The Baltimore Ravens' primary focus this offseason should be upgrading the trenches. However, after that, the priority should be bolstering their wide receiving core. Zay Flowers had a tremendous season, posting 1,211 yards -- but he can't be Lamar Jackson's only dependable target. Now, in his 30s, tight end Mark Andrews is starting to decline.
Throughout his career, Jackson has never had elite receiver weapons, and it's held the Ravens back. With a fresh coaching staff, Baltimore is entering a new era, and it's clear that Lamar is the focal point of their identity. To truly optimize his elite skill set, though, they'll have to add more weapons around him.
In free agency, the new-look Ravens could look to make a big splash, and signing Jauan Jennings could be the perfect move. At 6-foot-3, Jennings offers a nice complement to the smaller Flowers.
Jauan Jennings is a dream free agent target for the Ravens
The Ravens had hoped Rashod Bateman could fill this role as a WR2, but after a down season and some off-the-field drama, it looks like he doesn't have much of a future in Baltimore. Even if he's brought back, the Ravens will likely look to upgrade their WR room, and Jennings would be an ideal addition. Jennings is a dependable every-down receiver with impressive versatility.
Jennings enters free agency after two rock-solid campaigns, posting 1,618 yards and catching 15 touchdowns. Spotrac projects Jennings' market value as $22.6 million -- coincidentally, that's the exact number of cap space Baltimore has. Of course, they would still have to make other moves, perhaps trading Bateman's salary or cutting players such as Marlon Humphrey or Broderick Washington.
Regardless, my point is that Jennings isn't just a dream free agent fit candidate -- he's a realistic target. Between talent, fit, and attainability, it's hard to pinpoint a better WR option for Baltimore.
With Derrick Henry (and Lamar), the Ravens already have the most unstoppable run game. To reach another level, Eric DeCosta must give Lamar more weapons. And while the idea of drafting someone in one of the first two rounds is intriguing, getting a proven player would be a safer option.
Plus, given what we know about new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, it's fair to expect that he'll want to lean into the passing game more. The Ravens have made it clear that their focus is on building a Super Bowl winner for next season. As such, it's fair to expect the Ravens to be aggressive this offseason, and signing Jennings would be the perfect move.