My avid love for the Baltimore Ravens has been constant from the day we drafted #52, the beloved Ray Lewis. From day one I have had faith in the front office staff and the decisions they make, sometime questionable but almost always successful (minus the Kyle Boller era). The belief in Ozzie has never wavered and it won’t begin any time soon.
While some fans are sweating and chomping at the bit for a superstar signing, I along with numerous other Ravens faithful sit patiently, knowing full well the right moves will be made. Whether it’s snagging the perfect fit mid to late in the first round of the draft, or locking down free agents at half the price throughout the summer as their salary demands rapidly decrease, Ozzie most certainly has a plan, albeit one not many can decipher until training camp when the rosters are finalized. This season is no different.
Elite names such as, DeMarco Murray, longtime Raven Haloti Ngata and even veteran Andre Johnson have all been plucked off the market and placed in new homes, leaving the free agent pool scarce and practically empty. Resigning journeyman RB Justin Forsett was a priority, a call that had to happen based on his outstanding 2014 season. Next on the docket, a steady WR to replace Torrey Smith who made his way to the 49ers squad. A flash in the pan most games in my eyes, it shouldn’t be hard to fill in his spot, heck there is enough talent in the current roster to do it. A healthy Dennis Pitta should be on tap for the start of training camp and Marlon Brown is another year older and wiser, causing his stats to dramatically increase. With a plethora of picks in the upcoming draft and the large number of available rookie WRs able to make a sudden impact on any team, the options are vast for Baltimore staff.
Most critics will say that sooner or later Ozzie has to make a splash on the free market, I strongly disagree. Take the Haloti Ngata situation for example. Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams played solid enough to be able to step in and fill that hole perfectly. The trade freed up a ton of salary cap room and landed more picks in the draft. Not to necessarily use but to possibly swap with another team to move up and take a star WR such as Kevin White, Amari Cooper, or underestimated Jalen Strong. With a scouting staff and mindset that has given us guys like CJ Mosley, Ed Reed, Marshal Yanda and the model Raven, Ray Lewis, all at late picks in the draft, there is little need to worry. Yes there has been mistakes made by Ozzie, Matt Elam and Arthur Brown are massive miscues, but that is something that is guaranteed in an age where college players can fall into failure quicker than Jets fans can jump back on the Revis bandwagon.
One thing is for certain as May in Chicago approaches, Mr. Newsome , a former TE superstar, has a decisive plan in mind. He will, along with his crew, fix whatever problems the team has, the holes will be filled whether it be the next man up mantra that the Ravens stand by, through the draft or even letting certain free agents sweat on the sidelines, dropping their contract expectations only to be snapped up mid summer. I personally wouldn’t be shocked if the latter was the option they went with. They usually do.
So as Aaron Rodgers says, R-E-L-A-X! Ravens Nation has one of the best general managers in the league. He will take care of this franchise as he so often does every season, making the team a competitive force in the AFC and most importantly the league.
