Nov 24, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan (13) on a 67-yard run in the first quarter of their game against the Baltimore Ravens at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
With Steve Smith formally hitting injured reserve after tearing his Achilles’ tendon, the Baltimore Ravens needed to add another wide receiver to their already shallow depth chart. And they did just that, signing former New Orleans Saint Joe Morgan.
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The Ravens chose Morgan over Hakeem Nicks, who also came in for a workout. Morgan has been bouncing between the Saints active roster and waivers all season, but has been an effective deep threat at times in the past.
One of his best games came against the Ravens last season, when Morgan had a 67 yard run and a 62 yard catch. Outside of that performance, he has seen little usage on offense, with only 14 career catches for 471 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Still only 27 years old, Morgan’s story is pretty similar to the recently signed Chris Givens. Both are young, have been used sparingly in their careers, and are speedy receivers who can challenge defenses deep. Morgan has a career average of 33.6 yards per catch, with 9 of 14 going for over 20 yards.
While he certainly has shown flashes of brilliance in his five year career, Joe Morgan has also had some issues during that time. He missed the 2011 and 2013 seasons with knee injuries, and he drew a two week, team imposed suspension in 2014 for undisclosed reasons.
Still, if Joe Morgan is healthy and motivated, he could be a nice sleeper add for the Ravens. He ran an impressive 4.44 second 40 at the NFL Combine, showing outstanding top end speed. Morgan was considered a high ceiling prospect coming out of college, but he has yet to capitalize on that potential.
At this point, the Ravens can’t possibly have enough young, speedy receivers on their roster to pair with the many possession types they already have. One of their biggest issues this season has been the lack of big plays on offense, mostly due to the lack of a speedy receiver who can get behind opposing defenses.
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Now, with Givens and Morgan on the roster, the Ravens have at least two guys who can do just that. We have already seen Givens’ role expand over the last couple of weeks, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Morgan sees the field a good bit as well.