Baltimore Ravens: Big takeaways from 2020-2021 season

Thoughts on Greg Roman and receivers:

• Is Greg Roman the problem with the offense underachieving in the playoffs? He contributes, no doubt. When you are the offensive coordinator, and the offense is not, well, coordinated, guess who that falls on?

But, just as it’s important to recognize what it is Jackson does well and build on that, Roman must be recognized as the best run-game coordinator in the league. His style, and skills, blended well with Jackson’s talents when he first became the starter and helped the team finish 11-5 this season.

But it does feel like things have gotten a little stale, and there is little question that the offense has fallen on its face in the playoffs. Is that on Roman? Jackson? An underwhelming interior offensive line? Receivers not winning their routes?

Yup.

But Roman is the coordinator. This lands on him, and he needs to come up with some solutions. I get the desire from many to change coordinators. But I also wonder what happens if the team strays away from what its franchise quarterback does best. My vote is to find another receiver and a center and give him one year to figure it out.

They need to win on first down to play their kind of football. Roman needs to prove next season the Ravens can do that — both in the regular season and the playoffs.

• Speaking of receivers, is it really a problem for a team that relies as heavily as it does on the run game to have a mediocre-to-poor receiving crew? Yeah, it is.

When you only throw “X” amount of times a game, it is critically important that you can make those passes count. Marquise Brown looks like a good pro, and Mark Andrews is a really good option at tight end, but nobody else has really established himself as of yet.

Willie Snead is a free agent, but he didn’t move the needle much. Devin Duvernay shows flashes but needs to develop. Miles Boykin… well, Boykin is a great blocker and an athletic marvel who can make a play for you but has not shown consistency.

The Ravens need that big guy outside who can win with size and can catch a slant and turn upfield, and I think they also need another guy who can create in the middle of the field. Brown is talented but hasn’t shown a real willingness to earn his money on the inside, and Andrews is a magnet for coverage. A shifty slot guy, a big outside receiver, and the development of Duvernay could give them a formidable group.

Yeah, I’d love Allen Robinson. He’d be perfect. But he could see upwards of $20 million a year. Is that feasible with other needs? I’m not saying no, mind you. Just food for thought.