According to reports, the Baltimore Ravens offered a contract to restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith.
Signing Michael Crabtree and John Brown has not halted the Baltimore Ravens’ interest in free agent wide receivers. The team has been active during the offseason period, hosting a number of different playmakers.
One of the wide receivers that made the visit to Baltimore recently was restricted free agent Cameron Meredith. Seen as the best of the remaining receiver options, that interest was short-lived. Meredith recently agreed to a two-year, $9.6 million deal with the Saints just last week.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Ravens were among the teams in the mix. They also offered Meredith a deal but the Saints ultimately made the better bid.
Per @BradBiggs, the #Ravens also put in an offer sheet for WR Cameron Meredith but #Saints made the better bid pic.twitter.com/fESAQ87c7z
— Joe Schiller (@JoeSchiller123) April 8, 2018
When it came to the money game, the Ravens lost out yet again.
This doesn’t come as a surprise. Ozzie Newsome and company were limited with cap space from the getgo. Landing Crabtree alone was an accomplishment given the disappointing start to free agency.
However, Meredith would have been a much-needed upgrade. Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury early last season, he put together a promising second-year campaign with 888 receiving yards and four touchdowns. That’s over 100 yards more than any receiver totaled in Baltimore last season.
The most realistic remaining options include Eric Decker and Willie Snead, both who’ve visited Baltimore this month. Snead is the bigger question mark but with the higher upside while Decker is a proven commodity on the latter part of his career.
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Missing out on Meredith is another yet another blow but the Ravens can’t afford to strike out completely. Whether it’s Snead, Decker or another lower-tier commodity, the purple and black desperately need help in the pass-catching department. It’s a need that can’t be solely filled through the upcoming draft.