2011 NFL Draft Team Needs: Baltimore Ravens
by Matthew Fairburn on Mar 10, 2011 6:13 PM EST
in Mocking the AFC North
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PrintThe Baltimore Ravens were on the fast track to Super Bowl . Up 21-7 on the Pittsburgh Steelers at half time of the AFC Divisional Round game when Joe Flacco and company turned the ball over the three times in the second half leading to a 31-24 loss at the hands of their divisional rival.
Joe Flacco needs get over the hump for the Ravens to be a force in the AFC. He has never beaten Ben Roethlisberger in his career. Until he does, Baltimore will not win a Super Bowl.
However, Flacco is not the only piece of this Ravens team that needs to improve. Flacco's wide receivers truly let him down in that playoff game. It is apparent that Baltimore needs a down field threat at the wideout position. The secondary could also be an issue with a number of players for heading into free agency. Both lines could also use upgrades.
Baltimore is in a position to make a Super Bowl run if they are able to sure up a few holes in their lineup.
1. Cornerback - Baltimore's secondary ranked 21st in the league this season allowing 225 passing yards per game. TO add insult to injury, Chris Carr, Josh Wilson, and Fabian Washington are all free agents this offseason. The Ravens will undoubtably be looking for a starting cornerback early in the 2011 NFL Draft. Luck for them, the 2011 draft class is deep at corner. Brandon Harris, Aaron Williams, Ras-I-Dowling, and Kendric Burney all fit within Baltimore's draft range during the first three rounds.
2. Wide Receiver - Despite the addition of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh last offseason, Baltimore is in need of an upgrade at wideout once again this year. Both Boldin and Houshmandzadeh play a possession game and are not capable of stretching the field. Not to mention, neither showed up for the playoff game against the Steelers. A burner like Titus Young or Randall Cobb would be a nice round two selection for the Ravens.
3. Front Seven - Both the defensive end and linebacker positions need to be addressed. Corry Redding was average, but could definitely be upgraded. Also, Ray Lewis is 36 years old and Baltimore needs to start planning for life without their superstar linebacker. The Ravens have a tremendous defense, but need to keep it fresh with young talent.
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someone to shave joe flacco's unibrow
but in all seriousness they need a speed reciever.
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Any statement beginning with the words 'In truth' is almost always a lie." Mordred Deschain
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
Maryland has a speed receiver :)
"We feel very strongly that our best policy is to draft the best player. This isn't fantasy football." - Ted Thompson
by Steve_Chiefs on Mar 10, 2011 6:56 PM EST up reply actions
I actually feel our CB group is better than what people give credit to and people forget we lost Foxworth our #1 CB before the season started and he is looking like he will be 100% for the season. Josh Wilson played great at the end of the year after he got used to the team, Carr played consistent the whole season and Webb was only in his 2nd year and coming off an ACL so he spent the whole off-season rehabbing instead of learning technique and gaining his football knowledge. Most of us don’t feel corner is a top priority at all and don’t feel the organization see’s that either. For me the Speed WR or a Tall WR that can stretch the field is a huge need. OT could be a very big need if we don’t re-sign gaither and either OLB or DE because we need to improve our pass rush.
Baltimore is an extremely old team.
The wheels are going to start falling off soon. If they somehow retain Mason and Heap, their star receivers are all over thirty, Flacco can’t carry that team for a whole season, Reed’s old, Lewis is old, they don’t have any superstars on that defense besides Suggs and Ngata once everyone else goes and there’s no one that can keep that defense performing at that level, making Flacco’s job much easier.
In short, the Ravens’ are two ticks away from explosion.
I would disagre that the ravens are old. Other than our Wr’s and C our whole offense is exremely young and the organization has announced publicly that they are looking to upgrade the WR position and find Flacco somebody he can grow with throughout the career. Yes Lewis is older and Reed is 32, but Reed got through the year pretty injury free and says this is the best he has felt in awhile. Ngata and Suggs are not a bad duo to build around and we have guys like Jameel McClain and Ellerbe for LB and reports are looking good for Kindle to play this season. All of our corners are young and should get better with experience. Yes, we do need to Find Lewis and Reeds replacement, but it’s crazy to think we are extremely old and are just going to fall off. We have an extremely young offense and still a top defense that just needs to add depth in a few places. There is no replacing Reed and Lewis completely but for some old guys I would say leading the league in interception in only 10 games and the other having 139 tackles isn’t too bad.
In short, the Ravens’ are two ticks away from explosion.
I lol’d
"If only Flacco could put up numbers similar to Matt Ryan, or maybe just improve his stats year-to-year, he wouldn’t seem like such a wasted draft pick. It’s as if a young quarterback needs to put up better stats in his first three years than nearly every other quarterback to play in the NFL to justify a first round pick." - Amp
What the fuck does this guy know about a good or bad football team anyway? HE IS A BENGALS FAN! Just because his team explodes every other year doesn’t mean ours is going to. We actually have a front office. Doc Scratch is a joke.
"If only Flacco could put up numbers similar to Matt Ryan, or maybe just improve his stats year-to-year, he wouldn’t seem like such a wasted draft pick. It’s as if a young quarterback needs to put up better stats in his first three years than nearly every other quarterback to play in the NFL to justify a first round pick." - Amp
Calm down, mate...
Just because the team he supports is not doing well, doesn’t mean he can’t have a opinion. Why should the success of the team you support say anything about your ability to understand football? By your logic when the Ravens go into a down cycle (as all teams inevitably do at some point) you will no longer be qualified to comment on anything either!
If you want to debate Doc Scratch do it using facts rather than personal attacks.
You act like your front office is impervious to criticism
Yet despite the fact that Reed expressed sentiments of retirement last year as well as Ray Lewis’ aging, neither of them have any replacements other than maybe Zbikowski for Reed. But he’s not Reed and I really want to see how this defense performs without Ray Lewis in the middle.
And then how that translates to Unibro’s performance because it’s obvious DYOA rapes his stats hard.
Gah, why am I responding to a post that’s almost a week old and you won’t even see.
I voted other, QB
Flacco is wacko!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
no the Steelers need him...
to keep imploding in close playoff games.
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Any statement beginning with the words 'In truth' is almost always a lie." Mordred Deschain
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on Mar 10, 2011 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
Then Mendenhall can do some things to big ben that big ben does to women in bar bathrooms
Kellen Moore is awesome
Katie Mcgrath is our savior
my dog <3
haha dont worry steelers fans
Joe will have ur number soon enough, we need a LT this is our number 1 need, if we get gaither back then not so much, 1st rd = derrok sherrod, and then 2nd rd = speed wr, maybe 3rd round = o line again !!!
Once our o line gives joe time, he will start picking apart defenses !!
Just Win Baby !
Oher looked great his rookie year, but struggled at times this past season with penalties and getting beat. He is still young and can still be a great LT, but there is some concern about him and whether he is better suited for the right side. Gaither is built for LT at around 6’7, 340 pounds and athletic. Most Baltimore fans would love to see Gaither re-signed because Oher can play either side and that allows us to move Yanda who played RT last year back to guard which is his best positions.
The reason the Ravens were ranked 21st in Yards/Game
wasnt the cornerbacks. It was our DCs insistence on playing prevent defense far too often – giving up the short and intermediate routes, Dwan Landry’s poor zone coverage and the lack of a pass rush opposite Suggs.
Whilst Carr and Wilson are both FAs, they have both expressed a desire to stay in Baltimore and have already had preliminary disucssions with the FO. Washington was a healthy inactive for most of the season so him being a FA doesnt mean much.
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