The Ravens are clearly committed to Joe Flacco as their starter going into next season, but they still have their eyes open for a new backup to add to the roster.
Backup Ryan Mallett is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, creating a need at the position. Flacco is currently the only quarterback under contract for next year, so it's likely the Ravens will add multiple players at that spot over the next few months.
Flacco's torn ACL in 2015 illustrated how quickly a quarterback's injury can alter a season, and the Ravens want to make sure they have contingency plans in place if Flacco were to go down again.
"You have to have two quality quarterbacks in this league to be successful year-in and year-out," General Manager Ozzie Newsome said during the season-review press conference. "We realize that Joe is one play away from being injured. We have seen that."
Newsome also pointed to the injuries recently sustained by Oakland's Derek Carr and Miami's Ryan Tannehill. Both of those teams went down in lopsided losses during the wild-card weekend after losing their starting quarterbacks late in the season.
"You saw over the weekend what happens to teams when the No. 1 quarterback gets hurt, and you are trying to win a playoff game," he said.
The Ravens could look to the free-agent market to bring in a veteran backup like they've done recently with Mallett and Matt Schaub. The may also use the draft to find a young developmental quarterback.
They have drafted just two quarterbacks in the last eight years – Tyrod Taylor (2011) and Keith Wenning (2014), both sixth-round picks – and they may want to select a rookie quarterback who could back up Flacco for the next few seasons.
Quarterback certainly isn't high on the list of needs compared to positions like cornerback, offensive line, running back or pass rusher, but adding a late-round quarterback would mesh with what the Ravens have done since drafting Flacco in 2008.
