Sometimes, we hear words or statements so often that they lose their impact and appeal. They no longer pack the same punch. Every franchise has its greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.), and every era of every sport has its own G.O.A.T. However, if we're being honest, none of these individuals is truly the greatest. When discussing the Baltimore Ravens, though, mentioning Ray Lewis or Ed Reed changes the conversation entirely—those players are the true G.O.A.T.s.
It's been a long time since that era ended. Can you believe it? We've now watched a dozen seasons of Ravens football without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Hope springs eternal that this new flock will finally seal the deal and deliver a third Vince Lombardi Trophy. Hopefully, you'll forgive us, but here's where we mention another of those phrases you've probably grown sick of hearing.
A recent AFC North all-star team theory enjoys a heavy Ravens takeover
'They're the best team on paper. ' How many times have you heard that? That's probably another of those phrases that we can retire, right? Sure, we all get the nature of its meaning, but we also realize that football isn't played on paper.
Strangely, any mention of this loaded Ravens roster never gets old. Hmmm... Imagine that. Who would have thought?
Postseason accolades and preseason expectations won't win anything for an NFL franchise. 11 Ravens were voted onto the Pro Bowl roster. Unfortunately, however, Baltimore was bounced during the Divisional Round of the most recent NFL playoffs. They had just hosted the AFC Championship Game the previous year.
Playoff disappointment has lessened anyone's confidence in this roster. It's so good that ten of its members took over an AFC North all-star team.
Bleacher Report's Matt Holder tried his hand at creating an all-star team for every division. Nearly a dozen Ravens popped up on his AFC North squad.
Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum, and Roger Rosengarten represented on the offensive side of the ball. They are joined by Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Pat Freiermuth, Joel Bitonio, and Wyatt Teller.
On defense, Nnamdi Madubuike, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Kyle Hamilton made the cut. They are joined by Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Patrick Queen, Denzel Ward, Jalen Ramsey, and Grant Delpit.
Ten of those guys we've cheered for. 12 may have heard a few jeers over the years, but here's one thing we all can agree on.
Suit this team up, and there isn't another NFL team that stands a chance. We're thinking a 17-0 regular-season, a first-round bye, and three blowout wins during the postseason en route to a Vince Lombardi Trophy.
