The Ravens have advanced at least to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, once making it to the AFC Championship game. Clearly they are doing something right. They are full of all-stars on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense has failed to push them over the edge and get them to the Super Bowl.
While they do have a number of pieces in place on offense, there are a few spots that could use an upgrade and some players who are getting up there in age or leaving in free agency. Joe Flacco has been a very good quarterback but with the right tools around him, he is capable of being one of the best in the league.
That is the task at hand for the Baltimore front office.
Offensive Tackle
In 2009, Jared Gaither graded out as one of the best offensive tackles in the game, earning a positive pass blocking grade in every game he played in. That, however, was probably the last the Ravens will see of him. He was injured during the entirety of the 2010 season and is now a free agent who is expected to leave the team.
For 2010, Marshal Yanda moved over from right guard to right tackle to replace Michael Oher (who had jumped to left side to fill Gaither’ spot.) Although he wasn’t bad there, Yanda is by far a better run blocker than pass blocker and better suited for right guard duties. On the left side, Michael Oher saw a significant decline after his move as well.
This leaves a big opening at tackle that the Ravens need to fill. Joe Flacco plays significantly worse while he is under pressure, getting sacked 24% of the time, and having a PFF rating of -2.5 compared to a rating of +41.5 when not under pressure. A solidified offensive line would allow Flacco some security in the pocket and would lead directly to an improved offense.
The Ravens could mix and match their line like they did in 2010 to make up for Gaither’s injury, but they don’t want to be in that situation again. Adding an offensive tackle would help the Ravens regain stability for another championship run.
Running Back
The Ravens top three half backs in the past three seasons have been Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Jalen Parmele. They haven’t given Parmele a chance to show himself with just 28 snaps in that time – the majority of the playing time has been handled by the duo of Rice and McGahee.
Next year Willis McGahee is scheduled to make a lot of money so rumor has it he is on his way out of Baltimore. This leaves Ray Rice as the only proven half back on the roster that we can assume will be back. Even if McGahee stays, the Ravens are very much in need of a running back as a compliment to Rice who had an unsteady 2010. In eight games this season we saw his heroics carry over from 2009. In those games, he averaged 4.5 or more yards per carry. In the other ten games,,that average fell below 3.9, and fourtimes below 3.0.
For a few games McGahee was effective in his role as part of the two way attack, but he wasn’t nearly as good as he was in 2009 when the Ravens had one of the best run games in the league. With some fresh legs to combine with Rice, the Ravens could easily return to that standing.
Wide Receiver
Throughout the Ravens’ short history, they’ve had a number of forgettable receivers. The first big name receiver they added to the roster was Derrick Mason in 2005, and although he still played at a high level in 2010, at the age of 37 it is very likely he won’t be able to keep that up for much longer. The second was Anquan Boldin who should be the Ravens’ number one receiver for years to come.
Beyond those two, there are a lot of question marks around who will be the third and fourth receivers and who will eventually replace Mason once he retires. Last year, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Donte’ Stallworth filled the depth roles, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and are also free agents.
The Ravens have David Reed and Marcus Smith further down the chart, but based on their combined 23 snaps in 2010 it doesn’t look like the team had much faith in them. Even if one of the aging receivers returns, the Ravens need to be thinking about both their depth and their future at this position.
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