Would a Breshad Perriman Reunion Make Sense?
In their search to add pass catchers this offseason, could the Ravens reunite with one of their own?
Yes, I'm talking about Breshad Perriman.
"I'm pretty sure you're already asking to speak to the manager as you read the title … but hear me out," Russell Street Report’s Jermaine Lockett wrote. "... I'm not putting all my eggs in the Perriman basket. It's just an idea, one that I think deserves more consideration than many Ravens fans are willing to give it."
It's no secret that Perriman's tenure in Baltimore didn't work out. The 2015 first-round pick struggled with injuries and inconsistencies on the field. The Ravens declined Perriman's fifth-year option and released him before the start of the 2018 season.
"[A] stacked depth-chart (or what appeared to be), with Michael Crabtree, John Brown, and Willie Snead IV buried any chance Perriman may have had to shine," Lockett wrote.
Perriman went to Cleveland in 2018, then signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and showed flashes of the player many expected to see in Baltimore. During the final three weeks of the regular season, when the Bucs were banged up at wide receiver, he caught 17 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns.
Lockett believes the production is enough to consider a signing.
"It's no secret this offense runs through the tight ends," Lockett wrote. "It is also common knowledge that outside of Mark Andrews, Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown is a favorite target of Lamar Jackson. While Miles Boykin is still developing, Perriman could bring an added element to the Baltimore attack."
It would be a fresh start for both sides. Perriman would have a new quarterback throwing him passes, and his speed would be an enticing pairing alongside Brown.
The Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly planning to franchise tag A.J. Green, and other top free agent receivers like Amari Cooper are likely out of the Ravens' price range.
Financially, Lockett thinks Perriman would make sense.
"Perriman may look to cash in on his late-year performance, but even so, it should not break the bank. I believe a commitment to him long-term could do the trick," Lockett wrote. "A three-year, $18 million deal should be enough to lure the former first-round pick back to Baltimore. However, we all know it's not a sure thing."
But do the Ravens want to take another chance on a receiver that didn't work out the first time? They may be better off drafting and developing rookie talent in a deep receiver class.
Breer: No 'Sure Thing' Marshal Yanda Returns
One of the Ravens' biggest offseason storylines surrounds the future of Marshal Yanda. General Manager Eric DeCosta told reporters at the Combine last week that he expects Yanda to make his decision in the “next month or so.”
If Yanda retires, the interior offensive line could quickly become one of the Ravens' biggest needs, and Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer doesn't think Yanda's return is a lock.
"Much of the concern over where the Ravens go this offseason has been centered on high-profile defensive free agents Matt Judon and Jimmy Smith," Breer wrote. "But there might be a hole to fill on offense too. I don't think it's a sure thing that Yanda returns for a 14th NFL season. And if he retires, he'd leave big shoes to fill."
We know the Ravens will return Orlando Brown Jr. at right tackle, Bradley Bozeman at left guard and Ronnie Stanley at left tackle. But along with Yanda, center isn't a sure thing either as Matt Skura recovers from a knee injury (though undrafted rookie Patrick Mekari filled in well). Not to mention, James Hurst is suspended for the first four games of the regular season.
But don't expect the Ravens to be caught off guard with whatever decision Yanda makes. They're preparing for the possibility.
"Don't believe for a second that the Ravens don't have a sense of whether Yanda will return or retire," The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec wrote. "They're smart to give Yanda both time and space, and if there is an announcement to make, the 35-year-old should get to make it on his terms. Either way, the Ravens won't be taken by surprise. Team officials have a very close relationship with him, and they know his thought process."
Lamar Jackson Hates Playing Against Patrick Mahomes
Anytime Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes match up, it's going to be must-see television.
Jackson and Head Coach John Harbaugh were recognized over the weekend at the NFL 101 awards in Kansas City. Jackson received the Bert Bell Professional Player of the Year award, and Harbaugh received the Greasy Neale Professional Coach of the Year award.
When asked about Mahomes, Jackson said he "hates" playing against him.
"[T]hat's a great quarterback," Jackson said. "I hate playing against him, to be honest, and I'm not even on defense. He's gonna keep scoring, and I'm like, 'Now we gotta go score.' It's gonna be a great game for the fans, but we hate it."
There's mutual respect between the MVP quarterbacks.
Mahomes has gotten the better of Jackson in two regular-season matchups, but they've been close, exciting games. The Chiefs will travel to Baltimore this season and I'd put my money on it being a primetime game.
NFL Network Pairs Top LSU Prospect With Ravens
Whether or not Judon is in Baltimore next season, pass rush remains a need, and there's a good chance the Ravens could address it in the first round of the draft.
If that's the case, NFL Network's Michael Robinson believes LSU outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson would be a fit in Baltimore.
"They've got to be able to get after the passer," Robinson said. "... And I'm going to go right down there to LSU [for] Chaisson. This kid is an animal. … He can drop into coverage too, and he's not a fish out of water when he's in space.
"When you look at what they have down there in Baltimore with Judon and guys like that, [Chaisson] fits right into that culture. … I like him with the Ravens."
The Ravens have never drafted an LSU player, but this seems like a good year to end the streak.
Chaisson totaled 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt sophomore with the Tigers. He was one of the national champions' best edge defenders, and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller thinks Chaisson's value goes past his stats.
"You can Google his stats and probably won't fall in love—he had 6.5 sacks to go with 13.5 tackles for a loss—but it's his impact on the game that is eye-opening," Miller wrote. "Chaisson shows burst with an ability to bend around the edge, but like Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Josh Allen, he's also asked to stop the run by taking on offensive tackles and pulling guards."
But what seems like a good fit might not even be a possibility.
"The draft's top prospect, Ohio State's Chase Young, is an edge rusher, and another two, Chaisson and Iowa's A.J. Epenesa, are expected to be among the first two dozen picks," The Baltimore Sun’s Jonas Shaffer wrote.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have Chaisson landing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No. 14 in their latest mock drafts.
Quick Hits
- Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue indicated this morning that he won't be in Jacksonville for the long term.
- "I would expect the Ravens to consider tagging-and-trading Judon," NBC Sports’ Peter King wrote. "Ravens' history is to let productive linebackers go either for a good pick or compensatory pick."
- Does this still count as the Drake curse?
