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| Andrew Perna & The RGM Baltimore Ravens Message Board. 22nd April, 2008 - 5:17 pm
 Here at RealGM our hearts beat thanks to the thousands upon thousands of posters that frequent our forums on a daily basis. With the NFL season still months from kicking off, but the ever-important NFL Draft less than a week away, what better time than now to check in with the people who care about football even more than some of the players on the field?
2007 Record: 5-11
Additions: Brendon Ayanbadejo, LB
Subtractions: Steve McNair, QB (retired), Devard Darling, WR (KC)
Draft Picks: 8th
The Answers
1. What was the best thing(s) that happened in 2007?
NurbekIL: It was hard to find something good in the year that we just had, but I am really pleased with the signing of Willis McGahee. I thought he was going to be serviceable at best and likely get injured towards the end of the season, but he has proven that he can be a solid every-down back who can take it inside or outside.
UTMCretin: Well, this doesn't start very easily. I guess how the run game sort of came together in the absence of Jamal Lewis was a good thing. When healthy, McGahee was near the top of the league in rushing yards, and the ground game as a whole improved as a result. So that was probably the best thing from an improvement standpoint, in addition to our generally strong defense.
miller31time: We didn't have many good things happen to us last season, but the New England game was by far the most enjoyable experience I had even though it ended in a loss.
Nowak008: Brian Billick getting fired.
2. What was the worst thing that happened in 2007?
NurbekIL: A lot of people would say that Steve McNair was the worst thing that happened to us last year, but I am not one of them. I expected McNair to decline and Kyle Boller to be the starter late in the season. What I did not expect was our defense to be so average. We were 9th overall, but we were 22nd against the pass. Rolle is done, McAlister is a shadow of his former self, Landry did not improve as much as I would have liked, and Ed Reed is only human. Hence, the play of our secondary was the worst thing that happened last year.
UTMCretin: No passing attack, McNair regressed exponentially, and we have no backups that are ready to step in for him in retirement. The lack of an air game led to an inept offense that ended up affecting the defense's ability to perform as well, by giving up great field position on a consistent basis. Our defense was 6th in the league in yards allowed yet managed to be 23rd in the league in points allowed. The lack of ability to move the ball downfield was a big reason for this regression (along with the general inability of the secondary to cover the larger wide receiver sets). So, to summarize, an unbalanced and predictable offense led to situations that were easily capitalized on by any opposing coach worth his salt, and an unbalanced and predictable secondary provided more of the same.
miller31time: Seeing a once-great quarterback decline as fast as any player deteriorated in the NFL last season.
Nowak008: Blowing the New England game.
3. Who had a breakout season?
NurbekIL: Nobody had a breakout season. In fact, half the team declined, but I really like Haloti Ngata. He was a real space-eater inside this year anchoring the line, and if he stays in shape, he will be a perennial Pro Bowler for us.
UTMCretin: Haloti Ngata. You can't teach size, and I've found him to be exceptional in his massive girth. Such girth certainly played a role in clogging up the middle of the field and giving us the second best rush defense in the league.
miller31time: I'll have to agree with NurbekIL and UTMCretin – Haloti Ngata.
Nowak008: Ngata.
4. Who was the biggest disappointment?
NurbekIL: Terrell Suggs. Someone should really investigate if it was really him playing last year.
UTMCretin: I think I'll have to agree with Suggs as he was one of the more disappointing players last season. Todd Heap was also rather disappointing, but it was really just him getting injured that was disappointing, not his play.
miller31time: Not to be redundant, but easily McNair. I really felt like he was going to be an above-average quarterback for a few more seasons, but he wasn't just bad last season. He was embarrassingly bad. You really felt horrible for the man because you could see he knew just how much he was struggling.
Nowak008: Not McNair for me because I knew he wasn't going to be very good. The pass coverage as noted above has to be the disappointment.
5. How could the team have been more successful?
NurbekIL: If we had started Boller from the beginning, cut Rolle, and tried to trade for Lito Sheppard last offseason.
UTMCretin: McNair could have been put on injured reserve before the season had even begun, and Billick could have applied a bit more "tact" in closing out competitive game situations.
miller31time: Well, I still feel like health was a big reason we did so poorly last season. Yeah, a lot of our players went through regressions, but our core players just couldn't stay on the field.
Nowak008: Starting Boller earlier in the season and not letting Rolle play at all.
6. What do you make of the team’s offseason progress at this point?
NurbekIL: We didn't do much, but Ozzie Newsome has proven he can build from the draft.
UTMCretin: We cut Mike Anderson. I suppose that's a plus.
miller31time: Have we even done anything?
Nowak008: No more Billick, so that’s good.
7. Where are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
NurbekIL: Quarterback. We really need to get that position settled.
UTMCretin: Secondary and quarterback, in no particular order. This draft is a good time to try and give the secondary some sort of depth and push out a few of the older defensive backs who don't quite have the speed to keep up with receivers anymore.
miller31time: Quarterback and cornerback, in my honest opinion.
Nowak008: Corner, corner, corner. Quarterback second.
8. Who do you hope the team drafts with their first pick?
NurbekIL: Matt Ryan.
UTMCretin: Leodis McKelvin. I certainly wouldn't mind Matt Ryan, though.
miller31time: Matt Ryan seems like a good choice.
Nowak008: Matt Ryan falling to us would be a dream.
9. Which player will be on the hot seat in 2008?
NurbekIL: Chris McAlister. Is he about to be done?
UTMCretin: McAlister looks to soon go the way of Peter Boulware and Mike Flynn, so he's a pretty easy choice. I'm hoping Samari Rolle doesn't even make it through training camp. If our secondary was half-decent, Rolle wouldn't have made it this far, so he's another candidate, albeit one with far lower expectations set out for him.
miller31time: I'm not nearly as down on McAllister as the rest. I think that, health permitting, he's still one of the elite cornerbacks in the NFL. Rolle, on the other hand, is nowhere near. He's the player on the hot seat in ‘08.
Nowak008: Whoever is our quarterback.
10. What are the realistic expectations for 2008 at this point?
NurbekIL: I really hope we make the playoffs, but if we are starting someone like Ryan by Week Eight, I will be happy with 6-10 wins and some growth from the young guys on offense like Demetrius Williams and Mark Clayton.
UTMCretin: Well out of the playoffs, all things considered. This team has too many easily exploitable holes to compete at the moment, so, pending further developments, I'll go with 5-11 as a final record. Of course, add a competent quarterback and who knows. Maybe 7-9 isn't out of the cards. One can always dream.
miller31time: I think we're going to be in that odd place between rebuilding and still trying to be a good team. I'll go with 8-8 because of that.
Nowak008: We are one season away from a 13-3 season, so I'll say 8-8.
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