The Baltimore Ravens had a wild offseason, and the “B” grade assigned by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox reflects that. After a long and drawn out contract dispute with Lamar Jackson, the team eventually agreed to a new deal while adding in a few big-name players later on in free agency.
Baltimore Ravens Receive “B” Offseason Grade
The Analysis
If this article had come out in early April, it’s safe to say that it would not have been as nice for the Ravens. Knox notes that the team was “relatively quiet in the early stages of free agency and arguably lost more than they gained. The Ravens lost players like guard Ben Powers and complementary tight end Josh Oliver while trading safety Chuck Clark for a mere 2024 seventh-round pick.”
Fortunately, despite the slow start, the Ravens salvaged their offseason grade in April. While Knox highlights the additions of Odell Beckham, Rock Ya-Sin, and Zay Flowers, the most important transaction was signing Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal.
“The success story of Baltimore’s offseason is the extension the team finally got done with quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens gave Jackson the non-exclusive franchise tag and came dangerously close to alienating the 2019 MVP…However, the two sides finally agreed on a five-year, $260 million deal.”
Lamar Jackson throwing the football pic.twitter.com/TySZ1kLboB
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 24, 2023
Ultimately, while this wasn’t a perfect offseason (as evidenced by their grade), Knox believes that the Ravens did the best they could with the resources they had. At the end of the day, “the Ravens did a wonderful job of supporting Jackson with an improved receiving corps while delaying any future QB contract drama for at least another half-decade.”
Is The Ravens Offseason Grade Justified?
While every NFL transaction comes with a little bit of risk, the Ravens made some of the most dangerous moves of the offseason, and Knox’s grade doesn’t necessarily reflect that. The team invested significant resources in high-ceiling, low-floor players, and the range of outcomes in incredibly wide here.
Signing Lamar Jackson is obviously a big deal and Baltimore shouldn’t have any regrets about this. However, the Odell Beckham deal deserves a little more scrutiny. If he plays like he did with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, he’ll be worth every penny. However, the LSU product is entering his age-31 season, is coming off a major knee injury, and hasn’t played football in over a year. There is a very real chance that he just doesn’t have it anymore, and Baltimore gave him a lot of guaranteed money.
Zay Flowers, meanwhile, is a good wide receiver, but he possesses a redundant skill set. Beckham, Flowers, and Rashod Bateman all play similar roles in a passing attack, so somebody is going to be out of position in 2023. The team should be able to sort this out down the road, but in the short-term, it’s hard to see how all three players can make an impact.
Ultimately, the fact the Ravens kept their franchise quarterback in town justifies a passing offseason grade. However, the rest of the moves left a lot to be desired, so they should probably be closer to a “C” than a “B”.
Main Photo: Brent Skeen – USA Today Sports
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