Well, y’all, this is probably the last time a lot of us will be talking Ravens football for a while. I’m going to miss the frequency of the interactions with football social media for the next few months, especially with my Flock members, but this has been probably the single most difficult season I’ve ever had as a Ravens fan, so a break is welcome at this point.
I think a lot of us are there right now mentally, whether it’s because we’re still reeling from how the season ended, or we’re lamenting having a record-breaking number of injuries, or just thinking about all of the missed opportunities. It’s painful, and as much as we’d like to ask ourselves “what if,” it’s not going to solve anything. All we can do now is look forward.
In the interest of doing that, I’m going to start with something that’s not pleasant for any of us: change. More specifically, the uncertainty that change represents. The season’s end may mark a merciful end to a heartbreaking string of losses, but unfortunately, it also marks the last time we may see some of our guys donning a Ravens uniform. That part of football is an inevitability, no matter how long a postseason would have delayed it.
I can’t pretend like I know the kind of personnel moves that Baltimore’s front office is mulling right now, but it sure sounds like some of our guys do.
.@BSBoze on his future: pic.twitter.com/fzNSELawxh
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 10, 2022
Seeing Bradley Bozeman that emotional when talking about his future breaks my heart. Not only is Boze a really solid football player whose performance improved as the season progressed, but he’s also just a really good dude. After all, you don’t get nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for no reason. The charitable work that he and his wife Nikki have done during his time as a Raven has been so awesome, and I’ll drop the link here if you haven’t already seen their foundation.
A couple of other players spoke out about the uncertainty of their futures as well, but the range of their reactions was anywhere from unfazed to optimistic.
"As long as they want me, I'll be here."@BrandonW_66 on his future: pic.twitter.com/KVLi5xmoLw
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 10, 2022
"I don't know." @CalaisCampbell on what his future holds pic.twitter.com/Lr7NEHnmdO
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 9, 2022
Thank you #RavensFlock for all the 💜 during this challenging season. I’ll remember this season as a team that never gave up. A team full of FIGHTERS that faced every obstacle head on and made the most of it. Excited to see what the future holds for Year 6 🙏🏼💪🏼🥞 pic.twitter.com/Khp16W1RFs
— Pat Ricard (@PRic508) January 10, 2022
Regardless of what happens next, I love being in Baltimore. I love my brothers I got to play with while I was here. The Organization for giving me a chance injury after injury, the culture, the fans. Been a blessing to be here, just the start of a long career. Never Quit.
— DeShon Elliott (@OfficialShon_4) January 10, 2022
Optimism, while it might be hard right now, is definitely the way we need to approach this coming offseason. After all, it’s hard to get much worse than what we went through, and the changes to come aren’t all uncertain. For example, we know that the road ahead, at least on paper, looks significantly smoother than it did this past season.
Our 2022 opponents are set. pic.twitter.com/bioQWSQE4x
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 10, 2022
By virtue of the season-ending struggles, Baltimore is also in a significantly better position to bring in a high-profile playmaker in the Draft.
We have the 14th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.https://t.co/iQOqiIrOze
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 10, 2022
The 14th overall pick is the highest Draft selection that the Ravens have had since 2016, when they selected Ronnie Stanley. They currently hold nine selections in the first four rounds, with the possibility that the compensatory selection for Matt Judon could improve from a fourth rounder to a third rounder. After having an unbelievable 25 players on IR throughout the year, the combination of improved health, a smoother schedule and an infusion of young talent could be just what this team needs.
Our skipper Tony Lombardi ended one of his recent pieces with this clip, but it bears repeating, so I’m going to include it again.
"Watch how we bounce back." @ChuckC36 pic.twitter.com/wA3VmVbpNo
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 9, 2022
Keep your heads up, Flock. There are better days soon, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.