How do you rank our positional needs?

[Maryland]

How do you rank our needs by position? 

It's early in the season, but I think most would agree Center, Safety, 5-tech, and #2 CB are all pretty obvious needs that could be listed 1 through 4 in some order. 

LG/RT will be a big need if Wagner leaves in FA. Depends if they see Lewis as a future RT or LG (I'm assuming Wagner becomes a comp. pick and Lewis the future RT).

WR could be a need if Perriman doesn't finish the season healthy, if they don't plan on extending Wallace after 2017, if they don't believe in Moore, or if they just want more depth beyond those 3. SSS is retiring and Aiken could leave in FA.

Hybrid LB/S could be a need, since they were looking for one last draft (rumored to be interested in both Ramsey and Cravens), plus Levine is a UFA.

P/K returner should be a need, since Hester is old, and who knows if Reynolds has a future with us (he could be picked-up off our PS or simply not have the talent).

Backup QB (Mallett is a FA).

I'm actually leaving NT off of this list even if Brandon Williams leaves in FA. Pierce seems to be a stud, and Carl Davis could still be a backup. 

[GrimCoconut]

Elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, OL, LB who can cover, S, CB

That's my order. We are starved for an elite edge rusher to replace Suggs, need more at center and may need to replace our RT, could use a LB to cover these TE and I'm not sure we extend Orr, Wright is okay and Jimmy and Young look promising but we need guys to take the ball away and also need to upgrade Webb. 

[PurpleCity5]

I'd go, OLB, FS, C, and then CB.

[rmw10]

Pass rusher is number one, without question.  Although someone like Za'Darius has shown promise, I have a hard time seeing him as a true threat off the edge.  I like what Judon has done too but again, I'm not willing to count on him just yet.  With Suggs and Dumervil nearing the end, we're going to have to find a star here at some point.

Next, I'll go C.  Even without the struggles, I think Zuttah was entering his final year here due to the cap.  His struggles have made it easier.  I like Jensen best as a backup, and I've never been sold on Urschel as he's very limited athletically and physically.

After that, CB.  This one should have been off the list by now but we've neglected it for so long.  Tavon Young looks like a nice get, but we really need an outside guy.  Jimmy is still playing well, but the injuries have slowed him down.  Wright has been decent for us for the most part, but I won't count on him long term.  We really need to get a young guy in here that can start developing.  It might not be an immediate need, but it's a big future need.

Next, S.  It sucks that this remains a need, but Weddle and Webb aren't getting younger.  Brooks never developed.  Elam is said to have been doing better but none of us have witnessed that with him being injured, and he's on the last year of his deal.  Weddle will obviously be here next year, but Webb is a question mark and we might be trotting yet another new S out there in week 1 next year.

Lastly, to stop at 5, I'll go OT.  I think Wagner will likely stick around.  If he doesn't that moves T up the list, but for now, I'll go with this.  I say OT because we really need some depth here.  Hurst is somehow still here, and I think it's time to make the move and get someone else in here so we can end that experiment.

 

I was going to say WR, but if Wallace keeps it up, I think we'll opt to pay the 2nd year of his deal.  I think we'll probably draft another RB next year like we always do, even though it's not necessarily a need.  TE should be good.  G is a sneaky play, but I want to see what Lewis does over the rest of the season before I mention anything there.  I think we're good at DT as we aren't playing 3 big guys near as much.  Depth at ILB would be nice, but I think they like Orr next to Mosley for now.

[The Raven]

Realistically speaking, I see edge rusher, center, safety, corner, and receiver as our biggest needs, in that order. This list will change based on certain free agents and the progression of certain players.

A lot of that could change in coming months. I'm willing to bet we have a deal for Wagner and/or Williams by the end of the season. Zach Orr and Correa could make MLB a need if they don't continue to improve. 

If Zadarius, Judon, and Correa ramp up the pass rushing, edge could go down the list. 

We need promising young DBs. Our youngest safety is 28. At corner, Wright and Price are nearing 30, and Jimmy will be there soon enough. Will Davis is 26 but not wowing anybody. We've got some youth with Tavon Young, Canady, and Price, but only Tavon is really showing something.

