3 former Baltimore Ravens who won't live up to their new contracts
By Mike Luciano
The Baltimore Ravens may have brought a very important new face to town when they agreed to a contract with Derrick Henry, but that doesn’t cancel out the fact that some key contributors from last year's team on both sides of the ball have bolted for greener pastures.
The Ravens have been put in a bit of a bind in the next few years due to some big contracts on the books and the need to make room for eventual big contracts for players on rookie contracts. This has led to an exodus of former Ravens chasing bigger paydays with other teams.
While role players like Gus Edwards and John Simpson signed fairly respectable deals that will give them a chance to slot in as a role player for a possible playoff team, not everyone might be able to live up to their new financial demands. These three former Ravens could discover that life outside Baltimore isn't so rosy.
3 former Baltimore Ravens players who won't live up to their contract
3. WR Devin Duvernay, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars continued their spending on wide receivers in free agency, inking special teams standout and ace returner Duvernay to a two-year, $8.5 million contract. He is great in his role, but that seems like a reasonably sizeable investment for a player who has never been a tremendous receiver.
Duvernay recorded just five touchdowns in his first three seasons in the league and only topped 300 yards receiving once. The former Texas star was buried in Todd Monken's offense despite his speed, as he managed just eight touches from scrimmage for just 33 yards.
Former Ravens WR Devin Duvernay could struggle with the Jaguars
Duvernay will make an impact as a returner, but his salary suggests that Doug Pederson might have plans for him as the WR4 in an offense that will throw the ball a ton. In a league where returners have been marginalized like never before, is that money worth it for someone who is at his best running back punts?
For Duvernay to prove the Ravens wrong, he would need to hope the Jaguars don't use a top draft pick on a wide receiver while also beating out names like Zay Jones and Parker Washington to earn WR3 snaps. If he got buried in a very thin Ravens receiving room, Jacksonville might prove to be even tougher.