Baltimore Ravens: Reuniting with Anquan Boldin is a Must
Will old habits die hard?
In the 2017 NFL Draft, the team watched premier receivers such as Corey Davis and Mike Williams go in the top 10. Other early round receiver prospects such as JuJu Smith-Schuster and Cooper Kupp were passed on, as the Ravens dedicated those picks to the defense. Time and time again, the Ravens have failed to make a significant investment to improving the pass game. Excluding Perriman, the Ravens have not used a Round 1-3 draft pick on a wide receiver in the last 5 drafts.
The Ravens usual approach towards building their receiving corps involves the periodic tradition of adding a veteran wide receiver. Or “band-aids”, as I like to call them, as they only fix a problem for so long. In their limited time, some veteran receivers have made quite the impact in Baltimore. Steve Smith Sr. was only a Raven for three seasons but has built a lifetime legacy within his short stay. But there’s one catch for this season – it’s getting late. While looking back at previous veteran wide receiver acquisitions, the most successful ones occurred before the draft.
- Derrick Mason – signed March 7, 2005
- Anquan Boldin – traded for March 5, 2010
- Steve Smith, Sr. – signed March 14, 2014
Then there’s the scraps that are picked up well into the offseason. Remember T.J. Houshmandzadeh? He signed September 6, 2010 and racked only 398 yards and 3 TDs. He’s mostly known amongst Ravens fans for dropping a fourth down converting pass in the 2010 Divisional Playoffs game vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s the quality of player that Ravens are working with now.
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Bottom line
Now we’re late into March and the Ravens are still searching for a receiver. At this point, the Ravens are looking at those scrap receivers to play a big role. Even though I believe Boldin is the best receiver available of the leftovers, the Ravens could have done better. After failing to acquire a receiver through free agency or the draft, we’e now discussing a player whose pushing 37 and will play only a positional role. It may not be the best way to establish a passing game but hey, it’s a Ravens tradition!