Very good article, but a little overboard on Marty M in my opinion. I'm not defending his play-calling but I think the notion that the team would be like an old lady with a Corvette if they signed Julio Jones is more a reflection on the organizational philosophy than the O.C. This franchise has always seemed afraid to embrace what the league has demanded for at least the past 20 years: pass-heavy finesse football. The Ravens back the Brinks truck up for Flacco then talk about their desire for a run-oriented ball-control offense. Every time they lose, Jerry Coleman, Mike Preston and all their minions point at the box score and say "they gave up on the run too early." Even Al Michaels the other night claimed they won "2 super bowls with defense" -- I personally didn't see much D from the Ravens in January of 2013; it took every one of those points from Joe's arm to win that SB.
There just seems to be a conflict inside somewhere and I don't who's on which side. But Bisciotti, Ozzie, Harbaugh, Flacco and the latest O.C. never seem to all be on the same page about what type of offense (and even team) they want.
And beyond that, the author is absolutely right about settling for mediocrity. The biggest unreported story in Baltimore sports right now is Steve Bisciotti's lowered standards. He is now on a yearly basis adjusting his criteria for a head coach because he refuses to fire Harbaugh. So the guy who has to have the best in everything is now content with a half-empty stadium and continuous mediocrity. He has lost his passion for winning, just like the fans and the rest of organization.