Should Ravens draft T-West?

Courtesy: fansided.com

“I’ll go anywhere right now, but being a Raven, it would be amazing just to play for my home city.”  — Former Towson Tigers running back Terrance West to BaltimoreRavens.com

It’s hard to fathom what the Baltimore Ravens’ backfield will look like at the start of the 2014 NFL season given all that has happened with running back Ray Rice over the past week and some change.  The off-season is a time to address those needs and the Ravens can do that via free agency or the NFL Draft over the coming months.

It remains to be seen what Baltimore’s biggest needs are. If I had to take my stab at playing general manager for a day, I would go: offensive line, wide receiver, free safety, defensive line, running back.

But we all know that the Ravens draft more so on who the best available player is on their board as opposed to what they need as a franchise.

Bottom line: If the player helps win games, they’ll be a Raven.

Enter Terrance West… or as those around the DMV like to call him, “T-West”.

He’s your typical rags-to-riches story. A player I actually competed against — albeit in a passing league — during my high school playing days. A kid out of Baltimore City, where many say is a place some go to die literally and figuratively. West grew up there. He had no choice. Football was his escape at Northwestern H.S. where he amassed over 4,700 total yards from scrimmage, including over 2,000 his senior campaign. While his on-the-field skills warranted a scholarship, his prowess in the classroom prevented him from fulfilling that goal.

The 23-year-old began his collegiate career at Fork Union Military Academy, but didn’t finish as he was homesick. He was bouncing around jobs and doing whatever he could to make money and try to walk on. According to CBSSports.com, he tried walking on at Maryland and Clemson, but found a home at Towson.

And the rest is history.

West became one of the most decorated rushers in FCS history. His 29 touchdowns as a freshman in 2011 were the most in FCS history for a first-year player. He started that season as a backup as well. Towson became more relevant in the football conversation among FCS schools as did the name Terrance West.

While his numbers dipped off in 2012, 2013 was the response everyone was waiting for. 2,509 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns — both FCS records — as he led his Tigers to the National Championship Game where they were ultimately defeated by North Dakota State in Frisco, Tx.

Many speculated as to whether or not the rising senior was going to forego his final year of eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft or if he would stick it out for coach Rob Ambrose and the rest of the Towson Tigers football family and give it one last ride.

He made the first and likely the best choice for himself and his family.

Courtesy: NCAA.com

West had nothing left to prove at Towson and elevated the program to new heights. He was the best player at his position on his level of competition and there was nowhere he could go but down.

The Baltimore, Md. native declared for the NFL draft in January and has continued to work hard this off-season to pad his resume for scouts. A Walter Payton Award finalist and a Jerry Rice Award winner at the FCS level are enough buzz-worthy accolades  for some scouts to consider taking the running back, but even West knows the cards are stacked against him and he likely prefers that underdog role.

With the NFL Combine this weekend in Indianapolis, this was a stage where West could showcase his skills in skin-tight shorts and a shirt. Many didn’t expect him to show out over the rest of the pack because he isn’t what some would call a “combine guy”.

But some pro scouts want that… especially with a guy coming from a small school like Towson.

He has the knock on his game that isn’t entirely his fault: The level of competition isn’t that of the FBS schools. West takes such critiques in stride as he did when he talked to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.

“Some of the greatest guys who played the game in the NFL come from small schools, guys like Jerry Rice,” West told the Sun. “Competition doesn’t change. The rules of the game doesn’t change. Football is football, no matter what level you’re on.”

So Terrance did what the other Combine invitees did… he went out and competed to the best of his ability.

Measurements: 

Height: 5′ 9”

Weight: 225 lbs

Arm Length: 31”

Hands: 9 1/8”

40-yard dash: 4.54 sec

Bench Press: 16 reps

Vertical Jump: 33.5 in.

Broad Jump: 10.0 ft.

None of these numbers are outstanding, but none of them are awful either.

So, why should the Ravens look to draft a guy like West?

