With the offseason workouts and minicamps in the rearview mirror and training camp just a few weeks away, we assess the Baltimore Ravens' offseason moves and assign a letter grade in the video above.
Best move: Upgrading the secondary. The Ravens didn't have the salary-cap room to make a splash with players such as Darrelle Revis, but they did enough to improve the weakest part of the team. Baltimore signed Houston Texans free-agent safety Kendrick Lewis, whose range in the secondary is a much better fit than last year's starter Darian Stewart. The Ravens also added New England Patriots nickelback Kyle Arrington, who might be the most underrated signing in the division. Baltimore had to address the secondary after last season, when the Ravens allowed an average of 288.6 yards passing in losses (fourth-worst in the NFL). The Ravens also gave up a franchise-worst 4,341 yards passing -- 226 more than any other defense in the team's 19-year history -- and allowed a 64.2 percent completion rate, which was second-worst in team history. It was essential that the Ravens brought in better cover men.
Riskiest move: Drafting Breshad Perriman in the first round. Perriman might end up being the Ravens' leading receiver this season and become the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. That said, the Ravens' draft history at this position makes it a risk. The Ravens have won two Super Bowls by their ability to draft future All-Pros at nearly every position except wide receiver. Out of the 21 wide receivers drafted by the Ravens -- their most at any position in their history -- there have been no Pro Bowl players and just one 1,000-yard receiving season (Torrey Smith in 2013). Over that same period, the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are the only teams without 1,000-yard seasons from drafted wide receivers, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Ravens are banking on Perriman to become more of an impact player than the previous two receivers drafted in the first round by the Ravens, Travis Taylor and Mark Clayton. As far as first impressions go, Perriman has been up and down in offseason camps.
Toughest move: Trading Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions. The Ravens wanted to sign the five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman to an extension, but the sides couldn't reach a deal that would allow him to play his entire career with the team. It was a move that the Ravens didn't want to make. Ngata was a major reason why Baltimore allowed the second-fewest rushing yards since 2006, when the Ravens drafted the 340-pound run stuffer. Unable to absorb Ngata's $16 million cap number for 2015, the Ravens sent him and a seventh-round pick to the Lions for fourth- and fifth-round picks, which were used to draft pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith and became part of a deal that allowed Baltimore to move up to select tight end Maxx Williams in the second round. The key part of parting ways with Ngata was creating $8.5 million in salary-cap room. That extra space helped Baltimore re-sign running back Justin Forsett and extend the contract of cornerback Jimmy Smith.
Training camp outlook:: The Ravens don't have many question marks, which is a sign of a good offseason. It's easy to predict starters for every position except tight end, and that's because of the uncertainty with Dennis Pitta. He hasn't been cleared to practice, and he'll likely begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. The Ravens haven't written off Pitta playing in 2015, but his availability for Week 1 will depend on whether he can participate in training camp. The only other starters with injury concerns are cornerback Smith (foot) and right tackle Rick Wagner (foot), both of whom are coming off season-ending surgeries. Smith fully participated in mandatory minicamp, which is a good indication that he'll be ready for the start of training camp. The Ravens are taking a more conservative approach with Wagner, who didn't practice at any organized team activity this spring. This isn't surprising because coach John Harbaugh previously indicated that Wagner's targeted return is training camp.