The Baltimore Sun

Here.

11/26/08

State of the Franchise: Ravens

BALTIMORE - Things are not looking bright in Baltimore. Three quarters of the season have passed, and the Ravens would be poised for a top 5 pick with a 3-8 record, except their first round pick belongs to Seattle. I managed to get an interview with GM SoxNats08, who maintains a more positive outlook than most.

"When I inherited this team, we were a very old team. I think if I had made moves to win now, we could have won 10 or 11 games this year, but at the risk of crippling this franchise in two to three years. Now we are going with the youth movement, but not to the point of rebuilding. I honestly have to say, I did not expect us to have a 3-8 record. We have a top quarterback in Philip Rivers, a solid running back tandem, and the extremely talented Brandon Marshall. On defense, we have stars such as Lofa Tatupu, Daryl Smith, and OJ Atogwe. My honest assessment is that we need to improve all around; maybe that's a coaching change, maybe it's a personnel change."

What are your plans for the offseason?

"I'm not exactly sure what we're going to do yet, but defensive line is a huge need for us right now. I think that we will almost certainly address that through free agency or on Day 1 on the draft. We have allocated enough assets to resign the numerous players whose contracts expire at the end of this season, and with a lot of cleared cap space, we should be making a big push in the free agent market. The 2009 Ravens will be very different from the 2008 Ravens, that's for certain."

Take that for what you will, this is a positive sign for Ravens fans all over in a dreadful season.

nice job sox

thanks

2/14/09

Offseason Ahead

BALTIMORE - The Ravens finished the season strong, going 3-2 in their last 5 games to finish at 6-10. Even though they were the 4th worst team in the league, they do not hold any of their own draft picks. However they do hold the #2 and #33 overall picks from Miami and Atlanta. They have several options this offseason, but first let's evaluate what they have.

Quarterback - A+: Peyton Manning is simply one of the best, ever. He and Tom Brady are by far the best two quarterbacks in the NFL, and while he is 33, he has many years left before he retires. GM SoxNats09 did a nice job acquiring him for Philip Rivers, the younger quarterback but less experienced. This is a good sign for fans who want to see results now. "We felt that although we got older in the trade, Peyton has at least three years left at this level, and more after that," said SoxNats09 at the time of the trade. Colt Brennan is a young talent, and he should continue to learn under Manning.

Running back - A-: Brandon Jacobs is a very good running back, and he is a great complement to the passing game. You can expect at least 1,000 yards out of him, hopefully more in this talented Ravens offense. Le'Ron McClain is another bruiser, and a solid second option. The main weakness here is that the Ravens' running backs are pounders, so they could look to add a scat back type through free agency or in the draft.

Wide Receiver/Tight End - B+: They have one stud in Brandon Marshall, who they recently resigned to a 2 year deal, and an upcoming speedy target in Donnie Avery, but not much else. Nate Burleson is a solid possession WR who also adds special team play, but after trading LJ Smith, the Ravens lack a solid tight end. If Brandon Pettigrew falls to #33, it will be interesting to see if the Ravens select him there.

Offensive Line - B: Headed by veteran left tackle Flozell Adams, this is a solid unit at 4 of 5 starters. Vernon Carey and Jason Brown are both pretty good players, and Ben Grubbs has a lot of talent, but the right guard spot is a huge weakness. Definitely look for the Ravens to upgrade there, as Mike Kracalik is clearly not the answer. The backups are below average, so look for a mid round pick to also go to the offensive line.

Defensive Line - B+: During the season, the Ravens acquired defensive end Trent Cole, who I believe is the best player on this Ravens defense. Along with two good young defensive tackles in Jay Ratliff and Barry Cofield, the Ravens have a solid defensive line. Brett Keisel is a servicable defensive end, but it is unclear if the Ravens are happy going into the season with him as the starter. They are also very weak in depth, this is another area which they should address in the offseason as a low key signing.

Linebacker - A-: Led by stud Lofa Tatupu, this is a solid group of players. It is not known yet if the Ravens intend on moving Daryl Smith to left outside linebacker, but if they do not move for another starter, odds are he will start there. After acquiring Kawika Mitchell to replace the retired Ian Gold, the right outside linebacker spot is also in good hands.

Secondary - B: This is a solid unit, but it lacks any star talent. It is the only unit which does not have a 90+ overall player, and that could be considered a concern. After trading away veteran safety Yeremiah Bell, the Ravens have Corey Chavous listed as the starting strong safety, and we all hope he is not the starter come training camp. Strong safety is a major need for the Ravens to address this offseason.

Special Teams - B+: The Ravens placed the franchise tag on kicker Matt Stover, and this season is expected to be his last in Baltimore, as he signed the tender under the condition that he would not be franchised again next season. Sam Koch is an up and coming punter, and I think he will be one of the top punters in the league in a few seasons.

As I mentioned earlier, they have the #2 and #33 overall picks in this upcoming draft. There is no player worthy of the #2 pick at their needs, so I think a trade down is a definite possibility. Also look for them to be active in free agency. They should look to acquire at least two big name players, possibly at right guard and strong safety.

This should be an exciting offseason, and we're all waiting to see what happens!