Sometimes it is the little known player acquisitions that can make a difference for a team. For the Ravens they are hoping receiver James Hardy, former college standout and second round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2008 will be a factor in the offense. Towards the end of last season Hardy was signed to a reserve/future-deal by the Ravens after being released by Buffalo.
Hardy had an outstanding college career with the University of Indiana. In his junior year he he finished with 74 receptions for 1075 yards. He complied a record setting 36 TD’s, 2,690 yards, 196 receptions at his college. After being drafted he suffered ACL tear in his rookie season and was slowed down by other injuries in 2009. In two seasons with Buffalo Hardy caught 10 passes for 96 yards (2 TD’s).
Hardy’s Impact in the Offense:
Signing James Hardy was a low-risk move by the Ravens, they didn’t have to give up any draft picks and they probably didn’t have to dish out a ton of money. The odds are against Hardy because he is coming back from injuries. However, Hardy does have the potential to make an impact. In the Ravens year end press conference GM Ozzie Newsome was optimistic, “we think he’s a guy that has the opportunity to become a good player in this league…” Assuming Hardy’s injuries are behind him, he makes the roster and is incorporated into the offense, then we can ask: What does Hardy bring to the table for the Ravens offense?
Red-Zone
The first thing that comes to mind with Hardy is his side, he’s 6-5 and what a great weapon in the red-zone for the fade route (jump ball) against smaller corners. Hardy’s height is an advantage. The fade route which we rarely saw last year is a great weapon for the QB and receiver. You hear it all the time, “back shoulder fade.” Think about smaller corner trying to cover a larger target; receiver (Hardy) can catch the ball at the highest point, away from the coverage.
Over The Middle
Joe Flacco has the arm strength he can make the throws to the middle of the field. The post or “8 route” was a play seldom seen last season or had little success when attempted. The bigger the target the better for the quarterback; the larger receiver can physically out play the smaller corner.
Stretching the Field & Drawing Coverage
Much like Randy Moss, Hardy would draw attention with the post and deep pass or “go route” (9 route). Defenses don’t want to get beat deep and a receiver running straight downfield draws a lot of attention from the secondary which opens things up for the other receivers.
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