Baltimore Ravens

5 positions the Ravens must address this offseason

Published Jan. 7, 2016 6:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Baltimore Ravens depth chart was ravaged by injuries in 2015, with 20 players on injured reserve at season's end. While Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs and Steve Smith Sr. will return next season, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome still has plenty of holes to fill after a disastrous 5-11 season. A rare top 10 pick (sixth overall) will help restock the cupboard, but a precarious cap situation could prevent the team from bringing back key players whose contracts will expire such as Kelechi Osemele and Justin Tucker.

Here are the top five positions the Ravens need to worry about when building their draft board or preparing for free agency:

1. Secondary

The Ravens had trouble covering opposing receivers, especially the first half of the season when top cornerback Jimmy Smith was still working his way back from foot surgery. Lardarius Webb seems likely to shift over to safety, leaving a need for help on the outside. The top corners on the free agent market will likely be out of Baltimore's price range, so a middle-tier signing might be the best option.

2. Outside Linebacker

Baltimore is set at middle linebacker with C.J. Mosley and the steady Daryl Smith, but issues exist on the outside. Terrell Suggs is coming off a torn Achilles and will turn 34 next season. Elvis Dumervil, turning 32 later this month, wasn't the same player with Suggs missing on the other side and Courtney Upshaw's contract is up. Last year's fourth-round pick Za'Darius Smith showed promise with 5 1/2 sacks, but the Ravens still need to some young building blocks on the outside ready when Suggs and Dumervil pass the torch.

3. Wide receiver

The Ravens are surely ecstatic that Steve Smith Sr. has decided to return for a 16th season and Kamar Aiken finished the season strong as the team's No. 1 receiver. It was a lost season for first-round pick Breshad Perriman, and the team can only hope that his knee issues don't persist. Another early draft pick on a wideout is unlikely, but Newsome should be looking for a bargain in the middle rounds to add depth behind his top three players on the depth chart.

4. Offensive line

Osemele's price tag may have already been too steep, but a solid run at left tackle to close the season will like drive his price up even more. The Ravens could also decide to keep Osemele as their left tackle and cut loose Eugene Monroe, who endured another injury-marred season. Cutting Monroe would save the Ravens an $8.7 million cap hit, but it would also leave $6.6 million in dead money on the cap, according to Spotrac.com. Regardless of who the left tackle is, the Ravens will likely need a new left guard next season. Finding a budget-friendly backup at left tackle in free agency or in the the middle rounds couldn't hurt either as James Hurst clearly wasn't the answer this past season.

5. Kicker

Tucker has been one of the best kickers in football since entering the league in 2012. The Ravens would obviously love to have him back, but the dollars may not work. Tucker would likelly command numbers comparable to Stephen Gostkowski's four-year, $17.2 million contract with New England. That price tag may push him out of Baltimore and leave the Ravens looking for a cheaper option.