[Baltimore Ravens]
Division: AFC North
After a 2020 Campaign that shocked the league, the Ravens took a half step back in 2021. While still touting one of the leagues most dynamic offenses, disruptions due to the pandemic and passing inefficiencies marred a promising campaign that saw the Ravens once again fall short of their post season aspirations. However, the season was still an overall success, as QB Lamar Jackson was able to take the next step in his career and secure his first playoff win.
Notable Coaching Changes
Once again, the Ravens have managed to retain both of their coordinators, a relatively rarity for a franchise well accustomed to having key staff poached by other organizations. Wink Martindale is well regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the NFL, and while Greg Roman has his doubters, continuity in offensive scheme is a positive for QB Lamar Jackson. In addition to retaining personnel in key positions, the Ravens have made some aggressive new hires aimed at addressing positions of weakness.
Passing Game
In a move that has caused as much excitement from Ravens fans as a splashy FA acquisition. The Ravens have brought in Tee Martin to replace David Culley (Thanks so much Texans) as WR Coach, and Keith Williams as the passing game specialist. Martin and Williams are well respected coaches from outside the Ravens system. New blood was absolutely vital for what they want to accomplish, as the organization has conclusively failed to develop talent at the position. The organization hopes these key personnel can help the WR unit begin to produce.
Rob Ryan:
The Ryan name is one that curries favor with the Ravens. Rob joins the organization that his
brother helped make so dominate for many years as the linebacker’s coach. This is a solid move, and the young, inexperienced line backing corps should benefit from Ryan’s years of experience. If he can hone Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison into threats, it would be a huge boon for the defense.
Free Agency:
Players Lost/Cut:
The Ravens were relatively fortunate this offseason in that most players lost were roster level guys who can be replaced through the draft and Free Agency. There were, however, some notable departures that the team will have its work cut out to replace. After a few years as the Ravens top pash rusher, Matthew Judon departed to New England for a top pay day. While the Ravens would prefer to have Judon given their current weakness at the position, he will need to do a lot to prove he’s worth the paycheck he received. While Judon is a competent edge player, he benefited greatly in Wink Martindale’s scheme, and a lot of his sacks were unabated runs to the QB. He struggled to manufacture consistent pressure in 1 on 1 match ups, and simply was not worth the money he desired.
On the other side of the line, Yannick Ngakoue departs after just over half a season with the team. While he came to the team with a solid pedigree, Yannick never quite found his footing in Baltimore. Like Judon, he doesn’t represent a great individual loss. However, losing both players has left the Ravens incredibly thin at the Edge position. Rookie first rounder Odafe Oweh will face incredible pressure to produce right off the bat.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Ravens traded away a significant piece in Orlando Brown Jr. After losing Ronnie Stanley to injury, Brown Jr. stepped in and did an admiral job replacing him at left tackle. This led Brown to desire to play, and be paid, as a left tackle. This was never going to happen on the Ravens, both because they have one of the best left tackles in the league, and money will soon be tight with a monster Lamar Jackson extension on the horizon. It is unfortunate that he had to go to the Chiefs, but Brown Jr’s constant communication via the media took away a lot of the team’s leverage. Willie Snead and Mark Ingram, while great locker room guys, provided an extremely pedestrian level of production last year, and their on the field presence will not be missed. Overall, the Ravens lost some key pieces, as all teams do, but they are in a much better position that a lot of teams in terms of off-season losses.
Players Acquired/Extended:
One of the reasons the Ravens have maintained a relatively consistent level of success since coming to Baltimore is the organization’s fidelity to approaching team building in a very systematic way. This offseason was no different. The Ravens focused first and foremost on resigning and extending key players across their roster to cap friendly deals, while acquiring a few new players at key positions. Derek Wolfe, Tyus Bowers, and LJ Fort represent significant snaps at thin position groups on the defensive side of the ball and were vital re-signings to maintain some consistency for a defense that was effective last year.
In terms of FA acquisitions, Kevin Zeitler and Sammy Watkins bring consistent talent at positions of sore need, and both should play big roles in the offense. Zeitler was an underrated signing that should help bring major stability to the offseason. At the Tackle position, Villanueva will provide experience and depth that the team sorely needs after losing a starter from last year.
