The Ravens plan to exercise the fifth-year option of wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, General Manager Eric DeCosta said Friday.
It's been a debate among Ravens pundits this offseason as Brown's fifth-year salary is projected to be $12.9 million.
"I think very highly of Marquise," DeCosta said. "I think he's a talent. I love his personality and his competitiveness and his passion. … I like his energy that he brings and quite honestly, for his skill set, for what he brings to the table, the fifth-year option, in my mind, if you look at receivers and what they're making now, it looks like a bargain. He's just a nice piece, and honestly, if we didn't bring him back, we'd be trying to find another receiver."
There are 16 wide receivers currently projected to have bigger salary cap hits than $13 million in 2022 and the price will just keep going up.
Brown was DeCosta's first draft pick as general manager in 2019 and he has improved every season. In 2019, he caught 46 passes for 584 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2020, he had 58 receptions for 769 yards and eight touchdowns.
Last season, Brown caught 91 passes for 1,008 yards and six scores. Even though he was the Ravens' first 1,000-yard receiver since Mike Wallace in 2016, Brown called it a “weak” 1,000 yards because, over the first eight games, he was on pace for 1,449 yards.
Brown's production trailed off over the second half of the year as the offense struggled overall with adjusting to heavy blitzes, continued offensive line injuries and Lamar Jackson's ankle injury that knocked him out for nearly six games.
Overall, Brown showed more yards after catch and improved route-running, which was a major focus of last offseason and something he stressed with two new receiver coaches. If Brown continues to ascend and the Ravens passing offense makes more strides, it would not be surprising to see Brown back in the Pro Bowl discussion next season.
Brown is the Ravens' premier deep threat, as he showed over the first eight games of the season, and has an undeniable chemistry with his good friend Jackson. Brown is also a hard worker who, despite his smaller size, has missed just three games over his first three seasons.
"He's a great person," DeCosta said. "He plays the game the right way. I think he's got a high care factor. And I still think, I still believe, there's a lot of upside there. And I think he would say the same thing. He hasn't played his best football. And I would say that about most of our guys. And that's why I'm excited, because I think we're going to get that this year."