We need an improvement at center, and we could stand to improve LG, too. 

Receiver is a need with Steve's coming retirement.

[JoeyFlex5]

1. Center: said this for months before we saw zuttah self destruct. 

-loved ethan pocic but he has been reportedly inconsistent, maybe his height is becoming a problem for him in the SEC. havent dug to find the other prospects yet.

2. WR: steve smith is a starter and gone next year, aiken is likely gone next year, mike wallace is on a short term contract, perriman is still a question mark, aside from them we have... chris moore who has dropped as many balls as hes caught

-havent taken even a quick look at the wr class yet, been paying more attention to the DL edge and DB class.

3. edge rusher: another year for suggs who appears to be a total nonfactor in the pass rush, another year for dumervil and another injury as well, and with a seeming change in philosophy and more use of a 4down front, dumervil could find himself an afterthought. ZDS has been a huge disappointment, hes made very little progress and plays way too downhill, he cant bend into the pocket at all, judon looks legit, but we'll be losing more than we gain 

-tim williams looks a good bit like leonard floyd who im a big fan of, jonathan allen is a legit hybrid type player, i think hes got a good chance to end up the 2nd best defender out of this class after garrett. im keeping an eye on charles harris who needs to show consistency.

4. outside CB: jimmy appears to have taken a slight step back, understandable with the injury, but hes still beyond adequate, we are good on one side as long as hes healthy, but shareece wright is still so incredibly up and down that his play will likely be on of the main deciding factors each week. 

-adoree jackson, who may be playing himself out of our range, looks like a total stud, i was stuck on tredavious white for a while but jackson has looked really good, he is an absolute freak of an athlete and has good cover skills and appears scheme diverse, also offers a lot as a returner, dude could probably play WR if asked to. im still a big tredavious white fan. desmond king to me is a versatile ball hawking safety, peppers is a tyrann mathieu type of player for me, an attacking rangey safety who moves all over the field. 

5. DT/DE hybrid: im not sold on kaufusi when he returns from injury, thats one pick i wasnt a fan of at the time, i convinced myself to like the pick, but with him not playing i find myself disliking the pick again, i wouldnt be surprised if hes a regular healthy scratch come next year. we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of jernigan leaving, i doubt we will let it happen but its possible, and i think bwill is gone next year and we have his replacement in pierce but we will need to swap the size and bulk of guys like urban and williams with explosion and pass rush and penetration. 

-malik mcdowell, if we are truly using a lot more 43, then id like him in a late-pick first round scenario, hes very disruptive, athletic, long, explsive, and plays clean and refined, he is quite undersized though. jonathan allen is by far the best player in this role. 

[allblackraven]

1] Edge rush
2] Inside OL
3] Safety
4] CB
5] WR

[Stevin]

15 hours ago, GrimCoconut said:

Elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, elite edge pass rusher, OL, LB who can cover, S, CB 

+ 

well yeah  but how about wr?

imo it's could be huge need next season.

[GrimCoconut]

3 hours ago, Stevin said:

+ 

well yeah  but how about wr?

imo it's could be huge need next season.

That's not something I can forecast yet but I do agree it could be a problem. The only reason I pause is because Perriman, Moore, and Wallace. I think our focus on WR depends solely on how those guys perform--especially Perriman, who I think is still rebuilding and reconditioning his body for football. 

[ravefan52]

CB and edge rusher are my top 2. We still have a lot of question marks at corner and need to stop messing around with FA vets and mid-late rounders. Jimmy, Young and early round pick could be a great trio. And elite pass rushers are so valuable. 

Then C, S and maybe WR and OT/G. Webb should be cut after the season and safety could really use some youth. WR and OL depend on how some play and contract decisions go.

[Davesta]

Pass rusher > OL > CB > WR

pass rushers makes the world go round.

OL - gotta keep Joe upright and help the run game

CB - need to upgrade shareece "can't do no" wright

WR - SSS retiring, Aiken probably salty from no playing time and leaves, BP still got the butters. Currently no #1 WR on our roster, Wallace is a #2. 

[jboy19]

QB: May need a backup with Mallett's contract running out, but I think that it's safe to say the team could resign him if they wanted to. 

