Every year, we hear teams get routinely hyped up by their own fans and by the media that covers the team. Every year, teams will surprise or disappoint based on expectations from the national media or the fans of said team. This year, the Baltimore Ravens are not an exception to the rule.
After the draft and free agency concluded, the Ravens defense walked away looking like winner with the new additions of Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams, and Chris Wormely in the first three rounds and Tony Jefferson and Brandon Carr in free agency. After the draft and free agency, many were left with too many questions about the offense. Sure, the additions of Danny Woodhead and Jeremy Maclin gave Joe Flacco too reliable targets, but the lack of a meaningful addition along the offensive line left many uneasy when it was announced that James Hurst was taking the majority of the first team reps at right tackle.
Fast forward into training camp, and there may be more questions and concerns than many Ravens fans would like to admit. With key losses across the team in the form of Tavon Young, Maurice Canady, Crockett Gilmore, Dennis Pitta, John Urschel, Nico Siragusa , and Kenneth Dixon. Some of the losses, like Gilmore, Pitta, Urschel, and Siragusa, should be easy to stomach and manage because they were not expected to make big contributions to the team to begin with. However, the losses of Dixon, Canady, and Young especially, will be felt. Dixon was expected to challenge for the starting running backs job, Young was expected to take over the starting slot cornerback role, and Canady was expected to take over for Young when Young tore his ACL.
There still remains a sense of optimism around the Ravens fans despite the losses, but questions still remain that should leave fans feeling uneasy. Can Breshad Perriman take the next step and turn into the second wide receiver the Ravens have drafted to go over 1000 yards? Can Alex Lewis take the next step as a run blocker in a more gap/man centered blocking scheme? Will the newly acquired Austin Howard bounce back from his injuries the previous year and be able to fill in at right tackle? Will Ryan Jensen turn into the next Matt Birk at center for the Ravens or will he be the next Gino Gradkowski? Who will man the slot cornerback duties for the Ravens? Will Brandon Carr be a serviceable cornerback for the Ravens or will he continue to show his age and decline and revert back to a 2015 Brandon Carr? Can Kamalei Correa take the next step and become the next Ravens’ gem at inside linebacker? Will Joe Flacco fix his footwork?
Yes, I will admit there is plenty to be optimistic about. The Ravens landed a top 15 talent in Tim Williams in the third round, proving to be one of the biggest steals of the draft alongside Reuben Foster. Marlon Humphrey has turned in some very dominant performances in camp to ease concerns over what happens if Brandon Carr struggles. Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson look like the next big thing at safety for the Ravens. Danny Woodhead has shown no lingering effects from his ACL tear a season ago and looks like he will be a dominant force out of the backfield as a pass catcher.
So, with all of this in mind, what are the expectations for the 2017 Baltimore Ravens? What is the best and worst-case scenario for the upcoming season? What can the Baltimore Ravens become, for better or for worse?
As a best case scenario, I think we might see one of the most well balanced Ravens teams in Baltimore history, even better than the 2006 team. If Austin Howard and Ryan Jensen can prove to just simply be serviceable, Joe Flacco has weapons across the board to sling passes across the field. An offensive line that shows marked improvement could also bolster the confidence that Flacco has in himself and help him regain his confidence in his footwork. This could be the best offense that the Ravens have ever had with a balanced attack from a very underrated Terrence West as a runner and a passing game that could be better than any the Ravens have ever had, including the one seen during the 2014 season.
Defensively, this defense should be absolutely terrifying. All signs point to Matthew Judon having taken the next step and a pass rush featuring Judon, Williams, Brandon Williams, and Terrell Suggs should keep quarterbacks and offensive lines restless. On the backside of the defense, the newly acquired Jefferson should help pair with CJ Mosley to keep tight ends and running backs in check and the trio of Jimmy Smith, Carr, and Humphrey should provide excellent coverage to allow Weddle’s instincts to take over and allow him to be a much bigger play maker than he was even last season, which is really saying something.
If everything pans out for the team, we could be looking at true Super Bowl contenders. Defensively, there isn’t an offense in the NFL that could keep the Ravens in check if they’re firing on all cylinders. This defense has Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos potential. Offensively, we’ve seen quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Tom Brady take the next step late in their career and with a bevy of weapons, this might be the year that Joe Flacco can put up one of the truly elite offenses in the NFL for the Ravens.
However, what does the team look like if not everything clicks? Defensively, the Ravens are relying on a lot of rookies. It is entirely possible that Marlon Humphrey, like most rookie cornerbacks, struggles and has a tough transition in his first year. Brandon Carr, another year older, turns in a performance like 2015 where he was routinely roasted. Terrell Suggs, also another year older, finally hits a wall and is no longer the dominant HOF-worthy force Ravens are used to seeing. Matthew Judon shows that he was not actually taking the next step, but was the beneficiary of opportunity after Elvis Dumervil was released to allow him the fast track to the starting role. On the defensive line, Williams fails to live up to his massive contract and registers no sacks and is invisible as a pass rusher in his new defensive tackle role.
