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https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OnwuPa00.htm

 

 

 
 
  Games Def Interceptions Fumbles   Tackles    
Year Age Tm Pos No. G GS Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Sk Comb Solo Ast TFL QBHits Sfty AV
Career       57 32 1 33 0 33 6 5 0 1 0 0 9.5 234 161 73 17 19   21
2016 24 BAL lb 48 11 1           1 0 0 0 0 0.0 21 9 12 0 0   1
2017 25 BAL LB 48 16 13 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1.0 90 67 23 4 1   7
2018 26 BAL LB 48 16 12 1 33 0 33 3 2 0 0 0 0 5.5 59 37 22 8 12   8
2019 27 BAL lb 48 14 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3.0 64 48 16 5 6   5
 
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Once An Undrafted Safety, Patrick Onwuasor Now At Heart Of Ravens’ Defense

August 15, 2019 Bo Smolka

Patrick Onwuasor was a quiet, 210-pound, undrafted safety out of Portland State as he headed to a defensive backs meeting during Ravens rookie minicamp in May 2016. Still trying to learn his way around the Owings Mills, Md., facility, Onwuasor was intercepted by then-linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale.

“Hey,” Martindale told him, “you’re with the linebackers.”

“I’m like, ‘So, y’all didn’t tell me this before [I signed]?'” Onwuasor recalled with a smile. “And Wink was like, ‘Look, just run to the ball. I’m going to turn you into a linebacker.'”

The move proved to be shrewd for Onwuasor and the Ravens.

After failing to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie, Onwuasor parlayed a practice-squad spot into a quick roster promotion and 25 starts at weak-side linebacker during the past two years. Now with the free-agency departure of Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley, Onwuasor moves to middle linebacker, assuming leadership on a unit that has framed the Ravens’ identity for the past two decades.

Onwuasor, affectionately known as “Peanut” — a nickname given to him by a former youth-league basketball coach — admitted that being a vocal leader is somewhat outside his comfort zone, and he said safeties Earl Thomas and Tony Jefferson were among those who challenged him to become more vocal.

“The first thing Earl said was, ‘We’re going to work on your leadership,'” Onwuasor said, recounting a meeting this past spring. “And that’s something I kind of shy away from, too. I’m kind of soft-spoken.”

Onwuasor, who turns 27 this month, appeared increasingly comfortable in his new role during training camp, calling out checks and directing a defense that could include as many as five new starters.

“He’s going to be a great leader for us, and he knows how to make plays, big plays,” linebacker Matthew Judon said. “He’s been doing it since he’s been here. So I have all the confidence in Peanut.”

Detour Through Portland

Back in 2013, Onwuasor could not have envisioned himself in this position. He’s starting in the spot held for years by Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, making roughly $3 million this season after signing a restricted free agent tender, operating a charitable foundation and running a camp for those with special needs.

Back in July 2013, a 20-year-old Onwuasor was staring at four felony drug and gun charges after a search warrant was executed at his Tucson, Ariz., apartment. Onwuasor maintained his innocence and the charges were later dropped, but he was kicked off the University of Arizona football team.

Onwuasor resurfaced at Portland State, where he became one of the top safeties in the country. He registered nine interceptions for the playoff-bound Vikings in 2015 and was a finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year honors, but that wasn’t enough to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.

Onwuasor, a native of Inglewood, Calif., had a few offers to sign as an undrafted rookie, and he credits his agent, Cameron Foster, with steering him to Baltimore.

“The first thing [Foster] said was, ‘We’re going to Baltimore,'” Onwuasor recalled after a training camp practice, his braided hair spilling off the top his head like a small fountain. “I’m like, ‘Man, I got to go to the East Coast? Like what happened to Oakland, or the 49ers, or somewhere else close to home?’ And he was like, ‘No, this team fits your personality. It fits the stuff you like to do. You’re a tough, physical, blue-collar player. They get players up there that are dogs. They’re mean, they’re tough. That will be a better fit for you.'”

Familiar Route Through Special Teams

Onwuasor first reported to the Ravens’ facility as all undrafted rookies do: with the deck stacked against them, filling out the bottom lines on the depth chart.

Martindale quickly pulled Onwuasor aside, claiming him for the linebackers group based on “just how physical he played the game at the college level.”

Onwuasor said he had two early mentors who had also taken the undrafted route to success with the Ravens’ defense: Anthony Levine and Albert McClellan.

“They told me, the easiest way to make the Baltimore Ravens’ 53: special teams,” Onwuasor recalled. “You know everybody wants to play defense, but we got our defensive guys. If you want to make this team your rookie year, you got to play special teams. … We take special teams really seriously.”

“I fought every day to get on special teams,” Onwuasor added, “and [coaches] saw that.”

All that effort wasn’t quite enough at first, though; Onwuasor was among the final roster cuts at the end of training camp. He was quickly signed back to the practice squad and was promoted to the active roster five weeks later. He played in 11 games as a rookie and finished as the team leader in special teams tackles with 11.

The next year, Onwuasor beat out Kamalei Correa for a starting spot and finished with 88 tackles, joining a fraternity of sorts that includes Bart Scott, Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Zach Orr and McClellan — undrafted inside linebackers who became impact players in Baltimore.

“When Peanut came in here, he wanted to learn,” said Levine, a Ravens de facto special teams captain for several years. “He was willing to learn and we just took him under our wing and treated him like a little brother. Now, he’s just flourishing.”

That is evident off the field, too. This past summer, Onwuasor and his Peanut’s Impact Foundation hosted its first Special Olympics of Maryland football camp at Milford Mill High School, not far from the Ravens’ complex.