RB: Forsett may be a cap casualty, West is going to be a RFA. Hard to tell what we're getting from Dixon up to this point and if Allen and LT are going to be around much longer. Juice is also in a contract year and it's hard to tell if he'll be back or not. 

WR: SSS is retiring, Aiken is probably leaving, so Wallace, Perriman and Moore are "the guys" going forward. I feel alright with those 3, but a returner/slot guy is definitely going to be something I expect to see drafted since Hester is unlikely to return. 

TE: Watson, Pitta, Gilmore, Maxx, Boyle, Waller are all under contract, so I'm thinking this is the last position the FO needs to focus on. Will be interesting to see competition to develop and since Waller was playing some WR in the preseason that might be what saves him.  

OL: Stanley at LT and Yanda at RG aren't changing any time soon, Lewis is most likely starting at LG or RT. Jensen and Hurst are RFAs that I'd expect to get back and Urschel is under contract. Zuttah is probably out if he doesn't improve. So I'd say a center/guard is a pretty big need, regardless of what happens with Wagner. 

DL: Guy and Brandon Williams are probably out with Urban and Kaufusi competing at 5 tech while Davis and Pierce compete at NT. Could use a lower round pick to create some competition here and make sure that this unit remains a strong spot. Henry has some work to do and KLM might be back too if no other team signs him off the practice squad. 

LB: Mosley isn't losing his spot, Orr is an RFA that's almost certainly coming back. Suggs, McClellan, Correa, Judon, ZDS are all coming back on the outside. Dumervil is likely a cap casualty if the organization ropes in a high-level edge player. 

CB: Smith, Wright, Young, Canady are sure guys to return. Price is an ERFA and will be back. Davis is UFA and might return but probably not considering he has been inactive (same with Powers). Arrington is likely to be a cap casualty. So CB is a pretty big need. 

S: Weddle will be back, Webb is a question mark for me, but I do assume he returns. Lewis might be a cap casualty. Levine is an UFA who has a chance at being resigned. Elam is a UFA and it's hard to tell what's going to happen with him. There isn't a lot of youth at the position and that should be something that needs to change. 

Sooo... I guess as far as needs, I've identified (1) Back up QB, (2) Slot Receiver/Returner, (3) Guard/Center, (4) Tackle, (5) DL, (6) Pass Rusher, (7) CB, (8) Safety

I would order them as follows: 

(1) Safety- The age is going to affect this position pretty soon and with only veterans at this position there is going to be a hole once they start to leave/retire/play ineffectively. 

(2) Guard/Center- The Run Game this year has been very bad and unless some upgrades are made soon, the team will continue to struggle. Lewis has shown some good upside at this point, but Zuttah has not been reliable. Unless there is a lot of faith in Jensen or Urschel, I hope that this position is addressed. 

(3) Pass Rusher- This is a position with a lot of young players, but lacking out right studs. There are a lot of really good pass rushers in the draft this year so I would be really surprised to see the Ravens pass up this position just because they already have young guys like ZDS, Correa and Judon. 

(4) CB- Wright probably isn't going anywhere because of his contract, but the Ravens have to feel reasonably comfortable with Smith on the outside and Young in the slot. If the team brings in a guy to compete with Wright and Canady on the outside, this unit should improve. Like pass rushers, I feel like there is a lot of talent in this draft at the corner position. 

(5) Receiver/Returner- Camp and Reynolds might come back to compete again, but up to this point Camp hasn't overcome his injury bug and Reynolds has not shown much return or receiving ability. If you can find a young receiver who can take over the slot receiver/intermediate routes like SSS has been doing a lot of and a returner to replace Hester, the offense should be a lot more potent. 

(6) Tackle- I would consider this a luxury pick because I do feel as though this is where Lewis eventually ends up, there aren't many great tackles in this class imo, so unless we see a Cam Robinson or Mike McGlinchey falling on Day 2, I wouldn't be too jumpy to upgrade this position. 

(7) DL- Already lots of talent, another luxury pick if a top name is sliding. 

(8) Back up QB- Mallett probably returns or another FA gets signed. 

