The Baltimore Ravens can’t afford to keep all the good players on their roster, and reports surrounding the team suggest they could trade tight end Mark Andrews during the 2025 NFL Draft. A third-round pick in 2018, the Oklahoma product became one of the league’s more reliable receiving options over the past seven years. While he had an abysmal performance in last year’s Divisional Round loss to the Buffalo Bills, he had a strong overall season. Appearing in 17 games, the veteran recorded 44 receptions for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, as Andrews enters the final year of his contract with a staggering $16.9 million cap hit. Baltimore can save $11 million with a trade and they have a capable starter in Isaiah Likely waiting in the wings. Nobody should be surprised if the team decides to trade Mark Andrews, and Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton believes the Carolina Panthers are a perfect fit for his services.
The Carolina Panthers cannot fill all their needs in the draft, and they have plenty of holes heading into the selection process. The front foffice should consider flipping one of its 2025 fourth-round picks for Mark Andrews, who can be a safety blanket for quarterback Bryce Young.
Bleacher Report Proposes Mark Andrews Trade Between Panthers, Ravens
On paper, this makes all the sense in the world. As mentioned above, the Baltimore Ravens might not have a future for Mark Andrews, and earning a fourth-round pick in this trade would be good business. Baltimore is one of the best in the league at finding mid- to late-round talent, so perhaps they can select a solid role player as they pursue another Lombardi Trophy.
Isaiah Likely probably won’t match the production of Mark Andrews at his peak, but he won’t have to. The Ravens have a deep group of wide receivers headlined by Pro Bowler Zay Flowers and former first-round pick Rashod Bateman, along with a ferocious ground attack powered by Derrick Henry. Likely is more than capable of being the second or third option in this passing attack and should increase production with a larger role.
Helping Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers had one of the youngest offenses in football last year, as second-year quarterback Bryce Young spent most of the 2024 season targeting rookie wide receivers Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, along with first-year tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. While all three had their moments, nobody established themselves as the undoubted future of this passing attack.
Put simply, the Panthers need a security blanket in the worst way. Veteran Adam Thielen will return for one more season, but he showed signs of slowing down last year and is well past his prime. Mark Andrews may be closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but he can still make plays. Seeing as he’s in the final year of his deal, Andrews can be a security blanket for the resurgent Young while helping Sanders grow into an effective starter down the road.
Main Photo: Gregory Fisher – Imagn Images
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