Back in Portland, Onwuasor, diagnosed with a learning disability as a child, had worked at a camp for those with special needs and befriended a man with Down syndrome named Deric Tomkins. The two became fast friends, and working with the special-needs community quickly became a central focus of Onwuasor’s foundation.

Formidable Challenge Succeeding Mosley

Last year, Onwuasor had 54 tackles and a career-best 5.5 sacks in 12 starts. He forced two fumbles, both of which were returned for touchdowns by cornerback Tavon Young.

Now he assumes the middle linebacker role held by Mosley for the past five years, and how effectively Onwuasor can succeed Mosley will to a large degree dictate the success of the Ravens’ defense.

Onwuasor is up to 227 pounds, still about 15 pounds lighter than Mosely — but Martindale, now the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, says Onwuasor is “a traditionally-built linebacker for this league, the way it is now.”

“He’s so physical,” Levine said, “but he’s a smart football player as well. He’s vicious when it comes to playing football, and that’s what you need, man, it’s a violent sport. … He’s got one of, if not the, hardest punches in the NFL. The Peanut Punch? I’m telling you, it’s crazy.”

Onwuasor knows all about the Ravens’ defensive tradition and is ready for his spot at the center of it.

“It’s a reputation that we have to stand by, being tough and mean,” Onwuasor said. “When you step on that grass, we want to put fear in the opponents’ eyes, and let them know that we’re not the ones to play with. And I think we have to keep that legacy going.”

https://pressboxonline.com/2019/08/15/once-an-undrafted-safety-patrick-onwuasor-now-at-heart-of-ravens-defense/

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9 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

Played next to Mosley in 2017 and 2018. Smaller ILB who covers well and is a good blitzer.

We now have 6 legit ILBs with Mosley, Williamson, Onwuasor, Hewitt, Burgess and Cashman.

Something's gotta give - quite possibly Williamson, in a cap move.

Good point.  We aren't carrying 6 ILBs.  I have to believe there is another trade coming on the heels of this one.  Definitely could be Williamson, which should net us a mid-round pick.  He only has 1 year left but at a very reasonable salary ($6MM) and an ILB-needy team should be all over it.

Onwuasor is listed at 6'0" 227 lbs.  Frankly, the same height and not much heavier than Adams.  Does he play a hybrid role or is he a pure ILB now since he was a Safety in college?  For the Adams-haters, could this signal a possible replacement for the hybrid-safety?

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6 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

Played next to Mosley in 2017 and 2018. Smaller ILB who covers well and is a good blitzer.

We now have 6 legit ILBs with Mosley, Williamson, Onwuasor, Hewitt, Burgess and Cashman.

Something's gotta give - quite possibly Williamson, in a cap move.

Would rather see if we could get somehting back for him in a trade.  Unfortunately, coming off an ACL and without opportunity for another team's MD to check him out, that may be wishful thinking.

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8 minutes ago, mrcoops said:

 

Something's gotta give - quite possibly Williamson, in a cap move.

Not saying it isn't possible Williamson is gone, but at this point what are we hoarding cap space for the upcoming season for?  I would imagine they could still fit Clowney or Trent Williams (neither of who are coming here anyway in my opinion) if needed without cutting him.

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2 minutes ago, nycdan said:

Good point.  We aren't carrying 6 ILBs.  I have to believe there is another trade coming on the heels of this one.  Definitely could be Williamson, which should net us a mid-round pick.  He only has 1 year left but at a very reasonable salary ($6MM) and an ILB-needy team should be all over it.

Onwuasor is listed at 6'0" 227 lbs.  Frankly, the same height and not much heavier than Adams.  Does he play a hybrid role or is he a pure ILB?

 

He played weakside ILB, while Mosley was the Mike.

A smaller guy, but tough and hard-nosed. Nice signing.

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1 minute ago, mrcoops said:

He played weakside ILB, while Mosley was the Mike.

A smaller guy, but tough and hard-nosed. Nice signing.

I edited my post after you quoted it.  He played Safety in college.  We are razor-thin at Safety as it is.  I wonder if he could play SS or a hybrid version, kind of like the controversial guy we have there now that some people are desperate to see traded...

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8 minutes ago, nycdan said:

Good point.  We aren't carrying 6 ILBs.  I have to believe there is another trade coming on the heels of this one.  Definitely could be Williamson, which should net us a mid-round pick.  He only has 1 year left but at a very reasonable salary ($6MM) and an ILB-needy team should be all over it.

Onwuasor is listed at 6'0" 227 lbs.  Frankly, the same height and not much heavier than Adams.  Does he play a hybrid role or is he a pure ILB now since he was a Safety in college?  For the Adams-haters, could this signal a possible replacement for the hybrid-safety?

I'd think it would be tough to trade Williamson considering he's a little over half a year removed from a torn ACL and the team acquiring him likely wouldn't be able to bring him in for a physical before the draft (unless the draft gets pushed back)

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4 minutes ago, maury77 said:

A LB this small points to more 4-3 looks next year. 

Been wondering about this for a while and wonder if it means we might be seeing a big change in the type of defender we add to the roster. We’ve become accustomes to big 300lb run-stopping DT’s and looking for bigger twitcher edge rushers. Perhaps a guy like AJ Epenesa or Yetur Gross-Matos are in play for us now as 4-3 ends rather than 3-4 OLB’s....I can only imagine the meltdown if we take yet another DL but it’s possible we are looking for different types of players for GW to run his defense more effectively 

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