The start of a\u00a0season brings newfound hope for teams looking\u00a0to achieve the ultimate prize. With a clean slate, the Baltimore Ravens jumped to a 3-0 record and looked to put the putrid 2015 season behind them. However, the past continued to haunt the team.<\/p>\n
The Ravens dropped four games and finished their roller coaster season at 8-8. For the second straight year, the Ravens ended the season without a playoff berth. Not accounting injuries, the Ravens problems continued to linger. The front office tried to solve the problem,\u00a0but have fallen short.<\/p>\n
The Ravens made the playoffs the first five years\u00a0under the\u00a0John Harbaugh<\/strong><\/a> era, which includes a 34-31 win in\u00a0Super Bowl XLVII. However, after that miraculous season the Ravens have only made the playoffs once. A weak secondary, edge rushers and inconsistency on the offense are just a few things general manager Ozzie Newsome<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>must address during the draft and via free agency to put the Ravens back on the path to success.<\/p>\n While the Ravens finished the season ranked ninth\u00a0in pass defense, it’s no secret that much of the success comes when cornerback Jimmy Smith<\/strong><\/a> is on the field. However, recently injuries have sidelined Smith often and the Ravens don’t have the depth to compete.\u00a0The team has\u00a0struggled when\u00a0Shareece Wright<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>took\u00a0the majority of the reps. With Smith off the field, the Ravens had to use safety help, which consequently also hurt their run defense.<\/p>\n Second year player\u00a0Tavon Young<\/a><\/strong> had a decent rookie year, but it would be wise to have another strong cornerback\u00a0in play. Additionally\u00a0Jerraud Powers<\/a><\/strong> is a free agent so the team must also figure out its backup situation.<\/p>\n The Ravens haven’t had much luck with the wide receivers they have drafted. Steve Smith Sr.<\/strong><\/a>, the team’s No.1 receiver who they acquired via free agency in 2014, retired.\u00a0Kamar Aiken<\/a><\/strong>, an unrestricted free agent, most likely won’t be back after expressing frustration about his role with the team.<\/p>\n Breshad Perriman<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>showed glimpses of high-level play, but he will need to show the team a lot more during the off-season to cement himself as the number one wide receiver. He finished the year with only\u00a0three touchdowns and hasn’t developed as fast as people would have hoped. The Ravens also have speedster, Mike Wallace<\/strong><\/a> who accounts for $8 million in cap space. Wallace and Smith combined for nine of the team’s 20 passing TD’s so if the Ravens choose to cut Wallace, they’ll have to look elsewhere to get production. Quarterback Joe Flacco<\/strong><\/a> has a strong arm, but he needs both a speedy and physical pass catcher\u00a0in his arsenal of weapons.<\/p>\n The Ravens desperately need an edge rusher. Terrell Suggs<\/a><\/strong> has been effective throughout his career, but he’s beginning to get up there in age.\u00a0Elvis Dumervil<\/a><\/strong>‘s production has\u00a0slowed down due to injury and\u00a0is a salary-cap casualty at $8 million so the team can choose to sever ties with him.<\/p>\n The Ravens finished the season ranked No. 24 in the league with 31 sacks.\u00a0Matt Judon<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Za’Darius Smith<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0will most likely assume their position, but must step up their game for the Ravens to have a chance at success.<\/p>\nCornerback<\/h3>\n
Wide Receiver<\/h3>\n
Pass Rusher<\/h3>\n