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NFL Draft aftermath: Answering questions from Ravens Flock

By Chris Schisler

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 20: Rashod Bateman #0 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers warms up before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at TCF Bank Stadium on November 20, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - NOVEMBER 20: Rashod Bateman #0 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers warms up before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at TCF Bank Stadium on November 20, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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Baltimore Ravens
Nov 28, 2020; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Tylan Wallace (2) catches a touchdown pass during a football game against Texas Tech at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Terry-USA TODAY Sports /

Next Question:

@A_Brown4719 asks: Do you think the Ravens are attacking the Super Bowl this year or building to win multiple Super Bowls?

Answer: The Baltimore Ravens offseason seems like the balance of both. Are the Ravens going for it this year? Absolutely. Lamar Jackson’s rookie contract is almost up, and after they give him an extension business changes.

The free agency front points you to a team that really wants it now. Including the presumptive signing of an offensive tackle, the Ravens will get a stop-gap measure for the offensive line. Signing Alejandro Villanueva for example wouldn’t be a long-term play.

Kevin Zeitler gives the Ravens a starter at right guard that they couldn’t wait for. Watkins is a veteran receiver that can come in and do just enough to make things work for the passing game. If the Ravens signed a more coveted receiver, that would have been a sign of urgency to win now.

The 2021 NFL Draft looks like more of the long-term thinking. Odafe Oweh is a pass rusher who still needs to develop a bit. The Ravens know firsthand how hard it is to get production out of rookie receivers, and they just added two of them.

Shaun Wade and Brandon Stephens could come in and help right away. That strikes me however as two defensive backs that could grow into key pieces later on. Stephens is thought by many pundits to be set for the safety position. Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott are your likely starters. Wade is going to be a nickel back that can eventually take over the job. He’s a post-Jimmy Smith and Tavon Young commodity.

So the long story short is that the Ravens are trying to win now, but they’ve been careful to lay the groundwork for the future. Eric DeCosta wants the Lamar Jackson era to be filled with more than one championship.

@DJ_BMORE asks: Which starter or significant contributor will be traded before the season starts?

Answer: I don’t think there will be a player traded before the season. Orlando Brown Jr. to the Chiefs was your one big trade of the offseason. If I had to take a guess, one player who could be on their way out is Miles Boykin. If the Ravens could get something out of Boykin, who is just 24 years old, they may as well try.

Isn’t it weird? A week ago the Ravens didn’t have enough receivers. Now they have receivers facing the roster bubble.

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