Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 556 Planning
In 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs set the entire league on fire with a series of dazzling moves, becoming the undisputed biggest winner of the draft.

In 2018, the Baltimore Ravens, who had been preparing for a long time, finally showed their strength, and John Harbaugh demonstrated his courage as a head coach.

Originally, quarterback was not on Harbaugh’s list of draft targets.

The reason is very simple. The Baltimore Ravens' hesitation and entanglement have all ended during the offseason.

Indeed, they are in urgent need of a quarterback. Joe Flacco's condition has been slowly declining every year, and the 33-year-old veteran will definitely not be the future of the team; but the Baltimore Ravens have always been a traditional defensive powerhouse, and they do not need to rely on the offensive group to win.

After careful consideration, Harbaugh decided to let Flacco continue to start, and signed a one-year contract with Griffin III, who had been ignored for a whole year, a week before the draft; Harbaugh was ready to see if the former No. 1 pick could still tap his potential.

In other words, the Baltimore Ravens already have two quarterbacks who are potential starters, so there is really no need for them to get involved in the quarterback battle in this year's draft and sit back and watch the fight.

In fact, when it was the Baltimore Ravens' turn to draft, they even sold their pick and completed a deal with the Tennessee Titans; then the Baltimore Ravens slowly selected a tight end at the 25th pick to complete their draft plan.

Calm, cool and experienced.

Once the goal was determined, the Baltimore Ravens refused to act rashly or impulsively, and demonstrated the profound foundation of a traditional strong team in the American League.

then.

An unexpected event occurred——

Lamar Jackson: (33:45)

This potential No. 1 pick quarterback, who received polarizing reviews, suffered a nightmare worse than Rogers and Watson. He sat stupidly in the green room for more than four hours and was about to fall out of the first round of the draft.

This situation happens every year.

Jackson is not the first and definitely not the last player who received widespread praise and favored status before the draft but was met with indifference in the draft. Among these players, some have proven themselves, but more have proved that the team has a keen eye. So, which category does Jackson belong to?
At this time, the Baltimore Ravens showed another side of the traditional strong team:
Get started when it's time to get started.

It's not about being impulsive or adventurous, but about making decisions promptly when you see an opportunity.

Watching Jackson's decline and being ignored, the Baltimore Ravens saw Jackson's value. It's true that they don't need a quarterback for the time being, but that doesn't mean they don't need a new cornerstone.

Whether it's Flacco or Griffin III, they can handle one or two seasons, but they will not be the future of the team after all. Even if not this year, the Baltimore Ravens must choose a rookie quarterback next year.

As a result, now the opportunity has arisen, an uncut gem is right in front of you, and you can easily pick it up at a reasonable or even low price?
There's no reason for the Baltimore Ravens to miss out.

then.

The first day of the 2018 draft ended with a bang, with the Baltimore Ravens picking up Jackson at the last minute.

Jackson was confused, and so were the other professionals and the team.

Sure enough, competitive sports are all about excitement.

For the second consecutive year, a team's bold move demonstrated the courage of the management team and ensured that the excitement of the draft continued until the last moment.

Meanwhile, Jackson made it into the first round at the last minute and became the fifth quarterback selected, proving that quarterbacks are still the hot commodity in the league.

On the other side, before the Baltimore Ravens scored at the buzzer, the draft's noteworthy moments had already created a series of classic scenes.

This year, the No. 1 pick Mayfield is a quarterback, the No. 3 pick Darnold is also a quarterback, and the No. 2 pick, who was regarded as a sandwich, is finally not a quarterback - the New York Giants surprised everyone.

Since the quarterback farce on Thanksgiving, almost everyone has agreed that the New York Giants are about to usher in a new quarterback era. This year is a big year for quarterbacks, and the second pick could also select a talented player, but the New York Giants uniform staff did not.

Saquon Barkley, running back from the University of Pennsylvania.

Running back, it’s actually a running back?

The league was in a state of shock. For a moment, they couldn't understand the New York Giants' draft strategy. Are they planning to take it easy for another season this year?
Brush brush.

All eyes were focused on Barkley.

Because of the New York Giants' unexpected choice, and because of the running back position -

Last year's third overall pick Levi had a rookie season that was hard to surpass. Not only Barkley, but any running back entering the league must look up to him and bear the expectations coming from all sides.

As this year's No. 2 pick, Barkley naturally bears the brunt.

However, the young man seemed very confident and locked onto the target early on.

"Levi, I'm here."

Before officially entering the league, Barkley had already issued a challenge.

Li Wei: ... Training, please do not disturb. If he had to respond to every outrageous remark made by anyone, he would not need to train or play games at all. He could just lie on the sofa and do a live broadcast every day to respond.

This year, a total of three running backs were selected in the first round, but the momentum and atmosphere were far from comparable to last year; what replaced it was the competition for linebackers.

In the first round, a total of five linebackers were selected, the same number as quarterbacks.

Among them are the Tennessee Titans, who traded up, and the Buffalo Bills, who have two first-round picks.

Compared with the Baltimore Ravens, who made a lot of noise and maximized their benefits at the lowest cost, the Buffalo Bills were particularly low-key. They did not make any big moves, but relied more on the picks they obtained through trades to develop their layout, quietly hiding behind the hustle and bustle, and low-key building a new team.

A quarterback Josh Allen and a linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are in no way inferior to last year's Kansas City Chiefs and this year's Baltimore Ravens, and they are doing great things quietly.

At this point, we can see the important role played by the team manager.

There are team managers like the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills who have clear ideas, courage and determination to build a competitive team based on the team's situation.

With managers like the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns who hold advantages but are difficult to understand, draft strategies are more like arbitrary artistic creations.

There are also managers of Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars who are calculating and courageous but often lack inspiration in details.

Kansas City Chiefs manager Veitch is a growing type. He knows his shortcomings, but also has his own strengths. He listens to opinions, makes comprehensive considerations, and considers the overall situation and the long-term. Once he makes a decision, he will never be soft-handed.

Following last year, the Kansas City Chiefs also reaped a lot of rewards at the draft this year. Although the first day had nothing to do with the team, the second day was the stage for Veach to show his skills.

(End of this chapter)