The 2016 NFL season was very frustrating for the Ravens and for the fans of the team. There was potential to have a playoff team, but it was derailed by a number of factors including some major flaws in how the roster was put together. The Ravens front office led by Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta will have their hands full this offseason trying to make the 2017 roster stronger and deeper. In this two part breakdown of the Ravens roster, I will first examine the offensive side of the ball to see what moves can be made to improve the personnel.
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Super Bowl LI was a showcase for two of the top offenses in the NFL, and I think there are some important lessons that can be taken away from the game. First of all, and perhaps most importantly, the offensive line is critical to offensive success. This is true both for the running game and the passing game. When Atlanta’s offense was clicking in the first half, it was largely due to the ability of the offensive line to open up running lanes for Atlanta’s pair of talented RBs. New England was not able to garner much success on the ground, but when Tom Brady was given protection in the pocket he was able to methodically pick apart the Atlanta defense just as he has done to the Ravens in years past. When Brady was getting pressured, the offense was largely ineffective and the same was true for Matt Ryan and the Falcons. Solidifying the offensive line must be a priority for the Ravens this offseason and Eric Decosta has alluded to this himself.
So what must the Ravens do to get better up front? The first step will be to re-sign RT Ricky Wagner. While re-upping Wagner is not upgrading the offensive line, it is absolutely necessary to maintain players of his caliber if the OL is to get better. Wagner was one of the best pass-blocking OTs in the NFL as graded by Pro Football Focus, and while he may not be an elite run-blocker he is more than adequate. If Wagner prices himself out of Baltimore, the Ravens will likely have to turn to Alex Lewis as the presumptive RT as the free agent OT market leaves much to be desired. This in turn creates a void at LG which could potentially be filled in free agency with quality options like Kevin Zeitler, TJ Lang and Ronald Leary headed towards unrestricted free agency. However, if the Ravens are going to spend in FA doesn’t it make sense to re-sign their own player in Wagner? There are clearly lots of dominoes that will fall into place, but the easiest and probably best route to solidifying the OL appears to start and end with Ricky Wagner.
One of the largest shortcomings for the Ravens in 2016 was a lack of offensive line depth as a rash of injuries led to multi-game absences for Ronnie Stanley, Marshal Yanda and Lewis. The Ravens need to add quality depth across the line to ensure there are viable back-ups in case a similar situation arises. As of right now, John Urschel is the only experienced back-up under contract. The Ravens could re-sign some of their own free agents including Vlad Ducasse, Ryan Jensen or James Hurst, but none of these players did much to impress in their time with the Ravens. Jensen might be the most viable option, and as a RFA he could be brought back relatively cheaply. Some free agents options at OT are Matt Kalil who has struggled with injuries and poor performance but has a solid pedigree and Will Beatty who also has an injury history. Finding a viable back-up swing OT should be one the Ravens top priorities after Wagner as we have seen far too many snaps at LT given to players below replacement level in recent seasons.
The Ravens could also consider upgrading the Center position as Jeremy Zuttah has been very inconsistent, but there are not many options available and the cap savings of letting Zuttah go may not be worth the hassle of finding a replacement. Look for Ozzie Newsome to spend a mid-round draft pick on an interior offensive lineman and perhaps an OT as well depending on how free agency goes.
Looking past the offensive line, the Ravens are in dire need of reliable playmakers on offense. Going back to the recent Super Bowl performance we saw players like Julio Jones, Julian Edelman and James White have huge impacts on the game. While players like Julio Jones are quite rare, playmakers come in all shapes and sizes as demonstrated by the impact of Edelman and White. Currently, the Ravens have two young players in Kenneth Dixon and Breshad Perriman that have shown flashes of special ability, but whether or not they can take a leap in the next season remains in question. With Steve Smith Sr. retiring, the Ravens will have a significant void at the WR position and will need to find someone to take on a larger role in the offense.
The Ravens will have a number of options in the draft and in free agency if they want to bring in more talent at the skill positions. In free agency, the biggest catch would be WR Alshon Jeffery. Even though he has missed time due to injury and suspension, Jeffery’s ability to win contested catches and make plays at every level of the field is undeniable. Although Jeffery is likely out of the Ravens price range, there are still some intriguing options at WR including Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Britt and Pierre Garcon. There are a number of standout WRs in the upcoming draft as well, so the Ravens could decide to spend an early round selection on a WR like Mike Williams of Clemson or Corey Davis of Western Michigan instead of committing money to a veteran.
At RB the Ravens have the aforementioned Kenneth Dixon and will likely bring back RFA Terrance West for one more season. What they are missing is the passing down back that can be counted on pass-protection and as a weapon out of the backfield. The Ravens could potentially draft a RB as early as the first round if highly touted players Leonard Fournette of LSU or Dalvin Cook of Florida State are available when they are on the clock, but with Dixon emerging as a potential playmaker that draft pick could likely be better spent elsewhere. In free agency, the Ravens could pursue a complimentary player like Danny Woodhead, Lance Dunbar or Rex Burkhead who have proven to be productive 3rd down backs in the NFL. The Ravens also still have Lorenzo Taliaferro and Buck Allen on the roster who have both had their moments as receiving backs in the Ravens offense, but it is hard to count on either to be a consistent 3rd down option at this point.
Finally, the Ravens will have to make some decisions at the TE and FB positions. Kyle Juszczyk is an UFA and while he is listed as a FB, his role in the offense has expanded the past 2 seasons to the point where he took over many of the 3rd down back responsibilities for the offense. In my opinion he is an important piece of the Ravens offense, but depending on what players are brought in/let go he may be expendable. At TE the Ravens have a large stable of players under contract including veterans Ben Watson and Dennis Pitta and players on their rookie deals like Maxx Williams, Nick Boyle, Crockett Gillmore and Darren Waller. It’s not inconceivable for the Ravens to cut both veterans which would save a considerable amount of cap space. It’s also a very strong draft class at TE, headlined by Alabama product O.J. Howard who looks to be a very special player. It may seem like a stretch for the Ravens to draft another TE, but I wouldn’t completely rule out the possibility given the general lack of contribution from the players currently under contract.
All told, the Ravens are not in terrible position on offense. The offensive line played better down the stretch in 2016 when they were mostly healthy. Dixon and Perriman had moments where they looked like the players they were drafted to be. If the Ravens can re-sign Wagner and also bring in a reliable WR, the offense has a chance to be a top 10 unit in the NFL. If Perriman, Dixon or some other unknown player take a “leap” the offense could be even better.
Ravens Analyst
Gabe is an avid fan of the NFL and Ravens football. He grew up in Westminster, MD, and attended college at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and now works as a R&D Scientist developing Transplant Diagnostics assays. Gabe has appeared as a guest on 105.7 The Fan.