Why the Baltimore Ravens should sign A.J. Green in free agency
The Baltimore Ravens should target A.J. Green in free agency:
The Baltimore Ravens have a long history of targeting wide receivers entering the last leg of their career. Signing A.J. Green, would be the flashiest of these types of signings. Green is a player that the Ravens are almost too familiar with. He’s spent his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and has earned himself the nickname of the “Raven killer.”
Green is 31 years old and coming off a season where he didn’t play a snap. This could tone down the money the Ravens will have to shell out to get him wearing purple and black. If he’s healthy, Green would provide the Ravens with what they need desperately on offense. The Ravens won’t sign Green if they aren’t comfortable with his injury status.
When you look at the Ravens offense, Marquise Brown is about all the Ravens have at wide receiver. Willie Snead is an okay player. Miles Boykin has potential. Brown is the only player whose teased superstar talent. The Ravens need somebody else at the wide receiver position. Seth Roberts and Chris Moore are not scaring anyone.
Brown is the only receiver the Ravens have that defensive coordinators have to really game plan for. His lack of help at the wide receiver position is why it sometimes feels like the Ravens only have tight ends and running backs for Lamar Jackson to target with the football. Signing Green would give the Ravens immediate production. Drafting a rookie is hit or miss. Finding a rookie who can produce the way Green presumably could, is a hard thing to do.
Green would be a great compliment to Brown. You would have two receivers that you could up outside or in the slot. Defenses couldn’t just concern themselves with one side of the field, bracket Mark Andrews and be good to go.
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If Green could bring in 60 receptions for 800 yards (which is a low estimate if he’s healthy) the Ravens’ offense would be completely transformed. The Ravens would have two exciting receivers to go along with their full dose of tight ends and running backs.
Greg Roman and company haven’t made a gimmick offensive attack, yet you have to think there is room for this offense to grow. The Ravens lack of a plan B was evident in their playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. They should have been more stubborn with their bread and butter, but that’s an argument for another time. If the Ravens want to add another element to the offense, specifically the passing game, Green is a player they should be interested in.
The Ravens have several draft needs. They have to key in on a pass rusher. They have to improve at inside linebacker and they need to find help on the interior of the offensive line. Signing Green wouldn’t rule out the possibility of targeting a wide receiver early in the 2020 NFL Draft, but it would allow the Ravens to focus on their defensive needs this April.
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Last offseason we were talking about how Lamar Jackson had to prove himself as a passer. He did the work and he had an incredible season to show for it. If you know anything about Jackson, he’s going to do the work again this offseason. The Ravens need to reward his efforts and get him a legitimate set of wide receivers. Green would be a great player to start with.