What should be addressed in Ravens’ end of season press conference?

The Ravens will be holding their end-of-season press conference on February 2. What are you hoping will be asked?

At 11 a.m. ET on Friday, February 2, the Baltimore Ravens will be holding their end-of-season press conference. In attendance will be General Manager Eric DeCosta and Head Coach John Harbaugh.

Fans have expressed their frustration and emotion(s) on social media. Here, a thread is available for readers of Baltimore Beatdown to discuss the varying topics on their mind to they’re hoping will be addressed during the final press conference on the 2023 season.

Possible Topics

AFC Championship Game

Fans want to understand why the Ravens sputtered against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Ravens finished with 10 points in a game they held the Chiefs’ offense to 17, including a dominant defensive effort that allowed only 98 yards and zero points in the second half.

• What made the Ravens go so pass heavy?
• Why did the NFL’s best rushing attack vanish?
• Did Offensive Todd Monken expect a shootout after the Chiefs scored 17 points and were dominating in time of possession, leading the team to play with too much urgency?
• Did Head Coach John Harbaugh consider overriding play calls to get them back to their strengths? Why or why not?

Staff Moves

Six Ravens coaches have been requested to interview with other teams. They’ve also seen their Director of Player Personnel, Joe Hortiz, just get hired by the Los Angeles Chargers to become their new General Manager. Expectations are Defensive Coordinator will be getting a Head Coaching position with either the Washington Commanders or Seattle Seahawks. Rumors have Secondary coach Dennard Wilson all but guaranteed to be a Defensive Coordinator elsewhere.

• How do they plan to fill such important shoes?
• Do they plan to go in-house with hires, or is it important for them to search for outside hires?
• Are they operating with the expectation that Macdonald will not be in Baltimore next season?

Under Contract Moves

The Ravens have hefty contracts coming down the pike in 2024. Big deals with seismic cap hits are on the horizon. So, too, are the possible cuts they can make to save money, albeit comes with painful amounts of dead money.

• Do they see left tackle Ronnie Stanley as their foundational tackle? Do they plan to adjust his $26.1 million cap hit?
• Cornerback Marlon Humphrey’s cap hit in 2024 is $22.9 million. They’ve restructured his deal now three times (2021, 2022, 2023). Is that something they can/will consider doing a fourth time?
• Will they be approaching 2024 with the same fervor as 2023, which included an “all-in” mentality that included rare contracts with void deals?
• How does quarterback Lamar Jackson’s $32.4 million cap hit impact their strategy?

Free Agency

The Ravens will see 28(!) of their players hit free agency if none are signed before March 13. Among the list are significant contributors to their success in 2023.

• Do they plan to search for a new backup quarterback with both Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson’s deals both expired?
• Do they see the franchise tag as a possibility for defensive lineman Justin Madubuike?
• Are there areas in their roster construction they believe can’t be addressed due to cap limitations? (i.e. running back, inside linebacker)
• Do they have players as their priority to re-sign in Baltimore?

The NFL Draft

The Ravens will need to construct their roster via the draft. It’s pertinent they add starting-caliber talent on rookie deals to accommodate for their quarterback no longer being on a rookie deal. This is likely an area to not get too involved in during this press conference, as the Ravens hold a pre-draft press conference. Nonetheless, some of these are beginning thoughts.

• What positions do they see as priority?
• How is the approach to the draft differ when selecting at No. 30?

The Ravens won’t hand over their methods or secrets. No team would offer to do so. Many of the questions above are the equivalent to trade secrets. But, some are fair game and some answers would be welcome to a fanbase that is hungering for a championship and feels their best shot at landing one was lost in a painful game.

PS — Will ticket prices go up for the 2024 season?