Overall, if you want hype signings, the Ravens are not the team for you. The team focuses primarily on retaining talent with a few small moves, and they continued that trend this year.
NFL Draft:
Draft Grades:
Round 1:
Rashod Bateman: A-
One of the most glaring deficiencies of the Ravens in the Lamar Jackson era is the production in the passing game. Scheme and WR play have failed to give Lamar the kind of help he needs to be successful. It was clear that something needed to change, and the team made a concentrated effort this offseason to address these issues. This began with selecting Rashod Bateman 27th overall. Bateman checks a lot of the boxes the Ravens are looking for. He runs good routes, he is good in traffic, and shows the ability to make plays with the ball in his hand. Critically, he possesses something a lot of Ravens WR picks have lacked in recent years, namely a high floor and strong hands. The Ravens have committed to getting Lamar Jackson help, which is exciting to see. That said, the Ravens have been here before, and it will be up to them to develop Bateman into the type of passing game threat they have sorely lacked.
Film: Rashod Bateman
Odafe Oweh: C+
With the departure of Yannick Ngakoue and Matthew Judon, the Ravens are thin to the point of concern in the DE room. It seemed almost a forgone conclusion that they would select a defensive end early. What was a little surprising was the selection of Odafe Oweh in the first round. More than a few Ravens fans were looking for Orlando Brown’s replacement with this pick, and other strong DE options like Azeez Ojulari were still available. Oweh is a raw, athletic freak who tested off the charts in the combine but lacks major college production to back up that ability. With 0 sacks last year, Oweh’s rate of development will be a major focus for a team that needs to replace production at the position immediately. Luckily, he may have landed in the best situation in the NFL to utilize his skillset. Wink Martindale is an aggressive schemer and will find ways to weaponize Oweh similar to how Judon was used in previous years. If the Ravens can hone his natural ability and athleticism, the ceiling for Oweh is tremendous. The Ravens will trust they can coach Oweh to meet his potential.
Film: Odafe Oweh
Rounds 3:
Ben Cleveland: A
One of the perhaps most obvious but difficult lessons the Ravens learned last season was that you can’t lose a hall of fame caliber guard in Marshal Yanda and continue to dominate up the middle. The Ravens were extremely weak at the RG position, and Ben Cleveland fits the bill for his replacement. At 6’6, 343 pounds, Cleveland is a massive human that can move people in the run game. He played a brand of SEC bully ball that fits right into the Ravens offense. While he is unlikely to start immediately, do not be surprised to see Cleveland in the mix relatively quickly on the Ravens Offensive Line. Cleveland on paper looks like a prototypical Ravens mid round steal.
Film: Ben Cleveland
Brandon Stephens: C-
A converted running back transfer from SMU, Stephens showed some promise in his new roll as a defensive back over the past two years. Still, its hard to justify how high the Ravens picked him given his draft stock over the past few months. Stephens shows decent ball skills and has a positional flexibility the Ravens value on the back side. It does feel like he could have been had much later in the draft, but the only grade that matters is the teams, and if they felt he was a value at this pick, it was the correct move to go get their guy.
Film: Brandon Stephens
Tylan Wallace: B+
In a move the was immediately labeled a steal by many analysts, the Ravens selected Tylan Wallace in the 4th round. Wallace plays with ferocious intensity and has drawn comparisons to Steve Smith Sr. in the way he attacks the football. Despite his size, he has a penchant for coming down with jump balls and getting you the first down when you need it. He is a great mid round prospect, it remains for the Ravens to prove they can develop this type of player, which they have not yet shown an ability to do.
Film: Tylan Wallace
Shaun Wade: A-
With the first pick of the fifth round, the Ravens selected CB Shaun Wade. 2 seasons ago, Wade dominated in the slot, positioning himself as a first-round talent. After switching to the outside last year, he was exposed, and had a rough 2020 campaign. This caused him to plummet down draft boards. The Ravens make this pick with the intention of moving him back to his true position in the slot. This was a fantastic upside pick; Wade has a chip on his shoulder and could pay big dividends. If he doesn’t, the commitment of a 5th is not too big of a pill to swallow.
