With just a few weeks to go until the NFL trade deadline, the Baltimore Ravens are in an interesting spot.
The Ravens are 4-2 and looking to return to the top of the AFC North. Baltimore has big dreams of reaching the Super Bowl in head coach Jesse Minter’s first season, so they could be aggressive.
The Ravens are more likely to make deadline moves to improve the roster. They may have an opportunity to flip a young talent for a high draft pick if the price is right.
Baltimore Ravens Could Trade a Starter on Offense
FOX Sports writer Steven Ruiz collaborated with other writers to name each team’s top trade candidate. Ruiz named wide receiver Rashod Bateman as the Ravens’ top trade candidate.
“Bateman is off to another slow start in what many expected to be a breakout year for the former first-round pick. The Ravens aren’t flush with receiving options, but Bateman doesn’t look like an essential piece right now. He’s received three or fewer targets in more than half of his games, even with Baltimore’s WR1, Zay Flowers, missing time. First-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle loves his tight ends, so there are fewer snaps to go around. With a younger, cheaper option in Ja’Kobi Lane, Bateman looks expendable. The 26-year-old still has some trade value, so Baltimore can recoup draft capital while saving about $4 million in cap space over the next two seasons.”
The Ravens selected Bateman with a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has caught 16 passes for 233 yards and 1 touchdown this season. For his career, he has 173 receptions for 2,380 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Rashod Bateman is a Popular Trade Candidate for the Ravens
This is just one of several occasions when Bateman was named a trade candidate. ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler also mentioned Bateman as a trade candidate last week.
“Another player I’m keeping an eye on is Baltimore’s Rashod Bateman. Zay Flowers is the dominant wide receiver in the Ravens’ offense, which means Bateman’s production comes and goes. Bateman’s contract is tradable—he is due $6.5 million this year and $8.25 million in 2027—and other teams have had interest in the past. The Ravens are in contention and might not want to move players, but Bateman is at least a name on my list.”
Baltimore will have options as other NFL teams look to add a wide receiver. Flowers and Lane look like the team’s future WR1 and WR2. If the Ravens can at least get a third-round pick for Bateman, they should, so they can start building for the future.
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