Getty The Ravens add a Pro-Bowl WR from the Seahawks in this bold trade scenario.
A n elite wide receiver is still conspicuous by his absence from the Baltimore Ravens’ roster. The team was unable to find one during the 2022 NFL draft and will be reluctant to overpay in the free-agent market.
One possible solution would be a trade to acquire a proven pass-catcher. There could be trade possibilities if the Ravens inquire about the availability of two playmakers plying their respective trades in the NFC West.
While the Ravens are lacking big-time talent at the position, the Seattle Seahawks are blessed with two 1,000-yard wide receivers. Both have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but one writer has chosen the ideal target for the Ravens.
ALL the latest Ravens news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Ravens newsletter here!
All-Pro Makes Sense as Trade Option for Seahawks, Ravens
There aren’t many teams around the league who wouldn’t welcome DK Metcalf with open arms. The 2020 Pro-Bowler is a physical target at 6’4″, 235 pounds. He’s also prolific, having caught 12 touchdowns in 2021.
Yet for all his brilliance, Metcalf isn’t the Seahawks’ wideout the Ravens should go after. Not according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who believes a deal for Tyler Lockett makes more sense for all parties.
Specifically, Ballentine thinks the Seahawks “getting rid of a cornerstone player in his prime doesn’t make sense. Dealing a wide receiver who is entering his age-30 season after spending most of his career on winning teams actually makes more sense.”
Parting company with Lockett would make signing Metcalf to a long-term deal an easier prospect, per Ballentine: “As the Seahawks look to the future and try to free up future cash to pay Metcalf, it’s worth seeing if they can trade Lockett. By doing so, they would save $9.7 million against the cap in 2023 while spreading out his guaranteed money over the next four years, per Over the Cap.”
There’s a lot to like about this idea, particularly getting a productive veteran to catch passes from Lamar Jackson. The quarterback is currently set to enter this season preparing to throw to an inexperienced group of receivers.
Rashod Bateman is coming off an injury hit rookie year, while Devin Duvernay, James Proche II and Tylan Wallace have a combined five seasons of experience between them.
Lockett, by contrast, is 29 and has earned All-Pro and Pro-Bowl honors. He’s also recorded three 1,000-yard seasons out of seven.
Those numbers have all been posted in the last three years, proof Lockett is in his prime. He’s a veteran, but Lockett can still stretch the field, the way he did against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 last season:
.@TDLockett12 is unstoppable.
Touchdown number ✌️ of the day!
Lockett’s enduring talent as a field-stretcher was summed up by his average of 16.1 yards per reception in 2021, the second-highest mark of his career. The Ravens should appreciate that quality, particularly Jackson.
He lost one of his favorite targets when general manager Eric DeCosta traded Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick during the draft. Brown was a steady source of big plays last season, making 15 catches for 20 yards or more, including three of 40-plus.
Aside from going long, Lockett remains adept at working the middle of the field. He was especially useful on crossing patterns during the 2020 season, per Next Gen Stats:
On 4th & goal, Russell Wilson finds Tyler Lockett on a crossing route for the #Seahawks go-ahead touchdown.
Lockett on crossing routes this season:
➤ 32 rec (8 more than next closest)
➤ 342 yards (60 more than next closest)
➤ 3 TD (T-5th)
Lockett’s nouse between the numbers is another trait the Ravens should covet, because Jackson still likes to throw between the hashmarks. He’ll be more effective if he has somebody to aim for there other than All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews.
Putting a deal together for Lockett is in the Ravens’ interests, and it would also be cheaper than landing Metcalf.
Metcalf Would Likely Fetch More in Trade
He’s become a star in just three seasons, so 25-year-old Metcalf would likely command more in trade than Lockett. Most rumors regarding Metcalf involve a first-round pick, like the potential scenario involving the New York Jets, reported by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline before the draft: “A league executive confirmed this to me on Sunday and also said if Douglas could pry DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks with the 10th pick, he would make that move.”
Lockett was also part of the trade speculation in March, per Jack Settleman of Snapback Sports, who reported the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs made inquiries.
It might be cheaper for teams to deal for Lockett, despite him signing a contract worth $69.2 million before last season. The Ravens would have to take some of Lockett’s money on board, but it wouldn’t be as much as trying to pay Metcalf after this season.
Metcalf will enter the fifth year of his rookie deal following 2022. It means he’ll be in line for a bumper payday, especially given how the receiver market has been inflated by the lucrative contracts given to Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and A.J. Brown this offseason.
Former Packers’ receiver James Jones told Mike Garafolo of NFL Total Access “DK Metcalf is going to be the highest-paid receiver in the National Football League whether we like it or not…Strictly because he’s the next one.”
.@89JonesNTAF thinks @dkm14 is about to get PAID 💰
“He will be the highest paid receiver in football”
The Ravens won’t want to be paying out richest-in-the-league money. Better to take on the manageable portions of Lockett’s contract, particularly if the cost of a trade is something less than a first-round pick next year.