Baltimore Ravens: 4 thoughts on a potential Dez Bryant signing

Favorable match-ups key to success:

Even before his time in Dallas came to an end, Dez Bryant was starting to struggle with creating separation. Ravens fans will point to former fan favorite Anquan Boldin as evidence that separation isn’t the sole factor in determining whether a receiver can have success, but Baltimore’s offensive personnel can allow for Bryant to be deployed in situations where he doesn’t have to be a contested-catch machine to generate production.

The prevailing wisdom has been that Willie Snead and Devin Duvernay will take the lion’s share of snaps in the slot, but both have shown the ability to play outside, and potential “big slot” option Miles Boykin demonstrated big-play ability on the outside in limited action last year. It’s easy to picture Bryant being deployed in the slot in 11 personnel packages alongside Brown, Duvernay, and Andrews, where he’ll be able to bully smaller slot receivers with his size, and can find holes in short and medium routes against zone coverage as defenses have their hands full over the top while also providing a spy to prevent Lamar Jackson from scrambling.

Some may point out that Boykin already gives the Ravens a big slot option, making Bryant redundant. But Boykin was at his best as a rookie when he was making plays downfield, and adding Bryant into the mix will allow the Ravens to continue utilizing Boykin as a big-play threat while still having another big-bodied receiver to line up inside. The prospect of having Boykin and Bryant on the field at the same time (particularly in 12 and 21 personnel packages) also gives Greg Roman another look to show defenses, who currently don’t have to account for much size on the outside apart from Boykin.