Film: Shaun Wade
Round 4:
Daelin Hayes: B+
Daelin Hayes is a tremendous story. A Ravens fan growing up, he even met John Harbaugh at a Ravens event as a child. It always feels good to see that kind of dream come true. Hayes seems to be a tremendous individual who brings fairly consistent athleticism. He is unlikely to be a star but brings desperately needed depth to the edge position. He is a solid pick in the fifth.
Film: Daelin Hayes
Round 5:
Ben Mason: C-
Like Brandon Stephens, the Ben Mason pick is a bit of a head scratcher. The Ravens already have one of the best fullbacks in the league with Pat Ricard, so adding another seems like an unnecessary luxury. Mason seems like a grinder who is more than willing to go hard on special teams, so that may well be his best path to a roster spot. Its not an insane value pick, but with the projected value picking at this spot, its also hard to call it a disaster.
Film: Ben Mason
Overall Grade: B
While they didn’t have one of their trademark “insane value comp pick” drafts, the Ravens did a solid job of adding talent at positions of need. At least 3 players in this class are likely to see immediate action. Having taken 6 WR over the past 3 years, the pressure is on the coaching staff to get one of these guys to pan out.
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Projected Starting Lineup:
· QB: Lamar Jackson:
After finally winning a playoff game, Lamar Jackson will look to take another step forward this year, He is an electric running, who has proven he can be efficient in the passing game. This dual threat makes him one of the most difficult QBs in the league to prepare for. Jackson has his sights set on a single goal, a super bowl. After proving he can win in the play offs, he has everything he needs to prove himself further this year.
· RB: JK Dobbins
The pick of Dobbins in the second last year caused more than a few people to scratch their heads. Dobbins immediately dispelled these notions with his play. He was shifty with great burst, reminiscent of a prime Ray Rice. He picked up major steam down the stretch and is very likely to be a 1k runner. The triple punch of JK, Gus Edwards, and Lamar should give teams absolute fits in the run game.
· FB: Patrick Ricard:
A super underrated member of the Ravens offense, Ricard is an 800-pound gorilla whose lead blocking ability sets the tone of the Ravens hardnosed rushing offense. For anyone that doesn’t watch the Ravens regularly, it would be easy to miss, but he and Nick Boyle pave the way in the run game.
· TE: Mark Andrews, Nick Boyle:
A dynamic duo, Andrews and Boyle are the definition of a one two punch of catching and blocking. Andrews is easily Lamar’s most reliable target, but he does need to take the next step to not disappear in big games. Boyle is one of the best blocking TEs, and a cursory examination of game film will show he orchestrates the Ravens run game alongside Pat Ricard.
· WR: Hollywood Brown, Rashod Bateman, Sammy Watkins:
The Ravens WR corps has failed to deliver year in and year out, and something had to change. The Ravens had to retool and they did, adding new position coaches and an influx of new players. The pressure is on to perform, and if Batman and Watkins can provide value, it should enable Hollywood Brown to continue to develop.
· LT: Ronnie Stanley:
Among the best LTs in the NFL, Stanley will have to prove he is still 100% coming off an ACL tear. When healthy, he imposes his will on defenders and keeps Lamar safe off the left side. Despite Brown Jr. stepping up, his absence was noticeable, and one wonders how the season may have been different with him healthy. If Stanley return to form, the Ravens O-Line will again be dominant on the left side,
· LG: Tyre Phillips, Ben Powers, or Ben Cleveland:
LG is an anomaly in that its truly an open spot to win. The Ravens have 3 players in Phillips, Cleveland and Powers who all have a great chance to start. In the long term, my money is on Cleveland, as his skillset is such a great fit, but its pretty open going into the season.
· C: Bradley Bozeman: The Ravens center play was woeful last year. There were times where they couldn’t even get the ball to Lamar with any consistency. Center is the number one area that absolutely must improve in 2021. After a successful stint at left guard, Bradley Bozeman returns to his college position of Center. If he can snap the ball consistently, and maintain his stellar pulling play, the Ravens will see a big upgrade.
