The Baltimore Ravens have already done it all this offseason, and free agency hasn’t even started. They fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh, hired a highly-respected coach in Jesse Minter, and made the most aggressive move so far by trading for edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
Baltimore may not be done either. Early in the offseason, they constantly mentioned that this team is being built for quarterback Lamar Jackson. He’s the centerpiece, and they’ll be doing everything they can to put the best team around him in 2026.
That includes upgrading the wide receiver group. Pro Bowl wideout Zay Flowers was alone in receiving production, being the only player to total over 422 yards through the air, with an impressive 86 receptions for 1,211 yards. He needs help. Luckily, a dream sidekick could reveal himself in free agency: six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans.
Baltimore Ravens could form a dream Zay Flowers-Mike Evans pairing in free agency
Admittedly, adding Evans got a whole lot more difficult after the Crosby acquisition. According to Over the Cap, the Ravens are just over $12 million in the negative. However, moves are definitely coming. A Lamar Jackson extension would diminish his pricey $74.5 million cap hit, and the front office could also convert the salary on Maxx Crosby’s contract from $30.7 million to $7.73 million.
If it comes to a head, a team acquiring ED Maxx Crosby will be able to process a simple salary conversion on his contract that will drop his acquired cap hit from $30.7M, down to $7.73M.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 6, 2026
The point is, Baltimore can create some salary cap magic. According to Spotrac, Evans’ salary is expected to be about $13.3 million. That’s very doable, and as the Ravens look to find a dominant partner for Zay Flowers, the 32-year-old could be an ideal match.
In his short career thus far, Flowers has made his name known as an electrifying weapon in the middle of the field, dicing up corners with his quick feet and creating after the catch. On the other hand, Evans is consistently productive, winning with physicality and elite hands. With Flowers at 5-foot-9 and Evans at 6-foot-5, the potential David and Goliath pairing would combine two completely different, but utterly dominant players, into one of the better wide receiver duos in the league.
Evans is also the type of player that Jackson has never had in his NFL career. The two-time MVP hasn’t had that physical threat on the boundary that he can turn to play-after-play. 2025 was a down-year due to injury for Evans; he played in just eight games, but he has proven he can still get it done in his 30s.
It’d be difficult to imagine Evans wearing any other jersey than a Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey. He’s one of the most loved Buccaneers in the franchise’s history and will be a Hall of Famer someday. Teams tend to try to keep those players for life.
Ultimately, though, reports have said Evans will explore free agency. If that’s the case, Baltimore needs to be on the phone immediately. The possible combination of Flowers and Evans with Jackson throwing them the football feels like a superhero-like offense.