Ravens miss out on Marvin Jones and could have had him

The Baltimore Ravens need a wide receiver right? I’m just checking because general manager Eric DeCosta missed a golden chance to add one in NFL Free Agency.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Marvin Jones has agreed to a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here’s the kicker, it’s a two-year deal for $14.5 million. The Jaguars just got a good receiver for a fraction of the price you’d imagine they would pay.

The Ravens could have done that. You don’t know what is in the works though it is starting to become a scary possibility that the Ravens won’t add to the wide receiver position in NFL Free Agency. It looks like they may keep working on the offensive line, but the offensive weapons may not be in the cards.

If the Ravens were going to do anything, you would think they could have gotten Jones. Topping that deal isn’t a hardship even after the Zeitler move, even after the re-signing of Tyus Bowser. If the Ravens signed Jones they would have a solid number two receiver to pair with Marquise Brown.

Right now the Ravens offense isn’t hard to figure out. When the Ravens have to pass it’s all about Mark Andrews and Brown. The Ravens needed a third option that was at least in the neighborhood of being the same quality receiver as the man they call Hollywood.

There is still a lot of time. The wide receiver position hasn’t been the most active in free agency either, so the Ravens may be working on something there as we speak. Leading up to free agency I wrote time and time again that the best two options were Corey Davis and Jones. At least Davis got a nice payday. Jones took the deal he had to, not the deal he wanted.

The Ravens can make the offense work by leaning into their concept of what an offense is. The offense is at least efficient and Lamar Jackson has the chops to make magic happen. Fine. The problem is that if the Ravens don’t try to improve the receiver position (legitimately make the attempt) they are going to look foolish if it remains a problem.

Jones would have been the perfect way for the Ravens to have their cake and eat it too. They wouldn’t have made a huge pricey splash in free agency to get their wide receiver. Looking at what Jones ended up with they really could have done it modestly. They could have made other positions the priority, signing Jones to this kind of deal doesn’t scream priority.

The Bottom Line:

Baltimore is starving for a receiver. The fanbase may be getting to an irrational level of wanting to scratch the number one receiver itch. Is it too much to ask to spring for a receiver just a bit? It looks like it is.

Unless the Ravens make a move at wide receiver we are in no way having reason to expect, the Jones signing with the Jaguars is at least mildly frustrating. Baltimore can go out and get another offensive lineman.

They can do that. There’s still the draft and they can make it work.  Baltimore can make other decisions to become a better team. It’s just getting tiring to see the wide receiver position not be a priority.