As is always the case with the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta are figuring out the best way to surround Lamar Jackson with the best possible wide receiver play. This means spending draft capital on players like Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman while signing veterans like Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr.
Agholor is never going to be a top wide receiver for Jackson, but his play for the majority of last season suggests that as a third or fourth receiver on the depth chart, Baltimore could certainly do much worse. In an offseason all about making sure Jackson has the pieces he needs to lead the offense, the Ravens decided to bring Agholor back.
Adam Schefter announced that Baltimore brought Agholor back on a one-year contract for the 2024 season, as Todd Monken liked what he saw in a new vertical passing game. Bringing Agholor back isn't good news for everyone, however, especially if you're a veteran competing for snaps like Beckham.
It seems unlikely that Baltimore will run it back at the wide receiver position in a year where their postseason run was halted due to their wideouts flaming out against Kansas City. With Agholor suiting up in Ravens purple, Beckham might not get a second chance to compete for another ring in Maryland.
Ravens signed WR Nelson Agholor to a one-year contract extension.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2024
Baltimore Ravens keeping Nelson Agholor is bad for Odell Beckham Jr.
Harbaugh gave the oft-injured young receiver Bateman a vote of confidence in the media recently, and Flowers showed he could be a receiver who eventually challenges for 1,000 yards. With Beckham failing to top 600 yards receiving on an expensive price tag, bringing him back for another run is way too risky for a Ravens team that needs to watch how much they spend.
Agholor recorded 35 catches (the same number Beckham had) for 381 yards and four touchdowns. While he did get a bad case of the drops, Agholor was a frequent target whenever Jackson needed a third-down conversion or wanted someone to break free in the red zone. Given his affordable price tag, this move made sense for both parties.
If the Ravens let Beckham go, it seems likely they will either bring in another veteran via free agency or use one of their more valuable draft picks on a wide receiver. That fresh face, paired with Flowers' speed, Agholor's veteran savviness, and Bateman's downfield playmaking, could help Jackson once again put up numbers that get him in the MVP conversation.