Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta hoped this might be the offseason in which he didn’t receive the same questions about wide receiver, the position that’s been the Achilles’ heel of the franchise for most of its existence.
But the predictable query about free agent Antonio Brown came only minutes into DeCosta’s press conference last Friday. After all, quarterback Lamar Jackson had seemingly provided his latest endorsement to the idea of Baltimore signing the seven-time Pro Bowl selection after Brown’s appeals on social media to become a Raven last month. DeCosta’s answer not only shot down the ill-conceived notion that the Ravens could make it work with the troubled wideout who’s burned bridges everywhere he’s been — including two different spots where Tom Brady vouched for him — but it revealed the executive’s outlook at a position in which substantial draft resources have been invested since he succeeded Ozzie Newsome as general manager in 2019.
“With regards to other players, what I can say is that I’m very comfortable where we are at the receiver position,” DeCosta said. “I think people saw last year a lot of growth at that position. We had a nice mix of younger players who continued to improve throughout the year. We’ll look at ways of augmenting that position group, but I would not expect any significant additions at this time.
“That can always change, but at this time, I think we’re very comfortable with where we are with that group.”
Adding tight end Mark Andrews to the discussion makes it a perfectly fair position with the 2021 All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection setting new single-season franchise records with 107 catches and 1,361 receiving yards in the expanded 17-game schedule. Meanwhile, Marquise Brown — the younger cousin of Antonio Brown — became just the second wide receiver drafted by the Ravens to register a 1,000-yard season as he finished with 91 catches for 1,008 yards, both career highs for the 2019 first-round pick. And despite the start of his rookie season being delayed by a groin injury and the end coming as Jackson was sidelined with an ankle injury, 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman flashed promise with 46 catches for 515 yards and a touchdown in 12 games — only seven in which Jackson played.
The Ravens will continue to develop Pro Bowl return specialist and 2020 third-round pick Devin Duvernay, 2020 sixth-round pick James Proche, and 2021 fourth-round pick Tylan Wallace at the position — 2019 third-round pick Miles Boykin could be the odd man out with a $2.54 million salary for 2022 — and could still add a complementary veteran to replace free agent Sammy Watkins, but DeCosta removed any doubt about exercising Brown’s fifth-year option for 2023, which is currently projected to be just under $13 million. That decision had been debated after Brown failed to surpass 55 receiving yards in any of his final eight games of the season, but the speedy 5-foot-9 receiver caught 65 passes for 825 yards and six touchdowns in the 11 full games he played with Jackson in 2021, reflecting his chemistry with the star quarterback and how his production slipped with backup Tyler Huntley under center.
Brown’s 195 catches, 2,361 receiving yards, and 21 touchdowns easily eclipse what former first-round receivers Travis Taylor (2000), Mark Clayton (2005), and Breshad Perriman (2015) produced over their first three seasons with Baltimore. And he was hardly satisfied with the disappointing finish to his 2021 campaign, even describing it as a “weak” 1,000 yards the day after the conclusion of the Ravens’ 8-9 season
“He’s a great person. He plays the game the right way,” said DeCosta about the 24-year-old who became his first first-round pick as general manager. “I think he’s got a high care factor, and I still think — I still believe — there’s a lot of upside there, and I think he would say the same thing. He hasn’t played his best football, and I would say that about most of our guys. That’s why I’m excited because I think we’re going to get that this year.”
Of course, picking up Brown’s fifth-year option hardly means a long-term contract is a given. It was just two years ago that the Ravens placed a $16.8 million franchise tag on Pro Bowl outside linebacker Matthew Judon before ultimately letting him leave as a free agent the following offseason.
While Andrews figures to remain Jackson’s true No. 1 receiver, keeping Brown through at least 2023 gives the Ravens additional time to develop Bateman and their other young receivers while seeing if the University of Oklahoma product still finds another level after his career 2021 campaign. His projected $12.9 million salary for 2023 would rank 16th in 2022 cash spent for a wide receiver, according to OverTheCap.com.
At the very least, keeping a productive wide receiver for an additional season shouldn’t be all that prohibitive to the future. And regardless of whether Brown blossoms any further, the organization drafting a wide receiver warranting this discussion is progress in and of itself.
“If you look at receivers and what they’re making now, it looks like a bargain,” DeCosta said. “He’s just a nice piece, and honestly, if we didn’t bring him back, we’d be trying to find another receiver.”
The Ravens know all too well how that story goes.
