Ravens are putting the Earl Thomas situation and drama in the rear view

The Baltimore Ravens were in the headlines for the wrong reasons this over the weekend and it all began on Friday with what was initially believed to be an overblown training camp scuffle resulted in the team terminating the contract of a Hall of Fame caliber player for conduct adversely detrimental to the team on Sunday.

However, those within the organization from the coaching staff to the players on roster tasked with replacing the production and offsetting the loss of seven-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas following his release are already focused on moving forward.

Head Coach John Harbaugh refused to address the Earl Thomas situation any further and referred to the team’s statement that they issued when his contract was terminated. Starting safety Chuck Clark, who was involved with the dust-up during practice late last week, didn’t have much more to offer either when asked about his former teammate, saying instead that he and the team are putting the whole thing behind them.

“We’re just moving forward and putting that situation in the rearview,” Clark told reporters, via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.

Thomas’ dismissal has opened the door for third-year safety DeShon Elliott to finally get a chance to prove himself as a starter after being buried behind veterans on the depth chart and spending the vast majority of his first two seasons on injured reserve. He has flashed difference-making potential when he has been healthy and now that he is the next man up, he acknowledged the pedigree of his predecessor but echoed similar sentiments to his new running mate in the backend of Baltimore’s secondary.

“Earl’s a Hall of Famer, no doubt. I respect his game, but I’m not worried about Earl,” said Elliott bluntly when asked about Thomas. “I’m worried about me and what I bring to this team. I know I will make my plays.”

Clark has been a role model, reliable resource, and living testament for Elliott to lean on and learn from because they have both followed identical pathways to becoming full-time starters that the team will rely on this season. Both were drafted in the sixth round in back to back years with Clark coming in 2017 out of Virginia Tech and Elliott a year later in 2018 out of Texas.

“Chuck was there to help me and guide me all along,” Elliott said. “I learned how to grow from him. Watching his success and watching how hard he worked … I just want to be a part of that. Chuck’s my dog. I rock with Chuck. Win or lose, I’ll always rock with Chuck.”

Both of them were sitting behind two established veterans who the team had invested significant amounts of cap space into during the 2018 season and to start 2019 before Clark was inserted into the starting lineup permanently. The two former low round picks went from long shots to make the roster to key role players and now find themselves in the starting lineup.

“For me and him to both be able to finally be on the big stage together, we’re going to make some noise out there,” Elliott said. “I trust him; he trusts me. We love each other, so I know we’re going to play for each other, and we’re [not going to] let each other down.”

Clark and Elliott already have a strong rapport and a good feel for how each other plays dating back to their days of running with the second-team defense and dominating in the preseason in Elliott’s first two seasons. Now that they have a chance to run together with the first-team defense, they expect to put that comradery to good use.

“Me and DeShon, we communicate really well,” Clark said. “He has a high motor, a lot of energy. When we’re other there paired together, we gel. It’s been like that. We’ve been out there running together with the two’s before he even stepped into our roles as starters. We know how each other plays.”

After failing to go deep into the postseason last year despite being the hottest team in the league and riding a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs, it’s Superbowl or bust for the Ravens heading into 2020. Clark is one of the most intelligent and respected leaders on defense and he recognizes the significance of team cohesion on and off the field for a team with their eyes set on the ultimate prize and who are well equipped to achieve it.

“I think that’s what we stand on here – in our team and our organization – is that we’re a family,” Clark said. “We’re down for each other. If you’re down for the ultimate goal that we are about around here – and that’s winning and trying to get a championship.”