Run defense, more playmakers in demand for Baltimore Ravens this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens must use offseason to keep opponents off balance by building the run defense and adding more playmakers.

The narrative surrounding the offseason for the Baltimore Ravens has been, largely, to add edge-rush help and defensive line depth on defense, and a big-body possession receiver and interior line reinforcements on offense. Those are the spots most frequently identified as fixable holes that can help elevate the Ravens in their quest to lock down the franchise’s third Super Bowl trophy next season.

And they are. They absolutely are. It was obvious all season that the Ravens struggled getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks without blitzing, and the expected loss of Michael Pierce and others leaves the Ravens line pretty bare. On offense, much of the passing production in 2019 came from rookie receiver Marquise Brown and the three-headed monster at tight end, so a big receiver who can move the chains on the outside appears to be the missing link.

As for interior line, well, it played far above expectations in 2019, but all-world guard Marshal Yanda is a firm “maybe” regarding playing next season, and we saw the Tennessee Titans blow up the interior throughout the Divisional Round playoff loss. So, yeah, these four spots, along with some additional depth at corner, are the obvious roads to improvement.

But bear with me here for a second. What if the Ravens continue to zig while others zag?