Ravens did not do enough to help Lamar Jackson this offseason
By Kristen Wong
As rumors around Lamar Jackson’s contract extension continue to swirl, the Baltimore Ravens have more pressing issues to focus on.
For one thing: did the Ravens do enough to help their quarterback succeed in 2022?
Jackson is coming off a down year in 2021 and has spent most of this summer getting healthy and preparing for a comeback. His recent activity on social media reveals that Jackson has evidently been hitting the weight room, prompting wide receiver DK Metcalf to ask Jackson if he could “borrow a bicep.”
Jackson’s physical gains can only help his game so much, though — there’s no point in adding pounds of muscle if he has no one downfield to throw the ball to.
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo named several NFL teams who did not help their starting quarterback enough this offseason and included Baltimore on the list:
"“Instead of signing a top-flight receiver, the Ravens traded away their best receiver — to the ire of QB Lamar Jackson — during the NFL Draft. Baltimore parted ways with Jackson’s favorite receiver, Marquise Brown, then failed to draft or bring in anyone who can replace him. Baltimore’s top returning wide receiver is Rashod Bateman, who as a rookie last season caught 46 passes for 515 yards and a touchdown.”"
Baltimore Ravens criticized for failing to improve wide receiver room in 2022
It’s worth noting that the Ravens’ trade of Marquise Brown didn’t exactly provoke “ire” from Lamar Jackson. Jackson knew about the impending trade beforehand and likely only reacted the way he did because he was surprised Brown was already in Arizona that draft night.
In any case, while the Ravens can still feel sad about losing their No. 1 wide receiver, the fact that the team didn’t bring on any potential replacement for Brown does seem concerning to the public eye.
Baltimore’s starting wideouts are projected to be Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche, arguably three of the most inexperienced starters at the position in the entire league.
On the upside, the Ravens did make crucial improvements to their offensive line by drafting center Tyler Linderbaum, and the team also boasts a tight end corps chockfull of potential in Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.
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The team’s upcoming training camp will offer a valuable glimpse of Jackson’s improved game and dictate whether the Ravens do, in fact, need to add a veteran wideout before the start of the season.