Tyrod Taylor's Serious Vertical Jump
Tyrod Taylor has a serious vertical jump.
If you're the height of an average American female, Taylor could easily jump over you with just a two-step lead.
The Ravens reserve quarterback posted a video of himself jumping on top of a 5-foot-6 stack of boxes.
"Still got bounce," he wrote with the video.
Uh, yes. Yes you do, Tyrod, which helps explain why you have been the unofficial MVP in 's last two charity basketball games and why you are somewhat of a high school basketball legend in* *Virginia.
New Offensive, Defensive Schemes
When you talk to Offensive Coordinator Jim Caldwell, he'll tell you he's only made tweaks to the offense after taking over as the play caller in December of last year.
In the brief time we got to see Caldwell calling the shots, we saw the offense really “open up,” says CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora.
Here are the changes La Canfora noted, and he expects a continuation of them this season.
1) More of Joe Flacco's voice in audibles and game planning
2) More passes thrown down the seams and utilizing the middle of the field
3) More of an emphasis on spread formations
4) More speed at the line of scrimmage
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens added former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who will work as a senior defensive assistant to Dean Pees.
What will happen when you combine 1) Spags, who can be "very exotic and aggressive with his blitz concepts," 2) Pees who has an "attacking mindset," 3) renewed depth on the defensive line and 4) capable corners?
"[It] will allow for plenty of shuffling and creativity," wrote La Canfora.
'Incredible Shrinking' Raven Drops 45 Pounds
Bryan Hall got a text message from Head Coach John Harbaugh in March saying he'd like to see him switch from defensive tackle to inside linebacker.
To make the position switch, he'd have to lose a lottttt of weight.
Hall was listed at 300 pounds last year, and you won't find any NFL linebackers lugging around that kind of mass while trying to defend speedy tight ends or tracking down shifty running backs.
That's when Hall became "the incredible shrinking Raven," as ProFootballTalk dubbed him.
Hall has lost nearly 50 pounds this offseason, dropping to a lean 255, per The Baltimore Sun. That makes him one of the heavier linebackers on the roster, and the shortest at 6-foot-0, but he's starting to feel more mobile and is focused on learning his assignments.
"It's going good, I’m finally feeling like a linebacker now," Hall said, via Aaron Wilson. "I got my weight all the way down. At minicamp, I was basically still a defensive lineman playing linebacker and learning the game. Now that I've got all my weight off, it's time to work."
Hall was an all-state linebacker in high school, but switched to the defensive line at Arkansas State. He was undersized for the line, but quick and good enough to become an All-Sun Belt Conference selection.
With the Ravens adding Chris Canty and Marcus Spears to the defensive line this offseason, Hall is enthusiastically making the switch. He's prepared to do what it takes to make the 53-man roster after signing his one-year exclusive rights free agent tender earlier this offseason.
At minicamp last month, Hall was "rusty and oversized," but he "didn't embarrass" himself, says Wilson.
"That was fun," Hall said. "That brought me back to my old days.
"Running is easy, but I've got to get back and know where I'm going to be and where to cover. Now that I've done that, I'm going to be flying around pretty fast."
'Jones Knows' Nike Photo Shoot
Move over Bo Jackson.
Playing off the "Bo Knows" T-shirts that got hot in the 90s, Nike now has the "Jones Knows" collection of T-shirts. The group of Jones that know(s) include Art (Ravens defensive tackle), Chandler (Patriots linebacker) and Jon "Bones" (UFC champion).
The three got together for a Nike photo shoot yesterday, and Art even posted a picture of himself with his new shoe. A Nike shoe for a defensive lineman – that's pretty legit, even if his family name helps his popularity.
Quick Hits
- @ElamVsElo: I'm excited about this Cosmo Magazine shoot, tryna see where this can lead me..! Lol...
- @BryanHall95: Had a blast at my bro @jtuck9 golf event! #winnerwinnerchickendinner
- If you are upset with Donovan McNabb's comments about Ray Rice fumbling "way too much," you might like this article entitled "Sorry, Donovan McNabb, but Canton is anything but a certainty" [CBSSports.com]
- @TorreySmithWR: Good morning y'all...last day as a single man
- The Ravens have continuity on offensive line, if not experience. [The Baltimore Sun]
Hyperbaric chamber the miracle machine always keeping me fresh! Best 20racks I ever spent pic.twitter.com/pMWIlmE8Sn — marcus spears (@mspear96) July 11, 2013
