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As they wade through free agency and prepare to evaluate draft prospects at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine (March 1-6), the Baltimore Ravens must decide which players to keep as they seek to improve upon their 8-8 record from last season. The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com evaluated the Ravens' roster and created a shopping list to use in free agency and to reference during the Combine.
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The Ravens continue their search for help in the secondary, where they only wish cornerback Jimmy Smith could stay healthy. The pass rush also needs to be energized, considering the age that is affecting the unit.
They also have to determine whether the running game can be built around Terrance West.
2016 finish: 2nd AFC North (8-8)
STATISTICS
TOTAL OFFENSE: 347.7 (17th)
RUSHING: 91.4 (28th)
PASSING: 256.3 (12th)
TOTAL DEFENSE: 322.1 (7th)
RUSHING: 89.4 (5th)
PASSING: 232.8 (9th)
NEEDS, SHOPPING LIST
TOP 3 NEEDS
DEFENSIVE BACK
Baltimore's secondary needs another ballhawk that can make game-changing plays. The unit struggles without cornerback Jimmy Smith in the lineup.
UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)
CB:
A.J. Bouye, Houston (26 in August, $1.67M)
Trumaine Johnson, L.A. Rams (27, $13.95M)
Logan Ryan, New England (26, $693K)
Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo (27 in September, $3.02M)
Brandon Carr, Dallas (31 in May, $10M)
Prince Amukamara, Jacksonville (28 in June, $5.5M)
S:
Eric Berry, Kansas City (29 in December, $10.8M)
Barry Church, Dallas (29, $2.2M)
T.J. McDonald, L.A. Rams (26, $732K)
Chris Conte, Tampa Bay (28, $3M)
Quintin Demps, Houston (32 in June, $1.5M)
DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht, Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)
CB:
1/10 Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State, 6-0, 195, 4.47, 1 (underclassman)
2/15 Teez Tabor, Florida, 6-0, 201, 4.50, 1 (underclassman)
3/21 Marlon Humphrey, Alabama, 6-1, 196, 4.49, 1 (underclassman)
4/23 Sidney Jones, Washington, 6-0, 181, 4.49, 1 (underclassman)
5/34 Desmond King, Iowa, 5-11, 206, 4.53, 1-2
S:
1/4 Malik Hooker, Ohio State, 6-2, 205, 4.47, 1 (underclassman)
2/6 Jamal Adams (SS), LSU, 6-0, 211, 4.54, 1 (underclassman)
3/13 Jabrill Peppers (SS), Michigan, 6-0, 205, 4.52, 1 (underclassman)
4/43 Budda Baker, Washington, 5-10, 192, 4.52, 2 (underclassman)
5/55 Obi Melifonwu (SS), Connecticut, 6-4, 219, 4.58, 2
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
With Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil in their 30s, the Ravens need a young pass rusher that can aggressively get to the quarterback.
UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)
Chandler Jones, Arizona (27, $2.04M)
Nick Perry, Green Bay (27 in April, $5.05M)
Melvin Ingram, L.A. Chargers (28 in April, $2.1M)
DeMarcus Ware, Denver (35 in July, $10M)
Julius Peppers, Green Bay (37, $8.67M)
DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)
1/18 Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 230, 4.74, 1 (underclassman)
2/26 Takkarist McKinley, UCLA, 6-2, 258, 4.58, 1
3/27 Tim Williams, Alabama, 6-3, 252, 4.76, 1
4/31 Haason Reddick, Temple, 6-1, 237, 4.54, 1-2
5/48 T.J. Watt, Wisconsin, 6-4, 243, 4.76, 2 (underclassman)
WIDE RECEIVER
Baltimore needs to add another playmaker or possession receiver with Steve Smith retiring and Kamar Aiken looking to test the free-agent market.
UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)
DeSean Jackson, Washington (31 in December, $6M)
Alshon Jeffery, Chicago (27, $14.6M)
Pierre Garcon, Washington (31 in August, $8.5M)
Terrelle Pryor, Cleveland (28 in June, $1.67M)
Anquan Boldin, Detroit (37 in October, $2.75M)
Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota (26 in March, $1.8M)
DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht, Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)
1/8 Mike Williams, Clemson, 6-3, 225, 4.50, 1 (underclassman)
2/16 Corey Davis, Western Michigan, 6-3, 213, 4.48, 1
3/19 John Ross, Washington, 5-11, 190, 4.35, 1 (underclassman)
4/37 Curtis Samuel, Ohio State, 5-11, 200, 4.48, 1-2 (underclassman)
5/42 Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma, 5-11, 175, 4.39, 2
UFA KEEPERS
NT Brandon Williams (28, $669K)
WR Kamar Aiken (28 in May, $2.553M)
ROSTER REVIEW
DEPTH CHART
Starters and backups are listed according to their status at the end of the season, but players who were starters before being injured are included.
* Indicates player who ended 2016 season on reserve.
& Indicates player released since the Super Bowl.
QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Joe Flacco. Backup -- Ryan Mallett (UFA).
RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Terrance West. Backups -- Kenneth Dixon, Javorius "Buck" Allen, *Lorenzo Taliaferro, Stephen Houston. FB Kyle Juszczyk (UFA).
TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Dennis Pitta. Backups -- *Benjamin Watson, *Maxx Williams, Nick Boyle, Crockett Gillmore.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Steve Smith (UFA/retired), Mike Wallace. Backups -- Breshad Perriman, Kamar Aiken (UFA), Darren Waller, Vince Mayle, Chris Moore, Keenan Reynolds, Michael Campanaro, *Kaelin Clay, *Chris Matthews.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Ronnie Stanley, LG Alex Lewis, C Jeremy Zuttah, RG Marshall Yanda, RT Rick Wagner. Backups -- LT/RG James Hurst, LG/C Ryan Jensen, G Vladimir Ducasse (UFA), *G/C John Urschel, *G/T De'Ondre Wesley.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- DT Timmy Jernigan, NT Brandon Williams (UFA), DE Lawrence Guy (UFA). Backups -- DT Kapron Lewis-Moore, DT Michael Pierce, *NT Carl Davis, DE Brent Urban, *DE Bronson Kaufusi, *DT Willie Henry.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- OLB Terrell Suggs, ILB C.J. Mosley, *ILB Zachary Orr (retired), OLB Elvis Dumervil (UFA). Backups -- ILB Albert McClellan, LOLB Za'Darius Smith, OLB Matthew Judon, OLB Brennen Beyer, LB Anthony Levine (UFA), ILB Lamar Louis, ILB Patrick Onwuasor, *LB Kamalei Correa, *ILB Cavellis Luckett.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Tavon Young, *RCB Jimmy Smith, SS Eric Weddle, FS Lardarius Webb. Backups -- CB Chris Lewis-Harris, CB Shareece Wright (UFA), CB Jerraud Powers (UFA), *CB Will Davis, *CB Kyle Arrington, *CB Maurice Canady, *CB Sheldon Price, *CB Jumal Rolle, S Matt Elam (UFA), S Marqueston Huff, *S Kendrick Lewis.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Justin Tucker, P Sam Koch, LS Morgan Cox (UFA) KOR/PR Michael Campanaro.
