Jaylen Waddle blockbuster hands Ravens clear reason to trade former first-rounder

The Baltimore Ravens appeared set to make the biggest move of the offseason in their initial trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby. However, that ultimately fell through. Now, the real biggest trade of the offseason has been made. The Miami Dolphins traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos on Tuesday.

At face value, this builds an even stronger contender standing in the way of Baltimore's hopes to run through the AFC in 2026. However, it could also have some repercussions on how the Ravens decide to build their roster in the coming months.

Wide receiver Rashod Bateman has been a polarizing weapon throughout his tenure in Charm City. While general manager Eric DeCosta is excited about what Bateman could bring to Declan Doyle’s offense, seeing that trade package for Waddle, it may be hard to look past the possibility of trading him.

Baltimore Ravens may want to entertain a Rashod Bateman trade after Jaylen Waddle move

Obviously, the Ravens wouldn’t net anywhere near the package that the Dolphins got for Waddle. By dealing Waddle and a fourth-rounder, Miami received a first-rounder, third-rounder, and fourth-rounder. Each of those selections is the 30th pick in their respective rounds. Still, with such a lucrative haul, Bateman could net something of value, as he may be facing an uncertain future.

After an extension last offseason, Bateman is under contract through the 2029 season. And while he deserved that extension after a breakout 2024 campaign, he followed that up pretty poorly. He had just 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games last year. Those numbers were paired with questionable effort at times, as well. To make matters worse, he didn’t necessarily kick off his time with the new coaching staff too well this offseason.

Bateman has caused some drama in his five-year NFL career. In January, that continued. Posts surface on his Instagram, noting frustrations with last year’s offense. He later claimed he had been hacked, but also acknowledged that he agreed with some of the comments made. Hopefully, that’s been swept under the rug now two months later, but it could add to Baltimore's motivation to trade Bateman if there’s a mutual interest in a separation.

With how highly Baltimore values draft picks, it wouldn’t be a shock if they tried to net extra draft capital by making such a move, even though they already have 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. A late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick could be a possibility.

With the Ravens being linked to wideouts in the first round in recent mock drafts, Bateman’s role could diminish once the draft passes. If that’s the case, a deal really could make sense.