Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens have a blueprint for consistent success. The Ravens make it a priority to retain and reward their own players, they take  the best player available each year in the draft, and they rarely overspend or make big splashes in free agency.
Instead, they typically lay low and remain patient, waiting for the dust to settle in the initial wave of free agency before finding good value in players who are cut from other teams for whatever reason. Daryl Smith, Steve Smith and Owen Daniels serve as good examples of this formula in action. They all made significant contributions to what was a very solid campaign for the 2014 Ravens.
It’s an important model for success and one the Ravens should – for the most part – continue to follow. But if the Ravens want to get to the next level in 2015, Ozzie Newsome should try and reel in a big fish for Joe Flacco and the offense this offseason.
Rumor has it Gary Kubiak has already gone to Ozzie and expressed his desire to have a big playmaker on the Ravens roster in 2015. While the offense made huge strides from last year, there were times where it certainly felt like that element was missing. The Steve Smith experiment was a success, but he showed signs of wearing down as the season went on. Torrey Smith has big playmaking ability, but it’s now more obvious than ever that he never will be a number one guy. He’s a great complimentary piece, but he lacks the ability to take over a game the way A.J Green, Julio Jones or Demaryius Thomas can.
Speaking of Thomas, he should be the Ravens’ primary target this offseason. Sure he will demand a huge contract, and he will get it, whether it’s from the Broncos, the Ravens or someone else. And while the Ravens are tight against the cap right now, they have ways to create room, which Tony Lombardi outlined earlier this week.
The Ravens would be an attractive destination for Thomas. Denver right now is a mess. They just fired their head coach, Peyton Manning’s future is uncertain and even if he does return it will be likely for one year. It’s unlikely that a premier receiver in the prime of his career wants to be catching passes from a guy named Brock Osweiler. The Ravens would offer stability, a top tier quarterback with a huge arm, and the opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl every year.
There is a lot of work to do this offseason, and a lot of people will say the secondary is the biggest priority. While depth needs to be added because of the injury histories of Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith, the Ravens have an elite corner in Smith and one above average corner in Webb, who will hopefully restructure his deal. It’s not as a big a weakness as it appears on the surface.
Steve Smith will probably be back, and is a good complimentary piece. Torrey Smith is a solid receiver and a good guy, but if he wants top receiver money the Ravens should say thanks, but no thanks.
There are plenty of ways for the Ravens create some cap room, and it sure would be fun to see what Joe Flacco could do with a truly elite receiver like Demaryius Thomas.
