A couple of days after Za’Darius Smith hinted at a possible Baltimore Ravens reunion, another former Ravens player has seemingly suggested that a reunion could be on the horizon.
Tight end Hayden Hurst recently responded to an Instagram post asking if the Ravens should bring back their former first-round pick. Hurst liked the post and responded with two fire emojis.
Evidently, Hurst at least seems open to the idea of a return to Baltimore.
The Ravens could be looking to add some additional tight end depth this offseason and reuniting Hurst with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, and others could be on their priority list.
https://twitter.com/Flockville/status/1495213052467322881
😏😏😏😏 pic.twitter.com/GyvRxLcrYH
— Ramey (@HoodieRamey) February 20, 2022
A Hayden Hurst reunion makes sense for the Ravens
The 25th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Hurst spent two years in Baltimore but fell well short of expectations. Hurst recorded just 43 catches for 512 yards and three touchdowns in 28 career games with the Ravens.
Baltimore shipped him to Atlanta prior to the start of the 2020 season and he would go on to have the best season of his career that year with the Falcons. Hurst finished with 56 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns playing all 16 games.
However, the addition of Kyle Pitts in the 2021 NFL Draft significantly cut into Hurst’s playing time. The former South Carolina standout managed only 26 catches for 221 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.
Now a free agent, the Ravens could be a team interested in his services.
Mark Andrews put together a career year in 2021 establishing himself as perhaps the best tight end in football. But behind Andrews, the Ravens are lacking depth at the tight end position.
Nick Boyle returned from injury this past season, but it was clear he wasn’t the same player as his pre-injury self. The Ravens are hoping he will benefit from another offseason of rehab, but as they’ve learned the hard way with other players, that isn’t something to bank on.
Meanwhile, Josh Oliver was a relative nonfactor in 2021 hauling in just nine catches for 66 yards in 14 games. The Ravens have long been a team that requires tight end depth and they just don’t have it at the moment.
With so many other needs and very little cap space, Hurst would need to sign at a reasonable price to make a deal work, but it is something to keep in mind.
At the very least, Hayden Hurst appears to welcome a Ravens reunion. Only time will tell if it actually happens.