Ravens Offensive Needs

The Baltimore Ravens offense as a whole will not be too different in 2013 than it was in 2012 on paper but the absence of Anquan Boldin and possibly Bryant McKinnie could change the game plan the team followed with such success in the post season.

Most of the pieces are still in place at the "skill" positions for Baltimore looking forward with Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce creating quite a nice one, two punch in the backfield. Both tight ends will be returning this season in Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. The biggest questions for the Ravens loom at wide receiver and in the offensive line. Torrey Smith will take over as the teams dominant number one receiver without a doubt but who will be number two? Jacoby Jones was not overly successful as a number two receiver in Houston and he is not what you would call a possession receiver either, which is what the Ravens lost in Boldin. So, who will step up into that role? If you look at the current roster it would most likely be Tandon Doss as the Ravens drafted him as a possession receiver and were obviously trying to get him involved late last season. However the team will most likely look to the draft to add another receiver to compete for this spot as well. David Reed among others could possibly push for playing time but at the moment it looks as if it is Doss' spot to lose.

The biggest question for Baltimore is at left tackle. They have yet to re-sign Bryant McKinnie or anyone else in free agency to replace him. The Michael Oher experiment just hasn't taken off like the team would like over the past few seasons and the Ravens don't look to have the money to bring in any immediate help at the position. This is not a problem that stays only at the position of left tackle however. If the team does nothing to fix the issue in the draft then they will most likely be looking at Oher on the blind side again to start next season. I have nothing against Oher as a player and actually rather like him as a right tackle but when the Ravens inserted McKinnie at left tackle last season it was painfully obvious what they had been lacking at the position all season. They were a totally different offense with McKinnie at Left, Oher at right and Kelechi Osemele at left guard. This should be obvious to the Ravens front office as well. after signing their quarterback to such a rich long term contract you would think they would want the best guys out there protecting him all season. hopefully the team has some sort of plan for the draft or McKinnie has at least one more season left for the team because Joe Flacco's season may depend on it.

Other than those areas the Ravens will be returning to much of the same. The team will hope that their players continue to develop and maybe we will have some pleasant draft day additions as well.