An 8-8 season following a Super Bowl victory is unacceptable. That being said, plenty of bad decisions and bad luck lead to such mediocrity. Letting go of Anquan Boldin, Jim Caldwell calling plays, Kelechi Osemele's and Dennis Pitta’s injuries; you name it. Baltimore failed to compensate and adapt well enough to the circumstances, rendering them a non-playoff team. This offseason, they have sought to make sure nothing goes wrong, as well as set up for the future. James Ihedigbo was allowed to move on, moving Matt Elam to strong safety and leaving a vacancy at free safety to be filled through the draft. Likewise, Jim Caldwell was relieved of his offensive coordinator duties. Although, the biggest lost of all was Arthur Jones.
In terms of additions, Baltimore made a few low key acquisitions that make major impacts. Gary Kubiak, former Houston Texans head coach, was brought in as the offensive coordinator, changing the scheme to a more West Coast style. Along with Kubiak, Owen Daniels, a former tight end for the Houston Texans, was brought in as insurance behind Pitta. Wide receiver Steve Smith was signed to give a fiery, veteran presence to a middling receiver corps. Lastly, interior lineman Jeremy Zuttah was added to replace the atrocity that is Gino Gradkowski.
Major Needs
Safety: Last year, rookie Matt Elam was forced to play the free safety role, a role that requires tools and traits that he simply does not have. Elam does not have the range to be able to play the single-high safety role. Having a true free safety would allow Elam to move to a strong safety role where he can be an enforcer near the line of scrimmage. Lack of a rangy safety lead to numerous accounts of Baltimore being beat over the top when a safety should have been there.
Defensive End (Interior Linemen): With the loss of Jones, Baltimore’s defensive end roster, aside from Haloti Ngata, is either aging or not starting caliber players. Chris Canty, though he played well, was a stopgap player that can be quite easily replaced. In a league where interior pressure is key, the need for dominant interior defensive lineman is enormous.
Wide Receiver: Without Boldin, Baltimore learned that Torrey Smith is not a No.1 receiver. He is certainly talented, but not enough to carry the load. Steve Smith has been a No.1 for over a decade, but as of late, he showed some decline due to his age- enough to hinder him from being a No.1. Joe Flacco is the type of quarterback that needs a true No.1 to act as a reliable safety blanket.
Offensive Tackle: Eugene Monroe re-signed with Baltimore and will be the starting left tackle, but Michael Oher, who was a liability, was not re-signed. Seeing that Osemele made a much better guard than right tackle, he will stay put at guard, leaving a vacancy at right tackle. Considering few top tackle prospects played right tackle in college, it is likely that Baltimore selects a left tackle who will convert to right.
First-Day Targets
Ra’Shede Hageman: Ozzie Newsome has proven time and time again that he will take the best player available instead of taking a player at the position of utmost urgency. Hageman is a similar player to Ngata, also adding the familiarity of the type of prospect that Hageman is. If he is there, the possibility of Newsome going for Hageman, whose potential is sky-high, is rather high.
Jimmie Ward: As stated before, Elam is not a free safety. Reversely, Ward is the best pure free safety in this draft class. His superb range, ball skills, and angles make him a top notch safety prospect that will not have issues translating to the NFL. Along with his deep coverage ability, he can be a viable nickel cornerback and willing run defender.
Eric Ebron: Tight end is not a pressing need for Baltimore, but Daniels was only signed to a one year deal and Ebron is a much more versatile tight end than Pitta is. Ebron can be lined up as a “big slot,” outside receiver, or an in-line tight end. Whatever Kubiak needs, Ebron provides.
Odell Beckham Jr.: Beckham Jr. does not have the elite size of a typical No.1 receiver, but he has all the necessary tools. Route running, athleticism, and ability to high point are all traits that Beckham Jr. consistently dominated with at LSU. Despite his size “issue,” Beckham Jr. can be Antonio Brown, or a superior version of him.
Taylor Lewan: From a physical standpoint, Lewan is a top five pick, but technique issues and minor off-field incidents will drop him a bit farther than that. Although, his technique issues should be less of a concern at right tackle, especially considering he is 6’7”, 309 pounds with exceptional strength. If he can clean up his footwork inconsistencies, he could be a dominant right tackle, both as a pass blocker and as a mauling run blocker.
Second-Day Targets
Ja’Wuan James: James is one of the few top tackle prospects that is coming out of college as a right tackle, not a left tackle. Having played the position in college, James will have a smoother transition to the NFL than those who are moving from left to right. If James can tame his overall inconstancy, he may turn into one of the league’s best right tackles.
Deone Bucannon: To an extent, Bucannon is a rangier variant of Elam. He plays with the same tenacity and violence, which are two traits Baltimore can never seem to get enough of, yet has the ability to cover a deep half, at the least. He can not be entirely trusted to play single-high, but he has the athletic tools to be molded to do so.
Stephon Tuitt: After being hyped up over the summer, Tuitt has become somewhat underrated. He showed the power, hand usage, and awareness to be able to succeed as an interior lineman in Baltimore’s hybrid defense. Tuitt’s pad level needs improvement, but he has enough base tools and athleticism to catch Newsome’s eye.
Dominique Easley: Had he not suffered his ACL injury, Easley would be in conversation as a top ten pick. Sadly, the injury has likely pushed him to the second day of the draft. In that case, Newsome may due what he does best and get one of the best steals of the draft. Easley, much like Tank Carradine last year, is a dominant interior defensive lineman that will rebound once he is healthy.
Third-Day Targets
Cody Hoffman: In a deep receiver class, Hoffman may fall farther than the typical 6’3”-plus receiver would, especially considering he has tools that could be refined to make him a No.1. If he can fix his issues with catching, both in terms of inconsistency and attacking passes outside of his frame, he could be a steal.
Donte Moncrief: For reasons more related to him having a down year, Moncrief may also plummet in this class. That being said, he has the size and athleticism that Newsome has targeted over and over. Moncrief will need to be groomed to do the pre-catch things better, but once the ball is in his hands, he is a threat.
Isaiah Crowell: Ray Rice is still on the team as of now and Bernard Pierce showed that he has the ability to be a solid complementary back, the Ravens had one of the worst rushing attacks last year. Part of that was due to poor line play, but the running backs were to blame as well. Purely talent wise, Crowell is arguably the most talented back in the class, but his team violations at Georgia will scare teams away early.
James Hurst: At North Carolina, Hurst was a left tackle, but he is more fit to play right tackle, or even guard. At best, he is able to become a functional right tackle. At worst, Hurst has enough talent to be a top notch “sixth lineman,” which is an underrated aspect of having a good team.
Final Seven Round Mock
1. Ra’Shede Hageman, Defensive Lineman, Minnesota
2. Ja’Wuan James, Offensive Tackle, Tennessee
3(a). Martavis Bryant, Wide Receiver, Clemson
3(b). Dion Bailey, Safety, USC
4. Isaiah Crowell, Running Back, Alabama State
5. DeDe Lattimore, Linebacker, South Florida
6. Connor Shaw, Quarterback, South Carolina
7. Ryan Carreathers, Defensive Tackle, Arkansas State