OTL: Do the Ravens Need More at WR?

Over the weekend, news broke that Nelson Agholor inked a one-year extension, and our skipper touched on it in yesterday’s Out to Lunch piece.

Oh Nelly!

An interesting conversation emerged among Ravens pundits and fans following the news of Nelly’s extension, and I wanted to explore it here: do the Ravens have enough at wide receiver?

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the Ravens WR core is average. They need plenty of help

— Cordell Woodland (@CordellWoodland) February 19, 2024

I know a lot of people say Baltimore has a need for another receiver outside the organization but I don’t see it 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Samuel Njoku (@RavensTalkPod) February 18, 2024

Illustrated above is the dichotomy we’ve seen for the last 48 hours or so. On one hand, there’s the acknowledgement that the reunion between Nelly and the Ravens is mutually beneficial and likely inexpensive (as of the writing of this article, we still don’t know the final number yet). On the other hand, questions still surround this group, and they go beyond who will be on the roster and available next season.

From the outset of Agholor’s time in Baltimore, there was always an understanding that he would be a part of the bigger picture, not the guy brought in with the hopes of carrying the weight  the offense. The additions of Zay Flowers and OBJ meant that Nelly could focus on being a guy rather than the guy, which was a challenge that plagued him at times on his previous teams. More than that, though, the way that Baltimore’s offense is known to operate really took the pressure off.

My guy @All_22_NFL_Cuts was the first to point out Nelly’s slot value when they signed him. But because he is so versatile, it’s a huge benefit, as Mink outlined.

You’re also less predictable on offense when your WRs can line up at all WR spots. #Ravens #RavensFlock https://t.co/lZ13snXdEP

— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) February 19, 2024

With Zay being the center of attention for opposing secondaries and the team’s receiving leader in 2023, Agholor could focus on being a safety valve later in Lamar Jackson’s progressions, and a viable option as a red zone threat. In an offense that saw only 13 touchdowns thrown to their wideouts, having your third or fourth receiving option account for four of those is good bang for your buck. Easing the burden even more were the 12 receiving touchdowns among tight ends, a figure that may have been even higher without Mark Andrews’ lengthy absence.

That’s what Baltimore’s passing offense was designed to be: efficient. It was never going to be about high-flying, fast-paced receiving play that you see elsewhere around the league, because the run was their primary asset. Despite Baltimore being tied for 30^th in the league in passing attempts, they still ended up 21^st in receiving yardage and tied for 12^th in receiving touchdowns. Notably, they also finished with only seven interceptions, the lowest in the NFL. That efficient clip meant that the team’s season passer rating was third in the league, trailing only the 49ers and Cowboys. Combine that with an offense that finished first overall in rushing yardage and fourth in rushing touchdowns, and you get the impression that the coaching staff is likely pretty happy with the weaponry in-house.

That said, with OBJ being a possible cut candidate and Zay Flowers’ off-field situation uncertain, it wouldn’t hurt to look at other options. Even if the Ravens choose to reboot most of their current unit, this draft class is loaded at receiver and could hold some options for the future.

Marvin Harrison Jr

Strength: Almost everything
Weakness: YAC https://t.co/Gs9iuWGi1Y

— PFF (@PFF) February 19, 2024

If you delve into that article, do yourself a favor and scroll about halfway down to start. Guys like Harrison Jr. and Odunze are completely out of reach for Baltimore, but if the right value is there at pick #30, the Ravens could use the pick to get younger (and cheaper) after 2024. With veteran deals only kicking the can down the road for another season and Rashod Bateman’s fifth-year option still a question mark, maybe the best player available becomes a long-term running partner for Lamar. Still, with the current roster’s construction and needs in the trenches, my hunch is that the early picks go toward the O-line.

With questions remaining at the position for 2024 and beyond, only time will tell who fills the spots in the receiver room, and whether those pieces signal a greater reliance on the aerial attack.