Revisiting the Ravens wide receiver trio through week 5

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 07: Michael Crabtree #15 of the Baltimore Ravens is unable to make a catch in the end zone defended by Jabrill Peppers #22 of the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 07: Michael Crabtree #15 of the Baltimore Ravens is unable to make a catch in the end zone defended by Jabrill Peppers #22 of the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 9: John Brown #13 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 9: John Brown #13 of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Deep balls, drops, and third-down conversions.

Through five weeks, I think we’ve learned a lot about the Ravens wide receiver group. Specifically, the three free agent signings that were brought in at the position. Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead have all made their presence felt thus far, and it’s fair to say they have all fallen into their own roles in the Ravens offense.

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John Brown has easily been the most exciting player on the offense this season. His connection with Joe Flacco on deep passes has been fantastic so far. Brown’s talents have truly brought back the “slingin’ it deep Joe” that I honestly believed we may never see again.

Then there’s Willie Snead, who has quickly become a reliable possession receiver for the Ravens. Snead certainly doesn’t generate the excitement that Brown does, but he can move the chains. He has proven more than capable of catching the ball when it hits his hands, and is the guy Joe looks for on third downs.

Speaking of catching the football when it hits your hands, we’re moving on to discuss Michael Crabtree. When the Ravens brought in Michael Crabtree, it was to be this team’s #1 receiver. A big, physical talent that the Ravens seem to always be lacking at the position. He was brought in to make contested catches, and to use his ability to win 50/50 balls to help the Ravens dominate in the red zone. To put it mildly, he hasn’t lived up to those expectations. Let’s go more in-depth:

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