Taylor's Top 5 2012 Draft Needs for the Baltimore Ravens

Never. Again.

In light of the NFL Combine last weekend, I've been thinking a lot about what the Ravens need to be looking for as we head into the 2012 draft. Here are the top 5 positions I think we should be looking to fill  in order to have the best chance at winning it all this season!

1) I said it last season and I will say it again, we need to find an inside linebacker. We are so lucky to have Ray Lewis for another season and we should utilize his presence to develop some new talent. Honestly, I think it would be worth a first round pick to draft an ILB. The Ravens have not drafted a LB in the first round in 15 seasons but with Jarrett Johnson returning at 31 years old and Jameel McClain as a free agent, there is no better time than now to introduce some new blood to the linebacking squad.

2) We need to find another center. Matt Birk has been a great asset for the Ravens but he is about to turn 36 and there are rumors that he has thought about retiring. In order to balance out our run-heavy offense, I think it would be a worthy investment to secure a strong center in this year's draft.

3) In addition to another center, we should look at drafting a new guard. Left guard Ben Grubbs is a pending free-agent and this year's draft pool doesn't feature a very strong mix of interior 0-lineman. For that reason, it would make sense for the Ravens to consider this position in the earlier rounds.

4) Clearly, we need to beef up our secondary. It continues to amaze me that Ed Reed is still in the game and while I appreciate all of the talent and experience that he brings, he wasn't as reliable last season as he has been for the Ravens in his younger years. We saw far fewer "Reeeeeeeeeed" plays and watching him staggering around in-between plays was kind of painful at times. It definitely would benefit the Ravens to find some new talent that could learn from playing alongside Ed while we still have him. It is also important to consider that our starting cornerbacks Cary Williams and Lardarius Webb are both pending free-agents.

5) Finally, I think we should look to add another wide receiver in this year's draft. We scored majorly last season in acquiring Torrey Smith and with a season of experience under his belt, he looks to be a promising deep-threat again in 2012. On the other hand, Anquan Boldin looks far less promising to me after a less-than impressive 57 catches for 887 yards and only 3 touchdowns last season.

I'd love to hear whether or not you agree or what changes to my list you would make! Leave me a comment on my 'Ravens Chick' Facebook account or  join the conversation on Twitter, @tayloraboyd.

Ravens Announce Additional Roster Changes

The Baltimore Ravens have also announced that they have released WR Lee Evans and CB Chris Carr.

(Photo credit: http://blogs.baltimoreravens.com)

According to the Baltimore Ravens website:

“Each year we have to make tough, difficult decisions to manage our roster,” Newsome said. “Chris Carr and Lee Evans were valuable Ravens, and both helped us get to the AFC Championship game and the brink of the Super Bowl last season with the way they played and the maturity they added to the locker room. Chris was instrumental in helping us earn the playoffs the last three seasons.

“As we talked about when we informed Chris and Lee of these moves, this does not close the door on them coming back to the Ravens.”

Baltimore Ravens Assign Franchise Tag to RAY RICE!

(Photo Credit: (www.blogs.baltimoreravens.com))

The Baltimore Ravens have reported that they have applied the franchise tag to Ray Rice today, Friday March 2. This tag protects him from free agency as his rookie contract with the Ravens neared its end! The one-year, $7.7 million deal is viewed as a precursor to an even longer contract extension following the 2012 season.

“As we have in the past, placing the franchise designation on a player allows us to keep negotiating on a long-term contract,” Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. “Our goal is to keep Ray Rice a Raven. We’ve done this with other outstanding players through our history, including Haloti Ngata a year ago.” (www.blogs.baltimoreravens.com)

"The fifth-year running back is coming off the best season of his career, where he rushed for 1,364 yards and collected a league leading 2,068 yards from scrimmage. He was selected to his second Pro Bowl and accounted for 16 touchdowns – 12 rushing, three receiving and one throwing." (www.blogs.baltimoreravens.com)

I have a feeling this will be welcome news to MANY Ravens fans!

Hello from New York City!

Hey Ravens fans,

I wanted to check in with a quick update about what I have been up to and when you can expect my blog to be up and running again! Instead of studying abroad this spring, I am studying "abroad" in New York City at New York University. I am taking some really innovative classes in social media stratgey that were not available to me at Lehigh. I have been absorbed in taking advantage of all that the city has to offer and for that reason, decided to take a little hiatus from blogging. I am so looking forward to having the opportunity to apply some of the great things I'm learning here at NYU to my Ravens blogging for the 2012 season! I look forward to bringing you all more of daily headlines and news content as well as more of my own personal content! I will be starting some posting again as we enter the 2012 NFL Draft coverage and cannot wait to connect with all of you as we prepare for the upcoming season! Thank you for your continued support and for helping me grow this blog into something that I never imagined possible. If you haven't already - follow me on Twitter @tayloraboyd or friend 'Ravens Chick' on Facebook! I will also be using my personal Pinterest account to post Ravens news, so if you'd like you can follow the board that I've created 'A Chick Who Digs Baltimore Ravens Football'.

Yours in black and purple,

 Taylor 'Ravens Chick'