Baltimore Ravens fans were disappointed to lose electric running back Keaton Mitchell to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency after the team opted not to tender him. During a recent press conference, Mitchell opened up the process and noted that the Ravens didn't contact him at all.
"They didn't contact me or my agent at all... I was surprised. I ain’t gonna lie, I was surprised for sure… I heard at the deadline. We were like, maybe they’re gonna let me know right before then. But I ain’t hear nothing, then the deadline came,” Mitchell said.
Fans were already kind of stunned by the Ravens' decision not to tender Mitchell, and his comments only add salt to these wounds due to the team's lack of communication. Mitchell showed plenty of promise during his three-year stint with the Ravens. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and is as explosive as it gets. While it's fair to have concerns about his constant injury problems, Mitchell's upside is undeniable.
Furthermore, if the Ravens had tendered Mitchell, it wouldn't have been costly ($3.5 million for a year), which is notably less than the two-year $9.2 million deal he signed with the Chargers.
As a smaller and speedier back, Mitchell offered a nice complement to Derrick Henry. The thunder and lightning duo had absurd potential, especially since Mitchell is still just 24. Fans continuously begged John Harbaugh to utilize Mitchell more often last year. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is focused on explosive plays, and this is a system that Mitchell could have thrived in, which makes the organization's decision not to keep him more frustrating.
The Baltimore Ravens' decision to let Keaton Mitchell walk is even more frustrating
Losing Mitchell isn't some franchise-altering mistake, but it's an annoying one, especially given the context behind the Ravens' decision and his potential. Recently, Eric DeCosta bluntly opened up about the Ravens' decision not to tender Mitchell.
“Again, [Mitchell is] not a real special teams guy. A talented space runner. He’s not necessarily the most dynamic pass-catching back, so then it becomes, well, would you rather have Derrick on the field or Keaton?”
It's understandable to have concerns about Mitchell's lack of pass-catching and blocking. Nevertheless, I think he showed enough promise to stick around, and to me, his explosive running outweighs the cons in his game. And again, it won't have been costly to keep him.
Baltimore filled the void left behind by Mitchell with fifth-round pick Adam Randall. The Clemson product offers more size, pass blocking, and, as a former receiver, he should be utilized more in the passing game. Still, it's unclear how much of a learning curve there will be, given that he is still new to the running back position.
Ravens fans will be rooting for Mitchell in Los Angeles, as he was always a beloved member of the team. Regardless, if he breaks out, it will sting a bit, as the Ravens could have easily retained him.
Without a doubt, the recent comments from Mitchell and DeCosta didn't do anything to ease Ravens fans' pain.
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