The Baltimore Ravens have a major need at the wide receiver position. Trading for Emmanuel Sanders would be an immediate upgrade.
The 2018 offseason is a chance for the Baltimore Ravens to significantly improve their passing attack. It’s the biggest need for John Harbaugh’s team heading into the new season. Joe Flacco and his receivers provided an anemic performance on the field during the 2017 season. The Ravens averaged just 189.4 yards per game and it was a frustrating product to watch.
The current wide receiver depth chart is up in the air. Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro are unrestricted free agents. Jeremy Maclin is likely good as gone after a disappointing first season. That leaves Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore as the team’s top two receivers. Tim White and Quincy Adeboyejo provide hope as undrafted free agents but the Ravens can’t rely on unproven talent.
There’s a number of ways the Ravens can help their cause, but it’s not that easy. Jarvis Landry and Allen Robinson headline an interesting wide receiver free agent class. We’ve seen the front office express interest in Landry but cap space is an issue. There’s a good chance Robinson could also be franchise tagged by the Jaguars.
The NFL draft is another place the Ravens will look. Unfortunately, holding the No. 16 pick puts them in an awkward position. A prized possession like Calvin Ridley could be off the board in the top 10 picks. Like assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said, the strength at receiver lies in the second and third round. Having said that, Ravens still can’t rely on a rookie to be their No. 1 receiver this season.
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If the Ravens are unable to nab a top free agent wide receiver or a first-round prospect, they’re put in a tough position. The next best option? Formulate a trade and Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is a prime target.
According to reports coming out of the Mile High City, the Broncos are looking to move on from Sanders. In their pursuit of a free agent quarterback, getting rid of Sanders saves the Broncos plenty of cap room. Sanders is owed $8.25 million in base salary this upcoming season, which becomes fully guaranteed on March 14th.
After three straight 1,000 yard seasons with the Broncos from 2014-2016, Sanders’ production tailed off dramatically last season. Sanders struggled to stay healthy and with inconsistent quarterback play, finished with just 555 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Now 30 years old and entering the back end of his career, it makes sense for the Broncos to look elsewhere, especially with Sanders’ contract doing them no favors.
How can the Ravens pull this off?
Acquiring Sanders isn’t that simple for the Ravens. His contract counts as $10.9 million against the cap in 2018 and $12.9 million in 2019. As you are well aware, the Ravens aren’t in salary cap luxury at the moment.
If a deal were to happen between the two sides, it would involve a number of things. Either the Broncos could eat some of Sanders’ salary or the Ravens could extend his contract to get immediate cap relief. The Ravens could also run the risk of letting center Ryan Jensen walk in free agency. Ozzie Newsome would ultimately have to decide if an upgrade in the receiving game is worth a loss on the offensive line.
The Ravens also have to send the Broncos something in return. The good news is, Sanders’ won’t warrant a huge market because of his age. That gives the Ravens some leverage. They could send a mid-late round pick in the process. The expected third-round compensatory pick comes to mind and we saw Newsome trade it last year. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to using that pick on immediate production rather than betting on potential.
After all, the Ravens want to win now.
The bottom line
If there’s a worry in this scenario, it’s exactly what happened in 2017. The Ravens had huge hopes for a proven veteran receiver like Jeremy Maclin coming off an injury-plagued season and he was a complete dud. It would be frustrating to see the Ravens fall into the same trap two seasons in a row.
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If there’s a trend the Ravens like to follow, it’s signing or trading for veteran wideouts. Sanders could be one of the missing pieces on the offensive side of the ball. On top of that, he adds a veteran presence to (hopefully) the core young wide receivers the Ravens bring in this season.