In 2000s, Ravens' Ray Lewis set the gold standard for defenses

Imagine the Baltimore Ravens without Ray Lewis.

Pretty tough, huh?

That possibility dangled last winter when the Ravens' signature player became an unrestricted free agent and briefly tested the waters before striking a deal for a new three-year, $25 million contract in early March that seemingly assures that he will finish his career where it started.

"It was good that Ray got a chance to flirt," Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome reflects. "But Ray is a Baltimore Raven. We were always confident that through it all, no one would value Ray like we do."

That statement extends far beyond dollars. No player defines the tough image of the Ravens like Lewis, the 14th-year pro who is USA TODAY's choice for the top inside linebacker of the 2000s. And, as he demonstrated with his team-high 13 tackles in a Jan. 10 AFC wild-card victory at New England, Lewis still has plenty left.

In addition to a sparkling resume that includes NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2000 and 2003, a Super Bowl MVP award, 11 Pro Bowl selections and more than 2,300 tackles, Lewis' intangibles provide just as compelling case for his greatness.

He is, simply put, the heartbeat of the Ravens, a passionate leader and energy source than transcends the defense.

Newsome has undoubtedly realized this from the beginning. He chuckles now when considering the chain of events and train of thought in an organization that had just moved from Cleveland in 1996 and selected Lewis from the University of Miami (Fla.) with the 26th pick in the first round. The Ravens had two first-round picks that year, using the fourth pick overall to land now-retired, 11-time Pro Bowl tackle Jonathan Ogden.

Interestingly, Patriots coach Bill Belichick gets an assist.

As coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1995, Belichick dealt a first-round pick (10th overall) to San Francisco in a draft-day trade, for a No. 1 pick the following year. The 49ers used the 1995 pick to draft wide receiver J.J. Stokes, who never became the next Jerry Rice.

Belichick was fired as the franchise moved to Baltimore, replaced by Ted Marchibroda. Newsome became VP of personnel after the move, and can still hear Marchibroda's directive as the new Ravens sought to build a linebacker corps and targeted their latter first-round pick as a spot to address the need.

Marchibroda's demand: "Find me someone with a football temperament.".

Lewis was the fourth linebacker selected that year. Jacksonville took Kevin Hardy with the No. 2 overall pick, Denver chose John Mobley at No. 15 and Detroit, in the 17th slot, took Reggie Brown, whose career was cut short by a neck injury.

It wasn't Lewis' temperament that left him on the board for so long. It was his size. Lewis came out of college at 6-1, 235 — very light for a middle linebacker. He has since bulked up to as much as 265 pounds, and is currently listed at 250.

In hindsight, Lewis has also bulked up the argument that he should have been the top pick in the entire draft, a distinction that belongs to Keyshawn Johnson. Besides Ogden and Johnson, other formidable first-rounders in 1996 were Eddie George (14th), Marvin Harrison (19th) and Jeff Hartings (23rd).

Newsome, of course, wouldn't change history one bit after getting a classic superstar.

"He's very, very instinctive," Newsome says. "You can't teach that. And he has unbelievable desire. He just makes everybody around him better. It's like they don't want to let him down."

A glance at the other inside linebackers voted in the top five of the 2000s by USA TODAY:

Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
• Why he's special: Freakish athleticism allowed Urlacher, 6-4, 258, to switch from college safety at New Mexico to the next great Bears middle linebacker when drafted ninth overall in 2000. It was hardly a gradual procession. Urlacher was the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl selection in 2000, jump-starting a career that has produced six Pro Bowls and more than 1,400 tackles. Just as impressive as his work near the line of scrimmage, he is one of the league's best linebackers in pass coverage, often manning deep middle seams in the Bears' Cover 2 schemes. Heading into 2009 (when he missed a career-high 15 games with a broken forearm), just two NFL linebackers had more than Urlacher's 17 interceptions in his first nine seasons.
• Stat's the fact: Urlacher posted 214 tackles (159 solo) in 2002, most ever by a Bears defender since tackles were first tracked in 1971. He recorded double-digit tackles in all 16 games and led the team in tackles in all but two contests that season, when he also led all NFC defenders in Pro Bowl balloting.
• Did you know? When Urlacher was selected to the Pro Bowl for his 2003 campaign, he became just the fifth player in Bears history named to the all-star squad in each of his first four seasons — matching a feat achieved by Rick Casares, Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers.

Zach Thomas, Miami Dolphins/Dallas Cowboys
• Why he's special: A tough-as-nails type, Thomas entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick from Texas Tech and emerged as one of the NFL's best middle linebackers. He was the epitome of an overachiever, and the heart-and-soul of Miami's defense for 12 years. And of course, he tackled, often leading the NFL in the unofficial category — and hailed as one of just three players to post at least 100 tackles in each of his first 10 NFL seasons. Plenty durable, Thomas (5-11, 242) started all 168 games he played for Miami, fifth-most in franchise history. He also holds the club record with four career touchdowns off interception returns.
• Stat's the fact: Thomas, who played a final season with Dallas in 2008, is credited with 1,733 tackles for his 13-year career — more than any linebacker currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Since tackles were first widely recorded in 1971, only Randy Gradishar, Jessie Tuggle and Junior Seau were given credit for more tackles.
• Did you know? Thomas earned seven Pro Bowl selections (six throughout the 2000 decade) during his Dolphins tenure. Only Dan Marino had more, nine, as a Dolphin.

James Farrior, New York Jets/Pittsburgh Steelers
• Why he's special: Smooth and versatile, Farrior is much more physical than he appears with his 6-2, 243-pound frame. After joining the Steelers as a free agent in 2002, he found a niche as a dependable run stuffer — evidenced by seven consecutive seasons as the team's leading tackler. But that's only the beginning. Farrior, a key on two Super Bowl title teams during the decade, covers well in space for an inside 'backer and is sneaky fluid with his pass-rush in Dick LeBeau's zone-blitz schemes. In other words, he's perfected his timing on the signature cross-blitzes up the middle.
• Stat's the fact: Farrior finished second to Ravens safety Ed Reed in voting for Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2004, when he helped anchor a No.1-ranked defense and earned his first Pro Bowl on a Pittsburgh team that went an NFL-best 15-1. That season, he tallied 119 total tackles, three sacks, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and three recoveries.
• Did you know? In just his third season with the Steelers in 2004, Farrior was voted by teammates as the club's MVP.

Al Wilson, Denver Broncos
• Why he's special: One of the NFL's fastest middle linebackers in his day, Wilson (6-0, 240) quickly made a mark as a leader and big-time producer for the Broncos defense. He recorded the first of five consecutive 100-plus tackle seasons in 2000, his second NFL campaign. He was also a quality pass coverer and had more impact as a blitzer (21½ career sacks) than most middle 'backers. His career was cut short after eight seasons due to neck and back injuries.
• Stat's the fact: A five-time Pro Bowl selection, Wilson tallied a career-high 199 tackles in 2002 — the first of three seasons in which he led the Broncos in tackles. His tackle total that season was the most by a Bronco since 1983 — the last of Randy Gradishar's six career 200-tackle seasons — and hasn't been matched since.
• Did you know? Wilson, drafted 31st in the first round by the Broncos, was captain on the 1998 University of Tennessee squad that won the national championship.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’ proCane Rookie Card.

(allstargrind.com)

(usatoday.com)