08-02-2007, 11:57 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Both of them
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,225
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I think he should be All-Pro by year three
'I think he should be All-Pro by year three' - Examiner.com
Quote:
Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce is known for hyping teammates, but there was a sense of sincerity Wednesday when he talked about Haloti Ngata.
“I think he should be All-Pro by year three, if not sooner,” Pryce said. “That’s my impression.”
If there’s anyone who should know about All-Pro status, it is the twice-honored Pryce.
“He’s gotten so much better and, like me, he’s gotten so much more comfortable with what’s going on around him,” Pryce, who signed as a free agent before last season, said. “Last year, he barely said three words to anybody. That wasn’t because [he was a] rookie. Nobody was going to mess with him. He’s bigger than everybody else. It was more about ‘I really don’t know what’s what and which way is up.’ Now, he does.”
A year ago, despite being 6-foot-4 and 340 pounds, Ngata was the Invisible Man on the first day of training camp, as the Ravens’ first-round pick in the 2006 draft missed the first day of practice to finalize his contract.
Once he joined the team, Ngata, a defensive tackle, suffered a knee injury during the preseason that sidelined him for two weeks.
But when he returned to action, Ngata made an immediate impact, making 51 tackles, three pass deflections, a fumble recovery and an interception.
After going through Wednesday’s third day of training camp, Ngata reflected on what he missed last year.
“It’s real great to be here and get the team together and [get] the camaraderie and to know each other better,” Ngata said. “It just feels good because you really can’t get in that football shape when you don’t train with shoulder pads. It’s good to get in here and loosen up the shoulders.”
Ngata has been willing to diversify his skills, as he has taken some snaps at middle linebacker.
“Is that why I’m here? That’s messed up,” Ngata joked. “I thought I was coming for D-lineman. It was fun. It was just trying out and testing it. I need to work on my stance and other things ”
But Ngata does not expect to challenge perennial Pro Bowler Ray Lewis for the starting spot.
“They were just making fun of me the whole time,” Ngata joked of linebackers Bart Scott, Terrell Suggs and Lewis. “I never really played linebacker.”
Still, it is clear the Ravens have big plans for the path-clearing Ngata.
“He understands so much better what the schemes are about, what his obligations are about,” coach Brian Billick said. “He got better and better as the season went on. He’s having a great camp so far.”
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I think he should be All-Pro by year three
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