Baltimore Ravens report card: Grading Michael Crabtree’s 2018

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 30: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 celebrate after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 30: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens and wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 celebrate after a touchdown in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Despite being one of the flashier signings of the 2018 off-season, Michael Crabtree severely disappointed us. How did he grade out for his 2018 season?

The entire Baltimore Ravens fan-base rejoiced when the team opted to be aggressive during the 2018 off-season’s Free Agency period and sign a few wide receivers to the squad. Among these signings were John Brown, Willie Snead, and Michael Crabtree. The latter of the three was by far the flashiest move the team made. Crabtree was still considered to be an upper-echelon, receiver despite his age, thanks to his effectiveness in the red-zone. It was common belief that he could help truly stabilize Baltimore’s passing attack.

This was not the case, unfortunately, as Crabtree was a complete liability from time-to-time. Crabtree regularly struggled with drops and creating separation. Despite his resurgence in Oakland, it appeared Father Time had truly smacked Michael Crabtree across the face. Even his stat-line was depressing, as Crabtree reeled in just 54 passes for 607-yards and three touchdowns. His production slipped even further once Lamar Jackson took over at quarterback…

For such a disappointing season, it’s really hard to find any kind of promise moving forward. How did we grade the 31-year old receiver? Take a look…

At the end of the day, the Baltimore Ravens hole at wide receiver is not fixed with Michael Crabtree on the roster, nor is it solved without him. The Ravens would be best-suited to retain the veteran, but Crabtree is certainly a short-term answer at best. What the team does moving forward will be interesting, but there’s seemingly nowhere else to go but up for here for Michael Crabtree…

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