The Baltimore Ravens had a solid season in 2019, and things could have been even better had their offense exploded in the playoffs.
One player which gives the team hope to have that happen more consistently in the future is wideout Marquise Brown. After being drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Brown played an important role for the Ravens, albeit not as huge of one as he could have.
There’s a reason for that and it has everything to do with the injury Brown was still recovering from when he joined the team. Recently, a piece at ESPN by Jamison Hensley explained everything that Brown was dealing with, and it’s clear he wasn’t exactly completely healthy much of last year.
Here’s what was written:
“Team officials acknowledged their top deep threat hadn’t fully healed from his foot surgery from a year ago and his contributions were missing in several games. The expectation is Brown will become faster and more impactful in his second season, which can boost the weakest area in Lamar Jackson’s game.
Brown showed flashes of being a dangerous playmaker on the outside, tying a Ravens rookie record with seven touchdown catches this season and posting the fifth-fastest average maximum speed by an NFL wide receiver. In the 28-12 playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans, Brown totaled 126 yards receiving on seven catches, including a spectacular one-handed grab for 38 yards.
It was uncertain how much he would contribute in his first season after he had surgery in January 2019 to repair a fracture in the middle of his foot. That caused him to fall to the No. 25 overall pick in the draft and forced him to miss all of the offseason spring workouts as well as all of the team drills in the first two weeks of training camp.”
With this in mind, it’s amazing to think that Brown could only be expected to get better in 2020, and be able to really get his career going.
The fact he played through pain and excelled only seems to indicate bigger and better things being on the horizon for him in the future. For this reason, keep Brown in mind as a breakout player for 2020.
Marquise Brown Rookie Stats
Even though Brown might not have had the best numbers to start his career, it’s clear the rookie was no slouch in his first season in the league. Even though he endured an up and down campaign, Brown still put together 7 touchdowns and 584 yards, which were great numbers for the wide receiver.
Brown could be expected to do even better this season, and prove why he is a major weapon the Ravens can count on for the future and their offense. That’s especially true given his speed and big play ability.
Ravens Young Roster Offers Hope
Even in spite of some playoff shortcomings, the Ravens are still set up well to perform next season and beyond. A great tweet from Kevin Oestreicher shows that the reason for that has everything to do with age.
The core of Baltimore’s roster remains intact, and will be in their prime for a long time considering everyone’s age. That’s true considering Brown as well.
Age for some key players on the Ravens:
Marquise Brown: 22
Lamar Jackson: 23
Marlon Humphrey: 23
Orlando Brown Jr: 23
Mark Andrews: 24
Chuck Clark: 24
Gus Edwards: 24
Ronnie Stanley: 25
Marcus Peters: 27
The future is bright in Baltimore😈
With this considered, it doesn’t seem wise to think that the Ravens are going to go anywhere as a team that’s a league force. They’ve got a bevy of skill position players and guys at key spots who are young and ready to take the next steps in their career.
In fact, this season’s 14-2 record might only be looked at as the beginning when all is said and done with this in mind.
If that’s the case, count on Brown being a big reason why.
READ NEXT: Lamar Jackson Given Top NFL Award For 2019
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Marquise Brown Could Be Primed To Break Out For Ravens In 2020