Late Night Ravens Stream of Consciousness, Part Two

Now, as far as the offense goes, even if they don't do a single thing this entire offseason besides resign Jason Brown, the offense will be better next year. Why? Second year in a system instead of the first. Second year quarterback instead of a first. Your primary two runningbacks not named McGahee will be in their second year running the ball instead of the first. The offensive line may actually be healthy, and even if they're not, they can't be more banged up than they were this year. 

That being said, no matter what or how, the Ravens will upgrade at the wide receiver position this offseason. I don't care how they do it. Well, I do, but let's just say I don't for this sake right now. They could do it in free agency, or they may do it with a first round draft pick, or they may do it with a second round draft pick, or they could trade for one. Either way, they will get a wide receiver, and that will make them that much better.

How much better? Enough so that it will compensate for how far the defense will fall. The offense was ranked 18th this past year. If you put a great receiver on this team and Flacco progresses as he should, the offense may even crack the top 10 next year. A top 10 offense + a top 10 defense = success. 

Almost done. To elaborate more on the wide receiver position, I'm glad reports are now that TJ Houshmandzadeh is not going to be a Raven next year, because he's exactly the kind of wide receiver they don't need. He talks a lot, and he's a possession guy. Derrick Mason fills that role wonderfully. I see some mock drafts with the Ravens taking a Percy Harvin, the small speedster from Florida. He's also exactly the kind of guy the Ravens don't need. Mark Clayton fills that role wonderfully. Who do the Ravens need? They need Darrius Heyward-Bey, who can run by most corners in the NFL, or they need Anquan Boldin, who will out-physical all corners in the NFL to get by them, and has the same effect. How are they going to get either one of those guys? Well, Heyward-Bey will be simple to get. Odds are he will be there when the Ravens look to draft at pick 27. There's a slight chance a team like the Dolphins will take him a pick or two beforehand, but odds are against it. Now, there's no chance at all he's still around for them in the second round, so if they want him, they're going to have to pick him with the first round.

I'm not sure this is the most prudent option, though, and I'm looking at Anquan Boldin (pictured, left) when I say this. Is Anquan Boldin worth a first round draft pick in the NFL? I'm not sure. Teams really value their first round picks; it takes an awful lot to give up one. I think the Cardinals, however, in looking to trade Boldin, will look for a first rounder. I think the Ravens will play with this offer, but Ozzie Newsome recognizes value, and I don't think he would do it. That's why (and of course this could change in the two and a half months before the draft) I see the Ravens taking a cornerback in the first round, maybe Alphonso Smith out of Wake Forest. That would leave the Cards seeking a second rounder for Boldin, and they will certainly get their fair share of offers for that. 

Listen to the situation that unfolds itself now. What are the Ravens needs for this offseason? 1) Wide receiver. 2) Cornerback. 4) Anything else. There's that much of a separation. I'm of the opinion that, if the situation plays out like I imagined there, the Ravens would trade their second and third round picks with a team like Detroit who has a very high second round pick, then trade that pick to the Cardinals for Boldin. It makes perfect sense. Why take an unsure thing with a second round pick in the draft when you can get a sure thing with it instead at the position you need? Just a thought there. 

I recognize that this entire post was speculative, and a lot has to go right to make me look like a guy who knows anything at all here. Look at these previous two posts, though, and if you have a problem with anything I've proposed, I would like to hear it. I recognize it's just as likely that Anquan Boldin is a Cardinal next year as everything I've talked about going my way, but it's just a string of thoughts that make sense to me. Hopefully they make sense to the Ravens. 

Posts to look for in the coming days:

1. How A-Rod kicked a recovering baseball world in the face. 

2. The overblown Ray lewis interview. 

3. The ACC vs. the Big East in college basketball.

4. Where Maryland stands after the GT game. 

(Photo Credits: USA today)

Arizona Cardinals: What I Thought I Knew

Now that my heart rate has recovered from a crazy divisional playoff weekend, it's time to do a little posting. This is going to be a 12-part posting about every team in the playoffs. For each team, I am going to do a little post about what I thought I knew, what I know now, and what I expect.

What I Thought I Knew Heading into the Playoffs: Cardinals

1. Larry Fitzgerald is a top 3 NFL wide receiver, and Anquan Boldin is top 5. Post-divisional round analysis: TRUE

We didn't get to see too much of Boldin, but we learned that if you throw a jump ball to Larry Fitzgerald (pictured, left), double coverage or not, he is going to come down with it. He just has that uncanny ability to time his jump perfectly every time, and he can jump higher than you can, plain and simple. Both the Falcons and the Panthers learned that the hard way. When Boldin is healthy, he can turn any 5 yard gain into a sixty yard touchdown because of his agility and power. 

2. The Cardinals can not stop the run, even if they know it's all that is coming. Post-divisional round analysis: UNDECIDED

I mean, you can tell why I thought that heading into the playoffs. They were the 16th ranked rush defense heading into the playoffs, but look at the running backs they played this year, and you will notice they've only played four in the top 10, the last one being Adrian Peterson, who went off for 165 yards against them. In the playoffs, though, it's been a different story. They held a very good Michael Turner to 42 yards on 18 carries, but both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart got at least four yards a carry against them this past weekend. Arizona just jumped out to such a large early lead that they got away from the run. 

3. The Cardinals can not run the ball, and will have to rely on Kurt Warner for everything offensively. Post-divisional round analysis: FALSE

Once again, you can't really blame me for thinking this. This was, after all, the team that came IN DEAD LAST in rushing this year. It really seems to me, though, after the Carolina game, that they realized they might have something with this Hightower-James duo. Unlike many teams, who use the run to open up the pass, Arizona uses the pass to open up the run. When you have to double cover both receivers, that will happen to you. Neither Hightower or James (pictured, right) are going to get 100 yards on you most games, but both are becoming reliable options, especially on second down. 

(Photo Credits: AP)