A playoff berth is looming on the horizon for the Baltimore Ravens, thanks to back-to-back ugly wins over the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers. Both victories were secured without injured starting quarterback Lamar Jackson, but the Ravens’ passing game had hit the wall even before the face of the franchise strained his PCL against the Broncos.
The reasons behind the Ravens’ struggles through the air are obvious. Specifically, this team lacks enough legitimate deep threats who can amass yards in big chunks on the outside.
It’s a problem general manager Eric DeCosta can solve by signing one of the best free agents remaining on the market. He’s a pass-catcher with the proven “downfield ability” the Ravens need.
1st-Round Pick Would Help Ravens ‘Right Away’
Odell Beckham Jr. is the marquee wide receiver still available, but Will Fuller V isn’t too far behind. The first-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2016 NFL draft is a good fit for the Ravens, according to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
He believes the Ravens need Fuller because “Baltimore traded former top wideout Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals during draft weekend, and it has struggled to replace him on the perimeter.”
Fuller would represent a risk because “injuries have long been an issue for the Notre Dame product—he has missed 42 games in six seasons—but his downfield ability is undeniable.”
That last note sums up what’s missing in the Ravens’ pedestrian air attack. The Ravens have accumulated just 2,533 passing yards, the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Baltimore’s 6.7 yards per attempt is the sixth-fewest in football, while a mere four pass plays covering 40 yards or more proves this offense struggles getting vertical.
Fuller could help, provided he’s healthy. His career average of 14.7 yards per catch is ample proof of the “downfield ability” Knox referenced. So is Fuller’s track record of making a grab of at least 53 or more yards in all but one of his six seasons in the pros.
He last showcased the kind of breakaway speed the Ravens lack as a member of the Texans in 2020. Fuller’s signature highlight was this 77-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars:
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A thumb injury cut his stint with the Miami Dolphins short after just two games, but as Knox noted, “Fuller, who suffered his injury in Week 4 of last season, should be ready to play right away.”
That immediate availability would be big for the Ravens, who could equip a returning Jackson with a true deep threat in time for the postseason.
Yet, as simple as it looks on paper, signing Fuller may not be the quick fix the Ravens need on offense. Not if the problem is more about scheme than personnel.
Ravens Already Wasting Speedsters
It’s not as if offensive coordinator Greg Roman doesn’t already have some genuine speedsters within his wide receiver corps. DeSean Jackson has been torching defenses for 15 years, and the 36-year-old has already shown the Ravens he can still stretch the field:
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Then there’s Demarcus Robinson, a former member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ “Legion of Zoom” big-play specialists. He’s been on an upward trend of sorts in recent weeks, making 22 catches over his last four games.
The Ravens have weapons capable of producing splash plays on the outside. They just have to target those players more often.
Part of the problem is Roman loves a run-heavy, ground-and-pound offense. It means passing is second on his list of priorities, with safe, high-percentage throws usually aimed into the short and middle zones.
Passing like this doesn’t ideally fit Jackson and Robinson, nor would it fit Fuller. The latter is worth a short-term deal to see if he can stay healthy and make some big gains in the playoffs.
Yet it won’t matter how many veteran pass-catchers the Ravens sign if there isn’t a shift toward a more daring and expansive philosophy.
Ravens Urged to Add Free Agent With ‘Downfield Ability’