There will be no shortage of wide receiver trade proposals linked to the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, and this recent one equips the team with a promising offensive weapon at a monumental cost.
Speculation continues to surround the Ravens’ wide receiver room heading into the 2022 season as many would concur Baltimore still need a veteran wideout to complete the starting lineup.
Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche could each enjoy a productive campaign, but the depth behind those players remains scarce, and Duvernay and Proche serve as merely average pass-catching options given their lack of experience.
With middling receiver options left in free agency, could Baltimore acquire a shiny new weapon by giving another team a call?
In the proposed trade, the Ravens acquire Denzel Mims and Chuma Edoga from the New York Jets and in turn, give up Patrick Mekari and Malik Harrison:
"“Getting Mims would give the Ravens the size and speed receiver they need. It would add a big target and a player who could hypothetically grow with former league MVP Lamar Jackson. The rest of the Ravens WRs are pure question marks.The adding of Edoga to the trade is a throw in that gives the Ravens back another young offensive lineman they can work with. I know Edoga is not a popular player amongst Jets fans but many times a throw in to a trade can be beneficial with that player thriving in another environment. The Ravens have had a number of low valued offensive lineman become viable starters.”"
Baltimore Ravens get a young and unproven wideout in Jets’ Denzel Mims in foolish trade proposal
On paper, the trade may make sense…from a Jets fan’s perspective. In theory, trading an offensive lineman for another offensive lineman could mean each team gets roughly the same amount of value, but not in this case.
For Baltimore, the team would lose inside linebacker Malik Harrison and versatile O-lineman Pat Mekari. Harrison has been a developmental project for the team since he was drafted in 2020 and it wouldn’t make sense for Baltimore to just ship him away after a few years.
Mekari would be the much tougher loss between the two as one of the most versatile and reliable plug-and-play pieces the Ravens have.
The Jets would essentially be trading Edoga for Mekari, and Edoga doesn’t offer nearly as much talent as Mekari does, not to mention he may even get cut from the Jets’ starting roster this offseason.
We don’t see the Ravens giving up Mekari, one of their most prized tackles, for an undeveloped player like Edoga, and if it makes any difference, this trade proposal was written up by a Jets fan, after all.
As for Denzel Mims, the Jets’ wideout has accumulated a modest 490 yards and no touchdowns in the last two years, mostly underperforming and failing to live up to expectations in New York.
What Mims possesses more than any veteran receiver, however, is his youth and upside. Despite Mims’ sputtering performances, he has a higher ceiling than, say, T.Y. Hilton or Desean Jackson and could give the Ravens a crucial boost in the passing game.
Or not — Mims has disappointed in New York, and he could just as easily disappoint in Baltimore. The wideout definitely could use a change of scenery, but there’s a microscopic chance Baltimore would give up a valuable asset like Mekari in exchange for the sliver of hope that Mims somehow evolves into an elite wide receiver.
All in all, Baltimore would sour at the idea of losing Mekari and linebacker talent Malik Harrison, and the Ravens would basically be getting bench players in return for their young starting-caliber talent.
Expect many more trade proposals, some more sensible than others, to emerge ahead of the 2022 season.