Baltimore Ravens: Recapping the Offseason
By Joe Serpico
Dec 14, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington (25) smiles at the bench after returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Free agency came and left kind of quietly for the Ravens at first. The signing of Kendrick Lewis could be one of the more underrated free agent signings in the league. There was a huge hole at secondary and Lewis is expected to step into the starting lineup immediately.
Bringing in Matt Schaub could also prove to be an underrated move. Joe Flacco has never missed a game in his NFL career, but this is football and injuries do happen. Schaub gives the Ravens a veteran presence if – knock on wood – something should happen to Flacco. He is a perfect backup that can manage a team if need be, but if he needs to step into the starting lineup, it might be a long season.
It was no secret that the weakness of last year’s team was the turmoil in the secondary. Say what you want about deflated balls and illegal formations, Tom Brady carved up the Ravens secondary to bring them back from being down 14 points twice. Ozzie Newsome was aggressive in fixing his problem with the defensive backs this offseason.
The first move was to give Jimmy Smith a contract extension through the 2019 season. Following the draft, Newsome made his best move of the offseason. They filled the hole at the nickel corner spot with the signing of former Patriot Kyle Arrington. They continued to add depth with the signing of Cassius Vaughn and will also get back several corners back from injuries last season.
Next: The Ravens Win the NFL Draft