[RaineV1]

1: Interior O-line.

Alex Lewis might get better, but when he's the clear cut best option at LG, things aren't going well. Zuttah has been pretty bad this season too. Then there's Yanda who is kinda old by lineman standards. When the o-line plays well, the team usually wins. When it doesn't, they lose. So, yeah, it's the biggest need in my opinion.

2: DB

They've been a lot better this year, but Weddle and Webb are stopgaps at safety and the team could use a young ballhawk to learn from Weddle.

3: Edge rusher

This isn't as much of a need since we can get interior pressure, and have ZDS. Judon also has potential. Still, it's always worth grabbing one if you think he has potential.

[ravensnick]

1. Pass Rush. It's horrible outside Jernigan. Inexcusably bad. Needs a heavy influx of young talent after getting ignored for years.

2. Interior OL. Lewis is decent, but not the best. Zuttah has been bad.

3. DB: Webb and Weddle aging, but capable. Smith is solid and Wright is passable most days. Needs a safety to eventually replace Webb/Weddle.

4. WR: SSS is about to retire and he will warrant a decent replacement at the least. The acquisition of Wallace helps and so does a healthy Perriman, but lets not go to a season where Kamar Aiken is our best WR ever again.

Edited September 29, 2016 by ravensnick

[DefensiveMind]

On 9/24/2016 at 10:18 PM, JoeyFlex5 said:

1. Center: said this for months before we saw zuttah self destruct. 

-loved ethan pocic but he has been reportedly inconsistent, maybe his height is becoming a problem for him in the SEC. havent dug to find the other prospects yet.

2. WR: steve smith is a starter and gone next year, aiken is likely gone next year, mike wallace is on a short term contract, perriman is still a question mark, aside from them we have... chris moore who has dropped as many balls as hes caught

-havent taken even a quick look at the wr class yet, been paying more attention to the DL edge and DB class.

3. edge rusher: another year for suggs who appears to be a total nonfactor in the pass rush, another year for dumervil and another injury as well, and with a seeming change in philosophy and more use of a 4down front, dumervil could find himself an afterthought. ZDS has been a huge disappointment, hes made very little progress and plays way too downhill, he cant bend into the pocket at all, judon looks legit, but we'll be losing more than we gain 

-tim williams looks a good bit like leonard floyd who im a big fan of, jonathan allen is a legit hybrid type player, i think hes got a good chance to end up the 2nd best defender out of this class after garrett. im keeping an eye on charles harris who needs to show consistency.

4. outside CB: jimmy appears to have taken a slight step back, understandable with the injury, but hes still beyond adequate, we are good on one side as long as hes healthy, but shareece wright is still so incredibly up and down that his play will likely be on of the main deciding factors each week. 

-adoree jackson, who may be playing himself out of our range, looks like a total stud, i was stuck on tredavious white for a while but jackson has looked really good, he is an absolute freak of an athlete and has good cover skills and appears scheme diverse, also offers a lot as a returner, dude could probably play WR if asked to. im still a big tredavious white fan. desmond king to me is a versatile ball hawking safety, peppers is a tyrann mathieu type of player for me, an attacking rangey safety who moves all over the field. 

5. DT/DE hybrid: im not sold on kaufusi when he returns from injury, thats one pick i wasnt a fan of at the time, i convinced myself to like the pick, but with him not playing i find myself disliking the pick again, i wouldnt be surprised if hes a regular healthy scratch come next year. we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of jernigan leaving, i doubt we will let it happen but its possible, and i think bwill is gone next year and we have his replacement in pierce but we will need to swap the size and bulk of guys like urban and williams with explosion and pass rush and penetration. 

-malik mcdowell, if we are truly using a lot more 43, then id like him in a late-pick first round scenario, hes very disruptive, athletic, long, explsive, and plays clean and refined, he is quite undersized though. jonathan allen is by far the best player in this role. 

Suggs is on pace for 16 sacks?

3 games-3 sacks

[rmw10]

8 minutes ago, DefensiveMind said:

Suggs is on pace for 16 sacks?

