First annual bob allen extreme race3/30/2023 ![]() He's decent enough, but in a sign that the team is hardly committed to him, Williams will play in 2023 on his fifth-year option with no extension imminent. In general, Williams hasn't been the dominant force expected from a former top-15 draft choice. On the left side, Jonah Williams has struggled with injury and top-end pass rushers. L.C.'s availability is in doubt for most of 2023, and he is a likely cut candidate given that uncertainty. A late-season torn ACL suffered by La'el Collins, who was already into heavy load management due to previous ouchies, throws the right tackle spot into disarray once more-the position has been a wasteland in Cincy for going on a decade now. Tackle continues to be a need position for the team that has made consecutive AFC Championship Games. Cincinnati Bengals Biggest Need: Offensive Tackle Robinson is the more likely keeper after his quality turn. Watkins will seemingly be on someone's roster in his age-50 season, but even a team as wideout-deficient as Baltimore is unlikely to keep him around. Would the Ravens keep four tight ends? Oliver's blocking may be worth it, though other teams will surely come sniffing around a 25-year-old with upside. Houston led the team in sacks (9.5) at age 34, but with young 'uns Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo needing snaps, and pass rush in demand across the league, the Ravens may decide to fill their old-head quota with the less expensive and impactful but still decent Pierre-Paul. Peters wasn't the same at age 30 coming off a bad knee injury, and the Ravens will likely draft his replacement. Powers is in the "we love him but he probably played his way out of our price range" column. Jackson aside, there are other interesting decisions to be made in the Balmer front office. Notable Free Agents: Lamar Jackson (QB) Ben Powers (G) Marcus Peters (CB) Justin Houston (ER) Jason Pierre-Paul (ER) Josh Oliver (TE) Demarcus Robinson (WR) Justice Hill (RB) Kenyan Drake (RB) Brent Urban (DE) Jackson's situation looms over every decision, but whomever is throwing passes in Baltimore in 2023, he will require better receivers on the other end. The draft is deep but lacking top-end talent, which frees the team to pick the best available player (a cornerback, most likely) in the first round before hitting wideout in the middle rounds-Josh Downs of North Carolina and Jalin Hyatt of Tennessee would be targets, among others. Alas, the free-agent market is weak, though a player such as JuJu Smith-Schuster might be in play, and the team will surely sniff around DeAndre Hopkins if he is indeed available. Todd Monken is in for Greg Roman at offensive coordinator, and he likes to chuck it deep, so finding a perimeter threat or two is crucial. Demarcus Robinson gave the team some juice off the street in midseason. Rashod Bateman has played in just 18 games his first two seasons but has first-round pick pedigree. At least a couple of unproven wideouts showed flashes in 2022, including Devin Duvernay, who had a career season in the slot (not that high a bar to clear, but still). The situation isn't quite as dire as it was last offseason, when despite dealing "Hollywood" Brown the Ravens chose not to draft or sign a receiver of note. So that leaves the Ravens' perennial area of need: wideout. For the purposes of this piece, we can safely assume that even if Jackson winds up elsewhere, the Ravens will get a quarterback out of whatever deal they make, be it a veteran or a newly drafted passer chosen with draft capital exchanged for L.J. Of course Lamar Jackson and his contract drama dwarfs all other needs and news coming out of Baltimore these days. Baltimore Ravens Biggest Need: Wide Receiver NFL Offseason - In these editions of Four Downs, we'll review the biggest hole on each team in the division and then give a short look at each team's major free agents for 2023.
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