Trey Burton should be the Ravens’ backup plan
By Cory Hughes
We’ve heard about Jarvis Landry and Jimmy Graham linked to The Ravens. Why haven’t we heard Trey Burton’s name?
Since the NFL season has wrapped up, fans have made it clear the team needs to make some sort of splash in free agency. But with Jarvis Landry being taken off the market at least for this year, who else is there? There is Jacksonville wide receiver Allen Robinson. You can probably expect them to tag him just as Miami did Jarvis Landry. You’ve also seen Jimmy Graham’s name linked to the organization. A name you haven’t seen is Eagles’ tight end, Trey Burton. The 26-year-old tight end showed promise as he took second fiddle to Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz.
It’s not a stretch to say Graham’s best days are behind him. So why try to sign him if a younger player with a higher upside is there? Burton has shown flashes of being great in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ offense was so loaded this past season and it was hard for Burton to stand out on the stat sheet. That will cause a lot of people to scoff at him being a big signing when they see his final stat line for 2017.
Burton could be the young tight end Joe Flacco needs.
I know what most fans are thinking: We want a big play wide receiver! We wanted Jarvis Landry or Allen Robinson! Which I totally understand, because I’m ready to plant my flag on that hill, just as much as everybody else wants to. Landry or Robinson playing at M&T Bank Stadium is a dream scenario for every Raven fan but it’s also a stretch. With the Dolphins tagging Landry last night, that ship has sailed. Jacksonville could end up tagging Robinson in the coming days as well. Which you really can’t blame them for doing. And if they do, where does that leave the Ravens? Between Jimmy Graham and Trey Burton, it really should be a no-brainer for the front office. Bring in the younger guy with the higher upside. Burton may come with a higher price tag than the 31-year-old Graham, but they will have money to spend now that Landry is out of the question.
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Coming into the 2017 season, the Ravens had quite the number of tight ends on the active roster. A year later that’s just not the case. Crockett Gilmore is an unrestricted free agent, along with Benjamin Watson who is 37 years-old. Darren Waller received a year-long suspension and has yet to be reinstated and Maxx Williams has been a disappointment since being drafted. Bring in some new talent like Trey Burton so Joe Flacco will have a young athletic talent, who is just hitting his prime to throw to. It’s something the front office has neglected to give Flacco any of these last five seasons.
The bottom line
With Jarvis Landry getting the franchise tag late last night and Allen Robinson most likely to receive the same thing in the coming weeks, Trey Burton should be their contingency plan. He’s just hitting his prime at only 26 years old and his best is yet to come. Not to mention, his price tag won’t be as expensive as the two most coveted wide receivers in free agency. The front office could sign him along with resigning Ryan Jenson. Signing Burton and adding another young tight end like a Dallas Goedart, Mark Andrews or Mike Gesicki with one of their first two picks would certainly add some depth to the offense. Or, even looking later in the draft and selecting an Ian Thomas or a Troy Fumagalli would be beneficial Pairing Burton with another young athletic tight end will only compliment his talent.
Having a plan b set in place is essential to this Ravens’ success in 2018. Trey Burton would be the perfect plan b for the Baltimore Ravens come March 14th when free agency begins.