Meet Matt Elam, the Baltimore Ravens Safety Set to Break Out This Summer

July 23, 2014   ·   Jason Marcum   ·   Jump to comments

If the Baltimore Ravens are to make it back to the playoffs in 2014, they'll need their younger players to make big leaps this season.
There may not be a player this applies more to than second-year safety Matt Elam. In the midst of the worst season of John Harbaugh's head coaching career—an 8-8 record and no playoffs—Elam was one of the lone bright spots.
Drafted in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2013 NFL draft, Elam was tasked with the unenviable responsibility of replacing Ravens great and future NFL Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
That shouldn't have been the case, though. Reed played free safety, and he was one of the best when it came to patrolling the field and frequently making plays in coverage.
That's not what Elam is. He's a strong safety who often played closer to the line of scrimmage in college, almost like an extra linebacker.
During his career at Florida, Elam recorded 176 tackles, including 23.5 tackles for loss. From a pass-coverage ...

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