Never quite caught on
Three years after drafting wide receiver Miles Boykin in the third round, the Baltimore Ravens have announced they’ve released the wideout.
Boykin was drafted with the No. 93 overall pick in the 2019 draft, as the Ravens double-dipped at wide receiver to supply quarterback Lamar Jackson with new weapons.
However, Boykin never fully developed into a traditional “X-receiver” role with the Ravens, though many expected it to come with his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame. Boykin did excel in run-blocking for the Ravens’ rushing attack, but the full potential of his abilities never felt unlocked, even with the addition of Pass Game Specialist Keith Williams and Wide Receivers Coach Tee Martin last season.
In 2021, Boykin suffered a hamstring injury which kept him on injured reserve to begin the season. He eventually played eight games, mostly on special teams, and finished with one catch for six yards.
Cutting Boykin frees up $2.54 million in cap space, something the Ravens need after signing and re-signing free agents throughout the past month. Prior to the move, Russell Street Report’s Brian McFarland has the Ravens sitting around $4.4 million, following the re-signings of defensive end Calais Campbell and inside linebacker Josh Bynes.
This departure, alongside wide receiver Sammy Watkins signing with the Green Bay Packers, leaves an intriguing need at wide receiver with the upcoming draft. In years past, most discussions on who the Ravens are interested in would include heavy talk surrounding the wideouts. Now, with wide receivers being a near-surplus in the first round of this draft, the Ravens haven’t been linked to any. The Ravens appear content with the trio of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews, but with the wide receiver market exploding this offseason, it would behoove the Ravens to take a wide receiver on a much cheaper rookie wage than pay ultra-premium costs.