Baltimore Ravens must focus on dependability with wide receivers

The Baltimore Ravens are a team that has put up with too much inconsistency when it comes to pass catching. Cutting Michael Crabtree was the first step in fixing the problem:

Michael Crabtree, who led the NFL in dropped passes in 2018, has been cut by the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are really only left with two receivers with any kind of experience, Willie Snead and Chris Moore. John Brown is an undrafted free agent and Jordan Lasley hasn’t proven himself yet.

The Ravens wide receiver position makes the decision to cut Crabtree a bold one. The Ravens shifted from being a pass first offense to a run based unit when Lamar Jackson took the quarterback job; but they still need to prioritize the wide receiver position. If Jackson is going to improve as a passer, he has to be given the weapons that can fuel that growth. At the moment the Ravens have about as much at the wide receiver position as a nearly empty wallet has cash.

Cutting Crabtree makes sense. He didn’t live up to the deal and the Ravens made the deal knowing they could part with the veteran receiver at any time. Yes, the Ravens created a little bit of dead money, but Crabtree needed to be replaced one way or another. Reliability is now what matters for the Ravens.

It’s a lesson that the franchise has learned the hard way. They drafted Breshad Perriman in 2015. Perriman had speed and size but he wasn’t a reliable pass catcher. The Ravens have made the same mistake over and over again. The reason they can’t find receivers who stick, is because they have been far to forgiving inconsistent hands.

If you look at the receivers that have made their mark in Baltimore, they were the players you trusted to bring in every catch. Derrick Mason was consistent. Anquan Boldin came away with passes even when he had to fight for them. Steve Smith Sr. was a legend. The Ravens need to focus on trustworthy and naturally good hands, concentration in traffic, and the ability to win 50/50 balls.

Clarence Moore and Darren Waller had incredible size but never became great wide receivers. Demetrius Williams and Mark Clayton were great athletes but they didn’t always make the plays when their number was called. The Ravens have made the same mistake for their entire history. Cutting Crabtree was the latest reminder for them. Fixing the Ravens evaluation of receivers means zeroing in one factor, one attribute that makes all the difference. Eric DeCosta must find receivers who are dependable in every situation.