Baltimore Ravens Running Backs: What’s the plan?
Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Melvin Gordon (25) runs the ball in the first half against the Auburn Tigers in the 2015 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Wisconsin defeated Auburn 34-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Forsett is an unrestricted free agent, Lorenzo Taliaferro is unproven and Bernard Pierce has proven to not be very good. The Baltimore Ravens running backs are one big question mark after another. The Ravens’ own website raised the question, do the Ravens need to draft a running back high? It’s a question that went largely unanswered.
Before we get into that question, Forsett’s status needs to be addressed. The asking price for a nearly 30-year old one-year wonder should not be high, yet Forsett’s vision, pass blocking and receiving ability make him a worthy addition to any team. The Ravens would be wise to keep him and pay him like a premier third down back. That kind of money should be enough to retain him.
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Whether or not Forsett could handle a full season’s load as the bell cow back is questionable, though. That’s where Lorenzo Taliaferro needs to come in. The Ravens have drafted running backs in two of the past three seasons. Pierce, despite a promising start, has been a bust. Taliaferro is the one who needs to step up.
Like Pierce, Taliaferro had a promising start. He immediately established himself as the Ravens’ best short-yardage back, totaling four touchdowns on just 68 carries.
In sum, there is a very real chance Taliaferro establishes himself as a quality starting running back. His pass blocking needs work and could prohibit Taliaferro from ever becoming an every down back, but 1,000 yards is a reasonable goal as early as next season.
Todd Gurley was a chic mock draft pick for the Ravens early in the season, but the implosion of the secondary changed that. That said, there is still a perception the Ravens have a big need at running back, as the link above indicated.
This is a tremendous running back class, with great talent at the top and amazing depth. Is this the year to look for an upgrade?
Let’s start by looking at the top guys in the draft: Gurley and Melvin Gordon.
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Gurley occasionally looks like Marshawn Lynch on film, breaking tackles as well as anyone in the draft. He relies on his natural ability at times, though, and likes to bounce runs outside more than I like to see.
Gordon, on the other hand, has the best vision of any back in this class. He excels at finding the hole and exploding through it. His long speed is questionable, he isn’t a dominant power back (though he can break tackles) and he isn’t incredibly shifty. Yet, Gordon should be the surest bet among running backs in this draft class.
Behind those two are a host of guys who could go as early as the first round and as late as the fourth. This is such a deep class that it’s hard to tell.
And that’s the point. Gordon and Gurley could very well be great, but so too could 15 other guys in this class. So why use an early pick on a back when they could wait and get a tremendous talent late in the draft?
I think Ozzie Newsome is asking himself the question, and he’ll probably realize the value lies better elsewhere early in the draft.
So that means the plan should be this: Re-sign Forsett, hope for improvement from Taliaferro, draft some competition late. That should make for a pretty solid Baltimore Ravens running backs corps.