Ravens Among Most-Improved Teams This Offseason?
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The Baltimore Ravens have had a very busy offseason.
With coaching changes, moves in free agency and the NFL Draft, the Ravens have bolstered their roster in several key areas. That's not even considering their biggest move, which was making amends with quarterback Lamar Jackson and signing him to a new long-term deal. With the star quarterback back in the fold and a seemingly much-improved roster around him, Baltimore has lofty goals in mind for the 2023 season.
The Ravens' offseason moves have drawn a lot of praise from pundits. In fact, USA Today named Baltimore among the five teams who have taken a major step forward this offseason.
"Adding a marquee talent isn't the only avenue for offseason progress," USA Today writes. "For the Ravens, repairing their relationship with an existing superstar helped propel the franchise forward for 2023. The prolonged standoff between the team and Lamar Jackson reached an amicable end in late April, when Baltimore made its star quarterback the NFL's new highest-paid player with a five-year contract worth $260 million."
Aside from retaining Jackson, the Ravens considerably beefed up a receiving corps that has long been a weakness. Baltimore added Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor in free agency, then selected Zay Flowers in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. With receiver Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews returning as well, USA Today believes this is "unquestionably the most talented and explosive group of skill-position players Jackson has been afforded in his career."
The offensive improvements don't stop there, though. With Todd Monken as offensive coordinator, the Ravens' offense figures to be much more explosive and free than it was previously under Greg Roman. The offense will likely have to be explosive early on as the defense finds time to gel.
"The Ravens' ramped-up offense might be put to the test early, as some defensive shortcomings could leave the team in more shootouts than it's accustomed to," USA Today writes. But this is exactly the remodel that was called for in Baltimore."
The other four teams to make the list were the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. Of these five teams, Baltimore had the best record last season at 10-7 and was one of two to make the playoffs alongside Miami.
If the Ravens can build off of last season's success, then perhaps it could be a season to remember in Baltimore.
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