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The 2015 season is now a wrap, and the Ravens organization can now move on to planning for 2016. For the rest of us, fans and media, we look back and evaluate what went right and what went wrong in the season. For the Ravens, there were few standout performances, but for ESPN, one player stood out from the rest. While Brandon Williams was already graded in 2014 as a top defensive lineman, and considered a up and coming star, and Marshal Yanda is already considered the best interior lineman in the NFL, Kamar Aiken came out of obscurity to post a stellar season as a receiver.
So when ESPN went through the league choosing an MVP for each team, Aiken was their choice for the Ravens. Here is what they had to say:
Baltimore Ravens
In a Ravens season defined by injuries -- 20 players on injured reserve -- no one stepped up more than Aiken. He went from a journeyman receiver who didn't have a catch in his first three seasons to being Baltimore's go-to target in the second half of the season. Aiken ranks in the top 15 in the NFL in receptions (50), receiving yards (611) and first downs (34) since Steve Smith Sr. went on injured reserve. Plus, Aiken has performed at a high level despite catching passes from four different starting quarterbacks (Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, Jimmy Clausen and Ryan Mallett). -- Jamison Hensley
Coming out of nowhere as a practice squad player in 2013 and a depth receiver in 2014, Aiken stepped up, especially after veteran Steve Smith went down with a torn ACL. The Ravens, who have been criticized for the trading of veteran receiver Anquan Boldin following the 2012 season, may have found the long term replacement for him in Aiken, who surpassed Boldin's best season in Baltimore despite not becoming the #1 target until midseason.
Going forward, the biggest question for Aiken will be whether he can sustain the success he had in 2015, and it will be on OC Marc Trestman to figure out how to use him together with Steve Smith Sr. This was an issue to start the season, although the whole team including quarterback Joe Flacco was still settling into the offense early on. As the season progressed, the offense seemed to click, and despite Flacco's injury the unit stayed productive. The hope is a second season with Trestman at the helm is even more productive, and Aiken should be a prominent factor.