Ravens have nothing to lose by claiming former Steelers WR James Washington
By Kristen Wong
The Baltimore Ravens already made waves by claiming wide receiver Sammy Watkins off waivers last month, so why stop there?
On Wednesday, the Dallas Cowboys announced they were releasing wide receiver James Washington, a player who has flown under the radar since being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018.
Washington has maintained a clean bill of health this season and was let go to give more snaps to Cowboys’ newly signed wideout T.Y. Hilton, and one team’s loss can be the Ravens’ treasure.
Treasure, of course, is putting it optimistically. Washington played just two games in 2022 recording zero catches on one target and struggled to carve out a consistent role for himself in Dallas’ deep receiving corps.
In four years at Pittsburgh, however, Washington racked up 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns, including a breakout second season in which he put up over 700 receiving yards.
Is Washington a quick fix for the Ravens’ offensive issues? No. But he probably won’t exacerbate those issues either.
Ravens should pick up WR James Washington off the waivers in 2023
I wouldn't be surprised to see the #Ravens submit a claim for Washington.
— Matt Wise (@TheMattWise) January 4, 2023
Even if he doesn't make a single catch this season, you get him in the building & evaluate him for the 2023 - 2024 season.
They just did the same thing with John Simpson.#RavensFlock https://t.co/v49cYSpf8r
The 26-year-old Washington has the potential to make an immediate impact in the Ravens’ offense regardless of when quarterback Lamar Jackson returns to the field.
With Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman out for the season, Baltimore has heavily depended on veteran Demarcus Robinson to carry the passing game along with a talented tight end unit consisting of Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar.
Andrews is enjoying a recent resurgence to form and Likely just nabbed his third receiving touchdown in Week 17’s loss to the Steelers, yet the Ravens could still use more reinforcements in the pass-catching department.
James Washington suffered a bit of bad luck during his short tenure in Dallas: he injured both feet on two separate occasions in training camp last year and missed too much time, leading to fewer opportunities in the Cowboys’ crowded offense.
He’s been a healthy scratch for the past two games, and if he’s claimed by Baltimore, he could feasibly share rotational snaps with Sammy Watkins, who’s bound to get injured sometime this year.
Next. Should the Ravens sit Lamar Jackson until the playoffs?. dark
This is about as low-stakes as it gets. Can the Ravens’ offense really be any worse?