Getty Ravens Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed likes the team's newest addition.
While some fans and media pundits are a little skeptical and aren’t exactly jumping for joy over the Baltimore Ravens adding veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson, count Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed among the contingent that is ecstatic and optimistic about the signing that was made official on October 18, 2022.
The franchise legend took to social media to express his excitement via a post from The 33rd Team on Twitter. He believes the Ravens are getting an explosive wide receiver that even at 35 going on 36 in December, still presents a dangerous field-stretching vertical threat.
“I don’t care what (defensive back) you have, he is going to have to have his Lamborghini shoes on that day because DeSean Jackson, he’s a beast,” Reed said when the news broke during his live stream.
He hopes that the former three-time Pro Bowler is and can stay healthy and confident that the team did their “homework and due diligence” in ascertaining that before they signed him.
“I’m sure DeSean is excited, you know, and Lamar is excited because he gets another weapon,” Reed said. “You get somebody on the other side, you get a vet in the locker room, somebody who’s played before, who’s been there, you know.”
First-Hand Experience Going Up Against D-Jax
Reed knows full well the kind of game-changer that Jackson can be with the ball in his hands and how he can gash a defense with his blazing field-flipping speed. He played against him twice earlier in his career and even though Jackson is now on his sixth different team and 15th season in the league, he can still be a potent deep threat.
DeSean Jackson is the newest Ravens wide receiver
He faced Jackson in his rookie year back in 2008 and was part of a dominant defensive effort that held him to just 59 scrimmage yards on six total touches in a 36-7 win in Week 12. Four years during the Ravens’ Superbowl-winning season in 2012, Jackson and the Eagles got the best of them in a 24-23 win in Week 2. The former Eagle caught seven of his eight targets for 114 receiving yards with a long of 49 yards.
Last season in stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders, Jackson averaged over 19 yards per reception and recorded over 220 receiving yards in limited opportunities with both teams according to Pro Football Reference.
Rookie Tight End Cleared to Practice
Jackson isn’t the only new pass catcher that will be hitting the practice field for the first time in the regular season. The team announced that first-year tight end Charlie Kolar was cleared to practice on Tuesday, October 18, 2022.
The fourth-rounder who they selected 128 overall out of Iowa State underwent sports hernia surgery in August that caused him to miss the majority of training camp and the entire preseason. This starts the 21-day clock in which Kolar will need to be moved to the 53-man roster or left on season-ending injured reserve.
At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, once activated, Kolar will provide Jackson with another big target in the passing game that could help them improve their red zone offense which has struggled as of late.
The tight end position is heavily featured in offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s scheme and he would join an already deep depth chart that is highlighted by First-Team All-Pro Mark Andrews and includes, veteran blocking specialist Nick Boyle, a blossoming Josh Oliver, and another talented fourth-round rookie in Isaiah Likely.