8 wide receivers the Ravens could trade for at the deadline

The Baltimore Ravens blew yet another double-digit fourth-quarter lead on Sunday as they fell to the New York Giants by a final score of 24-20.

It’s hard to blame just one aspect of the team for the Ravens’ perpetual fourth-quarter meltdowns, but one thing was abundantly clear on Sunday. The Ravens missed Rashod Bateman.

Bateman was sidelined for his second consecutive game in Week 6 and the Ravens’ wide receivers had no answer for a stingy Giants pass defense. If it wasn’t already evident, it should be now after Sunday’s miserable offensive performance.

The Ravens need wide receiver help — and they need it in the worst way. With the trade deadline approaching in a few weeks, let’s take a look at eight wide receivers the Ravens could target on the trade market.

8. Ravens trade target: Scotty Miller (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Scotty Miller looked like a potential breakout star for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following a surprisingly productive 2020 campaign that saw him finish with 33 catches for 501 yards.

However, it’s all been downhill since for the former sixth-round pick. Miller appeared in just nine games in 2021, partially due to a toe injury, and finished with just five catches for 38 yards.

His role in the offense has increased a little in 2022 as a result of injuries, but there’s no room for Miller on a healthy Buccaneers team. He could find a role with the Ravens, though.

7. Ravens trade target: Denzel Mims (New York Jets)

Denzel Mims has been a healthy scratch for all six of the New York Jets’ games this season. The former second-round pick formally requested a trade this summer and it feels inevitable that he’s moved at some point.

It’s hard to imagine it’ll cost much to land Mims given how much his stock has fallen. Still, he could be worth it as a flyer for a team desperate for wide receiver help like the Ravens.

Mims’ physical talent is still there — he just needs to be in the right situation for his talent to shine through. Perhaps that situation is in Baltimore.

6. Ravens trade target: Terrace Marshall Jr. (Carolina Panthers)

The first of a whopping three Carolina Panthers on this list, Terrace Marshall Jr. has fallen down the pecking order this year and was even rendered a healthy scratch in three of the first four weeks of the season.

Much like Mims, Marshall is another former second-round pick who just hasn’t found his groove with his current team. He has just four catches in the first six games of the season, all of which came back in Week 5.

A change of scenery is best for both parties at this point. Marshall might just find a more permanent home in Baltimore.

5. Ravens trade target: Kendrick Bourne (New England Patriots)

Kendrick Bourne might not be the most likely New England Patriots wide receiver to be moved at the deadline as that distinction might belong to the speedy Nelson Agholor. That said, his near $15 million cap hit in 2022 might be difficult to offload.

Bourne isn’t the flashiest receiver out there and he doesn’t have the downfield speed that Agholor does, but he’s a solid all-around player who can certainly help this Ravens offense.

Signed to a three-year $15 million contract in the 2021 offseason, Bourne has recorded more than two catches in just one game this season. He’s a well-rounded route-runner who would serve as a significant upgrade over someone like Demarcus Robinson.

4. Ravens trade target: Darius Slayton (New York Giants)

After putting together consecutive 700-yard campaigns to begin his NFL career, Darius Slayton has fallen off the proverbial map over the last two years. It’s clear that his time in New York is coming to an end sooner rather than later.

Slayton was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and has been used sparingly since despite a slew of injuries to the Giants wideouts. He just doesn’t have a role on the team, but it’s not as if he isn’t still a talented player.

Slayton is set to be a free agent at the end of the season and could likely be had for cheap. This is a move the Ravens should strongly consider.

3. Ravens trade target: Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Another player who has seen his stock diminish over the last 12 or so months is Chase Claypool. Claypool recorded 800+ yards in each of his first two seasons, but his role in the offense has been curbed in 2022.

The Steelers extended Diontae Johnson in the offseason and added both George Pickens and Calvin Austin III in the 2022 NFL Draft, indirectly (or directly?) preparing for Claypool’s departure.

Through the first five weeks of the season, Claypool had just 16 catches for 129 yards and no touchdowns before a big Week 6 showing. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him moved at some point.

The Ravens make a lot of sense as a potential destination.

2. Ravens trade target: Robbie Anderson (Carolina Panthers)

It’s hard to imagine Robbie Anderson will play another game in Carolina, not after his Week 6 meltdown that saw him sent to the locker room early. His departure is inevitable at this point.

The Panthers had already reportedly been shopping Anderson around the league prior to his Week 6 outburst. This situation might just accelerate the process.

The Ravens could really use a downfield burner in their offense and Anderson could help fill the hole left by Marquise Brown’s departure this offseason.

As long as the Ravens are cool with Anderson’s off-field/character concerns, this feels like a no-brainer.

1. Ravens trade target: D.J. Moore (Carolina Panthers)

This is the pipedream for Ravens fans. A former Maryland standout, D.J. Moore is one of the most talented players on a Panthers team that will be looking to accumulate some extra draft capital ahead of the offseason.

While it’s far from a guarantee that Moore is moved, the Panthers’ star wideout will have his fair share of suitors if he’s made available. One of those teams should most definitely be the Ravens.

Not only would Moore immediately give the Ravens a legitinate No. 1 wide receiver, but at just 25 years old, he would be a cornerstone to build around for the foreseeable future.

And it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s a hometown hero either.