Hunter Austin breaks down the team needs of the Baltimore Ravens, letting you know where the team’s focus will be this offseason during free agency and the 2012 NFL draft.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens came just short of the Super Bowl yet again. They haven’t been able to quite get over the hump and win that AFC Championship since they won the Super Bowl in 2001. They have several important free agents that they will need to re-sign in order to keep competing at the top of the AFC.
Key Free Agents: Matt Birk (C), Ben Grubbs (OG), Jarrett Johnson (LB), Ray Rice (RB), Lardarius Webb (CB)
Running Back: The entire Ravens organization will tell you how important Ray Rice is to the team’s success and the numbers don’t lie. Without Ray Rice this offense would score even less points than they already struggle to do. Re-signing Rice will be number one on the to-do list this offseason.
Offensive Tackle: Bryant McKinnie is one of the game’s greatest, but he isn’t getting any younger. The Ravens have a young tackle in Jah Reid, but they need to secure a backup plan in case Reid doesn’t pan out.
Offensive Guard: Ray Rice was able to contribute so much in the running game because of the great guard play in front of him all season long. Ben Grubbs had a great season and they need to re-sign him to keep that consistent play in front of Rice.
Center: Once again the heralded success of Rice comes from a great offensive line and Matt Birk is going to be a 36-year old free agent. The Ravens could draft Peter Konz with their first pick and have another great center for a long time.
Linebacker: The Ravens will most likely not be able to re-sign Jarrett Johnson so they will need to fill his position. They have Sergio Kindle who could get his chance to play or they could also draft someone like Vontaze Burfict who would definitely fit the Raven mold. If Ray Lewis can mentor this kid and teach him how to harness his aggression he could be really special.
