Never write off the Ravens. After a Super Bowl championship send legend LB Ray Lewis into retirement, Baltimore in-depthlost several other players to salary cap woes and missed the playoffs. But it didn’t take long to rebound.

Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh combined to put together a solid group in 2014, and Joe Flacco continued his climb toward the top level of NFL QBs during a 10-6 season that culminated in win over rival Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs.

The Ravens came up short the next week in their efforts to knock off the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots, but the team also served notice that it wasn’t staying down for long. Can this bunch make another leap forward and contend for a deeper run in 2015? Kyle Casey, a contributing writer at Russell Street Report, provides some insight.

Zoneblitz: After a year out of the playoffs, Baltimore went 10-6 and advanced to the second round of the postseason. How would you assess the season?

Casey: The 2014 season should not be one to complain about for the Baltimore Ravens. The playoff loss hurt, but the big picture reality is that the team went from out of the postseason to nearly making the AFC Championship game, which can be deemed a success. The 10-6 record was on par with the roster talent and expectations

Zoneblitz: Gary Kubiak left for a head coaching gig. What are your thoughts on Marc Trestman as his replacement? How will he mesh with Joe Flacco and Co.?

Casey: Losing Kubiak will certainly be a blow to Baltimore’s offensive groove, but Trestman should provide enough stability for Flacco and Co. to succeed. Trestman’s offense simplifies the passing game, which should help with Flacco’s completion percentage and turnover rate, but his track record in the run game is not as notable as Kubiak’s. Now on his fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, the best thing to look for between Flacco and Trestman is a sense of trust and continuity beyond just the 2015 season.

Zoneblitz: Speaking of Flacco, 2014 may have been his best regular season – do you agree? What are your thoughts on his growth and consistency as a QB?

Casey: 2014 was undoubtedly Flacco’s most successful regular season. The Kubiak-led offense allowed him to net a quality TD/INT ratio, and he nearly surpassed 4,000 passing yards. At this point, it is not as if Flacco is going to get “better” per se. Now entering his 8th NFL season, Flacco has plateaued in terms of growing, but at his peak he is still a quarterback capable of consistently orchestrating his offense in a way that leads to postseason success. The most important aspect of Flacco’s game when he is at his best is his low turnover rate. That was not the case in 2013, but the 2014 season proved he can be one of the AFC’s more consistent quarterbacks when he keeps the turnovers to a minimum.

Zoneblitz: What do you think of top pick Breshad Perriman? Is he another Torrey Smith? Or is there another dimension there?

Casey: It is hard not to compare Perriman to Smith: raw route runner, poor hands, but immense speed. General manager Ozzie Newsome often refers to the 80/20 rule, or getting 80% of the production of a player for 20% of the price. That seems to be the situation with Perriman replacing Smith. If properly developed under receivers coach Bobby Engram, Perriman will turn out to be a more well-rounded receiving threat than Smith. But right now, he is simply an undeveloped, raw player who should be expected to have plenty of ups and downs (with probably a lot of downs) in 2015 before polishing his game in future seasons.

Zoneblitz: The Ravens traded Haloti Ngata, a long-time defensive cornerstone. How does that change the defense in 2015?

Casey: Any time a team loses an All-Pro player, it hurts, but the reality is the Ravens have plenty of players in place to step in and replace Ngata. With the likes of Timmy Jernigan, Brandon Williams and Carl Davis, among others, the Ravens may not ever fully replace Ngata, but they will get plenty of production from the men up front.

Zoneblitz: Similar question on Pernell McPhee? Will he be a big loss or is he the latest Ravens LB to move on to a bigger role and payday only to underwhelm after leaving?

Casey: Even if McPhee fails to live up to his contract in Chicago, the absence will be felt in Baltimore regardless. As simply a role player prior to 2014, McPhee’s production last season proved how dominant a three-headed pass rush can be. Now, the Ravens are back to just Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil as top pass rushers. The lack of depth on the edge will likely be noticeable in 2015.

Zoneblitz: What will the additions of Kendrick Lewis and Kyle Arrington do to the secondary?

Casey: The Arrington addition is much more intriguing than Lewis. Arrington is a consistent, proven slot cornerback, and a nickel trio of Arrington, Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith is one to be excited about. Lewis is more of just a stopgap move. He is neither bad nor good, and he seems to be a player who will stick around as a starter while the Ravens wait for better options to arise, perhaps Terrence Brooks once his ACL injury is fully healed.

Zoneblitz: Collectively, what are your thoughts on the draft and free agency to this point and what would you like to see the team do through the rest of the offseason?

Casey: Overall, the Ravens have checked nearly every box during the offseason. They addressed needs with the additions of Lewis and Arrington, and also hauled in a solid young core of rookies, with Breshad Perriman, Carl Davis and Maxx Williams looking to be quality long-term players for the team. Right now, the two positions with the most lacking depth are safety and edge rusher. If the Ravens can find a minimal-contract player who could provide some quality depth at either position, it would make things easier come August.

Zoneblitz: What Ravens players have a chance to break out in 2015?

Casey: A few names to keep an eye on: Michael Campanaro, Rashaan Melvin, Brent Urban, Terrence Brooks. All four are young players who by season’s end could be regular contributors at their respective positions.

Zoneblitz: How far are the Ravens from making another deep run in the postseason?

Casey: Last season, they were one quarter from making the AFC Championship. Right now, the roster may be slightly more complete than the one that took the field against the Patriots in January, so there’s no reason to believe the Ravens can’t make a similar postseason run next season.

Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Casey: Thanks for having me on the site and Go Ravens.

Follow Kyle Casey on Twitter at: @KyleCasey094
Follow Russell Street Report on Twitter at: @RussellStReport
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom

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