Offensively, Lewis shows no improvement as a run blocker, Howard shows that last year was no fluke, and Jensen proves to be another Gradkowski. With no offensive line to speak of, West is unable to find running room and the offense is forced to turn to Joe Flacco heavily, like the 2013 season. With the increased pressure (from the opposing defense and his own team), Flacco cracks. He is unable to improve his footwork and looks like a mess, much like the 2016 season, and this leads to another 2013 season where he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and finished with a career high in turnovers. The talents of Perriman, Mike Wallace, and Maclin are thrown to waste and Wallace leaves disgruntled in free agency following the season, setting the Ravens back again in the receiving department.
Which of the two Ravens will show up? The ones that defy expectations or the ones that live up to their 28th spot in Elliot Harrison’s power rankings? If I were to make an educated guess and take a swing out of what I expect for the upcoming season, I fully expect this Ravens team to be a playoff contender and an eventual Super Bowl contender. With a fairly favorable schedule to open up the season, it’s entirely possible we see the Ravens start 3-0 and allow the new acquisition much needed time to gel with the offense before taking on the first big threat of the season in the Pittsburgh Steelers… in Baltimore, which has its own added benefits.
I would fully expect to see a double digit wins team with the potential to win up to 13 games. The only losses that I could see definitely happening are against the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers in Lambeu, the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and the Oakland Raiders in Oakland. Even then, the Ravens are a much more experienced team than the Titans and the Ravens will be coming off of a bye-week ahead of the match-up with the Packers. Every other game has major win potential, in my opinion, for the Ravens.
Individually, I am going to go extremely bold and say that I expect 1,000 yard seasons from Perriman and West. I expect Joe Flacco to cross 4,000 yards for the second straight year and cross 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career, all while limiting his interceptions to below 15. Defensively, I will again go bold and say that I expect Tim Williams, Brandon Williams, and Matt Judon to combine for at least 15 sacks as a group. On the backend, we will say Humphrey, Jefferson, and Smith, three players not known to be ballhawks, combine for at least 10 interceptions.
In my opinion, we might be looking at what could become one of the strongest Ravens teams in Baltimore history.
After the draft and free agency concluded, the Ravens defense walked away looking like winner with the new additions of Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser, Tim Williams, and Chris Wormely in the first three rounds and Tony Jefferson and Brandon Carr in free agency. After the draft and free agency, many were left with too many questions about the offense. Sure, the additions of Danny Woodhead and Jeremy Maclin gave Joe Flacco too reliable targets, but the lack of a meaningful addition along the offensive line left many uneasy when it was announced that James Hurst was taking the majority of the first team reps at right tackle.
Fast forward into training camp, and there may be more questions and concerns than many Ravens fans would like to admit. With key losses across the team in the form of Tavon Young, Maurice Canady, Crockett Gilmore, Dennis Pitta, John Urschel, Nico Siragusa , and Kenneth Dixon. Some of the losses, like Gilmore, Pitta, Urschel, and Siragusa, should be easy to stomach and manage because they were not expected to make big contributions to the team to begin with. However, the losses of Dixon, Canady, and Young especially, will be felt. Dixon was expected to challenge for the starting running backs job, Young was expected to take over the starting slot cornerback role, and Canady was expected to take over for Young when Young tore his ACL.
There still remains a sense of optimism around the Ravens fans despite the losses, but questions still remain that should leave fans feeling uneasy. Can Breshad Perriman take the next step and turn into the second wide receiver the Ravens have drafted to go over 1000 yards? Can Alex Lewis take the next step as a run blocker in a more gap/man centered blocking scheme? Will the newly acquired Austin Howard bounce back from his injuries the previous year and be able to fill in at right tackle? Will Ryan Jensen turn into the next Matt Birk at center for the Ravens or will he be the next Gino Gradkowski? Who will man the slot cornerback duties for the Ravens? Will Brandon Carr be a serviceable cornerback for the Ravens or will he continue to show his age and decline and revert back to a 2015 Brandon Carr? Can Kamalei Correa take the next step and become the next Ravens’ gem at inside linebacker? Will Joe Flacco fix his footwork?
Yes, I will admit there is plenty to be optimistic about. The Ravens landed a top 15 talent in Tim Williams in the third round, proving to be one of the biggest steals of the draft alongside Reuben Foster. Marlon Humphrey has turned in some very dominant performances in camp to ease concerns over what happens if Brandon Carr struggles. Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson look like the next big thing at safety for the Ravens. Danny Woodhead has shown no lingering effects from his ACL tear a season ago and looks like he will be a dominant force out of the backfield as a pass catcher.
