Does Ozzie Newsome have a crystal ball that allows him to see into the future? Or does he have a really reliable source within every NFL team that tips him off on upcoming moves? Either way it seems like this year more than ever, quality players that the Ravens were looking for to fill immediate needs have fallen to them, whether via the draft or as free agents and cap casualties.
One month ago you could count me among the biggest skeptics regarding the way the Ravens were going about their offseason business, as there were major holes everywhere. Baltimore didn’t have a pass-catching tight end with the uncertainty surrounding Dennis Pitta. They had done nothing to replace Torrey Smith and his ability to stretch defenses. And cornerback was a mirror image of 2014. Good options in free agency had dried up, and a lot of people including myself started asking, what is Ozzie doing? I should have known better – not like this was anything new.
Now, just one month later, the 2015 offseason has the potential to be one of Ozzie Newsome’s best, and considering his impressive resume, that’s saying something.
Yesterday’s signing of Kyle Arrington isn’t the flashiest, but it may be the most important move the Ravens made this offseason. Arrington isn’t an elite corner, but the Ravens don’t need him to be, and he fits the mold of the player they needed. He plays at his best in the slot, he’s durable, tough and is used to winning. He is an above average third corner and gives the Ravens the depth they lacked last year in the position that was ultimately their demise. It’s fair to question why the Patriots released him, but as Tony Lombardi pointed out in his knee jerk reaction to the signing, don’t read too much into it. The Patriots wanted him back, just at a cheaper price, and as Ravens fans that should be easy to understand. The Patriots likely thought he was the right player, just not at the price they were set to pay him.
It was a sad day when Torrey Smith signed with the 49ers, but the Ravens made it known from the get go they weren’t planning on getting in a bidding war for his services. They were able to replace him with a bigger, faster and cheaper player. While expectations should be tempered off the bat for Breshad Perriman, he has the skills to be better than Torrey. He will likely exceed the 767 yards that Torrey put up in 2014 this season, and while the 11 touchdowns might be an unfair expectation, the combination of Marlon Brown, Michael Campanaro and Kamar Aiken can offset that loss with Breshad as a group.
Trading a fifth round pick to jump ahead of the Steelers to snag Maxx Williams was a thing of beauty. Was Pittsburgh going to take him? Who knows, but regardless the Ravens got the best tight end in the draft and a player that they desperately needed. Williams will likely step into a starting role week one, and even if Dennis Pitta decides to give it another go, there is no reason to rush him back. The Ravens went from having one healthy tight end on the roster in Crockett Gillmore, to three after selecting Williams and Nick Boyle in the fifth round. Regardless of whether or not Pitta is able to return, the Ravens appear to be set at tight end for the foreseeable future.
In addition to these moves the Ravens were able to re-sign Justin Forsett, add a new starting safety in Kendrick Lewis and pick up arguably the best insurance policy they’ve ever had behind Joe Flacco. It’s still too early to tell if the savvy moves will transition to success on the field. The Ravens will need immediate impact from some rookies and can only hope they don’t have the misfortune of injuries they had last year. But early on you could make the argument they went from the third best team within their own division to one of the top three teams in the AFC, and that’s impressive.
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