opcorn2Tedy Bruschi: Ravens, Not Patriots, Have NFL?s Top Roster
Having the NFL?s third-best roster isn?t too shabby.
But the top spot is even better.
After Pro Football Focus and ESPN combined forces to rank all 32 team rosters and placed the Ravens at No. 3, ESPN analyst and former AFC rival Tedy Bruschi was asked for his reaction.
The retired New England Patriot says Baltimore isn?t No. 3 ? it?s the best. Oh, and in the process, he gave quarterback <nobr>Joe Flacco
</nobr> an awesome new nickname ??In terms of talent, the No. 1 roster, I?m gonna go to Baltimore,? Bruschi says in the video below. ?You have a quarterback, I call him ?Flip Switch? in Joe Flacco. I mean, he can flip the switch whenever he wants when he gets to the playoffs.?
?Flip Switch? Joe Flacco, I like it. I like it a lot (Jimmy Carrey voice). It gives some variety from two other great nicknames in ?January Joe? and ?Joe Cool.?
Flacco seems to be two different players in the regular season and in the postseason. He?s never been ranked among the top 10 passing leaders in terms of yards in the regular season, but he almost always gets his team to the playoffs and then he goes off. His historic 11 touchdowns to 0 interceptions during the Ravens? Super Bowl run is a prime example.
But Flacco isn?t Bruschi?s main reason for picking the Ravens as the league?s top talent. Despite making a living on defense, the former Pro Bowl linebacker believes the offensive line is the most important unit there is in the NFL, and the Ravens have one of the best in the business.
?I?m really combining a great offensive line with a good defensive front seven,? Bruschi said. ?I think that is a huge aspect in having rosters and building it.?
Then Bruschi literally ran out of breath rattling off all the other aspects of the roster that he could name off the top of his head.
?Steve Smith brings the toughness, you?ve got the solid offensive line, <nobr>Rick Wagner
</nobr>?s a young player, they?ve got <nobr>Brandon Williams
</nobr>, they?ve got <nobr>Timmy Jernigan
</nobr> on the defensive line, can really have a great year, that would really help the loss of Ngata, the linebackers are great,? he said.Breathe, Bruschi.
His conclusion: ?I like the Ravens roster.?
After the Ravens, Bruschi?s top 5 NFL rosters were the Packers, Seahawks, Cowboys and Broncos.
You?ll notice that the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots were not on the list. Not only are they the champs, but they drafted Bruschi way back in 1996, and he spent his entire 13-year career there. He?s loved in New England similarly to the way Baltimore loves Ray Lewis.
So why not put the Pats in his top 5?
?In recent memory, I haven?t seen a world champion with this much turnaround. What they did on defense with [cornerbacks Darrelle] Revis and [Brandon] Browner, and all the concepts and jams at the line of scrimmage and the flexibility that Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia had, it?s gone. They?re going to have a concept change. I think there may be some September panic very similar in the Patriots fans that there was last year.?
So Baltimore has the best roster and you expect panic in New England.
Ravens fans will like the sound of that.
