Ravens Biggest Off Season Need
by lastcallbmore on Feb 7, 2012 7:00 AM EST
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PrintLike any NFL team in the salary cap era the Baltimore Ravens head into the off season with questions looming on who to keep, how to keep them and what they can do to get better before next season.
Ozzie Newsome gave fans a glimpse of what the team is thinking in the "State Of The Ravens" Address last week. He said that Baltimore will have a new starting center next season and that the Ravens will be looking to get better at the receiver position. Which I guess is not really saying much because the team is always looking to get better at every position and Matt Birk has all but retired.
First and foremost Baltimore will look to retain Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Flacco still has one more year on his contract I believe but the under appreciated quarterback has made it no secret that he wants a deal done ASAP. Rice has become one of the leagues most elite and consistent players and will cost the team a lot. The Ravens must sign Rice, as he is almost half the team's offense.
Number three on the list is Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs. Grubbs would be a luxury for Baltimore but one they can not afford unfortunately. They ponied up good money for Marshall Yanda last year and not too many teams in the NFL can afford to pay two guards elite money. In Yanda's case I think he was willing to take a bit less money to stay here in Baltimore. I'm not sure the team would have the same luck with Grubbs. There is a possibility that they could franchise Grubbs but that would only prolong the problem.
So if we lose Grubbs and Matt Birk and we only have Bryant McKinnie signed for one more season that leaves us with a glaring need for some linemen in the very near future. Some say that Jah Reid may be a suitable option for the right guard spot next season. Maybe he could be. The problem is we just have no idea. No one has seen him play there. Andre Gurode could be a good option for center but even then you are talking about a stop-gap of only a year or two. The Ravens will need to find some linemen this off season and they will most likely look that way early in the draft.
Another area of need is wide receiver. They have two legitimate NFL receivers in Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Lee Evans will not be brought back on his current contract but may choose the Ravens at a reduced rate since his stock is not on the rise after this season. The question is will Baltimore want him back. I would love to see something out of Tandon Doss or LaQuan Williams but I think the team is one dynamic wide out short of the next level on offense and neither of those guys fit the bill. The Ravens need a legitimate threat and Torrey Smith may be that guy. He has the talent but he still needs some work. Boldin is still a very good NFL receiver but he is not as good as he used to be.
Many NFL drat guru's are saying that this will be the year that Baltimore drafts Ray Lewis' successor. With guys like Vontaze Burfict and Donta' Hightower in the draft many think the team will make a move to sure up the middle of their defense for when Ray is gone. Ozzie and company have not tipped their hand yet when expected to find a replacement for Lewis. Every off season for the past few years they always say the Ravens are going to look for his successor and every season they say they are fine with the guys they have. It wouldn't surprise me if they stayed away again this year.
The one area that we know this team needs improvement is on special teams and the NFL draft is a great place to find special teamers. Look for the Ravens to draft a kick returner in the third or fourth rounds. They normally wait till later to find these types of guys but I think they will try and get a game breaker this season. It is hard to use that early of a pick on a guy that doesn't play much offense or defense but they have a glaring need. If they do not find someone in the draft they will most likely make a play for someone in free agency. Kind of like they did for Chris Carr a few years back. Carr went on to be more of a contributor on defense than the team expected as well
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with how many FA’s we have I would say it’s too tough to pinpoint a specif area as the biggest need as of now. I would say all of those are needs right now and may alter a bit more once we see who’s coming back and who isn’t. Regardless of who we bring back though they all will still be needs IMO just some greater than others. We still need another playmaker on the outside who can stretch the field besides Torrey, O line could really use the help especially if Grubbs leaves. I think we can get another year or two out of Gurode and Mckinnie, but we clearly could used depth and upgrades over them and will have to find another G. With MLB Ray is near the end, Ellerbe is inconsistent and gets injured, Mcclain and Brendan are both FA. Then obviously we really could use a guy who specializes in both PR and KR. In the draft it really will probably come down to BPA out of those needs.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
O line…before grubbs leaves. Look at pitt and how they’ve fared by neglecting the O line and drafting skill & D… No bueno
by Evan Skev on Feb 7, 2012 7:24 AM EST via mobile reply actions
O-Line is priority #1
We’re a run first team, so we need our offensive line to be tough and physical. And we’ve seen that if Joe has time, he can pick apart any defense.
Honestly though, we need an upgrade at all four of those positions. Special teams cannot go unnoticed.
Remember last season we couldn't sign veteran FA's
until after the NFL Draft, but will be able to do so this time BEFORE the draft. That will totally determine where we go in drafting a player.
aka 'Rexx'
Correct
FA before the draft is a huge advantage for a guy like Ozzie. Wouldn’t mind filling some holes like at LB, S, WR in FA then loading up at a position like OL through the draft.
I honestly would not mind taking two OL with our first 2 picks.
"Picture Me Rollin"
peter konz then cordy glenn? got my eye on amini silatolu further on.
glad some ravens fans are down with some non sexy picks. it really doesn’t get sexier than last year—shutdown corner and burner we?
by dimik on Feb 7, 2012 10:22 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
No way Cordy Glenn will make it to our 2nd pick though. He may not even make it to our first since he can play both G and T.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
If we can get the Ray Rice deal done...
I say franchise Grubbs.
Franchise tag is about 9 mill they said this year for OL.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
yeah we def can’t afford the oline tag. if we franchise anyone its rice, which I hope we don’t bc it’s bad karma imo, n his cap fig w a longterm deal should be manageable
by dimik on Feb 7, 2012 10:25 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Yeah I think our chances are getting slimmer for keeping Grubbs. I think Basically Ozzie will come up with an offer and put it on the table and say take it or leave it. It sucks, but a G can definitely be replaced.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Yeah, it sucks. We'll just have to trust the FO to do what's best.
