The Ravens’ depth at receiver is shallow, especially following the trade of Marquise Brown. However, it sounds like reinforcement could be coming. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes that the Ravens “will sign or acquire a veteran receiver at some point before training camp.”
2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman is likely the only receiver with a secure spot on the depth chart. Otherwise, the receivers room consists of unproven players, including Devin Duvernay, James Proche II, Tylan Wallace, Binjimen Victor, Jaylon Moore, and a whopping six undrafted rookies. Of course, the team’s passing attack is also highlighted by tight end Mark Andrews.
While Zrebic expects a transaction, he does note that the team isn’t operating like an organization that’s “desperate” for a receiver. That’s likely a “vote of confidence” for the team’s current crop of wideouts, and while the team may be seeking additional depth, they’ll still be heavily relying on the receivers who are currently on the roster.
“We like our receivers, we do,” DeCosta said recently (via Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun). “We’ve seen growth, we’ve seen our guys mature and develop. … We will add players to the mix. We’re doing that right now, and we’ll look at veteran players as well. It wasn’t really by design that we wanted to create a hole on the team. I don’t look at it that way, but in this business, you pivot, you dodge, you weave — you’re always really going to be chasing a need. Every team in the league would tell you that you’re chasing needs.”
What veterans could Baltimore turn to? The Ravens really haven’t been definitively connected to any free agents, but it’s worth noting that the organization pursued veteran T.Y. Hilton last offseason. The long-time Colts wide receiver remains unsigned. Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., Emmanuel Sanders, and DeSean Jackson are other veteran FA wideouts.