Examining Lardarius Webb Pre- and Post-ACL Injury

Following a monster 2011 season in which he was among the best cover cornerbacks in the NFL, Lardarius Webb was rewarded with a hefty six-year, $50 million contract.

Since putting ink to the contract, however, Webb has played a total of five-and-a-half games at his physical peak. He tore his ACL midway through the 2012 season, and unfortunately, he hasn't been the same since.

Prior to his injury, Webb's play was defined by superior agility - both lateral and straight-line - and aggressiveness bordering on recklessness. But with a history of injury (including his current back injury in training camp), will Webb ever return to form as one of the league's best cornerbacks?

In the 2011 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, Webb showcased the agility, aggressiveness, and explosiveness that made him the Ravens' best corner. In fact, it was one of the finest performances of his career to date.

Webb was (and still is) a remarkably active player who shows aggressive and technically sound tackling technique. Where many corners often shy away from contact, Webb never hesitates to hit someone.

For proof, just check out the GIF below. Here, Webb (5'10" and 182 pounds) takes down none other than Rob Gronkowski (6'6" and 265 pounds):

And note his quickness and effort in stopping this screen play to Wes Welker, even after an initial blocker takes him to the ground:

It was Webb's unique combination of quickness, agility, and physicality that helped him become a shutdown corner in 2011. All of these traits are on display below, where Webb intercepts a pass intended for Julian Edelman:

 

However, after tearing his ACL in Week 6 of the 2012 season, Webb had clearly lost a little something - even though he made a remarkable recovery to get back on the field by Week 1 of the 2013 season.

For most of last year, it was clear that Webb was still getting his legs under him. He was noticeably slower and less aggressive.

On top of that, Webb seemed to still be adjusting to Dean Pees' zone-based schemes. You see, the Ravens changed defensive coordinators after the 2011 season when Chuck Pagano left to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Unlike Pagano, Pees uses a lot more Cover-3 and Cover-4 (quarters) zones.

On this basic in route by Eric Decker, Webb - who was lined up about seven yards off the line of scrimmage - is slow to read the throw and even slower to physically react. This results in a short gain for Denver.

Webb's lack of quickness and his conservative style of play led to him being targeted quite a bit in 2013. Even though he didn't give up many big plays, he allowed a lot of catches (59) and yardage (888 yards, per Pro Football Focus).

Luckily for Ravens fans, Webb continued to improve as the season wore on, showcasing improved agility and explosiveness. The team was clearly more confident in Webb as the season progressed, leaving him in man coverage against top receivers more often.

In Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, for instance, Webb was often tasked with guarding Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown in single coverage. On the play below, notice how much quicker Webb looks in breaking to the ball. Though he fails to make the tackle, Webb looks much more confident and fluid.

This progress should give Ravens fans hope that Webb can regain his 2011 form. In fact, it's arguable that Webb had already done so by the end of the 2013 season... but continued injury concerns in training camp (his back in this case) have to dampen that enthusiasm somewhat.

Fortunately, the team seems to believe it's a minor injury. Webb will be held out of the first two preseason games, which are unnecessary for him anyway. And with a full offseason of training under his belt, Webb should look much more like his 2011 self than he did in early 2013 after his ACL injury.