Ravens Top Offseason Needs

Baltimore has numerous free agents and injuries to overcome.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens are heading into an uncertain offseason.

They have several key players eligible for free agency.

The Ravens also finished the year with 19 players on IR and it's still too early to tell how those injured players will be able to contribute next season. 

"As a coach, you look at the roster, but from a bigger-picture standpoint, you’ve got to understand the cap ramifications of all those guys, the contract issues," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Can you get somebody else in free agency? Is there going to be a cap casualty? Is this a good area in the draft? Who are we going to get in the draft and at what spot? 

"So, those are the things you really spend a lot of time looking at – in terms of prioritizing how you spend that money – and that’s something that [executive vice president & general manager] Eric [DeCosta], and [executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome], [vice president of football administration] and Nick [Matteo] and the crew, [senior vice president of football operations] Pat [Moriarty], they all do that. So, we’ll see how it plays out.”

Still, the Raves are going to have some glaring holes on the roster.

Here are their biggest needs heading into the offseason:

Cornerback

The unit was decimated with injuries as both starters — Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey — were lost for the season. Peters has a $15.6 million cap hit this season, so he might need to restructure. Chris Westry and Kevon Seymour were forced into bigger roles and had some growing pains. Cornerback Jimmy Smith safety Anthony Levine Sr. offered a veteran presence in perhaps their last season for the Ravens. Anthony Averett, Khalil Dorsey and Westry are free agents, so the Ravens need to find depth.  It would not be surprising to see the Ravens take a cornerback in the first round of the draft. 

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Defensive Line

The Ravens were stout against the run and often made teams one-dimensional. Defensive Calais Campbell and nose tackle Brandon Williams made plays all season, but they are free agents and considering retirement. Second-year Justin Madubuike showed he can be a reliable starter. Broderick Washington (16 tackles) also made plays, but he needs more development. Defensive tackles Justin Ellis and Aaron Crawford are also free agents. The hope is Derek Wolfe can return healthy after missing all of last season. The Ravens still need a player that can boost the interior pass rush.

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Safety

Strong safety Chuck Clark was the only remaining starter in the secondary by the end of the season. Free DeShon Elliott was lost for the season and is a free agent. Brandon Stephens stepped into the starting role when Elliott went down. Geno Stone played well when thrust into action, but he is also a free agent. Ar'Darius Washington showed potential but he is coming off a season-ending foot injury. Baltimore was forced to bring back Tony Jefferson because of the number of injuries As it stands, the Ravens have almost no depth at this position.

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Offensive Line

This unit was under pressure all season, especially after left tackle Ronnie Stanley went down with an ankle injury in the season opener. The Ravens are hopeful Stanley can return healthy this season and resume his spot at left tackle. Alejandro Villanueva moved from right tackle to the left side but was largely inconsistent. Villanueva and guard Ben Powers could be salary-cap casualties. Bradley Bozeman made a solid transition to center but is a free agent this offseason and the Ravens might need to fill that role. Baltimore will add at least two offensive linemen in this yea's draft, perhaps with its first-round pick if a solid player falls to them, such as Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum.  

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