Last year, the Baltimore Ravens had two tight ends entering free agency. It was clear that the Ravens couldn't keep both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. The Ravens extended Andrews to a three-year, $39.2 million contract in the middle of last season, which spelled doom for Likely's future with the team, who eventually signed with the New York Giants. Now, this decision looks like a total disaster. And frankly, it never made much sense to me.
For the season, Andrews has recorded 177 yards and a touchdown, while Likely has 284 yards and four touchdowns. Sunday's Week 5 made things look even worse for the Ravens.
Likely had a monster 94-yard, two-touchdown performance. On the other hand, Andrews had just 28 yards recording three costly drops and a fumble. Andrews dropped a touchdown in the first quarter, which he promptly followed up with a fumble that led to a touchdown—later in the third quarter, he dropped a two-point conversion, and he dropped another pass on a big third-down play in the fourth quarter.
Thankfully, the Ravens pulled off a 33-30 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and Andrews had some big plays down the stretch. Nevertheless, Andrews cost the Ravens 13 points through some unacceptable blunders. Watching this game, it was hard not to be frustrated by Andrews and to think of Likely after his splendid game earlier in the day.
It was a polarizing move at the time, and now there's no denying the Ravens royally screwed this one up.
The Baltimore Ravens' logic of keeping Mark Andrews was flawed from the start
Before I further roast the Ravens' decision, I want to acknowledge some of the Ravens' logic. Andrews is a much better blocker than Likely. He's a franchise legend and has always had a ton of chemistry with Lamar Jackson. Likely, despite his immense talent, was never unlocked in Baltimore.
However, Andrews was clearly declining last season. Notably, he posted career lows in yards (422), yards per target (6), and success rate (52.9). Likewise, paying a tight end in his 30s top-10 TE money was always a head-scratcher to me.
Wouldn't you want to pay the younger, more athletic tight end? Likely is a matchup nightmare due to his rare blend of size, speed, and athletic gifts. Even though Likely never put up massive numbers in Baltimore, it was clear that he could scale up, and he's proving that in New York.
And despite never being unleashed in Baltimore, Likely's 307 yards in just seven games last season nearly topped Andrews' production.
While Andrews is a better blocker, the dynamic pass-catching element that Likely provides is harder to replicate. For a team that lacks consistent pass-catching outside of Zay Flowers, keeping Likely around would've been especially beneficial.
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's system puts explosive plays at a premium. Likely would be a perfect fit in this system, and he would help the Ravens' already elite offense reach another gear. In fairness, the Ravens extended Andrews before they knew they were making a coaching change. Still, thinking about how well Likely would fit in Doyle's system is painful.
Andrews is a fine checkdown option and red-zone threat, but he can't generate big plays or gain much separation. This will only get worse as he ages, and as is, it's hard to trust him in big moments given his affinity for dropping passing.
The writing was on the wall: Likely had another to reach, and Andrews was declining. Instead of seeing this, the Ravens doubled down on an aging tight end.
Fortunately, the vibes are great with the 4-1 Ravens, and their offense looks elite. Regardless, watching the events of Sunday, it's hard not to think about the Ravens' tight end decision.
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