The Ravens needs to be on the lookout for a large receiver who has as a lot title recognition as manufacturing.
One of the main candidates seems to be free-agent veteran Jarvis Landry, whose ability set is similar to second-year Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman. The greatest distinction is that Landry has been within the NFL since 2014 and has 688 profession receptions for 7,598 yards. Bateman had 46 catches for 515 yards a yr in the past.
Other than that, they’re the identical sort of participant. After the Ravens traded speedy extensive receiver Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals almost two weeks in the past on the primary evening of the NFL draft, they knew they needed to discover somebody who may draw the eye of defensive coordinators once they targeted on tight finish Mark Andrews.
Landry can be the best repair.
There are different outstanding free-agent receivers nonetheless obtainable corresponding to Odell Beckham Jr., Will Fuller V and Julio Jones, however they aren’t good suits due to the Ravens’ run-dominant offense. We’ve seen this earlier than, final yr to be precise, when JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton declined to come back to Baltimore and the Ravens as a substitute signed Sammy Watkins.
Brown left little question he was sad with the passing offense beneath coordinator Greg Roman, so the Ravens had been pressured to hit the open market and hopefully signal a veteran who can even educate a younger receiving corps.
Enter Landry.
He’ll flip 30 in November however he was an annual Pro Bowl choice from 2015 to 2019 with the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. He is sound and has made some clutch catches in key conditions, particularly in opposition to the Ravens. At 5 toes 11 and 196 kilos, he’s capable of play the slot or the surface, which makes him a main goal for brief to mid-range passes. He can even block, which he did lots of in Cleveland for star operating again Nick Chubb.
Doesn’t he sound like Bateman?
The 2021 first-round decide isn’t going to blow anybody away along with his pace, however he can go deep often. Bateman may be the possession receiver on third down; at 6-1 and 193 kilos, he can put his physique between a defender and the ball like former Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin. If Bateman had been older and extra confirmed, there wouldn’t be a necessity for Landry, however the 22-year-old isn’t that far alongside in his improvement but.
Besides Andrews, the Ravens don’t have some other confirmed receivers. Devin Duvernay appears succesful and has excellent pace, however he solely has 53 catches for 473 yards throughout his two-year profession. James Proche II is hard and can sooner or later show his value within the slot when he strikes on to a extra extremely refined offense, however he has performed sparingly in two years. Tylan Wallace is just getting into his second yr and undoubtedly not prepared for a beginning spot or sharing that position.
Ideally, the Ravens want a pace man. Brown wasn’t powerful and had issues with hand placement that led to hassle catching the ball, however opposing groups at all times needed to respect his pace. He wasn’t within the class of former Kansas City Chiefs and present Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, however he introduced comparable challenges.
The Ravens might need that pace in Duvernay, however they don’t have an offense coordinator who can capitalize on it. The Ravens drafted two tight ends within the fourth spherical in Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, which is a sign they plan on going again to the 2 tight-end offense. That was when quarterback Lamar Jackson was at his finest throwing in the course of the sector throughout his 2019 Most Valuable Player season.
When groups attempt to take that away, the Ravens can counter with Landry. He solely had 52 catches for 570 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns whereas battling accidents final season, however there are not any indications he can’t recuperate. At his age, he’s most likely on the lookout for yet another massive contract for a few yr or two, and that matches the Ravens’ “right player, right price” strategy.
And he comes with title recognition, which the Ravens desperately want.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com