Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft 2012: 4 Big Questions for the Ravens Front Office

After just missing out on the Super Bowl, it seemed like the Ravens would just have a bit of fine tuning to do. But this was before they lost Ben Grubbs and had to deal with two of their key offensive players and contract issues.

There are several questions that fans would like answered now rather than having to wait until April 26.

The following slides will highlight some of those questions.

What's Joe Flacco's Future?

The biggest questions facing the Ravens front office deal with quarterback Joe Flacco.

How close are they in contract negotiations? Does Flacco want to be a Raven? Are they willing to give Flacco the money he wants? Do the Ravens have a Plan B if negotiations fall through?

All have been asked, but we'll have to wait until the weekend to find out the answers. Here's another: Will Baltimore be targeting a quarterback on the second or third day? It makes sense.

If Flacco gets injured or leaves during the offseason as a free agent, I am going to take a wild guess and say there aren't many people in the organization who would be confident with Tyrod Taylor under center.

Will the Raven Trade Up?

Could it be? There are two positions the Ravens should be looking to upgrade—wide receiver and offensive guard.

Atlanta moved up last year to take Julio Jones, so why wouldn’t Baltimore move up to take Michael Floyd or David DeCastro?

This is something they have probably considered more than once. Michael Floyd would be a great addition to the offense while DeCastro would be as good as it gets to replace Ben Grubbs.

I do not see the Ravens making a big move, however, a trade is always an option that could and should be considered.

What's the (Long-Term) Deal with Ray Rice?

The Baltimore Ravens placed the franchise tag on star running back Ray Rice this offseason. Like Flacco, there are several questions that come from this situation.

Can they get a long-term deal done? Will Rice hold out if they can’t?

There are a couple of situations that could force Baltimore to take a running back early in the draft. Even if Rice is signed long-term, will they look at bringing in a No. 2 back?

All of these possibilities have probably been covered by the Ravens front office. We will just have to wait a few days to find out.

Will the Ravens Go for Target or Protection?

There are three names that seem to pop up in most mock drafts for the Baltimore Ravens— Stephen Hill, Peter Konz and Alshon Jeffery.

Baltimore has needs on both the offensive line and at wide receiver, and they will have to decide whether they want to add another target for Joe Flacco or go after someone to protect him.

This is a big decision Baltimore has to make, and if I was in their shoes, I would look to the middle rounds to find a guard and grab a receiver in the first.