3 games-3 sacks

Can't always look at the numbers.  1 of those sacks was a coverage sack, and the other was Bortles being Bortles.  Suggs has really struggled to maintain a consistent rush so far this year.  I'm still hoping it's the return from injury, but the stats don't tell the story with him.  The numbers look good on the surface but when you did deeper, you realize that he hasn't been much of a factor so far.

[DomMcRaven]

Hi yeah, can I get an order of: TWO edge rushers, TWO WRs, a center, a RB (this class is supposedly loaded), and a hybrid safety please?

Thank you. 

[Cillmatic]

12 minutes ago, DomMcRaven said:

Hi yeah, can I get an order of: TWO edge rushers, TWO WRs, a center, a RB (this class is supposedly loaded), and a hybrid safety please?

Thank you. 

Do we really need ANOTHER RB?

[DomMcRaven]

2 hours ago, Cillmatic said:

Do we really need ANOTHER RB?

Need? No. Wouldn't mind one in the very late rounds though (can't give you any specific names). It's kinda like french fries. I don't NEED them, but I wouldn't mind them on the side if that makes sense.

[PurpleCity5]

So far, I'm going OLB, CB, C FS, OG, WR. 

Not sure if Webb returns if he ups his play. He hasn't been bad but nothing really spectacular either. We could use an upgrade at FS. 

Enough of the jokes at CB. Once again, if Jimmy goes down you're totally screwed, get a CB here now and a starter at that. I honestly want us to load up at CB just as bad as OLB if not more. 

Watch out for WR, I know we got a few more seasons of Mike Wallace but Steve Smith Sr. is almost out and Perriman, while has been progressing nicely has yet to breakout. Not so sure if I could put trust in him. After that WR is a bit gloomy. 

I put OG because I think Lewis will kick out to RT and thus we'll need someone at LG, I wouldn't mind getting one in the 2nd or 3rd. 

Personally, I see FA going, OLB, WR, and C. 

Draft I would go with CB, OLB, OG, FS in order. 

I had to decide between FS or C as a priority at C but Lewis and Stanley are some young guys, including the draft pick at OG so you would probably want a vet at Center. 

 

[ravensnick]

Honestly, even though CB is one of our biggest needs, the best way to fix that would be free agency. With the except of certain players like Marcus Peter, rookies generally work better eased into the NFL at CB. If we want better CB play immediately, we are going to have to break out the checkbook. 

 

Edge rusher is easily our biggest need. Suggs and Doom are old and their replacements are looking dismal. C is our #2 need, as Zuttah has been horrid. Luckily, this is quite an amazing C class. Either Pat Eiflan or Ethan Pocic would be great in the second round. After that is mostly depth.  

[harfordravenfan]

On 9/24/2016 at 10:18 PM, JoeyFlex5 said:

1. Center: said this for months before we saw zuttah self destruct. 

-loved ethan pocic but he has been reportedly inconsistent, maybe his height is becoming a problem for him in the SEC. havent dug to find the other prospects yet.

2. WR: steve smith is a starter and gone next year, aiken is likely gone next year, mike wallace is on a short term contract, perriman is still a question mark, aside from them we have... chris moore who has dropped as many balls as hes caught

-havent taken even a quick look at the wr class yet, been paying more attention to the DL edge and DB class.

3. edge rusher: another year for suggs who appears to be a total nonfactor in the pass rush, another year for dumervil and another injury as well, and with a seeming change in philosophy and more use of a 4down front, dumervil could find himself an afterthought. ZDS has been a huge disappointment, hes made very little progress and plays way too downhill, he cant bend into the pocket at all, judon looks legit, but we'll be losing more than we gain 

-tim williams looks a good bit like leonard floyd who im a big fan of, jonathan allen is a legit hybrid type player, i think hes got a good chance to end up the 2nd best defender out of this class after garrett. im keeping an eye on charles harris who needs to show consistency.

4. outside CB: jimmy appears to have taken a slight step back, understandable with the injury, but hes still beyond adequate, we are good on one side as long as hes healthy, but shareece wright is still so incredibly up and down that his play will likely be on of the main deciding factors each week. 

