The Ravens have taken their share of criticism for their struggling passing attack.
Several players have now taken to social media to voice their displeasure.
The situation started in the middle of last season when Hollywood Brown complained on social media about his role in the offense. Following a 28-24 loss to the Steelers in Week 8, Brown tweeted “What’s the point of having souljas when you never use them (Never!!).”
Brown later deleted the Tweet, and then went into a midseason slump with several dropped passes. He did manage to finish the season strong and the hope is Brown continues to develop into a No. 1 wide receiver.
Free-agent Willie Snead decided to offer his thoughts on that No. 1 wide receiver status on Twitter. Snead imitated the Ravens were not giving the wideouts enough opportunities to earn that top-tier status in the NFL.
“You give any receiver 100+ targets, if they worth a damn, they’ll be considered a #1 because they have had plenty of ‘opportunities” to show,’ ” Snead wrote.
Brown showed his support by posting the 100 points symbol in agreement in the conversation.
— Hollywood Brown (@Primetime_jet) February 23, 2021
The Ravens ranked last in the NFL averaging 171.2 yards passing per game. Baltimore also attempted the fewest passes in the league with 406.
Brown was the only Ravens wide receiver to get 100 targets in 2020. He finished with 58 receptions for 769 yards with eight touchdowns. Tight end Mark Andrews was second with 88 targets and finished with 58 receptions for 701 yards with seven touchdowns.
Snead was third on the team with 33 receptions on 48 targets for 432 yards with three touchdowns and he is an unrestricted free agent. With a market value of $7.4 million, according to Spotrac. his future in Baltimore is uncertain.
The posts by Snead came shortly after Dez Bryant posted his thoughts on his limited time with the Ravens. Bryant was clearly not happy with his role in the offense after finishing the regular season with six receptions on 11 targets for 47 yards with a pair of touchdowns over six games.
“I will speak on my personal experience…I was in a position where everything was already established,” he wrote on Twitter. “I took advantage of getting myself right. I realized quick Baltimore wasn’t the place for me…no bad blood that’s their way of doing things so you gotta respect it.”
The Ravens want to boost that passing attack this offseason and have several young wide receivers, such as Devin Duvernay and James Proche, that could take the next step in their development. Baltimore also needs to add depth to the offensive line and an outside linebacker/edge rusher, which could hinder adding a veteran wide receiver in the free-agent market.
The Ravens have been linked to several wide receivers in the first round of this year’s draft, most notably with Terrace Marshall (LSU), Rashod Bateman (Minnesota) and Rondale Moore (Purdue).
Baltimore has taken criticism over the years for not developing wide receivers. DeCosta is looking to change that image. Brown has shown flashes of becoming a big-time playmaker, he just needs to be more consistent. Duvernay and Proche also have a huge upside, and Miles Boykin had good hands in limited opportunities last season.
Don’t expect the Ravens to respond to the comments by Snead and Bryant. It’s a distraction the team doesn’t need.
The Ravens’ front office and coaches fully understand they need more production from the passing attack.
They’ll look to quiet their critics with the performance on the field.
