NFL Free Agency: Baltimore Ravens to sign Ryan Grant
By Joe Schiller
According to Ian Rapoport, the Baltimore Ravens are expected to sign free agent wide receiver Ryan Grant.
I don’t think myself or anyone else was expecting this. In the span of about an hour, the Baltimore Ravens have struck deals with two free agent wide receivers. First John Brown and now Ryan Grant.
Ian Rapoport reported that the Ravens are expected to sign the former Redskins wide receiver. It’s a four-year deal worth $29M with $14.5M guaranteed. `
The #Ravens are expected to sign #Redskins FA WR Ryan Grant, source said. It’s a 4-year deal worth $29M with $14.5M guaranteed, source said. He gets a $10M signing bonus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 14, 2018
The fifth-year receiver comes to Baltimore after a career season in 2017. He finished the year with 573 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Reports out of Redskins camp rave about Grant’s work ethic, giving him the nickname “Ryan Gruden.”
We all know just how much Jay Gruden loved Ryan Grant. He was called Ryan Gruden for a reason after all. But even Jay wouldn’t have paid him that (and clearly, didn’t) https://t.co/ErWYHVizUo
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) March 14, 2018
Work ethic is great but the money is a huge question mark. Brown’s one-year deal seemed justified but four-years, $29 million? It’s not a stretch to say the Ravens overpaid on this deal. Grant’s career numbers are inconsistent. He’s finished with 76 receiving yards or less in two of his four seasons in the league and has never had a game with 90+ receiving yards.
This is Ozzie Newsome and the front office betting on potential, something they’re already doing with the majority of the current receiving core. It seems more like a plea of desperation due to missing out on the top free agent talent. That doesn’t send a strong message to the fans heading into a new season.
The Ravens are still reportedly in the running for Jordy Nelson but it’s hard to gauge the interest level after signing Grant.
If there’s a silver lining with these past two signings, it shows the team is committed to acquiring younger talent. Going against the grain of signing veteran wide receivers provides a glimmer of hope for the future. Ozzie Newsome will still heavily focus on acquiring receiver talent through the NFL draft. That’s still and will always be the plan, no matter the free agency moves.
Next: AFC North Free Agency Primer: What Ravens fans need to know
I can’t say I’m a fan of this move given the financial parameters but let’s hope Grant proves otherwise.