It’s no secret the Baltimore Ravens still need to add a proven wide receiver this offseason. Going into the new campaign with what they have is an unnecessary risk, especially during a potential contract year for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The face of the franchise needs an established veteran able to work defenses on the outside. Not the cadre of inexperienced and unproven options he has now.
Unfortunately for Jackson, the Ravens continued sluggish approach to this problem could cost them the chance to sign a free agent many believe is an ideal fit. This former first-round pick is a legitimate deep threat who has frequently been tipped to eventually sign with the Ravens, but now he’s being “monitored” by “multiple NFL teams.”
Familiar Target May Elude the Ravens
Will Fuller has been biding his time on the open market, but his days as a free agent could be coming to an end based on the crowd of interested suitors keeping an eye on him. Fuller is the subject of careful consideration from more than one franchise, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson:
Veteran free agent wide receiver Will Fuller is being monitored by multiple NFL teams, per league sources, but is regarded as more likely to join a team later in preseason.
Neither the Ravens, nor any other team for that matter, were mentioned in Wilson’s tweet, although Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic’s Ravens beat reporter, did retweet the update on Fuller:
@ravenwizardd @AaronWilson_NFL I retweeted it more because he’s a guy I’m constantly asked about and Aaron’s tweet was the first I’ve update I’ve read about him in a while.
It’s hardly a surprise Zrebiec is “constantly asked” about Fuller. You’d be hard-pressed to find any list of the best remaining free agents and their most logical fits and not read Fuller being tipped for the Ravens.
On Friday, July 29, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine put the Ravens among a trio of teams, including AFC rivals the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts, who represent the best fits for Fuller.
Back on July 18, Ballentine’s colleague, Kristopher Knox, also described the Ravens as a logical fit for Fuller: “The Baltimore Ravens have one of the league’s most underwhelming wide receiving corps and traded away speedster Marquise Brown during the draft. Fuller could step right in as Lamar Jackson’s new deep threat on the perimeter.”
Going back to June 29, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus paired Fuller with the Ravens in his look at “one trade or free agent acquisition for all 32 NFL teams before 2022 training camp.”
Turning the clock back to May 19, Around the NFL’s Marc Sessler offered Fuller’s name as a solution to the Ravens’ biggest offseason priority. Namely, adding a known quantity to the wide receiver room.
Like Knox, Sessler identified Fuller’s value as a deep threat. Specifically, as somebody capable of replacing Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, the speedster who was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on draft day: “How about adding Will Fuller to the mix to recapture some of Brown’s deep-threat speed?”
Fuller’s ability to stretch the field is a common theme when analysing his game. It’s the one thing he’s done consistently since entering the league as the 21st-overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2016.
His best season came in 2020, when Fuller caught 53 passes for 879 yards, eight touchdowns and an average of 16.6 yards per reception. Those were all career-high marks, and Fuller routinely tormented defenses vertically that season, a trend highlighted by Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders:
Every Will Fuller deep ball from the first six weeks of the season.
The Ravens have room for those skills, even if there’s growing confidence about the young receivers already on the roster.
Unproven WRs Being Given Every Chance to Shine
Fuller appeared on his way to stardom in 2020, but it’s all been downhill since, following an ill-fated move to the Miami Dolphins a year ago. Injuries kept Fuller out of all but two games, with the 28-year-old suffering chest and elbow problems, before a broken finger landed him on IR, per Draft Sharks.
A lengthy injury history is likely why, as Wilson pointed out, Fuller may have to wait until ‘”later in preseason” to find a new home. A track record that shows Fuller has never completed a full season in the pros is also why the Ravens could avoid him completely, especially if one of their younger receivers dominates at camp.
An unproven group is being given every chance to shine, with second-year man Rashod Bateman leading the way. His catch of a deep ball thrown by Jackson is one of the highlights of camp so far:
🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇
Bateman, a first-round pick in 2021, is leading a contingent of wideouts short on experience. Along with Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace have six seasons playing time between them.
It means there’s an obvious spot for a veteran like Fuller, provided the Ravens can trust him to finally stay healthy.
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‘Multiple NFL Teams’ Watching WR Heavily Linked With Ravens