I suppose this is a good problem to have, inasmuch as losing a starter can be "a good thing." Return dude B.J. Sams was lost for the season on Monday night, and 2007 third-rounder Yamon Figurs, ahem, figures to inherit the job. Figurs raised his pre-draft profile by busting out a 4.29-forty during the February combine, and now he looks to take his six career returns-for-touchdowns at Kansas State and parlay that into a nice little NFL debut Sunday against the Jets.
Just one thing, though: the Ravens haven't announced who will take over for Sams. It's only a matter of time, but here's a thought: why not put Ed Reed back there? The guy might be the best special-teamer in the league, even though he's seldom used to return kicks or punts. One reason is that he's battled a thigh injury this week, and to put a not-fully-healthy Reed back there would be idiotic. There's also the whole thing about not putting starters on teams duty because the risk for injury is seemingly higher. Whatever.
Like I mentioned, this is a fabulous problem to have. Special teams is such an integral part of the game, and if Figurs can win the field-position battle, Steve McNair/Kyle Boller's job will be a helluva lot easier. And given how last week played out, the Ravens' offense will take whatever they can get.
