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Baltimore Ravens offseason: Answering your burning questions

By Chris Schisler

General manager Eric DeCosta of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
General manager Eric DeCosta of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Dec 6, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) and Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack (51) meet as captains at mid field prior to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) and Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack (51) meet as captains at mid field prior to the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

The next couple of questions:

@Charlesharsha23 asks: Is Alex Mack a viable candidate to address the center issues? Seems like he could be Lamar Jackson‘s Matt Birk

Answer: I am conflicted on this one. On one hand, he’s a veteran player that probably wouldn’t break the bank. He’s 35 years old and he’s been solid his whole career. At times he’s been great. The Matt Birk comparison is a good one. He could be the experienced center that rights the ship.

Let’s look at the other hand. His best days in the NFL are past him. He would be a bandage over the problem, not the team building fix. That’s why I wouldn’t do it.

I would rather draft somebody in the third or fourth round. In the best-case scenario, the rookie shows promise right away and starts. In the worst-case scenario, Bradley Bozeman moves back to his original position. So I wouldn’t sign Mack. Mack is one year younger than Marshal Yanda, who just retired after the 2019 season. Several seasons ago, I would have been all for Mack coming to Baltimore. It’s just not the right move now.

Cj_Arrington1 asks: What’s the dream off-season for this team? And what improvements internally could be done to make this team better?

Answer: Well a dream offseason would give the Ravens a contract extension for Lamar Jackson and a weapon that changes the offense around him. A dream offseason to me sounds like this. The Ravens sign Allen Robinson in free agency. They draft a pass rusher in the first round, who becomes an instant game-changer. Towards the middle of the draft, they get their starting center of the foreseeable future. So a dream offseason includes:

  • Jackson getting an extension
  • The best free-agent wide receiver coming to Baltimore
  • Two draft needs met at the appropriate times.

Since it’s a dream offseason, you can also add a new deal to keep Yannick Ngakoue. A dream offseason is going to be hard to pull off. That’s why it’s called a dream offseason. If I was Eric DeCosta, I would be looking at the parts of the dream I could make come true, and make the best I could out of the rest.

When it comes to internal changes it really depends on what you mean. If you are looking for coaching changes you got them. The Ravens have had a lot of assistant coaches come and go already this offseason. It will be very interesting to see how the coaching staff changes impact the team this season.

The Ravens need to say goodbye to D.J. Fluker. The offensive line can’t be put in a position where they have to rely on him. Baltimore must make better use of their offensive playmakers. That includes James Proche, who they didn’t use at all.

The biggest change the Ravens need to make is for John Harbaugh to stop taxing players for their inexperience. The best players have to play and they shouldn’t have to wait for their turn. For example, the second-year player, Ben Powers should have been starting right away this year. Hopefully, that answers your question.

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