Why the Baltimore Ravens Need a True No. 1 Wide Receiver for 2010

With the devastating loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night, the Baltimore Ravens' No. 1 priority in the offseason has to be to get a true No. 1 wide receiver.

Before the 2009 training camp began, the Ravens' current No. 1 receiver Derek Mason decided it was time to retire from the NFL, but then he changed his mind and came back for the 2009 regular season.

Now he is once again contemplating retiring.

With running back Ray Rice breaking out this past season, the Ravens now need to give quarterback Joe Flacco a stud receiver to catch his passes.

That No. 1 receiver may come in free agency, via trade, or may come from the draft, but bottom line is that the Colts exploited a weakness in the Ravens, and that is the Ravens cannot come back from big margins with the current set of receivers.

Any football coach will tell you that when a team is down by more than one touchdown and with time running out, the only way to score quickly is through the air.

Also, the NFL today is a pass-happy league, and eight out of the top 10 passing teams made the playoffs in 2009.

The Ravens' best chance of landing a veteran No. 1 receiver is in a trade with either the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin or with the Broncos for Brandon Marshall.

Marshall can be a big liability in the locker room, but he is a one-time Pro Bowler and he has had over 100 receptions in each of the last three seasons. Linebacker Ray Lewis would easily get Marshall under control if he did start problems in the locker room because it's Lewis' team.

Boldin has only played two full seasons in the seven years he has been in the league, but besides the injuries, he is a three-time Pro Bowler.

As far as draft prospects go, there may be several strong candidates available when the Ravens pick in the high 20s including: Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant, LSU's Brandon LaFell, and Notre Dame's Golden Tate.

Any one of these rookies could step up and be an instant starter for the Ravens in 2010, but the most intriguing player might be Tate, who could be 2010's version of the Eagles' DeSean Jackson from 2008 or the Vikings' Percy Harvin of 2009.

Whether the Ravens pick a receiver in the first round or get one via trade or free agency, fans will just have to be patient, but another question has risen after the loss to the Colts.

According to profootballtalk.com, safety Ed Reed is "50-50" regarding retiring. Reed will be thinking long and hard about this, and now the Ravens need to start thinking about a future replacement for their superstar defender this offseason, too.

Look for the Ravens to pick a safety somewhere in the middle rounds to begin grooming him as Reed's successor in the future.