I agree and disagree with FoxSports 1370 Host Rob Long

1370 Host Rob Long has written an interesting column for Ravens 24×7.com, which you can find here:

http://www.ravens24x7.com/column_view.php?cid=76&id=3532&view=archive

In the article, Mr. Long reiterates the opinion he has expressed on the air, that receivers are over-rated.

I can agree with that point, and I also agree with Long’s central thesis that football teams need to first be built around strong line-play.

Most of my optimism for the 2009 season exists because of what the Ravens bring to the table for the offensive, and defensive lines.

I have reservations about how much Pryce has left in the tank, but being able to add Gregg, and Edwards back to the mix, makes the unit extremely formidable. Bannan and McKinney will be even better with limited snaps, and Ngata continues to emerge as one of the best DT’s in football.

Adding Michael Oher’s strength and young-legs to RT, along with Birk’s veteran knowledge at Center is an upgrade for the O-line. You get Yanda back healthy, and that helps. Having Chester gain the experience he had last year, and available as an option is a luxury. Having a player like Terry available as the swing Tackle is a bonus most teams do not have. Ben Grubbs and Jared Gaither together on the left-side is almost unfair to the opposition.

I can even agree with Long that I believe Mason, Clayton, Williams (Along with Heap, and Smith) can be productive. Mason played with 1 arm last year, and still found a way to constantly move the chains. There is no reason to believe he will not be able to do that again in 2009. Clayton increased his Yards Per Reception from 11 to 17 in 2008. His relationship with Flacco seemed to improve as the season progressed, and I would expect that to only improve this year. Even after missing 16 games the past two years, Williams has obvious physical talents, that Flacco could take advantage of down the field.

I guess where I disagree with Long, is that I believe the Ravens have spent this off-season operating in a manner that does not seem to address what happens if things go wrong.

What if Mason had lingering issues from his surgery? What if Clayton had a reoccurrence of his former hamstring problems? What if Williams continues to show he can not stay on the field?

I believe the Ravens did not have a WR outside of Mason or Clayton catch a ball after Week 10. That simply can not happen again.

Since the NFL Draft, my take has been that I wonder if the Ravens would have been better of, if they had traded down to select Eben Britton. This would have addressed their RT needs, and possibly provided the extra-draft pick necessary to obtain someone like Mohamed Massaquoi to augment the WR core.

The one argument you can make for the Ravens in the selection of Oher, is that it should enable the Ravens to have less Jumbo packages. If Heap (and Smith) do not have to stay at the line blocking, they will provide additional weapons for Flacco in the middle of the field.

I understand the Ravens not be willing to spend draft-picks to obtain Brandon Marshall. The idea of spending multiple-picks, and probably having to give a lucrative extension to a guy with character issues, and coming off hip-surgery does not excite me either.

I do not understand going into camp having to rely on the health of Williams; or a player like Marcus Smith that has zero career NFL receptions. Nor do I understand how signing Kelly Washington does anything to alleviate existing fears.

This team went to the AFC Championship Game last year. The only way to improve on last year is by going to the Super Bowl.

While there is a base of younger talent on the roster, there are also a number of guys you rely on – that are seeing their window of opportunity close.

As an organization, I think the Ravens owed it to their selves to do something to help upgrade the WR core in a year with Title aspirations.