Torrey Smith is gone, leaving a 36-year-old Steve Smith to lead the Ravens' receiving corps.
At least for now, less than a week away from the NFL Draft, Joe Flacco does not think this is a problem.
"Obviously, without Torrey now, the one thing we probably don't have as much of is that speed, is that one guy who can stretch the field," Flacco said Saturday night via ESPN.com. "But I'm not going to say we need it. I think we got really good guys and I think we're good with who we have."
Some analysts are projecting this year's receiver crop to be just a step below last year's epic haul that included Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins and Odell Beckham, Jr. If that's the case, a basic need-to-talent analysis would suggest that Baltimore might fall in line and take an heir apparent to Smith.
The thing is, they probably won't. The best part about general manager Ozzie Newsome is that he almost never makes need-based selections. If a great receiver falls to Baltimore, he'll take him. If not, the Ravens will inevitably strengthen their roster somewhere else. It's a time of rebuilding in Baltimore and getting back to the Super Bowl will take more than just one good offseason.
That's why we may need to get (more) familiar with names like Marlon Brown, Aldrick Robinson and Kamar Aiken in the interim.
After all, maybe there's a reason Baltimore was fine stashing these players and letting their incumbent starters go.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast conducts a redraft of the 2014 NFL Draft before chatting about this year's event with Daniel Jeremiah. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
