Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey says replacing Tavon Young will be a collaborative effort
The Baltimore Ravens secondary took a significant blow on Sunday in their 33-16 road win over the Houston Texans when they lost their star slot cornerback Tavon Young for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.
It will be the second straight year that Baltimore’s defense will be without the services of arguably the best nickel corner in the league for the entirety or at least the majority of the season. Last year when he was lost for the season before it even started with a neck injury, former first-round pick Marlon Humphrey spent most of his time in the slot after the first quarter of the season.
He was voted to the AP All-Pro First Team for his performance dominating outside and in the slot and when Young left the in the first quarter of Sunday’s game, he took the majority of snaps in the slot for the rest of the game and made arguably the most important play of it when he forced a fumble in coverage of a slot receiver that was returned for a touchdown.
Humphrey acknowledged that replacing Young and what he brings to the table will be a difficult task when he addressed the media on Wednesday, but he also believes that nickel duties won’t just fall solely on his shoulders this year.
“Losing Tay was tough,” Humphrey said. “Tavon’s not really a guy you can replace. We call him the pitbull because he’s small, but he’s got a big bite. But, I think we’ve got the guys to be able to bounce back from it.
The benefit of having a player of Young’s caliber dominating the slot is that it allowed Humphrey to do the same on the outside where he is at his best. Thankfully, Humphrey possesses the versatility to play both nickel and outside corner at an All-Pro level. The Ravens will approach the rotation of slot duties on a play by play or package by package basis.
“We haven’t figured out the gameplan yet, but I’ll be in there; I think some other guys will be in there,” Humphrey said. “It’ll be rotating all around, so I’ll be outside, I’ll be inside. You just never know who’s going to be in there. It just depends on the formation, who they have in, and what package the coaches feel like is best once it all gets settled down and we finish up the gameplan.”
Ravens’ Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale is renowned for his creativity when it comes to coming up with complex schemes that utilize diverse formations where his versatile defenders can disguise coverages to confuse opposing quarterbacks and manufacture pressure with different blitzes, twist, and stunts.
Humphrey had never played in the slot before the Ravens asked him to learn it on the fly last season and the fact that he was able to not only perform at a high level but an elite level, speaks volumes his football IQ as well as his world-class athleticism. The experience that he got in 2019 will make the transition into a multifaceted role in 2020 much smoother if not seamless.
“When I look at that nickel position, I lean on Tay a little bit, a little bit of (Lardarius) Webb. Those are two Ravens guys that did it. Chris Harris (Los Angeles Chargers) is probably one of the best guys that can flip-flop inside and outside. You have to be really savvy. Usually, my body type is not a nickel corner guy. I was able to do it alright last year. We’ll try to get me in there some again.”
Since his fellow First-Team All-Pro selection Marcus Peters and veteran Jimmy Smith play outside corner almost exclusively, the only other corner currently on the Ravens active roster is third-year pro Anthony Averett who maybe one of the “other guys” that Humphrey is referencing.
The nickel corner plays an integral role in what the Ravens and Martindale like to do on defense and comes with a lot of responsibility. They have to be able to not only cover but also be able to assist in stopping the run and helping put more pressure on the quarterback by blitzing. Playing in the slot means being where most of the action is at all times so being capable and prepared to make a play is essential.
“The biggest thing you see from nickel corners is, you’re going to be around the ball a lot,” Humphrey said. “Anytime you can make a play you’ve got to do it.”
The Ravens might bring in some free agent help to add to the rotation or promote one of the two corners on their practice squad that already fit the nickel mold in undrafted rookie Khalil Dorsey or veteran Terrell Bonds. Either way, they might want to do something fast because they have a high-octane passing attack coming to town for a Week Three primetime showdown when they take on the defending Champion Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
