OWINGS MILLS — Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr showed a lot of faith in second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Orr let Simspon wear the green dot communication helmet, which has an internal speaker to relay defensive signals to his teammates. It was a big responsibility for a young player, but Orr said the Simspon embraced the opportunity.
“First and foremost, Trenton did a great job with the green dot,” Orr said. “I mean, it was his first time with it. He hasn’t really actually done it in practice, so I was very pleased with how well he was able to get the call [and] communicate it to the defense. And then, as far as that goes, my personality is going to show – like, I’m me. So, they got a couple of long drives and were able to get going, and I was like, ‘Come on, let’s pick it up, let’s keep it going. Let’s get these guys off the field.’
“So, it was good that he felt that energy, and he relayed it to everybody else. But the balance is, obviously, first and foremost, I’ve got to get him the call, but I’m going to let my personality show, as well.”
It was Simpson’s first start since taking over for Patrick Queen, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. Simspon responded by leading the team with 11 tackles. Orr is confident that performance will carry into the regular season.
“When you’re a rookie, the NFL game is so much different than the college game, so it took a good year to understand it, and he has a real good understanding of it,” Orr said. “And the great thing I’m excited about [for] him is he’s got a long way to go as far as what he’s going to be. He’s already really good, and he’s going to be even better the older he gets [and] the more experience he gets.”
While Simpson had a limited role as a rookie, he showed the potential of his playmaking ability in the regular-season finale against the Steelers, finishing with five tackles, including his first career sack that forced a third-and-20. He also had two tackles for a loss and played a season-high 26 defensive snaps.
Simpson learned from watching fellow inside linebacker Roquan Smith last season. He also values the experience of getting snaps in the preseason. The Ravens play the Falcons in the second preseason game Saturday at noon at M&T Bank Stadium.
“It was awesome, because the more I see, the more the game slows down [and] the more comfortable [I get],” Simpson said. “[It] was my first day with the green dot, so having everybody on the same page was awesome. Now, I see what Roquan [Smith] deals with getting that call, but I had a great time. That green dot showed me that I’m ready for that, and I had a great time just continuing to build and get better every game.”