Earl Thomas will play after being released by the Ravens, but we do know who the Ravens will be moving into the lineup at safety in his place.
DeShon Elliott is set to play alongside Chuck Clark in the secondary. The 2018 sixth-round pick missed his rookie season with a fractured forearm and was limited to six appearances before a knee injury last season, but that isn’t getting in the way of his belief in himself.
Pass defense coordinator Chris Hewitt said Elliott is “sometimes too confident,” but the safety believes that’s not the case. He said his confidence comes from “knowing that you prepared the right way” and he’s not doubting his ability to take over a starting job.
“Earl is a Hall of Famer, no doubt. So, of course, I respect Earl and his game,” Elliott said, via the team’s website. “But I’m not worried about Earl; I’m worried about me and what I can bring to this team for my teammates. I know I’m going to make my plays, [and] I know we’re going to strive to be great. So, whatever I have to do to do that, that’s what’s going to happen. Whether it’s eight picks, 10 picks or no picks, whatever I need to do to help my team be great and win every game we need to win to accomplish our end goal, that’s all I care about.”
The Ravens are long on experienced defenders around Elliott, which likely helps their confidence that the unit is going to be productive without Thomas in the mix.