Ravens Made Right Call Standing Pat At Trade Deadline
By Samuel Njoku
There was plenty of buzz as the trade deadline approached on Tuesday that the Ravens were shopping for a wide receiver. But the Ravens were either never in the hunt for a receiver or weren't willing to offer too much to land one. Whatever the case may be, Baltimore didn't make any moves and will proceed with their current roster for the rest of the season. It was the right call.
The Ravens are just fine at wide receiver. Torrey Smith has blossomed into a true number one receiver. He may not be as gifted as Calvin Johnson, but he can be just as explosive. Jacoby Jones looks to pick up where he left off last season and produce as another deep threat for Joe Flacco. And then there's rookie sensation Marlon Brown who continues to get better each week. Tandon Doss has also been a pleasant surprise for Baltimore.
There are plenty of issues that the Ravens need to deal with, but wide receiver isn't one of them. For starters, Baltimore's inability to block anyone wearing a different colored jersey is concerning to say the least. The drop in production from a year ago is downright bizarre. The main culprit may be the new scheme that Juan Castillo implemented during the off-season. You can bet that John Harbaugh has aggressively addressed this issue during the bye week.
Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce have been less than stellar this season as well. The Ravens brought in former Bengals RB Bernard Scott as insurance in case either player was banged up. But given their play so far, Baltimore could throw a couple of carries Scott's way in order to see what he has. At this point, Baltimore is desperate to get production on the ground.
The Ravens weren't going to make any trades to build upon the defense. There's too much talent across this roster. But their inconsistent play is a tad puzzling. One week this unit looks downright unbeatable. Then the following week they don't know how to tackle. Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees has preached consistency for the past few weeks and it'll be interesting to see if his words carry onto the field.
Baltimore is far from a perfect football team. But Titans WR Kenny Britt isn't going to block anyone. And you can forget asking Giants WR Hakeem Nicks to make a key tackle on fourth down. The players for the job are in their roster. Harbaugh and company just need to find a way to get it done.
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Samuel Njoku was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Samuel has covered the Ravens for Examiner.com since 2010. Prior to 2010, Samuel was an avid blogger and radio personality in Salisbury, MD. Samuel Njoku is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Ravens_Examiner.
