Getty Luke WIllson celebrates a score with Seattle in 2017.
The Baltimore Ravens are pondering how to get a bit tougher on the offensive side of the ball, and as a result hosted an intriguing player to potentially add to the mix.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Wednesday, the team is hosting free agent tight end Luke Willson on a tryout visit. Willson, 30, has been in the league since 2013, when he was originally drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks. Since then he has also spent time with the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders.
Willson helped the Seahawks capture Super Bowl XLVIII and was a productive player for the offense for several years. He also brings personality and chemistry to the locker room that is second to none, which could be an added bonus for the Ravens should they decide to sign him.
Luke Willson Stats
Born in Windsor, Canada, Willson started his career in Seattle where he found some immediate success from 2013-2017. He then moved on as a free agent to the Lions in 2018, but spent just one unproductive season there. After being released from Detroit, Willson then moved on to the Raiders for the offseason in 2019 before landing back in Seattle during the year. He was with the Seahawks until the team released him earlier in the month on November 3.
As a whole, Willson has 110 receptions and 1,295 yards to his credit in the league. He hasn’t been as productive since his early years in Seattle, but there is little question a team in need of tight end depth could get something out of him down the stretch as a low-cost free agent. To this end, he could be an intriguing buy for the Ravens.
Luke Willson’s Potential Role Within Ravens Offense
The Ravens had one of the top offenses in the league during the 2019 season, but to say things haven’t played out nearly as well in 2020 would be an understatement. The team has struggled to look as potent at times, and it seems the league overall has a better feel of how to defend quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens themselves have struggled with a lack of big plays from their wideouts, and while tight end Mark Andrews has delivered at tight end, it’s clear the team is missing something there as well. Willson could potentially fill that void for Baltimore down the stretch.
Back near the NFL trade deadline on November 3, rumors persisted that the Ravens were big game hunting on offense, notably at tight end. Philadelphia Eagles star Zach Ertz surfaced as a possible target, but no move there was made. The team ended up adding free agent wideout Dez Bryant to the roster, but did not make a move at tight end. It’s possible a lower cost veteran option like Willson could play a role in Baltimore filling this key void on the current roster.
Should he sign with the Ravens, it would be easy to see Willson playing the H-back role for the team and fitting in well as a blocker.
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