Team cohesion wins championships.
While having the best statistical players can initially
strengthen the core of how a team performs, in order to have the emotional and
mental discipline to excel beyond the regular season it is a necessity to have
a team that is able to bond through immense adversity.
This is how the Ravens were able to overcome the odds and
become world champions when no one believed that they would be able to
accomplish this lofty feat. However,
with the offseason upon us comes the inevitable and difficult question: Who
stays and who goes?
For the Baltimore Ravens, the answer to this foreboding
question is not easy because it requires, one way or another, for sacrifices to
be made.
It would seem obvious that the aspect the Ravens need to
keep consistent and prestigious is the defense.
Since the departure of Ray Lewis, this team is looking for a leader and
a defensive mastermind to take over where the innovative left off. So far, the most likely player to take over
these leadership responsibilities is long time Baltimore safety Ed Reed.
While Reed has proven his ability as a player to
consistently be able to read quarterbacks and to quickly make the big defensive
players with over 61 interceptions throughout his career (7 returned for
touchdowns) it can’t be denied that Reed is on the other side of the curve when
it comes to his abilities.
At 34, Reed is past the prime of his career, especially as a
defensive player, most of who only average around six to seven years in the
NFL. On top of that, super bowl MVP Joe
Flacco has earned himself a hefty long term contact upwards of $18 million annually,
which would potentially squander any hopes of Reed making more or even the same
amount of money he has made in previous years.
While this is a depressing sentiment, lets consider another
free agent who not only stepped in for Ray Lewis during his rehabilitation from
a triceps injury but who also excelled at the MLB position: Dannell Ellerbe
He’s young, quick and overall consistent in his ability to
pressure the quarterback and to make the clutch plays in short yardage
situations. With over 170 tackles and
5.5 sacks throughout the year, it seems clear that Ellerbe’s best years are
still ahead of him.
Other defensive free agents include cornerback Cary Williams
(solid regular season, lackluster post season) and outside linebacker Paul
Kruger (exceptionally consistent throughout the regular and post season).
The offensive free agents of The Ravens are not quite as
broad or plentiful but are still nevertheless essential to this teams identity
moving forward.
Joe Flacco, one of the best post season quarterbacks to play
the game (tied Joe Montana for most touchdowns without an interception in the
post season) is more likely than not going to get the payday he’s been waiting
for since before the regular season of last year. While this may seem like the second coming
for the Ravens in terms of having a revitalized offense, it comes at a steep
price: letting go of the physical and athletically gifted Anquan Boldin.
Despite Boldin only having four touchdown receptions and
under a thousand yards receiving for the regular season, he more than stepped
up in the post season by matching that same touchdown statistic in just four
games. Not only that, but the catches he
made were not only pivotal, game changing moments but they also were highly
contested plays that required both strength and a unprecedented athletic
ability of the highest order.
While Joe Flacco has proven his consistency and his talents
as a championship quarterback, in the end he will only be relevant if he has
the receiving core to back up his deep field accuracy. Unfortunately this comes at a price for
Flacco, who would possibly have to take a pay cut in order retain Boldin as his
continual go to receiver.
However, no matter which way you slice it the Ravens as
whole will be transformed from the Super Bowl roster that fans have come to
know and love throughout the years.
Despite this anxious sentiment though, The Ravens have proven that there
is still young talent and depth that could be utilized to fill the voids of the
long term veterans who sadly may no longer be with us come next season.
Keepers:
Joe Flacco- For the first time in a long while, The Ravens
finally have a quarterback who is not only consistent when it matters most, but
who also continues to evolve and improve every year.
Anquan Boldin- Without this offensive superstar I believe
Joe Flacco would definitely lose some of his deserved hype.
Dannell Ellerbe- While filling the shoes of the legendary
Ray Lewis won’t be easy; it appears that Ellerbe has the potential to start his
own defensive dynasty.
Paul Kruger- Despite the untimely absence of T-Sizzle and
Lewis, Kruger had to really pick up the slack throughout the course of the
regular season. Simply put: he did.
Expendables:
Ed Reed- While it pains me to put one of the best defensive
players of all time in this category, it can’t be denied that Reed isn’t
getting any younger. Throughout the
Super Bowl he seemed uncertain of his retirement and whether or not he would
return. At best, even if Reed could be
retained, he would have another year or two at best before his talents would
begin to wane.
Cary Williams: Even though he had a decent regular season,
his post-season efforts left something to be desired. On top of that, The Ravens reliable and
returning cornerback Lardarius Webb should be able to fill this defensive gap
without much of a problem.
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