So, with all of this in mind, what are the expectations for the 2017 Baltimore Ravens? What is the best and worst-case scenario for the upcoming season? What can the Baltimore Ravens become, for better or for worse?
As a best case scenario, I think we might see one of the most well balanced Ravens teams in Baltimore history, even better than the 2006 team. If Austin Howard and Ryan Jensen can prove to just simply be serviceable, Joe Flacco has weapons across the board to sling passes across the field. An offensive line that shows marked improvement could also bolster the confidence that Flacco has in himself and help him regain his confidence in his footwork. This could be the best offense that the Ravens have ever had with a balanced attack from a very underrated Terrence West as a runner and a passing game that could be better than any the Ravens have ever had, including the one seen during the 2014 season.
Defensively, this defense should be absolutely terrifying. All signs point to Matthew Judon having taken the next step and a pass rush featuring Judon, Williams, Brandon Williams, and Terrell Suggs should keep quarterbacks and offensive lines restless. On the backside of the defense, the newly acquired Jefferson should help pair with CJ Mosley to keep tight ends and running backs in check and the trio of Jimmy Smith, Carr, and Humphrey should provide excellent coverage to allow Weddle’s instincts to take over and allow him to be a much bigger play maker than he was even last season, which is really saying something.
If everything pans out for the team, we could be looking at true Super Bowl contenders. Defensively, there isn’t an offense in the NFL that could keep the Ravens in check if they’re firing on all cylinders. This defense has Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos potential. Offensively, we’ve seen quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Tom Brady take the next step late in their career and with a bevy of weapons, this might be the year that Joe Flacco can put up one of the truly elite offenses in the NFL for the Ravens.
However, what does the team look like if not everything clicks? Defensively, the Ravens are relying on a lot of rookies. It is entirely possible that Marlon Humphrey, like most rookie cornerbacks, struggles and has a tough transition in his first year. Brandon Carr, another year older, turns in a performance like 2015 where he was routinely roasted. Terrell Suggs, also another year older, finally hits a wall and is no longer the dominant HOF-worthy force Ravens are used to seeing. Matthew Judon shows that he was not actually taking the next step, but was the beneficiary of opportunity after Elvis Dumervil was released to allow him the fast track to the starting role. On the defensive line, Williams fails to live up to his massive contract and registers no sacks and is invisible as a pass rusher in his new defensive tackle role.
Offensively, Lewis shows no improvement as a run blocker, Howard shows that last year was no fluke, and Jensen proves to be another Gradkowski. With no offensive line to speak of, West is unable to find running room and the offense is forced to turn to Joe Flacco heavily, like the 2013 season. With the increased pressure (from the opposing defense and his own team), Flacco cracks. He is unable to improve his footwork and looks like a mess, much like the 2016 season, and this leads to another 2013 season where he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and finished with a career high in turnovers. The talents of Perriman, Mike Wallace, and Maclin are thrown to waste and Wallace leaves disgruntled in free agency following the season, setting the Ravens back again in the receiving department.
Which of the two Ravens will show up? The ones that defy expectations or the ones that live up to their 28th spot in Elliot Harrison’s power rankings? If I were to make an educated guess and take a swing out of what I expect for the upcoming season, I fully expect this Ravens team to be a playoff contender and an eventual Super Bowl contender. With a fairly favorable schedule to open up the season, it’s entirely possible we see the Ravens start 3-0 and allow the new acquisition much needed time to gel with the offense before taking on the first big threat of the season in the Pittsburgh Steelers… in Baltimore, which has its own added benefits.
I would fully expect to see a double digit wins team with the potential to win up to 13 games. The only losses that I could see definitely happening are against the Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers in Lambeu, the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and the Oakland Raiders in Oakland. Even then, the Ravens are a much more experienced team than the Titans and the Ravens will be coming off of a bye-week ahead of the match-up with the Packers. Every other game has major win potential, in my opinion, for the Ravens.
Individually, I am going to go extremely bold and say that I expect 1,000 yard seasons from Perriman and West. I expect Joe Flacco to cross 4,000 yards for the second straight year and cross 30 touchdowns for the first time in his career, all while limiting his interceptions to below 15. Defensively, I will again go bold and say that I expect Tim Williams, Brandon Williams, and Matt Judon to combine for at least 15 sacks as a group. On the backend, we will say Humphrey, Jefferson, and Smith, three players not known to be ballhawks, combine for at least 10 interceptions.
In my opinion, we might be looking at what could become one of the strongest Ravens teams in Baltimore history.
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