Here we are with a chance for the Baltimore Ravens to sign Jeremy Maclin or acquire Eric Decker and there are fans still begging for Anquan Boldin.
The Baltimore Ravens have a golden opportunity to improve their wide receiving group and it’s not because Anquan Boldin is available. Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker are both legitimate fixes for the Ravens wide receiver woes. Before the Chiefs cut Maclin, and before the Jets made their intentions clear with Decker, Boldin was an option. Things have changed.
If you log on to Twitter, it won’t be hard to find Ravens fans who are still pining for Boldin to comeback to Baltimore. I will spare this faction of the fan base by not embedding the tweets. The point of this article isn’t to ridicule, it is to inform. Maclin and Decker would boost the Ravens offense much more than Boldin.
Boldin did some good things in 2016. He caught 67 passes but he had just 584 yards. For a reference point, Maclin played in 12 games last year and he had 536 yards on 44 receptions. This isn’t 2012. Boldin was never an overly speedy wide receiver and he’s slower now.
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Boldin can still play. He is a red zone threat; he had eight touchdowns last season. That’s well and good, but he is far from explosive. To add to my point, he averaged just 8.4 yards per catch last year. Boldin is a shell of the player he was when he helped Baltimore win it all.
The only argument for Boldin over the Ravens other options is rooted in emotion. It would feel good to have one of our favorite players back in Baltimore. It would feel right for Joe Flacco to be throwing it to Boldin again. The emotional argument must not override common sense.
Boldin is 36 years old. Maclin is 29 and Decker is 30. The Ravens would be lucky to get one good season from Boldin. They could get a few good years from either Maclin or Decker. The choice is pretty clear.
Next: Who is the best fit: Maclin or Decker?
If you’re looking for Boldin to come back to Baltimore, I get it. Ozzie Newsome should have never shipped him off to San Francisco and Boldin has a place in your sports heart. I get it, but the Ravens have a chance to do something bigger than that.