Ravens offseason needs
We continue our team-by-team look at offseason needs with the Ravens, who added Steve McNair last offseason and rolled to a 13-3 regular season mark, only to be held without a touchdown in their playoff loss to the Colts. The defense is still solid, but key personnel on both sides of the ball are seeing their window of opportunity close rapidly. Ozzie Newsome knows what he's doing, but this offseason he'll have to serve the twin masters of getting younger across the board while filling key holes for another postseason run.
Areas of Need: You'd think a team fresh off a 13-win season with 19 of their 22 starters under contract for 2007 would be in pretty good shape. However, this offseason is actually shaping up as one of the more challenging the Ravens have faced in some time.
Despite the team's inability to reach the end zone in their playoff loss to the Colts, expect Steve McNair to return at quarterback, with Kyle Boller as his capable backup. McNair was exactly the solution the Ravens expected during the regular season, but he, like the rest of the offense, was severely lacking in the postseason. Boller isn't necessarily the solution, either, but with other areas requiring more immediate attention Brian Billick will stick with McNair for another season.
The same is not likely for Jamal Lewis, who is due a $5 million roster bonus in March. Lewis compiled another pedestrian season, and recently revealed that bone spurs in his ankle were the culprit. However, he hasn't been the same since his monster 2003 season, and the Ravens seem ready to let him walk and pursue other alternatives at running back. Given that Billick loves to run the ball, this move has tremendous fantasy ramifications; whomever winds up as Baltimore's primary ball carrier will have significant fantasy value.
The Ravens are relatively set at receiver, assuming veteran wideout Derrick Mason stops grumbling about his role and plays nice. Up-and-comer Mark Clayton is emerging as a fantasy factor—at least as much as a receiver on such a run-heavy team can be—and Todd Heap remains one of the most talented, albeit oft-injured, tight ends in the league. Demetrius Williams is slated to be the third receiver, if only because the next three guys on the depth chart—Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, and Alex Bannister—can all test free agency.
The Ravens may have a gaping hole to fill at left tackle if Jonathan Ogden retires, but odds are he returns for one more season. More pressing is the need to re-sign right tackle Tony Pashos. Jason Brown will likely push for one of the starting guard gigs, and the Ravens have spent their last two second-round picks on linemen they're grooming for the day when Ogden—or guard Edwin Mulitalo or center Mike Flynn—really do hang it up. However, you can never have too much depth on the offensive line, so expect Baltimore to address this position yet again, most likely via a mid-round draft pick.
Defensively, the key for Baltimore will be retaining the services of linebacker Adalius Thomas. That may require the franchise tag, though the Ravens will likely pursue a longer-term deal to spread the cap hit over a longer period since they're roughly $6 million under the cap at the moment. Even if Thomas returns the Ravens will probably check out this year's crop of linebackers, as Ray Lewis can't play forever. The secondary could use some depth, especially with the plan to move Samari Rolle to nickel back. Baltimore is also thin at safety, where fifth-round pick Dawan Landry started and free-agent-to-be Gerome Sapp backed him up.
Help is on the Way? Newsome and Billick have several decisions to make regarding their current roster before they start filling needs. Will Jamal be brought back? Can they retain Thomas? Does Ogden have another year left in the tank?
For fantasy purposes, the major decisions here involve Lewis and, to a lesser extent, Ogden. If Jamal departs, the Ravens could just hand the ball to Mike Anderson, signed last offseason. Backup Musa Smith is also a free agent, so running back depth could become a concern as well. If the plan is to have Anderson be that depth, the Ravens could pursue San Diego's Michael Turner via a trade—though the offer would have to be pretty good for one AFC contender to provide a rival with such a key component. The draft contains several big backs in the mold Billick likes them, including Cal's Marshawn Lynch (who will probably be gone before the Ravens get a chance to pick him), Louisville's Michael Bush, and Penn State's Tony Hunt.
If Ogden does call it quits, the need for a lineman becomes a priority. It's unlikely Penn State's Levi Jones would fall to Baltimore, but they could make it three seasons in a row taking a lineman in round two by pursuing Tennessee's Arron Sears or Arkansas' Tony Ugoh.
The departure of Thomas, combined with Father Time catching up to Lewis, might force the Ravens to consider a linebacker as early as round one; their relatively miniscule cap room will likely preclude them from pursuing any of the marquee free agents, and if they were to spend that money it would likely be to retain Thomas anyway. Mississippi's Patrick Willis would be a great fit, but he may not be on the board when the Ravens go on the clock. Undersized Buster Davis from Florida State could be an alternative, as could Michigan's David Harris.
The Ravens won't have the luxury of resting on their laurels coming off a 13-win season. And they'll have to get their roster in order before looking outside to see what help is available. But few handle such tasks as well as Newsome, so we trust the Ravens will be able to take care of business.
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