The Baltimore Ravens wide receivers underwhelmed in 2020 and some upgrades are needed this offseason. One move it can make is to bring back Dez Bryant.
It’s not that the Baltimore Ravens need to have the best wide receiving core in the league; it would be hard to convince someone that it’s a requirement when the offense runs as well as it does without one. It is, however, necessary to have at least a viable unit for your quarterback to have success. Lamar Jackson is the future of the Baltimore Ravens and committing to giving him weapons is of the utmost importance.
The process started two years ago when the team drafted Marquise Brown in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. To this point, the results have been mixed, but Brown played very well down the stretch of 2020. Many will equate this to him owning up to calling the team out for his lack of touches, but there is one factor that may have more to do with this change than we think: the addition of Dez Bryant.
Bryant was added during the second half of the 2019 season and his arrival seemingly changed the culture of the Ravens receivers. A unit that was vastly underachieving as a whole to start the year suddenly became competent and confident in itself. It’s no surprise that the offense began to click more all around because of this boost in play. Bryant may have been a large contributing factor in that change.
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By no means was Dez Bryant some game-altering weapon for Baltimore. In five games, Bryant caught just six passes for 47-yards but did score twice. Bryant was a vocal leader for the locker room though and the players immediately bought into what he was voicing. Bryant proved to be someone guys could look up to and model themselves after. Simply put, Bryant was exactly what the Ravens needed.
This is precisely why Baltimore should prioritize bringing Dez Bryant back for the 2021 season.
The Ravens currently have four wide receivers on the roster: “Hollywood” Brown, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche. It’s very likely we see the position heavily addressed this offseason through Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s all good and dandy and most in Ravens Flock would be on board with the decision, but it may not be necessary to throw so many resources at a position that doesn’t need to be elite. Yes, Jackson needs a number one receiver to throw to and that guy likely isn’t on the roster, but having a plethora of reliable options is just as important as a de facto number one guy.
The current wide receiving core needs two more guys who can be solid-to-good options; an elite option is great, but not necessary. Adding a young guy through the upcoming draft is the most ideal scenario. Trading for a Michael Thomas is enticing and a move the team should consider, as is signing a big-name guy like Allen Robinson or Chris Godwin. But why throw big money and assets on one of those guys when you can bring back someone like Dez Bryant?
Like I said already, it’s not that Dez Bryant is some game-changing weapon anymore, but he’s solid; exactly what I said Baltimore needs to have. Of the four receivers left on the roster, Boykin is the eldest at just 24-years old. This receiving core needs a veteran more than anything else and Bryant can be that guy once again. Bryant has reliable hands and the grit to be the guy who his teammates gravitate towards. He’s simply the guy the Ravens need as both a mentor and a player.
Dez Bryant is, was, and always will be a perfect fit for the Baltimore Ravens. Bringing him back for the 2021 season should be of utmost importance for the Ravens. You cannot measure a player’s importance to the team through something as simple as stats and a box score. Dez Bryant is much more than that, and even still he’s a reliable target for the passing game to lean on. Bryant’s return to Baltimore makes too much sense and is a move that absolutely needs to happen.