Who the Baltimore Ravens lost this off-season and who replaces them
Lost: John Brown
The Baltimore Ravens had sorely been missing a receiver who could stretch the field since the days of Torrey Smith. The team tried and failed to replace him with Breshad Perriman in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and haven’t seen success anywhere else. They finally found an answer last off-season after inking John Brown to a one-year “prove-it” deal.
To say he proved it would put it lightly, as “Smokey” Brown set the NFL world on fire. Brown finished 2018 with 715-yards on 42 receptions with five touchdowns. When Joe Flacco was under center, Brown was on pace for a career-high 1,068 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. There were legitimate arguments to be made for Brown to earn his first career Pro Bowl nod.
Unfortunately, once Lamar Jackson took over Brown’s effectiveness faded due to Jackson’s lack of deep throws and accuracy. But, the Ravens still need that deep-threat to keep defenses honest, and Brown left for Buffalo. Baltimore addressed this need in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft…
Related Story. 2019 Baltimore Ravens: 3 goals for Marquise Brown. light
Replacement: Marquise Brown
When you try to replace John Brown, you can’t just replace his speed; you also have to replace his nickname. If you think “Smokey” Brown is cool (especially when he goes off, you get to shout, “Welcome to the smoke show!”), then you’ll love Marquise Brown’s nickname, “Hollywood.” Funny enough, you’re also replacing one “Brown” with another “Brown.”
“Hollywood” Brown steps into the league already as one of the fastest players there are. Brown may not have gotten to run the 40-yard dash during the 2019 NFL Draft process, but he has legit sub-4.3 speed. Think of Brown as an exact clone of DeSean Jackson. Brown is more than a one-trick pony, however, as he has a savvy receiving skill-set and can make defenders look silly with his route running.
The Ravens successfully found their replacement for John Brown in Marquise Brown. So long as the latter’s foot is good to go, Baltimore should be able to move forward just fine.