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Nearly a month and a half after hearing his name called at No. 22 overall on the first night of the NFL draft, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers agreed to terms on his rookie contract and signed on the dotted line June 14, the team announced.
With his signing, the team now has its entire six-man 2023 draft class under contract, with linebacker Trenton Simpson, edge defender Tavius Robinson, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and offensive guard Andrew Vorhees being the five others.
Flowers’ deal is four years and $14 million fully guaranteed with a bonus of $7.2 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted, citing Flowers’ agents, Eric Dounn and Matt Leist of Loyalty Above All Sports and Entertainment Agency.
Flowers is the third wide receiver general manager Eric DeCosta has selected in the first round in the last five years and the third notable receiver addition this offseason alone. He has the potential to be an immediate difference-maker in a revamped unit that also features Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr.
Both Flowers and first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken believe that his dynamic playmaking skillset makes him an ideal fit in the Ravens’ new-look offense. He can also contribute on special teams as a returner.
During his college career, Flowers rewrote the Boston College record books by setting a new career record for receiving yards (3,056), receptions (200), and touchdown catches (29). His best year was his last, when he recorded career highs across the board: 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Standouts From First 2 Days of Minicamp, Per Reports
According to reports from mandatory minicamp, some of the notable standouts have been Agholor, veteran cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, former undrafted defensive back Ar’Darius Washington, second-year outside linebacker David Ojabo and rising sophomore tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.
Agholor, the Ravens’ first free agent signing, continued to turn heads with impressive plays, including getting behind Ya-Sin for a touchdown deep down the field.
Ya-Sin had one of his best days in coverage, per multiple reports. He was tested early and often but gave up only a few completions after dropping an interception a day earlier, the reports say.
Washington has had a strong couple of days to open minicamp, including picking off a pass from quarterback Josh Johnson and breaking up multiple passes. He is fighting for the starting role that Kyle Hamilton vacated upon transitioning to safety full time.
Kolar and Likely have generated buzz and excitement with leaping downfield grabs.
“I’m excited to work with them,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said on June 14, 2023. “We still haven’t put the pads on yet, but from what I’ve seen, with adding the wide receivers that we have and the tight ends that have been here, it’s an exciting time.”
Another second year player who has consistently flashed is outside linebacker David Ojabo. He has been a consistent menance for the Ravens offensive tackles coming off the edge, per several reports, including The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.
Last year’s second-round pick was limited to just three games as rookie due to a torn Achilles. Now that he is fully healthy, Ojabo is primed for a breakout season.
Lamar Jackson Clarifies Realistic Goals For 2023
The Ravens’ franchise quarterback made headlines early in the offseason when he said he wanted to throw for 6,000 yards. When asked on June 14 whether he had a more realistic statistical goal in mind, he said the national media blew his original statement “out of proportion” by taking it to seriously.
“My goal is to win the Super Bowl,” he said. “My goal is never about yards or anything like that. I know our guys, they want the ball in their hands to make plays. And I feel like we have the guys to do it, so that’s all I was saying. I feel like we could throw for 6,000 yards, but that’s probably unrealistic. But, we’ll see.”
Jackson praised Monken’s offensive system.
“The sky [is] the limit with this offense,” he said. “We’re going to see.”
Jackson also discussed playing with his cousin, Ravens cornerback Trayvon Mullen.
“We always played against each other [in] youth football, high school, college and stuff like that,” Jackson said. “Now we’re finally on the same team and we’re like, ‘That will be dope if we make it to the Super Bowl and win it’. So, that’s our goal.”
Mullen was a second pick out of Clemson in the 2019 draft by the Las Vegas Raiders and has bounced between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys a little bit the last year before landing in Baltimore.
He is currently battling with a the rest of the Ravens young and relatively unproven depth at the position for a spot on the roster and potentially a key backup role. Making the team will be the fifth-year veteran’s first priority before he can start having Champagne dreams.
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