It's time to click open Part Two of the weekend Baltimore Ravens mailbag:
@jamisonhensley are the Ravens still looking for a veteran WR or going to go with the talent already on the team?
— GO WIZARDS!!!!! (@Mo_Rease) April 9, 2015@jamisonhensley: The top free-agent wide receiver remaining is Greg Jennings, and I'm not sure how much interest the Ravens would have in him before the draft. Baltimore could find its No. 2 receiver in the first three rounds, and Coach John Harbaugh and owner Steve Bisciotti have expressed confidence this offseason in the team's other young receivers like Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro. If the Ravens aren't comfortable with what they have at receiver after the draft, they would likely look at Jennings if he's still available. The reason why he's lasted this long in free agency is concern over declining speed. The only other notable receivers left in free agency are Hakeem Nicks, Wes Welker, Reggie Wayne and Donnie Avery. Yes, it's an undesirable list of leftovers. It's understandable that some of the fan base is worried about the Ravens' receivers. The team has yet to replace Torrey Smith, and the only proven target on the roster is Steve Smith. The problem is, the Ravens really didn't have the cap room to pursue impact receivers. It's not a buyers' market when Smith ($22 million guaranteed), Andre Johnson ($10 million guaranteed) and Dwayne Bowe ($9 million guaranteed) are signing these types of deals. Michael Crabtree, who signed a one-year $3.2 million deal with the Raiders, presented the best value but he was an unrestricted free agent and would've counted against the Ravens' compensatory pick formula.
@jamisonhensley Ozzie said "if there is a guy we covet, we'll go up and get him". What guys do you think this includes? Shane Ray?
— Richard Janvrin (@RichardJanvrin) April 9, 2015@JamisonHensley: I believe you hit the player that the Ravens will keep an eye on in the first round. When you watch Missouri pass-rusher Shane Ray on film, he reminds you of Terrell Suggs and his ability to get around the edge. Harbaugh raved about Ray's motor during the pre-draft news conference, and Ray does play with a passion that the Ravens love. Most draft analysts have Ray going in the top 10. Ray, though, disappointed at his pro day with a slower than expected 40-yard dash and a less-than-impressive showing in linebacker drills. Some wonder whether he has the flexibility to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense and others question if he has the size to line up as a 4-3 defensive end. This tweener label could cause Ray to slide. The Ravens know he wouldn't last until the No. 26 overall pick. If Ray slips into the second half of the first round, that could be the point where Baltimore jumps up. It wouldn't surprise me if Ray is very high on the Ravens' draft board.
@jamisonhensley Will the Ravens be likely to move up in the draft or will they just keep all their picks?
— Misagh Dorost (@misagh19) April 9, 2015@jamisonhensley: The Ravens have positioned themselves to move up in the first couple of rounds by the way they have accumulated picks. Baltimore has six of the first 136 selections in this year's draft (although two can't be traded because they're compensatory picks). In the previous question, I addressed how the Ravens might consider moving up in the first round for Ray. But if I was handicapping the Ravens' draft, the round where I can see them trading up is the second round. The Ravens will probably wait to see if a pass-rusher, cornerback or wide receiver falls to them in the first round. Then, I can see the Ravens going after a player at one of those positions in the middle of the second round if the team has a first round grade on him. That could be someone like Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams or LSU cornerback Jalen Collins.
@jamisonhensley what's the biggest need the Ravens could address in the draft?
— Ahmed C™ (@alist_4) April 9, 2015@jamisonhensley: Without a doubt, it's a playmaking wide receiver. The Ravens never added a downfield target to replace Torrey Smith, and the only dependable target returning for Joe Flacco is an aging Steve Smith. Right now, the Ravens would line up either Brown or Aiken as a starting wide receiver. You can criticize Torrey Smith for his inconsistent hands and his inability to develop as a No. 1 receiver. But his speed forced defenses to account for him. There's no one on the Ravens right now that strikes fear in secondaries outside of Steve Smith and it's unknown how much he has left at age 36. The Ravens do need a cornerback given the injury history of Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb. They would like to get another pass-rusher to fill the void left by Pernell McPhee. But the biggest hole is in the passing game. Flacco has one of the best arms in the NFL, and the Ravens need to give him a big-play target downfield.
