OWINGS MILLS, Maryland – DJ Fluker has gotten weak to show he’s ready for the massive Baltimore Ravens mission.
Prior to his first training camp with the Ravens, Fluker used increased workouts and lower calorie meals to cut his body fat in half from 44% to 22%. He hopes all of this hard work will help become the answer to the biggest question Baltimore faces: who replaces eighth Pro Bowl goalie, Marshal Yanda?
Fluker is the favorite to win the Ravens’ biggest training camp battle, but he knows starting for an eighth season in the NFL has to be earned. Seven years before being the 11th overall pick in the draft, Fluker received all the motivation he needed when he signed a one-year $ 1.075 million proof contract that included just $ 25,000 guaranteed (one point compared to the signing of $ 6.6 million). bonus he received as a recruit).
Fluker’s off-season training lasted five to eight hours. In late July, he posted a one-minute workout montage video on Instagram (see below) – with background music, slow motion, and neon lights – that showed him sprinting and sideways moving a parking ramp. in a mall in 95 degrees heat.
His diet became eight balanced meals, which allowed him to reduce his shirt size from 4XL to 2XL. It also led him to write on social media what his personal mantra should be this year: “The proof is in the salad, not in the pudding.”
“I was just trying to go down, get leaner, get more explosive,” Fluker said. “Basically get into my best shape, and I think I did a great job with that.”
Make no mistake, Fluker is still a huge man at 6ft 5in, 348lb, which is his current weight at camp. He is one of 10 NFL players to have played over 500 shots last season at over 340 pounds.
Fluker is exactly the type of large body indoor blocker that is suitable for a running throat attack like the one used by Baltimore. But team officials had not seen him face to face until training camp started a few weeks ago, three months after signing him.
“When I met him it was like an eclipse above me,” said Steve Saunders, head coach of the Ravens.
Former Ravens safety Eric Weddle, who was Fluker’s San Diego teammate, described him as a “big teddy bear” who always smiles in the locker room and works hard. Weddle said Fluker can be slow as a pass protector but keeps defenders away from the ball by blocking the run.
“There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be successful and have a great year with the Ravens,” said Weddle. “The best thing he does is what the Ravens do best, and that’s running the ball.”
Body transformation has become a theme with the Ravens this year, from Yanda losing 60 pounds to wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown bulking up to 23 pounds.
Weight has always been a popular topic with Fluker, who graduated from Alabama in 3 and a half years with a degree in health studies. In the 2013 NFL combine, Fluker was the heaviest offensive lineman at 339 pounds despite losing 16 pounds since the Senior Bowl.
There have been articles about his off-season weight loss in 2015 when he was with the Chargers, and in 2018 when he was with the Seahawks. Ravens officials were in awe of the latest body overhaul.
“He [D.J. Fluker] sounded excellent. [He’s] is moving really well, “said Ravens coach John Harbaugh.” He’s a big guy, and everything is muscular, as you know; His attitude has been excellent. Her work ethic, we had heard she was good, and I would say it was better than good. It was an A, A-plus. So everything is fine with DJ ”
While Fluker casts a large shadow, the one left by Yanda is larger. When Yanda retired in March, he left the game as one of three guards in NFL history to win eight Pro Bowl caps and win a Super Bowl, joining Larry Allen and Alan Faneca.
In his last seven seasons, Yanda has allowed a total of six sacks. Fluker gave up six sacks last season alone.
“Yanda is a Hall of Fame member. You can’t replace this guy,” Fluker said. “These are great shoes to fill in, but I’m just going to be myself, come in and do what I do best – and that’s just play football. It’s me – hungry, ready to go and win a championship and a Super Bowl and that’s it.
When asked how the Ravens are going to replace him, Yanda spoke earlier about the offseason for “Raven Way,” which is preparing mid-range offensive linemen and hoping to touch some. Baltimore selected two offensive linemen in this year’s draft, taking on Tire Phillips in the third round and Ben Bredeson in the fourth.
Still, the Ravens jumped in to strike a deal with Fluker on April 28, a day after the Seattle Seahawks cut him off. Fluker is believed to become the first first-round pick to start custody of the Ravens since Ben Grubbs in 2011.
“The guy wants to do his best no matter what the situation is,” said first left guard Bradley Bozeman, who first met Fluker at a football camp in Alabama while in high school. “He has a lot of energy. He brings fire.”
Fluker is Yanda’s expected replacement due to his initial background and familiarity with Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris. But Pro Football Focus hasn’t ranked Fluker above 45th place among guards in the past four seasons.
The main competition currently for Fluker is Ben Powers, Parker Ehinger and the two rookies, Phillips and Bredeson. But Fluker thinks he’s already a battle based on how he feels after months of toil.
“You need to have soft feet to get on the pitch and play the offensive line,” said Fluker. “More reaction time, being able to deactivate blocks really quickly, writing my assignments, being able to reach, almost, a four-eyed eye – these are hard things to do. But I came and I have. really worked out being lighter, being leaner, being more explosive – that helps. “
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