You could make the argument that after the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens have have been must-see TV early on within the first couple of days of free agency.
Baltimore lost Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Weddle, C.J. Mosley, Michael Crabtree, John Brown and last, but certainly not least, Joe Flacco via trade to the Denver Broncos.
However, the Ravens were able to make quality additions like signing All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas and running back Mark Ingram. Right now, you can make the case that Thomas is an upgrade over Weddle and Ingram is the best running back on Baltimore’s roster.
Having said all of that, the Ravens are not done. Lukely not by a long shot. So, what are the biggest needs for Baltimore right now during the free agency period?
I can think of several.
Wide Receiver
For as long as I can remember, adding quality wide receivers has been a need for the Ravens. In fact, this organization hasn’t had a 1,200-yard receiver since 1996, which is the longest streak in the NFL.
With Baltimore’s 2018 starting receivers’ Crabtree and Brown gone, this team will look for an upgrade once again. The only question is whether or not an upgrade occurs in free agency, via trade or in the 2019 NFL draft.
But honestly, when you look at the market for receivers in free agency, it doesn’t look pretty. The Ravens best bet to improve this spot will occur during the 2019 NFL draft.
Left guard
Baltimore has had a revolving door at left guard ever since Kelechi Osemele left during the 2015 offseason. With left guards Alex Lewis and James Hurst filling in the role, both players have lacked consistency whether it’s due to production or injury.
The Ravens can’t afford to go down this road again during the 2019 season, so it’s best if they get this spot straightened out. Once they do, it will go a long way into developing one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
Center
Yes, Baltimore’s starting center Matt Skura received a performance-based bonus recently, as he helped fill void left by Ryan Jensen who left to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 2018 offseason.
Despite Skura stepping up to the plate with a 62.8 rating by Pro Football Focus, which ranks near the league average among starting centers in 2018, the Ravens could use an upgrade at center as well.
Baltimore is going to be a run-heavy team with quarterback Lamar Jackson under center, which means their offensive line has to be well-equipped to control the line of scrimmage.
Inside linebacker
When you lose an All-Pro inside linebacker like Mosley, it’s nothing to sneeze at, despite how successful the Ravens have been developing linebackers over the last 23 years.
Baltimore has always had a savvy presence at inside linebacker to call plays in the middle of their defense, whether it was Ray Lewis, Daryl Smith or Mosley. The Ravens will likely go after the same mold this offseason.
Free agent inside linebackers like Brandon Marshall and Zach Brown are still available and would be a classic Baltimore addition. Especially considering both players were released and wouldn’t count against the compensation picks that the Ravens are trying to collect.
Outside linebacker
With Suggs and Za’Darius Smith gone, Baltimore needs pass rushers in a big way. Both players led the team in sacks last season with Za’Darius Smith acumulating 8.5 and Suggs getting 7.0 as well.
That’s 15.5 sacks off the roster, which is important as the Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale puts a lot of emphasis into disguising pressure for opposing quarterbacks.
Where their replacements come from remains to be seen. Baltimore might have another signing up their sleeve that could catch everyone by surprise, just like they did with the signing of Thomas.