· RG: Kevin Zeitler: It turns out you can’t lose a HoF level talent like Marshal Yanda and proceed business as usual. Following the injury of Ronnie Stanley that forced a rotation of Tyre Phillips and DJ Fluker to the outside, the Ravens had an absolute turnstile of players at RG. It really hurt the offense and these woes dragged the team down. Zeitler is a super underrated signing that should provide consistency at the position.
· RT: Alejandro Villanueva.:
A rare Steelers to Ravens move, Villanueva was brought in to pull down the right side. A definite downgrade from Orlando Brown, if Villanueva can play at least a decent level, they should be able to give him enough help to succeed.
· DL: Derek Wolfe, Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Justin Madibuike:
This group stepped up big time in 2020 to avenge the 2019 play off. They absolutely stuffed Derek Henry when it mattered and made the Titans one dimensional. The Ravens are thrilled to bring back the full unit, and Justin Madibuike is poised for a possible break out year after a stellar rookie season.
· LB: Patrick Queen, LJ Fort, Malik Harrison:
The Ravens LB corps was its weakest unit last year. Queen made some big plays but looked absolutely exposed in the passing game at times. A full offseason to prepare should do wonders for this unit, and while they remain a question mark, the outlook is better this year than at this point last season,
-CB: Marlon Humphrey, Tavon Young, Marcus Peters:
Humphrey and Peters remain amongst the beast CB duos in the league. Their shutdown and turnover forcing abilities are what makes the Ravens defense effective and allows the front 7 to blitz with abandon. The biggest question here is Young, who seems like a bit of a mirage with his inability to stay healthy.
· S: Chuck Clark, Deshon Elliott
After the debacle the was the Earl Thomas saga, the Ravens got better at safety. Elliott is not a better player, but was serviceable, and removing Thomas’ toxicity was certainly addition by subtraction. The fact that an arguable HoF level talent can’t get signed while Antonio Brown is on a roster speaks volumes. Clark remains a cerebral player that QBs the defense.
· K: Justin Tucker:
Gonna just copy paste from last year. Not much to say about this one, Justin Tucker is just better than every other kicker in the league. He had some isolated struggles but was still a beast when it mattered. He is extremely clutch and an absolute weapon on game winning drives, oh and he sings opera too.
· P: Sam Koch:
A player who reinvented the way his position is played, Sam Koch rejoins the Ravens for another season. He has been a model of consistency throughout his career.
· KR: Devon Duvernay:
Duvernay showed a knack for the return game that the Ravens have lacked since Jacoby Jones. He did a lot to enable the offense and his KR touchdown against the Chiefs brought the team back into the game.
· PR: James Proche:
A shifty and speedy talent with extremely sure hands, Proche slots back in nicely at the PR spot.
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Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
· QB: The Ravens are strong at the QB position. Lamar remains the most unique QB in the league. They wouldn’t be thrilled to go to either Huntley or McSorley long term, but frankly a QB1 injury to any team is devastating.
· Backfield: The Ravens have one of the strongest RB Corps in the league, the one two punches of Dobbins and Edwards will be extremely difficult for teams to stop.
· OL: A group the looks to improve after a pedestrian effort last year, the return of Stanley and Zeitler acquisition should make the Ravens a top 10 unit once again.
· Pass Catchers: Its simply do or die for the Ravens passing offense, they must take a leap forward or move on from Greg Roman as OC. The passing game is a worrying question mark in an otherwise strong roster.
· DL: The DL rebounded in a huge way in 2020 and should be a fearsome unit in 2021. A unit that can stuff Derek Henry, even for one game, is nothing to be trifled with.
· LB: This unit another big question mark. The Ravens will need Patrick Queen to take a big step forward, and they believe that can happen. For now, the unit is a weakness, particularly in the passing game.
· Secondary: The Ravens have across the board the most complete secondary in the league, bar none. This unit was extremely strong last year and should remain so in 2021.
· Special Teams: Special Teams has traditionally been a strength for the Ravens. The kicking and punting units should continue to be top of the league, while the strides made in the return game last year bode well for the future.
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Schedule Prediction
Week 1: @ Raiders
Prediction: Win
An absolute banger to start off the season, the Ravens will be the first team to enter the death star. The atmosphere will be electric and extremely hostile, but look for the Ravens run game to choke out the game as well as the crowd.
