"Ravens clearly have lost faith in Justin Tucker" - Skip Bayless delivers his verdict on Baltimore drafting Tyler Loop
Tyler Loop was a surprise pick for the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round, as the Arizona Wildcats kicker came off the board 186th overall on Saturday - the first time the franchise has drafted a player at that position. And for Skip Bayless, it can mean only one thing.
Taking to his social media account, the veteran sportscaster posited that the decision could mean bad news for incumbent Justin Tucker, who is coming off his worst season and facing sexual assault allegations from masseuses around the Baltimore area:
"Wow: the Ravens clearly have lost faith in Justin Tucker, on and off the field. They just took Tyler Loop, who to me was worth a much higher pick because kicking wins and loses way too many games."
Meanwhile, head coach John Harbaugh told The Athletic's Joh Harbaugh that he had mentioned the possibility that the organization would draft a kicker to the one-time Super Bowl champion and multiple-time Pro Bowler:
“He was in this week kicking and working out, so we had conversations, and he already understood. He knew the situation, and you guys knew, he had seen all those kinds of quotes too. So, he knew that was a possibility.”
And finally, general manager Eric DeCosta said of the decision:
“I just thought he was a really talented player. It made sense for us to do that for a lot of different reasons. We told you guys multiple times this spring that we would look at kickers... We felt like he was draftable.”
New Ravens kicker Tyler Loop steers away from Justin Tucker comparisons
When two kickers join the same team, it is inevitable that one of them will be released after training camp. For the Ravens, the dilemma is clear: do they want to keep Justin Tucker and his resume, but also his recent baggage, or do they ditch him for Tyler Loop and his clean slate of potential?
The rookie, however, refused to dwell on the topic, despite saying that the veteran was someone whom he "watched closely" growing up:
“I’m just excited to get there and be around those guys and find a way to make kicks. Being successful up there is what matters most. I’m going to celebrate today and tomorrow get right back to work.”
Both he and Tucker are expected to be present and compete for the spot during the Ravens' practice camp.