Ravens veteran ILB LJ Fort believes he has found a home in Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens’ rookie inside linebacker Patrick Queen was their first-round pick in this year’s draft and has made an instant impact as the starting MIKE as expected. He leads the team in tackles with 17 in two games and has made plays in the backfield, in coverage, and has forced a fumble.
However, what wasn’t expected or anticipated was veteran inside linebacker L.J. Fort being the highest graded linebacker with a minimum of 50 snaps through the first two weeks of the season with an overall of 89.4 according to Pro Football Focus.
After bouncing around the league since coming into the league as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa in 2012, the journeyman defender is now on his eighth team. He’s never spent more than four years with one team with his longest previous stint being with the Ravens’ archrival Pittsburgh Steelers from 2015-2018, but Baltimore could end up being his last stop if he continues his high level of play.
Fort has been a factor on both defense and special teams for the Ravens since they signed him ahead of Week Five last season and he was inserted into the starting lineup the following week. Before the 2019 season even came to an end, Fort had impressed the coaching staff and front office so much that they signed him a two-year extension worth $5.5 million.
He appears to not only picked up where he left off last season but has gotten even better and more impactful in two of the three phases of the game. Through the first two weeks of the 2020 season, Fort has recorded seven solo tackles, forced a fumble on a fake punt in Week One, recovered two fumbles on defense in back to back weeks including one that he returned 22 yards for a score in Week Two for his second career touchdown.
There were times before he landed in Baltimore along his arduous journey where he wondered if he would ever find an organization, system, and culture that he could stick with long term. Thankfully, with the Ravens, he seems to have found that since he has proven to be a perfect fit and is playing the best ball of his career.
“It’s been a grind,” Fort said. “When you’ve been on P (practice) squad and you’re getting cut multiple times, there’s always doubt in your mind that you’ll be able to find a home. Just kept sticking to it, working hard. Fortunately, I found a home here in Baltimore. I’m loving it.”
Fort has been integral not only on the field on both special teams and defense, but he has been a tremendous resource and leader for the Ravens young inside linebacker group that features two rookies in Queen and third-round pick Malik Harrison who he is splitting time with at the WILL/weakside linebacker position with.
His work with the rookies especially has been key in lessening their learning curves coming off an unorthodox offseason where they didn’t step on the practice field until training camp and he should be credited as a reason for their impressive starts to the season.
Fort is right home with in Ravens Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale’s scheme with his aggressiveness and versatility. He could end up being a fixture in the fabric of this team on the field and in the locker room for years to come.
The fact that Baltimore is his getting tremendous production in two phases for such a bargain makes the deal they inked him to late last season look like yet another brilliant example of foresight by the General Manager Eric DeCosta and company.