A pair of Ravens will have serious bragging rights going into next season.
The NFL's Pro Bowl squads were determined during Wednesday night's draft in Phoenix, and the Ravens' Pro Bowlers will face off against each other during the annual all-star game.
Inside linebacker C.J. Mosley and running back Justin Forsett will suit up against right guard Marshal Yanda and outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil. It will be a matchup of the newbies against the veterans, as Forsett and Mosley are both playing in the first Pro Bowl, while Yanda and Dumervil are both playing in their fourth.
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff will coach Mosley and Forsett's team, which was selected by Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter.
"It's an honor and a blessing to be here, and I'm ready to go," Mosley said.
Mosley (pick No. 19) became the first rookie in team history invited to the Pro Bowl, and he proved that the honor was well-deserved by becoming the first Raven picked in the draft.
Forsett and Dumervil followed Mosley in the draft, but Yanda didn't have to wait through the process because guards were placed on teams Tuesday night before the draft. Forsett (No. 37) and Dumervil (No. 34) both had to exercise patience before hearing their names called Wednesday night.
"I was getting kind of lonely back there in the green room," Forsett said. "I'm excited about it and excited about the opportunity. I'm ready to go."
"It reminded me of my draft experience," said Dumervil, who was a fourth-round pick. "That gives me a little extra motivation. Always a chip on my shoulder."
The NFL stepped up the pageantry around the event, which featured Carter and fellow Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin as the captains. This was the second year the NFL has used a draft format to determine the Pro Bowl squads instead of the traditional AFC-NFC format.
Part of the fun with that format is teammates will face off with each other, and the Ravens joked about the upcoming matchups on Sunday.
"I told him, 'hands off,'" Forsett said about meeting Dumervil at the line of scrimmage. "I don't want any tackles from you."
Yanda could likely end up blocking Mosley at some point during the game, and the rookie joked that he might need to have a handshake agreement with the veteran guard going into the game.
"We might need to have a little talk before the game," he joked. "But at the end of the day, I'm trying to win."
