Baltimore Ravens: 3 reasons for renewed optimism on offense
2) Legitimate outside targets
Ozzie Newsome went to work when it came to revamping the receiving corps that was dismal last year. Now to be fair, that position group wasn’t always healthy. Nonetheless, the leading receiver last season was Mike Wallace with 52 receptions for 748 yards and 4 touchdowns, in a passing offense that ranked 29th in the league. It was no secret that was the weak spot for the Ravens last year, and maybe that’s why Newsome moved back into the first round to select QB Lamar Jackson.
That move was for the future, but Ozzie also gave the Ravens the best chance to win in the present. Signing WRs Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead, the Ravens finally seem to have some reliable targets on the outside.
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Crabtree, Brown, and Snead are all proven NFL WRs, with Crabtree headlining as the No. 1 target. The Ravens have a trend of signing veteran wide receivers and milking their last years out of them, with those years often becoming their best years. Guys like Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. come to mind – and Ravens fans hope that’s the case with Crabtree.
The Ravens also used first and third round picks on tight ends in this year’s draft to try to finally give them a “Matchup Nightmare” on the offensive side of the ball. Flacco is known to love his tight ends, especially on third down or when the play breaks down, and that’s what they hope they’ve found in both Hurst and Andrews.
It seems that the Ravens have done enough to help Flacco out this season – as well as adding some motivation for him by drafting Lamar Jackson – so I’d expect a much improved passing game this season.