Ravens Lorenzo Taliaferro has big debut in win over Browns

In the wake of the fiasco surrounding Ray Rice and the Baltimore Ravens, the team’s rookie running back and fourth round pick Lorenzo Taliferro had a big debut, helping the team beat the Cleveland Browns.  In the first two weeks of the season, Taliaferro never touched the football but between Rice’s situation and an injury suffered by Bernard Pierce, Taliferro got the start against the Browns and carried the ball 19 times for 91 yards and a touchdown including a 31 yard run.

Even before the situation that resulted in Rice being let go by the Ravens, there were concerns about a lingering hip issue and the Ravens opted to use the draft to bolster their backfield and bring in additional help.  The Browns traded up to take Terrance West out of Towson in round three, a local product from Baltimore that the Ravens were reportedly high on and wanted.  The Ravens waited until the fourth round and took another big back (6′ 229lbs at the scouting combine) from a small school in Taliaferro out of Coastal Carolina.

The former Chanticleer did not have a long track record in college and really did not play all that much until his senior year.  Then, he exploded onto the scene with a monster year both carrying the football and as a receiver, with impressive flexibility and hip movement allowing him to be a fluid receiving threat.  At the Senior Bowl, Taliaferro was outstanding in pass protection and was the best player there in that respect.

So far, both the Browns and Ravens look to be extremely happy with their similarly built and skilled small school runners and both look to have bright futures going forward and as a result are forever linked as it relates to the 2014 NFL Draft.  Here is the scouting report on why I was so high on Taliaferro coming out of college.  As unpleasant as the Ray Rice situation is for all involved, the Ravens were actually well equipped to absorb the loss they were banking against anyway.  In addition to Pierce and Taliaferro, the team also got a big contribution from Justin Forsett today, who carried the ball 11 times for 63 yards.