Regardless, it's going to take some time for this unit to jell again. On paper, it's a good group and extremely athletic. But for this passing game to improve, Oher and left tackle Jared Gaither have to handle top pass rushers consistently one-on-one.
And then there is the Flacco factor.
He played well as a rookie and showed a lot of promise last season. Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron brought Flacco along slowly, and the Ravens were content allowing Flacco to throw safe patterns to the outside of the field. That will work against most teams when you're stronger than they are in most other areas, but it's hard to be that conservative and win against teams like Pittsburgh, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.
The Ravens will need a more sophisticated passing offense. They will need to get more players into passing routes instead of having them pass-block.
And Flacco will have to make more big league throws into tight windows across the middle of the field. He has to make this next step for the Ravens to reach the ultimate goal.
After all, that's why he is here, right? You don't draft a quarterback in the first round to complement your running game. You draft him that high to make tough throws and win games. You pay him $30 million over five years to carry the team, the way Tom Brady carries the Patriots.
It will be a tough assignment for Flacco, as well as the offensive line. It's a young group, and he's a young quarterback. There will be mistakes made early in the season, but if the Ravens can overcome growing pains, they could be an interesting team to watch down the stretch.
It's all depends on whether Flacco and his offensive line can step it up a notch.
