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Baltimore Ravens Round table: The best what if scenarios in team lore

By Richard Bradshaw

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 25: Wide receiver Lee Evans #83 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the first half of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 25, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 25: Wide receiver Lee Evans #83 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Redskins during the first half of a preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 25, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Jalen Ramsey #20 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts during the second half of the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 21: Jalen Ramsey #20 of the Jacksonville Jaguars reacts during the second half of the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 21, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Cory Hughes:

“What if…” the Ravens successfully traded up for Jalen Ramsey?

My mother used to rifle off a series of “what if’s” every time I made an unwise decision as a kid and I used to hate it. Now, as an adult it pops into my head with every waking scenario that goes on in the world. Its something we as sports fans do quite too often. If you’re a Ravens fan, you’ll know it seems we ask ourselves a lot more frequently than the other fanbases in all of sports do. Especially when it comes to drafting.

One I just can’t seem to shake is the 2016 NFL Draft. The Ravens went 5-11 that year with a riddle of injuries, putting a league high 22 players on IR. But the draft spot the organization was in wasn’t exactly the best, with the team owning the sixth overall selection.

The big names players in that draft, Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliot and Jalen Ramsey were most likely all going to be off the board when Ozzie went on the clock. And that’s exactly what happened. The organization changing players all went off the board, but the Ravens got a franchise left tackle in Ronnie Stanley.

An opportunity arose where the Ravens could have wound up with Dallas’ fourth overall selection via trade. Who was the target? None other than Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

Ramsey, a 2017 Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro selection, might be one of the leagues most important pieces to any defense. He’s loud, he’s flamboyant, and he could be the best corner in the game right now, and boy he doesn’t let you forget it.

When you think about that “almost” trade, the Ravens would have walked away with a player to take over on a defense that’s needed a young vocal leader in the secondary since Ed Reed hung up his cleats. Maybe with the addition of Ramsey, the Ravens have the most feared defense in the NFL, and not the Jaguars.

Had the trade been made, however, the Ravens wouldn’t have walked away with a franchise left tackle in Stanley. I completely understand the other side of the argument. But knowing what you know now, and I asked you to choose between Ramsey and Stanley, I’m not sure many people could give me a definitive and confident answer. I know that because as I write this now, I don’t know who I would take.

If Ozzie had traded up and drafted Ramsey, what substantial changes would be on the roster as of now? You could take on a dozen different scenarios of who is on the roster and who isn’t. For starters, Marlon Humphrey. If the front office takes a guy as talented as Ramsey do they still write Marlon Humphrey’s name on the draft card the following year? With Jimmy Smith’s health issues and Ozzie Newsome love affair for Alabama players it still could be very possible he takes him with the 16th overall selection. Imagine a Marlon Humphrey and Jalen Ramsey led secondary? Now that’s a what if.

Next. Hall of Fame game: 3 things we want to see from the Baltimore Ravens. dark

If the organization takes Ramsey, they obviously miss out on Ronnie Stanley. So, the biggest question mark is what do they do at left tackle? Do they draft Ryan Ramczyk in the 2017 NFL Draft? Do they reach on Garrett Bolles and pass on Humphrey? Maybe they find a way to keep Kelechi Osemele and James Hurst at the tackle positions.

The 2016 draft is one I try my best not to revisit, but here I am doing such. Ramsey isn’t the only big “what if” regarding that draft. In the second round the Ravens passed on two big name players that would have altered the curse of the franchise. The Ravens not only had the opportunity to add a big play cornerback in Ramsey, they also the chance to add a linebacker in Myles Jack and a big play wide receiver in Michael Thomas, instead drafting Kamalei Correa and Bronson Kaufusi. Just Imagine how different the offense would look with Thomas or how different the defense would look with Jack.

I told you it’s a phrase that will drive you insane, didn’t I?

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