Ravens Offensive 'Arsenal' Top 10? Or Injuries Holding Them Back?
As the old adage goes, "The best ability is availability." And there might not be a better team in the NFL that fits into that mold than the Baltimore Ravens.
Along with quarterback Lamar Jackson - who has his own injury history of late - this Ravens roster has been banged up in recent years, to say the least.
However, when healthy, there may only be a handful of other teams that can stack up with Baltimore's talent level.
In ESPN's recent "offensive arsenal rankings" where it laid out the top receiver, running back and tight end groups, Baltimore came in at No. 15 - slotting just above the Detroit Lions and below the New Orleans Saints. Comparatively, the Ravens ranked No. 25 last season and No. 14 in 2021.
"[J.K. Dobbins] missed all of 2021 and chunks of 2022 recovering from a knee injury; he has played more than 50% of the offensive snaps in a game just eight times over three seasons," ESPN writes.
"Backup Gus Edwards missed all of 2021 and eight games a year ago. [Odell Beckham Jr.] didn't play in 2022 while recovering from a torn ACL, while [Rashod Bateman] was sidelined by a Lisfranc injury and needed a cortisone shot during OTAs. This depth chart looks great on paper, but what are the chances the Ravens get anything close to full seasons from everyone involved?"
With injuries in mind, Baltimore addressed its receiver depth by drafting Boston College product Zay Flowers in the first-round and signing free agent Nelson Agholor to a one-year deal.
But if this collection of talent in Baltimore can stay healthy - and that's a big if to some - the AFC could have another contender on its hands.
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