The Baltimore Ravens will report to training camp in just over a week, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still looking to make upgrades to their roster.
General manager Eric DeCosta bolstered plenty of positions on the roster this offseason, but one position that’s inarguably worse than it was a year ago is wide receiver.
The Ravens said goodbye to Sammy Watkins in free agency, released Miles Boykin, and then traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals on draft day. Meanwhile, the only additions they made at the position came in the form of undrafted free agents.
Evidently, the Ravens could use some extra veteran depth. Fortunately, that might just be in the cards.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reported on Monday that “it still feels likely that the Ravens bring in a veteran receiver at some point.” Zrebiec seems confident that DeCosta will sign a veteran wide receiver this summer.
The Ravens should absolutely sign a veteran wide receiver
The Ravens have easily the most inexperienced and unproven wide receiver room in the NFL. There’s plenty of optimism within the organization about the likes of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche, but none are sure things.
Bateman showed signs of being a very productive receiver as a rookie and the Ravens believe that he will break out in 2022, but counting on him as a featured part of the offense this early is putting a lot of eggs in his basket.
Duvernay has been an effective role player on offense, but he’s now penciled in as the No. 2 wideout opposite Bateman. Meanwhile, Proche has been little more than a depth piece throughout his two years in the league.
Again, the Ravens believe that all three have earned the opportunity to have a larger role, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra veteran insurance.
That’s where free agency could come into play. Plenty of notable names remain available into July including Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton, Will Fuller, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley, DeSean Jackson, and Allen Hurns.
The Ravens would be wise to make at least one veteran addition prior to the start of the season, if only to serve as extra insurance behind their young, unproven receiving corps.
Based on this report, it certainly seems like that’s the direction the organization is heading.