First and foremost, he is a bruising running back with a nose for the goal line. The Ravens were a team that lacked any sort of toughness last season and that mostly stemmed from the offensive line play up front. However, the backfield wasn’t offering up much of help either as both Rice and backup Bernard Pierce boasted putrid yards-per-carry totals after being two of the main cogs of the Super Bowl-winning machine in 2012.

Baltimore needs that change-of-pace back. While new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak tends to favor the zone-blocking scheme that the Ravens didn’t adapt to under run game coordinator Juan Castillo with much success, he also wants a back that won’t dance as much in the backfield.

That’s where a guy like West can come in and fit in perfect.

He’s a downhill runner who is more north-south than trying to beat you with what shiftiness he may possess. 4.54 isn’t a bad time for a stout 225-pounder, but his game is more predicated on going head-up with defenders.

A staple of the Ravens organization has always been about running the football well and is toughness. Think about the days of Jamal Lewis. When Willis McGahee came to Baltimore. When LeRon McClain was converted into a running back from a fullback. Even when Ricky Williams took his talents to Baltimore. Physicality has always been a characteristic of the Ravens’ backfield.

West will bring that, but he will also bring the charisma of a hometown hero.

Courtesy: The Towerlight

Already acknowledging on numerous occasions that the Ravens are his favorite team, West got to live out his dream Friday night as he met with the team personally for business. This smile was likely on display throughout the interview, but West knows that despite his Baltimore roots, he has to go out, perform and be the best player available when the right team comes on the board.

There are still doubts outside of the level of competition about West that are additional legitimate concerns about the future NFL running back.

1. His abilities as a pass-catcher are still in question.

While his numbers saw an increase in productivity across the board for his historic junior campaign, if West ever wants to be an all-around, every-down back at the next level, he’s going to have to sharpen up his pass-catching abilities. He doesn’t have much work to do as he progressed from 10 career catches prior to 2013 to grabbing 26 balls his final season at Towson. If he happens to be drafted by a team like the Ravens, where Rice was often split out like a wide receiver, he will have to learn how to run crisper routes even out of the backfield.

2. How much tread is left on the tires after three grueling seasons burdening the workload at Towson?

802 carries in three seasons of football. 838 total touches. 84 rushing touchdowns. 86 total touchdowns. 4,854 rushing yards. 5,239 total yards. All of these numbers came in three seasons of work. Awesome statistics, but a lot of wear and tear on a big-body bruiser like West could scare some scouts away… remember Larry Johnson and his 752 carries from 2005-06. He wasn’t heard from much after that.  Even though Johnson’s numbers came at the pro level, investing anything more than a mid-round pick on West might be a tad risky given the shelf life of running backs in general.

NFL: “Not for long”

3. Can he hold on to the football?

Anytime a power-runner comes into the league, this question seems to float around because they tend to invite more contact rather than avoid it. West fumbled five times in 2013  a midst the heavy workload and it has to raise a few concerns as to whether or not his technique wears down as the season prolonged. Out of 16 games he played in for Towson in 2013, West went over 100 yards in 12 of them, 200 in four, 300 in one — 354 against Eastern Illinois — but only went over the 100-yard mark twice in four post-season games. He did run for 99 yards in the National Championship Game. The numbers would suggest he didn’t wear down as much as it’s a technique issue of pulling the ball away from his body as he runs. Coaching can fix that, but sometimes it can’t emulate the feeling of being on the field with 250-pound linebackers looking to jar the ball loose.

If the third round comes around and Terrance West is on the board when the Baltimore Ravens are on the clock, it wouldn’t be a shocker is Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the front office pull the trigger on West. They know the situation with Rice still has to be resolved and luckily it should be resolved come Draft Day. However, the Ravens were likely in the market for a running back regardless after finish 30th in the league in rushing in 2013.

The hometown boy wouldn’t be a huge risk as a mid-round selection, but he could be a big reward come Day 2.
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