Vonta Leach is back. As you may have read, I was not a fan of this signing a week ago. However, situations in the NFL are fluid, and you need to be able to adapt when things out of your control change. Dennis Pitta’s injury created a major hole in the offensive plan for this season. Leach provides a needed security blanket by making the run game that much stronger, especially in light of rookie fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s early troubles. How will this impact the direction of the offense?

Well, that was a swift shot to the gut. Dennis Pitta (or as my lovely wife calls him, Dennis “Pita Bread”) dislocates and fractures his hip, sending him to the sidelines for, most likely, the season. The cliché of “Next Man Up” will be truly tested.

Much has been written about the Ravens’ decision to cut Vonta Leach for financial reasons, as well as about Leach’s exploration into free agency (Houston, New York Giants, Miami), and his standing offer to rejoin the Ravens. Leach is a great teammate, provides leadership, and is one of the best (if not the best) blocking fullbacks in the NFL. Many fans believe that Leach coming back to the Raven fold would be a boon (especially for a team that some think “lacks” toughness and leadership). Not only do I disagree with that notion, I believe that bringing him back would be detrimental.

Much has been made of Joe Flacco’s development, or lack thereof, being tied to former offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Now that Cameron is no longer in charge of the offense, what can we expect in terms of the continued development of Flacco?