State of the Ravens press conference

[Evil Yoda]

Five points, according to this article

1. The pitchforks are out! (Front office, coaching, and quarterback all on notice)
2. Joe Flacco needs to play better.
3. Draft/free agency targets: secondary, offensive line, wideout (want to develop existing pass rushers; elite pass rushers will be gone before they draft)
4. Need a balanced attack (Harbaugh lied about wanting this after nearly every game in the back eight. Now the owner has spoken. Marty's got a job ahead of him.)
5. Will avoid players with character issues (after mishandling the Rice situation so brutally, who can blame them?)

[Deleted]

The Ravens need to get younger, plain and simple. Of their 10 highest-paid players, I believe eight are 30 or older.

Whether Flacco is on notice or not, he's the Ravens quarterback for at least the next three years because of significant cap charges should they decide otherwise. If the Ravens are going to address their shortcomings at receiver, corner and the pass rush, that help is most likely going to have to come via the draft since they don't figure to have a ton of cap room with which to work. At the present time, the Ravens have 52 players under contract heading into 2017 with a cap commitment of just over $155 million. Even with the cap projected to increase some $12 million to $168 million next year, the Ravens don't figure to get into any bidding wars once free agency begins on March 9. 

It's important to bear in mind that the above does not in any way does not represent the team's cap with a full roster, nor does it take into account the personnel moves the team will make in order to free up cap room. What is clear, however, is that the Ravens have plenty of work to do in the next two months in order to put themselves into a more workable cap position.

It's certainly a noble gesture for the Ravens to avoid players with character issues, but maybe they should reconsider that philosophy on occasion. In the fourth round of last year's draft, for example, the Ravens took Kenneth Dixon with the 134th overall pick. Right after the Ravens took Dixon (who, in fairness, does look to be a promising young player), Dallas then drafted Dak Prescott, whose draft stock had dropped somewhat due to a DUI arrest last spring. 

Oh, and expect ticket prices to increase for next season.

[Ravenchamp]

In summary

We'll fix what's in place. No worries

[Evil Yoda]

Steve Smith gave an interview. I missed who interviewed him. But in it, he defended Joe, said people around him didn't play at a high level, either. Said he expects a better year in '17. Asked about Lewis' comments about passion, he said that compared to Lewis, *everyone* is a "sparkler". And that Joe isn't that kind of player, but that does not mean he lacks passion.

[Evil Yoda]

Greg Roman hired by the Ravens as a senior offensive assistant and tight ends coach. Left unsaid is his real role: he will step into Marty's shoes when Harbs fires Marty six games in after another lackluster opening: one more in a series of increasingly comedic attempts to make it appear he's Doing Something about the team's offensive woes.