Will the Ravens sign Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver in 2024 free agency?

We're barely two weeks from hitting the trade deadline, so it's reasonable to find NFL trade rumors popping up at an increasing pace these days.

In the latest installment of this never-ending fantasy saga, the Baltimore Ravens have been linked with an interesting player on an expiring deal currently playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While Mike Evans is still under contract, he is expected to explore free agency next season. If that is the case, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus thinks the Ravens should give him all of their money to land a proper superstar wideout once and for all.

"Would the Ravens be willing to make a splash near the top of the market for a 30-year-old wide receiver? They just did for Odell Beckham Jr. coming off a prolonged injury rehab, and he’s continued to battle different ailments throughout 2023 already. If Evans leaves Tampa Bay, perhaps he takes a page out of his friend Tom Brady’s book and prioritizes another Lombardi Trophy over maxing out his earnings in the late stages of his career. Evans had six receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, on pace for the 10th straight 1,000-yard season of his career."

- Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus

Spielberger starts his blurb on Evans presenting the most obvious question: will the Ravens pony up a ton of money to land an old wideout?

That's a fair question to ask after Baltimore signed Odell Beckham and Nelson Agholor (both veterans, past their 30s) to hefty deals last offseason and is getting little to no production from them nearly a third into the year. (Not to mention Rashod Bateman's bust-level campaign)

Evans, of course, is much better than both Agholor and OBJ, but there is still some risk baked into adding such an aging player this late in his career, let alone one who has never experienced football outside of his current organization.

Spielberger thinks that if Evans wants to win another Super Bowl after doing so a few years ago while playing under Tom Brady, perhaps Baltimore could be his no. 1 destination.

The PFF analyst picked the wide receiver position as a priority for the Ravens to address next spring by saying "This offense needs a physical, big-bodied receiver that Lamar Jackson can target downfield."

The interest should be mutual in Spielberger's eyes considering he picked the WR as the ultimate weapon missing in the Ravens roster in order for Baltimore to lift their third championship.

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