-adoree jackson, who may be playing himself out of our range, looks like a total stud, i was stuck on tredavious white for a while but jackson has looked really good, he is an absolute freak of an athlete and has good cover skills and appears scheme diverse, also offers a lot as a returner, dude could probably play WR if asked to. im still a big tredavious white fan. desmond king to me is a versatile ball hawking safety, peppers is a tyrann mathieu type of player for me, an attacking rangey safety who moves all over the field. 

5. DT/DE hybrid: im not sold on kaufusi when he returns from injury, thats one pick i wasnt a fan of at the time, i convinced myself to like the pick, but with him not playing i find myself disliking the pick again, i wouldnt be surprised if hes a regular healthy scratch come next year. we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of jernigan leaving, i doubt we will let it happen but its possible, and i think bwill is gone next year and we have his replacement in pierce but we will need to swap the size and bulk of guys like urban and williams with explosion and pass rush and penetration. 

-malik mcdowell, if we are truly using a lot more 43, then id like him in a late-pick first round scenario, hes very disruptive, athletic, long, explsive, and plays clean and refined, he is quite undersized though. jonathan allen is by far the best player in this role. 

I've seen Jonathan Allen projected as early as the 7th pick and late as the 28th pick (guy had us picking him there). Still way early but I do like the kid

[balfan23]

CB, OLB and O line. Honestly, the most immediate need may be the one I listed last ... but I listed in that order, basically because of how you have to draft to get starter quality players. Outside of some rare exceptions, true starter quality CBs are gone by the early 2nd round. This is more for what we need going forward. It is clear that Sizzle and Doom are long in the tooth and the young players we have in these positions are not going to be enough. 

[redlobster]

OLB, Oline, CB, WR,

[Bruce_Almty]

In a passing league, it would be nice to have some defenders that can cover and some linemen that can protect. Therefore, and based on bpa to fill our wide range of needs: LBs that can cover, CB/S to upgrade coverage, an edge rusher (tho Kauflusi will be returning from IR), an O-liner to protect Joe and every now and then open a hole for the RB,and a WR with some talent. Not much to ask for but each draft the FO needs to continue to hit on 3~4 talented replacements as they have been doing that in recent years. In Ozzie We Trust

Edited October 8, 2016 by Bruce_Almty

[ravefan52]

I really think they'll address OL through free agency. Already two inexperienced starters on the line and they'll definitely want a vet at center, where Zuttah clearly needs to be upgraded upon.

So my top needs for the draft are OLB, CB and WR. The funny thing is I'm pretty that's what they were the past two years.

[rmw10]

12 minutes ago, ravefan52 said:

I really think they'll address OL through free agency. Already two inexperienced starters on the line and they'll definitely want a vet at center, where Zuttah clearly needs to be upgraded upon.

So my top needs for the draft are OLB, CB and WR. The funny thing is I'm pretty that's what they were the past two years.

Yep.  No changes made.  Although the secondary is actually doing well this year, it still boggles my mind that we haven't addressed CB outside of Tavon Young.

[ravefan52]

3 minutes ago, rmw10 said:

Yep.  No changes made.  Although the secondary is actually doing well this year, it still boggles my mind that we haven't addressed CB outside of Tavon Young.

It's unreal. Since drafting Jimmy, the front office hasn't invested in anyone who could be seen as a potential starting outside CB. Yet they've managed to use enough resources to get 6 decent starting TE's. And I've always been an Ozzie fan too..

[rmw10]

Just now, ravefan52 said:

It's unreal. Since drafting Jimmy, the front office hasn't invested in anyone who could be seen as a potential starting outside CB. Yet they've managed to use enough resources to get 6 decent starting TE's. And I've always been an Ozzie fan too..

Every year the excuse is that CB is not one of their BPA's on the board.  They really need to adjust that board because CB is highly valued across the league.  We're never going to get a CB if we think we can just wait and one will be BPA.  Not how the NFL works anymore.

[PurpleCity5]

After today, I would give up a lot if a potential super-star WR is there. It would do a whole lot for this team. I know we have bigger needs than at WR but if a Star WR can be had there than it beats out any need IMO. I know it isn't high of an opinion but if a top 10 WR talent like Mike Williams can be had, I would give up a lot for him.