NFL Offseason Roadmap: Baltimore Ravens

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

The Baltimore Ravens have already taken their first step toward 2008. John Harbaugh is the new coach and brings with him the expectation of a more disciplined team that takes better advantage of its resources. Some have argued that this team is close to playoff position but, truthfully, change is needed to restore this team to the level of a contender. As it has for years, the major obstacle for the Ravens to overcome is at football's marquee position.

1. Quarterback – Elvis Grbac. Randall Cunningham. Jeff Blake. Chris Redman. Kyle Boller. Anthony Wright. Steve McNair. Those are the men who have started at quarterback for the Ravens since Trent Dilfer won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. Other than McNair in 2006, not a one of them has done anything to earn a second season on the job, and McNair went down in flames in year two. Boller didn't embarrass himself at the end of this season but he didn't do anything to warm the cockles of your heart either.

Billick was Boller's biggest champion and we don't know who will be running the offense in 2008, so it's anybody's guess as to who will be under center.

With the eighth pick they are set up to take one of the top QBs in the draft and could have that player play behind Boller until he's ready for the job. Unless the new guy loves Troy Smith, that seems like the most likely route come April. If they do pick a quarterback, the futures of Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome will be entwined with that rookie's development so they best choose wisely.

2. Cornerback – The injuries to Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle were devastating to the defense's effectiveness in 2007. The Ravens were safe to play an attacking style because they were blessed with two fine corners but when they went down the cupboard was bare. Big gains were the norm and the depth players showed no signs of being on their way to NFL starting lineups. Rolle's salary and epilepsy may make him expendable which would ratchet up the need. At the very least, the Ravens have to improve their depth at corner and begin planning for a future without their two All-Pros.

3. Terrell Suggs – Suggs isn't the best player on the Ravens defense but he's important to their scheme. They need someone who can get after the quarterback, a role Suggs filled with aplomb for his first four seasons. His production was way off this season, though, and the team needs to figure out if that was slippage on his part or a result of the injuries that forced them to play a different style. If it was the former, they should use their resources elsewhere because they've done a good job of building depth at linebacker but if it is the latter they should franchise him before he starts getting big offers from other clubs.

4. Offensive line – The Ravens loaded up on linemen in last year's draft. Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda should start on the right side next season and Mike Flynn will probably give way to second-year man Chris Chester at center. With Jason Brown at left guard, that could be a very good line. It would also be a very young one, which is why Jonathan Ogden's return would be a boon to the offense. Another rookie, Jared Gaither, could replace him in time but probably isn't ready to be their left tackle in 2008. If Ogden isn't coming back, the team needs to know ASAP so they can fill the hole with someone more ready than Gaither.

5. Fresh Starts – Ogden's situation is representative of the larger issues facing the Ravens. Several players of value, including Ray Lewis, Trevor Pryce and Derrick Mason, are approaching the end of their careers. Some of them, Lewis and Ogden in particular, have been outspoken about the shortcomings of coaches and game plans in the past and the team needs to decide how much they want to clean the slate.

It might not serve them well in the short term but a famous Branch Rickey axiom maintains that it's better to get rid of players a year too early than a year too late. If the Ravens want to start from scratch, they've got a lot of aging players who need to hit the road.