The Baltimore Ravens were literally a few plays from having a chance to advance to the Super Bowl this year. After going 10-6 and earning the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, Joe Flacco and his team upset the Pittsburgh Steelers and put together another strong playoff run.

However, they fell short of a second Super Bowl in three years and face a few tough decisions going into the free agency period. General Manager Ozzie Newsome will have to decide which direction this team will go. Will he try to maintain the strong defense he’s had for so many years, or will he upgrade on offense?

2015 Free Agents

Torrey Smith, Wide Receiver: Smith has been a fan favorite since he hit the scene with a three-touchdown game in 2011. He’s been a productive receiver for the Ravens in four years, catching 30 touchdown passes. However, he hasn’t improved as a slot receiver and could be forced to look elsewhere unless he wants a hometown discount.

Owen Daniels, Tight End: Daniels was a pleasant surprise for the Ravens, who had to deal with another Dennis Pitta injury. He caught 48 passes for 527 yards and four touchdowns, but is 32 years old and will be subject to another short deal if he chooses to stay. With Pitta down for a while longer, it could be possible.

Justin Forsett, Running Back: Forsett might have been the biggest surprise in the entire league last season, rushing for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. Forsett will certainly want more money than he made last season, but the Ravens will have to decide whether to commit to Forsett long-term or look to go younger.

Pernell McPhee, Linebacker: McPhee quietly had a strong season with the Ravens and will likely get looks from a few teams for a bigger role. Much like Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger and others, McPhee might be able to get more money away from Baltimore.

Five-Biggest Need Areas

Wide Receiver: If Smith decides to leave the Ravens, the wide receiver position might be the biggest need. With an aging Steve Smith and crop out young receivers, the Ravens will need to look to improve either by the draft or free agency. Already, there are rumors about Brandon Marshall, but the Ravens need to be smart with limited cap room. Look for a formerly cut receiver to draw the team’s attention.

Cornerback: Given the extensive injuries to Jimmy Smith, Asa Jackson and others this season, the Ravens would be wise to add some more depth at the position. This looks like a draft prospect or two competing for the third or fourth cornerback slots given Smith can make it back in time.

Safety: With Darian Stewart a free agent and Matt Elam showing that he isn’t ready to be the steady safety the Ravens drafted him to be, there is certainly room for improvement at safety. Again, the Ravens love to draft and develop players rather than add ones out of free agency.

Running back: If Forsett decides to leave for other opportunities, that leaves second-year back Lorenzo Taliaferro and Bernard Pierce to carry the load. That’s a scary situation for the Ravens and one they may look to take action on if Forsett does go onto another team.

Defensive tackle: This is again dealing with a big if in Haloti Ngata. He only has a year remaining on his contract and Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams are not quite ready to shoulder the load. The Ravens need to extend Ngata or they may have to draft another Ngata-type player.

Potential Offseason Breakout Star

Kamar Aiken/Michael Campanaro, Wide Receivers: Both of these players showed moments of strong receiving during the season, and with the instability of the position, they may be asked to do a little more this offseason. Aiken is a strong receiver with good hands and Campanaro fits the Wes Welker role. They could be important come next season.

2015 NFL Draft Selections

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma

Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA

Kurtis Drummond, FS, Michigan St.

Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware

John Theus, OT, Georgia

Karlos Williams, RB, Florida State

Full Off-Season Primer

The Ravens are in good shape as long as they don’t make any catastrophic mistakes this offseason. The offense will undergo some changes with Marc Trestman taking over, but Flacco and his team should be competing for a Super Bowl title around this time next year.