There’s plenty to be excited about for Baltimore Ravens fans, including the league’s best kicker and a potential franchise quarterback in Lamar Jackson.
Justin Tucker isn’t shy about taking up for Baltimore Ravens fans. Some of the heartiest supporters in the NFL, the people f Charm City once lost their beloved Colts, only to see pro football return 13 years later with the relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.
Since, the Ravens have won a pair of Super Bowls, including 2012 when Tucker was a rookie. Going into this season, the fanbase has plenty to be excited about including a first-round pick in Lamar Jackson and a stingy defense. For Tucker, he feels the responsibility to win for his fans, a group that he wants to impress in 2018.
“Our fans love their sports, they love their birds,” Tucker said. “They know football. you don’t have the causal fan who flips though the game. We have fans that know and appreciate football. They have gotten to see great defensive football and see some playmakers on offense come through Baltimore. The other thing I’ll point to that makes our fans amazing is our fans are hard workers that deserve the enjoyment of watching their football team win games.”
As for Jackson, Tucker sees potential that should have the Ravens in good position for years to come. The Heisman Trophy winner was taken with the final picking the first round this April by former general manager Ozzie Newsome, a parting gift from a Hall of Famer.
“I think the one thing that sticks out is his athleticism and his ability to make a guy miss, his elusiveness,” Tucker stated. “It’s quite remarkable.”
As for the rest of the team, Baltimore looks strong. The defense is loaded with the likes of Tony Jefferson, Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle and others, while the offense is relying on new additions in Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. If it comes together, Baltimore could challenge in the weak AFC.
“On paper, it looks like we have all the right people in all the right places,” Tucker said. “Time will tell, we’re still early in our preseason. You look at our games last night and in Canton, there are guys fighting all over the place to not only make the roster but to be contributors. I think being around my teammates and our coaching staff, everybody is motivated and positive, and has the right attitude.”
Of course, the season doesn’t start for most fans until their fantasy draft is over. While Tucker’s main focus is keeping the patrons of Baltimore satisfied, he’s also looking out for all. Working with Duracell this year, Tucker spoke to the importance of keeping your mouse stocked with the right batteries, lest you run out of juice at the worst possible moment.
“In the spot you’ll see what happens if you don’t have the No. 1 trusted battery brand in your wireless mouse while making your fantasy draft picks,” Tucker warned. “The idea is that if your battery runs out in your wireless mouse without Duracell, you could autodraft or even autodraft a kicker in the seventh round, or possibly even earlier. Fans put hours and hours into researching their fantasy drafts just to be thwarted by a lack of battery power, and that’s something that’s a very serious issue.”