Ravens Could Be in Marshall Business if Mason Doesn't Return

On Tuesday I noted that some NFL executives aren't sold on Brandon Marshall. At least to the point that they would give up a high-round pick to have him. Marshall is still a member of the Broncos, the team that drafted him, but he's made it clear throughout the offseason that he'd like to get traded.

Despite some apprehension around the league, the Ravens could be interested in Marshall. That's what happens when your best receiver retires, another does the same two days after signing a free-agent contract, and there are still questions if 2005 first-round pick Mark Clayton can ably fill the No. 1 role.

Via Yahoo.com's Jason Cole, two NFL sources say Baltimore could be in the Brandon Marshall business if Mason remains retired.

"The Ravens need a real receiver; they always have," one league source said. "They got by last season with [Derrik] Mason and [Mark] Clayton because the running game was good and the defense was awesome. It was the usual formula. But they have to get somebody in there or the window is going to close on the [Ray] Lewis Era. Plus, they have to help out [second-year quarterback Joe] Flacco."

Former Ravens head coach Brian Billick is very familiar with that concept. Of course, most of the issues surrounding Baltimore's offense during his tenure were his own doing, but finger-pointing aside, Marshall would more than mitigate the loss of Derrick Mason.

And unlike Kyle Boller, Flacco appears to be a legit franchise quarterback. Along with the Ravens' running game and offensive line (not to mention their defense), that's great news for a team that made a surprise appearance in last year's AFC Championship game.