Baltimore Ravens: Some Interesting Off-Season Possibilities

After another succesful season for the Baltimore Ravens, the off-season once again looms full of possiblities and oppurtunities for this still growing organisation to establish itself as one of the continual front-runners. Being one of the best drafting teams in the league, it will be interesting to see what happens in this year's draft.

Here are a few thoughts to ponder about the Ravens:

Restricted Free Agents: Sam Koch, Le'Ron McClain and Jared Gaither will all be restricted free agents this off-season and whilst they are all premier players, I don't see any team willing to pay the cost (1st & 3rd round picks) to pick them up. Koch is one of the most underrated punters in the league and should be a Pro Bowler one year. McClain has proven himself to be one of the, if not the, best fullbacks in the league. Gaither is shaping up to be the dominant force at LT that all Baltimore fans have been familiar with since Jonathan Ogden. Others such as Demetrius Williams could find themselves traded if the Ravens decide to upgrade from elsewhere.

Receiving Corps: I don't see Derrick Mason pulling a Favre this off-season. If he retires, it will be for good. He has been fantastic for the Ravens, but in a group that is lacking a true receiving threat, he is often double-teamed and does not have the break away speed like the Wes Welkers off the league. If he does retire, expect the Ravens to make a move on Brandon Marshall. Everyone knows he wants out of Denver and Baltimore seems like a perfect landing spot. If Mason does return for another year, I see the Ravens going after a receiver in the first round of the draft, and then again in the later rounds. Ozzie is known to make a move on who is the best pick, not the most needed, so it could be that the Ravens end up with someone no one predicted. Just look at last year and how well that turned out.

Ray Lewis: The heart of the Raven's defence is getting old, and whoever is teaming up with him at ILB is not the dominant force that Bart Scott was, nor do they have the same grunt and determination needed once Lewis retires. A smart move, go for Antonio Pierce. The recently released ex-Giant would be looking for a dominant defence to join and the Ravens are in need of another dominant LB. He could be asking for a lot, but with Ray Lewis expected to retire soon, if they could get a long-term contract with Pierce, it could be a match made in football heaven.

Willis McGahee: McGahee is still a force in the backfield but with the emergances of Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain, McGahee has found himself in a limited role with a lot of gas still left in the tank. He could be a starter on a lot of other teams so I am expecting a trade deal to be negotiated this off-season. In saying that, I also expected one last off-season so anything could happen.

Kicker: After a disastrous season kicking field-goals, the Ravens need to decide, and stick with that decision, on who will be the teams Kicker. Letting Matt Stover go was possibly the worst decision in the teams history so expect something better this year. I am looking for the organization to pick up a proven veteran and not just another journeyman or rookie.

Ed Reed: Words of him retiring sent a shock through the entire Ravens fanbase but I do not see it as anything more than dissapointment of not maKing it to the Super Bowl. If the unexpected does happen and he does retire, Tom Zbikowski would fill his shoes in an instant, like he did whilst Reed was injured this year. The man they call "Zibby" has a lot of upside and plays like Reed does as well so, Raven fans, do not fret.

Troy Smith: Smith wants a trade and fair enough. He is a terrific player and behind Joe Flacco, he simply will not get as much playing time as he wants. But I do not see any team wanting to give up what the Ravens would want for him. They know he is a terrific player, and in the "Suggs Package", he is the perfect fit. Unfortunately for him, he is unproven at a high level so he may have to wait for an injury to Flacco until he sees his value rise high enough for a suitor.

The Baltimore Ravens were a terrific team this season, providing the fans with a lot of hope for the coming years. They had an injury plagued season which turned Chris Carr into a starter and fans into wannabe doctors. They do not have any glaring holes in the starters, except perhaps at WR, Kicker and ILB (next to Lewis) and all three could be filled before draft day.

My predictions; all of the RFAs are resigned. Mason retires and the Ravens trade a 1st round pick for Brandon Marshall. While I would love to see Antonio Pierce in a Raven's uniform, they will groom their own talent first before the reach into the FA pool. I see McGahee being traded for as little as a 2nd round pick or as package with the Raven's 2nd round pick for a high 1st round pick, I predict with the Cardinals. Kicker problems will seem evident, but by round 5, everyone would have forgotten about it. Reed will be back and will be as dominant as ever. And Smith will be back.