Getty Sammy Watkins on the field before the Super Bowl.
The Baltimore Ravens are getting ready to attack free agency as well as the 2021 offseason and decisions will soon be made on what the team needs to do moving forward in order to give themselves a chance at success on the field of play.
Most everybody sees wide receiver as the biggest need of the team, and that fact continues to permeate the media world on the onset of the new league year, from fans right up to the top league insiders like Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and the NFL Network.
While joining The Lounge, a Ravens podcast from BaltimoreRavens.com, Rapoport was asked about the wideout class, and as he said, he doesn’t foresee a big ticket item being prioritized by Baltimore simply because so few of them could exist on the market when all is said and done.
He said:
“I’m just not sure any of them are going to be free. Allen Robinson could be out there, they’d have to tag him a second time. Be a lot of money but obviously he’d be worth it. (Kenny) Golladay is probably getting tagged. (Chris) Godwin is probably getting tagged. Those guys will either get tagged or get a new deal. I think this year especially with the franchise tags, how many key, big time receivers are going to be available? I’m not sure that many.”
The class might not be all that deep for the Ravens when all is said and done, but the good news is that plenty of options do still exist for the team to consider strongly.
Ian Rapoport Thinks Sammy Watkins Could Fit Ravens
In terms of a player who could be available that the Ravens could look to nab, Rapoport was open in saying that he thinks Kansas City Chiefs’ wideout Sammy Watkins could be a potential target that would make a ton of sense for the team this offseason both in terms of cost and production.
Rapoport explained:
“Sammy Watkins would be an interesting one. He’s battled injury concerns but when he’s been healthy he’s been productive. That would be one off the top of my head. I think what you’re going to get is not second-tier, but kind of the 1B of receivers. You can get some really good value there. You can hit on those guys, you just have to spend on it the right way.”
Watkins is a long way from the player that once went safely within the top 5 of the NFL Draft, but he’s put up some solid numbers since joining the Chiefs. Watkins has put up 1,613 yards and 8 touchdowns in three seasons, and has never lacked for production in his career given his 33 total touchdowns. That’s the kind of production the Ravens could use.
Free Agency Needs for Ravens
Would the Ravens want to make a move for a top wideout on the market? It’s very possible. The Ravens are going to have no shortage of needs in terms of free agency. In addition to the defense to account for losses elsewhere, the team could look to grab pieces for the offense, especially at wide receiver.
The good news is if a big wideout is the team’s top need, that can be found on the market with ease this year. Kenny Golladay and Allen Robinson aren’t the only two big names at wideout this offseason who might be lured by the team. If those players are snapped up elsewhere or tagged, there are multiple other free agent options the Ravens could look into such as A.J. Green of the Bengals, Marvin Jones of the Lions, Sammy Watkins of the Chiefs, T.Y. Hilton of the Colts, Corey Davis of the Titans and Will Fuller of the Texans. Any of those players could give the Ravens some of their down field punch the offense has been lacking, and most of those guys minus Green are currently in their prime in their late 20s or early 30s.
The draft also figures to be deep with pass catchers, so the Ravens could find a big target there if they so choose. Free agency, though, would likely be the best way for the team to add someone to the mix who could stretch the field and do damage on a defense. Baltimore is estimated to have just over $23 million in cap space, so they could possibly make some bigger additions happen.
A moderately priced option like Watkins could be just what the doctor ordered for the Ravens, and it’s something that could happen according to Rapoport.
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