I’m just happy that they understand what our biggest issues are.
Yeah Ozzie said O line will be a priority and I have full trust he will make the right decisions. Can’t re-sign Grubbs if it causes holes in other places.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
OL or G?
Would the tag be for all O-linemen, which includes LT’s, or just guards?
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
I believe they lump OL all under the same group when it comes to the tag which is why it’s so high because of LT’s.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Well
That just sucks rocks…
In any case it was nice knowin’ ya Ben. Good luck, except when you play us…
I will change my prediction to that we tag Rice and do Flacco and Webb this offseason.
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
The O-line is key.
It all starts in the trenches, and we’ve all seen how badly this offense stalls when opposing teams get after Joe. Not to mention how quick Cam is to abandon the run game after limited success early in the game. I really hope Oz comes up with a way to retain Grubbs. Let Gurode fill in at C while we draft and groom Birk’s replacement. ST’s and WR could use some attention as well, but I feel that our O line should be the priority.
by StuckInUtah on Feb 7, 2012 9:36 AM EST via mobile reply actions
One thing Ozzie is great at is kind of patching up the O line. I feel confident he will make the necessary moves to make sure it gets taken care of while we search for the future starters.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
I believe our offensive line is fine. Mckinnie will come in in better shape. Gurode will most likely start. We need a good #2 receiver. We need a returner. We definitely need a MLB. This offseason those needs need to be addressed.
by Raven_all_day on Feb 7, 2012 9:52 AM EST via mobile reply actions
The good thing is we only have a few issues that can be readily fixed
I’d love to get a big receiver, but I don’t know if we can afford them in FA
One thing I mentioned as well on another post is in our history we have only drafted 2 interior linemen in the first 2 rounds combined, being Grubbs in the 1st and Chester in the 2nd. We have done a great job of filling the interior through later picks and FA, so while O line is arguably the biggest need I don’t think it’s a given we draft one early. Interior lineman are a lot easier to find than OT’s and don’t really provide the best value that early unless they are real top notch prospects.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
But I would not mind drafting an interior OL in the 1st or 2nd round. I want to have to most talented OL in the league, and getting a OT, OG, or OC in the 1st round and/or 2nd round would secure us for the future.
Man I don’t want to lose Grubbs…
"Picture Me Rollin"
I agree that the line is huge, but I think Ozzie is excellent at finding interior OL talent late and I just think he could find better value. Konz is the only C who should be considered in the first and he has never made it through a season without missing at least 2 games and as far as G goes Decastro will be long gone and the only other G I see that may be worth it is Cordy Glenn who I think also will be gone. I just don’t see the value of taking an interior OL in the first this year. If Ozzie does want one that early I think we are better served moving out of the first.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Which is exactly why I don’t know that we go an interior line early. Ozzie has the track record of finding these guys late and I think there’s better value to be had in the 1st.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
grubbs is still worth it imo
if you look at the past few years we’ve spent so many picks on ol, first for grubbs, first plus traded up for oher, yanda a steal n not as high but still, it just doesn’t seem sustainable to let first rd talent go and then replace them with first or second round picks.
I agree I want the best ol in the league and its simple: resign grubbs, get birk to give us one more year and…resign gaither
by dimik on Feb 7, 2012 12:56 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
I’ve really thought about this as well. Obviously a risky move, but man did he look good at the end of the year.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
Obviously getting OLine help is crucial to this team
But I would love to have a reliable KR/PR. The Ravens were usually better off taking a knee because 20 was about as good as it got, not to mention the constant threat of fumbles. But on the other side of the special teams coin as well. Somebody that can make some plays on the defensive side. For as bad as the Ravens’ returners were, the return defense was just as scary. Punts and kickoffs (when Cundiff didn’t manage the touchback) were nerve-racking.
DEFINITELY OFFENSIVE LINE BUT......
We need to stop picking up these washed up butterfinger hands receivers.
WE NEED RECIEVERS ! PERIOD !
Torrey smith needs to step it up this year(2012)
I still don’t know why to this day he didn’t throw to Boldin on the failed TD pass to Evans in the AFC Title game. He’s got the arm to squeeze it into tight coverage. Boldin’s our go to receiver, WTF .
Im expecting more production from pitta and dickson this year but we need another deep threat as an insurance policy. Then well be really scorching defenses.
ON I WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN A DEFENSE FIRST TEAM. IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE CAN TAKE THE SLACK OFF THE DEFENSE. IF WE CAN BE AN AERIAL AND GROUND ATTACKING OFFENSE PUTTING UP PTS IN THE 20S OR 30S WE SHOULD HAVE A BETTER DEFENSE THAN LAST YEAR. HELPING KEEP THEM OFF THE FIELD AS NECESSARY AS POSSIBLE AND CONSERVING LEWIS AND REED FROM BREAKING DOWN. YES I KNOW RAY NEVER DOES LOL BUT REED I CANT SAY THE SAME.
by ARaveninNewJersey on Feb 7, 2012 11:13 PM EST reply actions
Sadly
Unless Caldwell is the second coming of Tebow, this may be true…
"A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring."
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug."
"God's whiskers! Your face is as hideous as the demon's in my storybook!"
"I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today."
"It's big for a reason."
For Pittsburgh fans, that's Pope, Twain, Rostand, Rogers and Megamind
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