Week 2: Chiefs
Prediction: Loss
The Lamar Ravens have lost to the Chiefs 3 times in 3 years. They have been competitive for the most part, but they have yet to prove there is a reason to pick them over Andy Reed’s squad.
Week 3: @ Lions
Prediction: Win
It will be interesting to see what the Jared Goff Lions look like, but with the team mid rebuild, its hard to think the Ravens won’t run away with this one.
Week 4: @ Broncos
Prediction: Win
Drew Lock does not appear to be the answer at QB. The Ravens should be able to stifle the Denver offseason, and put up enough points for a comfortable win.
Week 5: Colts
Prediction: Win
Its hard to predict how the Colts will look this year, so much hinges on the play of Carson Wentz. They have the potential to be a real threat, but with wins over both the Colts and Wentz last year, the Ravens should be able
Week 6: Chargers
Prediction: Win
Herbert is the real deal, but often rookie phenoms take a small step back in their second seasons. This game will be close and may easily be lost, but I predict the Ravens eke one out here due to homefield advantage.
Week 7: Bengals
Prediction: Win
The passing offense under Burrow will be scary, but the front office seems content to let him run for his life again coming off a knee injury. Ravens win
Week 8: Bye
The vaccinated players get to party while the rest sit at home.
Week 9: Vikings
Prediction: Loss
The Vikings are an interesting team. Sometimes they look amazing and other times near incompetent. I think they come prepared and get a win from the Ravens.
Week 10: @ Dolphins
Prediction: Loss
The Dolphins are a big time ascending team and nearly made the playoffs last year. Flores is a great coach and he should have them in a good position coming into this year. The Dolphins avenge the smackdown they received in 2019 and eke a close win.
Week 11: @ Bears
Prediction: Win
At this point in the season, its likely that Justin Fields will be starting. He should be a good QB, but its tough to face the Ravens D as a rookie.
Week 12: Browns
Prediction: Win
A rematch of the poop game, the Browns struggle to shake off the skid marks and fall in a close one once again.
Week 13: @ Steelers
Prediction: Loss
It doesn’t seem to matter much of the time how good either team is, and they seem to split. While the Steelers have big question marks, it doesn’t seem unlikely that they sneak a win at home.
Week 14: Browns
Prediction: Loss
The Browns get a rematch with a bye week in between. Despite their past, they are too good of a team right now to mess this one up and win comfortably.
Week 15: Packers
Prediction: Loss
Presuming Aaron stays content, this should be an interesting game. It feels to me like a classic Roman era game where the Ravens dominate in the Run game for one half, then abandon it for no discernible reason and lose.
Week 16: Bengals
Prediction: Win
While they are ascending somewhat, it doesn’t feel like Taylor is the answer at HC. Ravens should sweep again.
Week 17: Rams
Prediction: Win
The last time these to teams played the Rams got hit in the mouth. While that won’t happen again with Stafford, I do think the Ravens match up well enough to win.
Week 18: Steelers
Prediction: Win
The Steelers faded hard down the stretch and Ben keeps getting older. Feels likely that may happen again and allow the Ravens to cruise.
Final Record: 11-6
The Ravens are always competitive with Lamar behind center. That shouldn’t change this year. The question remains, can they take the strides necessary to do damage in the post season. The AFC is pretty brutal this year, so they must bring their A game.
Offensive and Defensive Schemes
Offense: The Ravens will return their unique offense last year that focuses on rushing the ball and using heavy sets with tight ends. The entire offense hinges on the threat of Lamar Jackson running the football. Teams are forced to stay honest up front, or they risk getting gouged by a QB scramble. This allows the Ravens offense to utilize a lot of reads in which Lamar can hand the ball off or keep it himself based on how certain players react. The Ravens will need to incorporate new pass concepts to avoid stagnation.
Defense: The Ravens defense is all about pressure. The Ravens blitz at the highest rate in the NFL. DC Wink Martindale uses multiple looks to confuse quarterbacks by disguising blitzes and coverage. The lynch pin of the scheme is the secondary, which can be left on an island while the front brings pressure. Look for the Ravens to continue this trend in 2021, going after QBs to force mistakes.
Conclusion: The Ravens project as one of the stronger squads in the NFL, but they have a lot to prove to take the next step.
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