After winning the Super Bowl in 2012, cap issues and a retirement-driven roster overhaul caused the Baltimore Ravens in-depthto slide to .500 in 2013. So Baltimore sat and watched the playoffs from home for the first time in several years.

But those issues may be a thing of the past. The team has made Ozzie Newsome-like strategic additions to strengthen the offensive line and the receiving corps and the defense in 2013 was actually statistically better than it was during the Ray Lewis-led Super Bowl run.

So have the Ravens done enough to recapture dominance in the AFC North? And can Joe Flacco regain form and lead another deep playoff run? Kyle Casey, a contributing writer for Russell Street Report, shares his thoughts.

Zoneblitz: Coming off of a Super Bowl win and a large roster turnover what are your thoughts on the 8-8 season?

Casey: The 8-8 season wasn’t as surprising as some may make it out to be. It ended up turning out about how I expected, as I predicted the Ravens to be a 9-7 team and be in playoff contention. The thing about the 2013 season was that that type of year was bound to happen at some point. With the roster turnover the team experienced, most notably losing longtime leaders such as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Anquan Boldin and Matt Birk, it was almost hard not to think the team was in for a letdown year. It’s rare a team makes the playoffs five years in a row, and at some point, Baltimore’s run had to come to an end. The future of the team all depends on whether or not the 2013 season was an outlier or a new trend in Baltimore.

Zoneblitz: The Ravens were 25th in the league in points scored just a year after being 10th — and after signing QB Joe Flacco to a big extension. What are your thoughts on Flacco’s performance and were the offensive deficiencies on him or others?

Casey: Baltimore’s offense was so inconsistent and infuriating to watch last season that not one person can be blamed. Flacco was one of the many culprits, but was far from the worst offensive player. The most notable thing from him – other than the obvious fact his offensive line hardly ever gave him time to throw – was that he just didn’t have a rapport with his receivers. In the final weeks of the season, when Dennis Pitta returned and Jacoby Jones started to contribute more as a receiver, it looked like Flacco started to improve. The biggest thing for Flacco heading into 2014 will be whether or not he enters training camp on the same page with his targets.

Zoneblitz: Ray Rice had a down year and he’s had some off-field issues this off-season. What went wrong in 2013 and is his status going forward in any doubt?

Casey: In 2013, it looked like he simply hit the wall in his career, where the decline begins. Running backs have a short shelf life, and for a player who carried the ball so many times in college, it’s not a surprise that his decline has started so early. He suffered a hip injury early in the season, but the signs were there in the 2012 playoff run that he just wasn’t the same player he used to be. The off-field issues don’t help, and while he figures to be on the team next season, without a rebound year, it could be his last in Baltimore.

Zoneblitz: How big of a problem was the lack of a secondary receiver option after Anquan Boldin left? And what do you think of the Steve Smith signing as a strategy for addressing the receiver position?

Casey: As noted above, the connection between the receivers and Flacco just wasn’t there last season. Losing Boldin contributed to that, and throwing an undrafted rookie – Marlon Brown – on the field for significant playing time was a recipe for disaster. Brown played well, but he and Flacco had their miscommunications throughout the year. For Torrey Smith to thrive, he needs a consistent, go-to receiver to play opposite him. Steve Smith fills that void and figures to be what Derrick Mason was for Flacco.

Zoneblitz: The offensive line has turned over a fair amount, adding Eugene Monroe and subtracting Matt Birk, Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher in the last year. What are your thoughts on that unit?

Casey: Right now, before the draft, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the offensive line. Retaining Monroe was the biggest (re)addition, and the acquisition of Jeremy Zuttah to play center provides a major improvement over Gino Gradkowski. A healthy Kelechi Osemele back into the mix further helps the cause, and after a historically poor year of offensive line play in 2013, expect the unit to rebound.

Zoneblitz: Despite pretty massive roster turnover, the defense gave up only eight points more than in 2012. Some even said last year’s version was more athletic than the Super Bowl team’s was – what are your thoughts on that side of the ball?

Casey: Defense is the least of Baltimore’s worries right now. That unit carried the team last season, and figures to be just as good, if not better this upcoming season. Some fail to realize that during the 2012 Super Bowl year, Baltimore’s defense wasn’t even in the top half of the NFL. That forced the Ravens to perform a makeover on the defensive side, and the results were evident last season. The main negative that still remains, though, is the lack of playmakers. Baltimore’s inability to force turnovers late in games was often a win/loss deciding factor last season.

Zoneblitz: John Harbaugh just got another extension through 2017. Do you agree with the decision? Any thoughts on him and Ozzie Newsome at the top of the team’s operations?

Casey: The team didn’t have to extend Harbaugh again, but it seems to be just a sign of confidence in the head coach. Harbaugh has asserted himself as one of the best coaches in the NFL, and committing to him long term shows the organization’s confidence in him at the helm. The coach-GM combo of Harbaugh and Newsome is among the best in the league, and the Ravens are surely in good hands.

Zoneblitz: What do you think of the Ravens’ free agency moves overall so far and what else would you like to see Baltimore do in free agency and then in the draft?

Casey: Baltimore’s free agency has been nothing short of a success, retaining key free agents such as Eugene Monroe, Daryl Smith and Jacoby Jones, as well as adding Steve Smith. As far as future moves in free agency, the market is pretty thin at this point to make any major additions. One depth move that could pay off is adding tight end Owen Daniels, reuniting him with Gary Kubiak. In the draft, the Ravens need to add a playmaking free safety (preferably Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or Jimmie Ward), a reliable, chain-moving wide receiver (someone in the mold of Jarvis Landry, among others) and a tight end to play opposite Dennis Pitta (a complete tight end with blocking ability, such as Troy Niklas or Jace Amaro).

Zoneblitz: So with all the changes over the last couple years how far is this team from contending for another long playoff run?

Casey: With eight picks in the draft, the Ravens can address the roster holes mentioned above, while also hopefully adding quality depth. In that case, there’s no reason to think this team can’t return to pre-2013 form. The 2013 season appears to be the outlier of the John Harbaugh era, and with an improved roster, the team which was just one game away from making the playoffs in 2013 figures to be back in the postseason next year.

Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Casey: Keep an eye on Baltimore’s 2013 draft picks. Outside of safety Matt Elam, the rookies experienced sparse playing time. Linebacker Arthur Brown, defensive tackle Brandon Williams and fullback Kyle Juszczyk all promise to have increased roles.

Follow Russell Street Report on Twitter at: @RussellStReport
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom

Previous In Depth: Pittsburgh Steelers
Next In Depth: Dallas Cowboys