The Baltimore Ravens offensive coaching staff never trusted the ground attack during a 2016 season that established a new single-season franchise low for rushing attempts.
Although the tandem of Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon proved capable of moving the chains when provided the opportunity, coach John Harbaugh is determined to bolster the position this offseason.
"We need another back," Harbaugh said, via ESPN.com. "What type of back that is? I think we're talking about it. We have a pretty good idea of the type of back we want to add."
That type of back is a playmaker with the speed and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field.
Baltimore's backs accounted for just six runs and one reception over 20 yards. No other backfield generated fewer big plays in the passing game.
It didn't help that the Ravens' play-callers ignored the running game for long stretches of the season. A pass-heavy, dink-and-dunk offense cost Marc Trestman his job in early October. Stuck with an injury-ravaged offensive line in his first six weeks on the job, Marty Mornhinweg offered no relief.
Still, Harbaugh insists a balanced offense is a priority in 2017.
"Marty believes in running the football, and I believe in running the football," Harbaugh explained. "We have not run the football well enough or enough, really, for the last two years. That has to change."
The Ravens have been planning to upgrade the backfield since parting ways with Ray Rice in 2014. They were hoping Todd Gurley would fall to them in the 2015 draft, per ESPN.com. Multiple reports suggested Ezekiel Elliott would have landed in Baltimore had Dallas not snatched him up with the fourth pick last year.
Might general manager Ozzie Newsome be tempted to pull the trigger if one of LSU's Leonard Fournette, Florida State's Dalvin Cook or Stanford's Christian McCaffrey is still on the board when the Ravens select at No. 16 overall in April?
