Various thoughts on various things, all in 50 words or less:
We don't know the Ravens' level of interest in Jarvis Landry. We do know he chose to join the Saints on a one-year deal worth up to a reported $6 million. As I wrote last week, I thought it would have been a good match. Alas, the Ravens move on.
This adds to the narrative that veteran wide receivers don't want to #CometotheRavens, following JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton. Each instance has its own story (it's a homecoming for Landry). The Ravens only want players who want the Ravens. If it's not a match, so be it.
Wide receivers want big stats. Big stats lead to big money and wide receivers are getting very big money these days. So it's not surprising that Hollywood Brown wanted a more pass-centric offense, and it's not surprising that some wide receivers may say 'nah'. It is what it is.
There are still some big names out there, such as Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, Will Fuller and Hilton. Landry seemed like the best fit. But don't rule out a trade. The Ravens reportedly brought up Jalen Reagor's name with the Eagles, per Adam Caplan. Eric DeCosta loves wheeling and dealing.
With all that said, maybe the Ravens opt to stand pat with what they have at wide receiver and use their salary-cap space to strengthen their pass rush and cornerback group. DeCosta said he's "excited" about the team's young wideouts of Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace.
No Landry, but it still feels like the Ravens have another move up their sleeve. ESPN's Field Yates reported the Ravens and Nick Boyle reworked his contract, creating about $2.5 million in cap space. That's added to about $6 million they previously had. How many needs can they check off?
While the Ravens drafted two cornerbacks in the fourth round with Jalyn Armour-Davis and Pepe Williams, I'd argue that's probably the spot that needs a veteran most. Recently released Pro Bowler James Bradberry would be ideal but may be a pipe dream considering what it would cost.
The veteran cornerback free-agent market actually has some depth. Behind Bradberry, there's Joe Haden, Trae Waynes, Kyle Fuller, Kevin King, Xavier Rhodes, A.J. Bouye, Janoris Jenkins and more. None need to be a starter now, but the Ravens likely want to add more experienced depth to round out the secondary.
It seems like a natural fit for Justin Houston to (eventually) re-sign. His sacks dipped again last season to 4.5, but he still got consistent pressure. The Ravens would love him to mentor David Ojabo, just as Houston did for Odafe Oweh. Plus, Houston would encourage Ojabo not to rush rehab.
The Ravens' 2022 schedule includes just three primetime games, down from five last year. That's still more time in the spotlight than most last-place teams from the previous season get, but it's also less than expected. Plus, two of the best games versus Buffalo and Denver are 1 p.m. kickoffs??
It's clear Baltimore is getting slept on some based on last year's stretch fade. The Ravens still have the league's most exciting player in Lamar Jackson, but it seems people aren't sure what to make of their 2022 outlook. Much of it depends on how players come back from injuries.
For that reason, Baltimore could be a sleeping giant. Maybe it's naïve to think Ronnie Stanley, J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, Tyus Bowser and Boyle will all return to full strength, and the Ravens have added insurance in case they don't, but what if they do?
