During the weeks and days leading into the 2023 NFL Draft, the mood amongst the RavensFlock was rather subdued. Somberness hung over the team’s fanbase like a dark cloud that wouldn’t budge, anchored by the apparent contractual stubbornness of Lamar Jackson. And then, seemingly suddenly, the cloud parted. Blue skies decorated The Land of Pleasant Living.
The Ravens and Lamar had agreed to terms, in principle. And now today, the ink is dry on that 5-year, $260M deal.
Seemingly in a moment, the outlook for the 2023 season changed. Worrisome questions vanished. Concerns about Lamar refusing to play under the franchise tag or calling out after a hangnail, dissipated. Who would play quarterback during the coming season morphed into wonderment over how good the Ravens offense, the Ravens as a team could be. Collectively we pondered, and still do, “What if?”.
What if Lamar is re-energized by his newfound wealth, grows as a professional and not only rediscovers that 2019 MVP form but also progresses as a passer? What if Lamar forges a bond with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, a savvy coach who is known to pressure defenses with varied looks, unpredictable play calls from the same personnel packages and for pressuring defenses by stretching them to the boundaries in order to create windows of opportunity?
What if the previously oft-criticized, scantily decorated wide receiver room, takes the leap on the field that they’ve appeared to have done on paper? What if Odell Beckham, Jr.’s commitment to rehabilitation yields benefits on Sundays and he can give the team 14 to 16 quality games? What if Rashod Bateman can take that small sample size of productivity from 2022 and project it out over the entire 2023 campaign? What if complementary players like Nelson Agholor and Devin Duvernay can out play nickel and dime DB’s and help boost the depth of the Ravens offensive weaponry to dangerous heights? What if first-round pick Zay Flowers blooms (pun intended) into the best Day 1 wide receiver selection in team history?
What if Mark Andrews, given a new passing attack with an improved receiver room that stretches opposing defenses to their limits, has more room to navigate inside the numbers? And along those same lines, what if that potential development completely opens up the running game featuring a healthy J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, AND…perhaps a dangerous new weapon in the form of Keaton Mitchell who only needs a slight crevice in the defense in order to make a house call?
And what if the defense is even better than the squad that got a lift when Roquan Smith arrived. After 8 games last season, the Ravens defense ranked 24th, yielding 364.3 yards per game. After Roquan’s arrival the defense gave up just 288.8 YPG, a 20.7% drop off, placing them 10th for the season. To give that drop off perspective, the No. 1 ranked defense in terms of YPG during the entire 2022 campaign, was the San Francisco 49ers who gave up 300.6 YPG.
And there’s reason to be optimistic that they will build upon the momentum that Roquan provided.
Smith is looking to take his game to a new level. There are reports that he’s working with Ray Lewis to improve his ability to recognize/diagnose offensive tendencies and improve his pre-snap reads through more efficient film study. Familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald’s system and a full training camp to develop greater rapport with defensive mates, provide even more opportunities for advancement. Sidekick Patrick Queen was able to unleash his innate skills given the security blanket provided by Roquan’s presence. In 2023, he’ll play with a chip, driven by the promise of his next contract.
Kyle Hamilton came on strong towards the back end of 2022. His comfort level improved markedly and Macdonald creatively employed his secondary’s Swiss Army knife to create advantageous mismatches. Marcus Williams started 2022 on fire but lost several games due to a dislocated wrist. What if he picks up where he left off before the injury?
The career trajectory of Geno Stone and Brandon Stephens is moving in the right direction. What if that continues and they provide consistent quality depth and offer Macdonald even more weapons to counter opponents’ strengths in various nickel and dime packages?
What if the pass rush experiences a measurable boost with the addition to the coaching staff of pass rush specialist Chuck Smith who could unlock the potential of young, promising edge rushers David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh? And what if Justin Houston rejoins the squad providing an energetic and competent presence that belies his years along with leadership to replace the departed Calais Campbell.
What if the team’s altered training regimen clears a path to fewer names on the injury report?
What if all or most of this happens?
Can you see those blue skies?
12 Responses
Wow, that is ALOT of what ifs. Of course, being the devil’s advocate What if Lamar is no better than what we seen with his rookie contract, what if Harbs isn;t the coach to take us to the Super Bowl again. What if Jay Flowers is like the rest of the 1st round wr we have drafted. What if we just play the games and see what this season will bring.
‘What if’ is truly a fun game, but as me dear ol’ sainted mum used to say,
“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride . . .”
Wish it were September! The only position I’m still worried about is corner, but I can see Marcus coming back late on a two-year deal or something and that at least giving us enough depth. Fast-forward to Texans!
Nice to think on the positive Tony! As usual it all comes down to QB. If LJ is actually a bit more mature and really the team leader he should be, and the acl/achilles gods don’t gang up on us, it looks good ( but never discount Paulie’s late Mum)
Tony, I think we will be seeing a lot of your “what ifs.” I expect a very exciting season.
What if the Queen had balls . . . she’d be King.
Really Tony, what ifs???
The smart money would say that roughly half of those what-ifs will happen. The biggest one is Lamar thriving in Monken’s offense. If we can get that one, I’ll take a split on all of the others and like our chances.
I know highlight reels are just that. However, Keaton Mitchell could be a huge weapon. We haven’t had a spark plug like that since J-Lew.
Now… What if this team stays healthy all year? Watch out!
If healthy, this season will be better than some NFL observers expect. There is no glaring weakness on this team. The biggest question to be answered: will Lamar be solid and consistent? He should not need to be “the man” every week, just steady and productive. Get the ball out on time and accurate, and feed the playmakers.
I like it Tony. This is a big season. There are many what ifs here but I have to believe that this will be an excellent season. With Todd directing the offense, the additions to the WR room, the added depth on the O Line, this could be a very scary offense.
With Mac in his 2nd year, the addition of Smith and potential improvement of the pass rush, the second year with Roquan, Hamilton, and a healthy Ojabo this could easily be a top 5 defense. I just worry about the CB depth, and as you stated, the health of the team.
The third component, special teams has to be addressed. I like the job Horton has done. I hope we see an improvement by Stout because this is an integral part of the game.
We have had 2 special seasons before. I can see EDC added another piece or two before the season starts. Maybe with all the off-season additions we will have special season #3.
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Lots if “ifs” talk to me at Halloween after the trick or treat ends.