The Ravens need to trade for an elite receiver by the trade deadline

Since the Lamar Jackson era in Baltimore begun, the Ravens have been one of the best teams in the NFL. However, they have failed to reach the Conference Championship.

NFL experts blame the offense’s passing attack for their postseason failures. One of the reasons for this is because the Ravens do not have an elite receiver.

This offseason the front office was determined to give Jackson better receivers to work with. While they did a great job improving the receiving corps, it will not be enough for them to compete for a Super Bowl.

During free agency, Eric DeCosta made a solid move in signing  Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal. Watkins is a good receiver who played for the Kansas City Chiefs the last couple of years but has dealt with numerous injuries over that time frame.

According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, he has been the team’s best receiver during the offseason practices. All signs point to Watkins having a great season in Baltimore.

In addition to adding Watkins, the Ravens also drafted two more receivers in Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace.

Bateman was viewed as the best route runner coming out of this year’s draft class. Wallace is an outside receiver who often wins in contested ball situations because of his physicality.

The Ravens made it a priority to completely overhaul the receiver room. Expect this year’s Ravens receivers to have a bigger impact in the offense.

With the injury to J.K. Dobbins, the Ravens will have to rely on the passing attack even more this season. This offseason has been brutal for them with Rashod Bateman already dealing with a groin injury that required surgery.

Now, they’ve also lost Gus Edwards for the season due to a torn ACL. This opens the door for Ty’Son Williams to be the workhorse and do some damage.

Even after the rash of injuries they have suffered, the Ravens are still a very good football team. With Marquise Brown and Watkins back on the field, their offense will be among the most productive in the league.

However, with the offense they have currently constructed, they will at best be out of the playoffs by the Divisional Round.

The Ravens need to make a push for Davante Adams

In order to make a deeper push into the postseason, the Ravens need to be aggressive in this year’s trade market. They should follow the model of the Buffalo Bills and make a trade for an elite receiver.

Adding Stefon Diggs was the best thing the Bills front office could do for Josh Allen. He rewarded them with an MVP-caliber season. The Ravens need to do the same for Jackson.

The majority of the top teams in the NFL have at least one elite receiver. The Ravens are one of the few elite teams that do not.

Watkins is a good receiver but not elite. Banking on rookie Rashod Bateman to have an All-Pro year is not wise especially now with him recovering from groin surgery.

With the issues the Green Bay Packers have had with Aaron Rodgers, the Ravens should make a move for Davante Adams. Adams has already shown an unwillingness to commit long-term to the Packers. Adding an elite receiver like Adams will be a huge boost to the Ravens’ passing attack.

The Ravens have several good receivers but they don’t have one that terrifies opposing defenses. Trading for a receiver like Adams will immediately change that.

When he gets healthy, a guy like Michael Thomas is another option that would greatly improve the passing attack. A move like that will take Lamar Jackson’s game to a whole new level. It will be risky and costly but the reward is too enticing.

An aggressive trade of this caliber could be the one thing holding the Ravens back from getting to the Super Bowl.