A lack of moves is sometimes a good thing and the Baltimore Ravens fit the mold. Their offense struggled last season, but Baltimore is only one rookie away from topping the Steelers in 2018.
No matter how poor or successful a team’s season was, there are always major offseason questions on the front burner. The NFL turns over too much for even the best teams to advance a calendar year unscathed. Let’s continue the team-by-team overview with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens did not make many moves this offseason, with the exception of turnover at wide receiver. Yet this appears to be both a good thing and their only option. Baltimore retained its talent, making the Ravens one rookie away from topping the Steelers in the AFC North.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the Baltimore Ravens in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
The largest amount of movement for Baltimore took place at wide receiver this offseason. The team moved on from both Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace, replacing them with John Brown and Michael Crabtree. I guess that’s an upgrade, though a very slight one if it is. Otherwise, the Ravens were pretty capped out, always thanks to the contract of Joe Flacco. The dude won the team a Super Bowl, but management sure pays for it each and every season. He’ll have a $24.75 million cap hit in 2018, and it only goes up from there.
With Breshad Perriman failing to develop, the team probably still needs one more receiving threat. It needs a tight end and maybe a little line depth with some pieces leaving in free agency. There is a rotation at running back, but the jury is still out on the ceiling of that group. We need to see it with a healthy Marshal Yanda up front.
On defense, the Ravens need help in the front seven. The defensive unit as a whole was pretty great in 2017, but the line was only around league average in sack rate. At least Baltimore has the very best special teams in the NFL and the greatest kicker in the history of the sport.
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Good special teams and defense can carry a sub-optimal offense to the postseason, but Baltimore was even worse than that. The offense was one of the least effective in the league despite the Ravens being number one in turnover differential. That is hard to pull off. Even through that, this squad probably should have made the playoffs.
Can the offense possibly be adequate enough to prevent another failed postseason berth? Flacco isn’t good enough to do so without quality weapons, but the skill players could be better this year. If Baltimore uses a high draft pick on a wide receiver or receiving tight end, it could be in business. Crabtree was a steal; Alex Collins appears to be pretty solid; I always liked Brown in Arizona. Call me crazy, but can’t this roster be just one rookie contributor away from competing with the Steelers in the AFC North?
Dan Salem:
The Ravens duped me last year, so I refuse to be tricked again in 2018. This team is not on Pittsburgh’s level, not yet anyways. Adding Robert Griffin III to the mix at quarterback ensures talent at the game’s most unheralded position, backup quarterback. With Flacco consistently on shaky ground, RGIII gives the Ravens offense a touch of stability. Yet I’m dubious of this team’s ability to compete with Pittsburgh on the back of its defense once again.
A serious playmaker will elevate Baltimore’s offense, or defense for that matter. We saw how New Orleans was transformed by its rookies last season into a true Super Bowl contender. But Flacco is not Drew Brees and the Ravens offense is leagues behind the Saints. The old adage that “defense wins championships” is a true statement, but only when combined with average or better offense. Football is a team game after all. Until the Ravens add a wide receiver who commands a double team, because I don’t believe Crabtree is that player any longer, they will not overtake the Steelers in the AFC North.
The Ravens were nearly good enough to make the playoffs last season, so why not in 2018? Its a fair question and I understand your optimism. Baltimore will surely be in the thick of it, as they are still a decent football team on both sides of the ball. However, I hate to pin a team’s success on the upcoming draft because there is no way to know how long their rookies will need to integrate and develop into starting pros. I prefer to ask a different question. Is the current roster good enough to make the playoffs? Has the team improved from where it ended last season?
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Baltimore is better with RGIII and Crabtree, but not enough to matter in the playoff discussion. Too many other teams are ahead of the Ravens right now, including in no particular order the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans. All of the AFC playoff teams from last year are still viable contenders, with the possible exception of Buffalo. I’m not ready to believe in Baltimore. They scorned me last year and still have much to prove.
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