The Ravens have managed to get this far into mid-September without dipping into the veteran-receiver aisle, but the injury situation at wideout is starting to push the issue.
That position wasn’t exactly overflowing with depth to begin with, and now Baltimore is juggling multiple concerns. Devontez Walker’s groin issue could clear up in time for this week, while Elijah Sarratt, the fourth-round pick, was a healthy scratch.
Ja’Kobi Lane’s wrist injury still doesn’t have a firm timetable, and the team is expecting him to miss a lot of weeks. Zay Flowers is also dealing with a lingering hamstring problem, and the approach there remains day to day.
Head coach Jesse Minter didn’t sound like someone ready to force a move immediately, but he did leave the door open. On Monday, he said, “there’s potential for that,” when asked about an outside signing, while also stressing the internal options.
Even so, the early-season caution around Flowers stood out. Minter added, “You want to make sure it is not something you are dealing with for 17, 18 weeks,” a line that said plenty about how carefully the Ravens are likely to handle him.
Flowers was still hugely impactful Sunday even while running just 11 routes, which only sharpens the concern. With so few proven playmakers in the passing game, Baltimore may eventually need to add help, and by the time the team heads to Brazil in a few weeks, it would be surprising if there weren’t at least one veteran receiver with NFL experience sitting on the practice squad.
Three names stand out as realistic possibilities.
DeAndre Hopkins is the most accomplished of the group and also the one with the most obvious fit on paper. He was productive when the ball came his way last season, and while things weren’t always smooth with offensive coordinator Todd Monken, that issue is gone now.
He has strong hands, competes for contested catches, and has long been dangerous in the red zone, which matters for a Ravens offense that had major issues there last season. Lamar Jackson has already mentioned him several times while talking about Lane’s aggressiveness attacking the football, and some of Hopkins’s downfield numbers from last year were better than Rashod Bateman’s.
The concern with Hopkins is price. He fell out of favor quickly with Harbaugh in New York, had a surgical procedure in the spring, and his $13 million salary this season makes him a potentially expensive option for what Baltimore would want to spend. Still, he has 22 career touchdowns, a stronger pedigree than most of the available names, and unlike many free agents at this stage, he has been in an NFL facility and training camp getting regular work.
Darius Slayton is another possibility. He is 29, has had issues with drops, and has been good for roughly 500 yards a year along with some touchdowns.
But he also brings the kind of size Baltimore just lost with Lane. At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he has a frame that can help in contested situations, and he spent years in Buffalo developing a connection with Josh Allen, whose off-script ability and scramble-drill playmaking make that background meaningful.
Slayton later worked with Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, another quarterback who can extend plays, before returning to Buffalo. He is physical, knows how to function in a ground-based offense, and blocks downfield.
He also comes at a cheaper price and is only 27. The catch is the ACL injury he suffered in the Wild Card round, his second knee issue. Even so, Baltimore has shown it is willing to monitor players coming off major injuries, and keeping tabs on Slayton would make sense.
Brandin Cooks is the third name worth watching. He is the kind of receiver who always seems capable of delivering one more big game, and he was once a favorite of Sean Payton, with Declan Doyle now running a Payton offense. He is another veteran with a track record and enough pedigree to merit consideration if the Ravens decide the room needs another experienced body.
The Bills would likely want Slayton back, but if receiver becomes a bigger problem later in the season, he is the type of player who could matter in the second half and into a playoff push.
In Other News...
Ravens Fans Got The Zay Flowers Update They Needed
Zay Flowers early exit from Week 1 raised the usual alarm for Ravens fans, but the latest update offered some reassurance. The second-year receiver is day-to-day after suffering a hamstring injury against the Indianapolis Colts, and the team did not push the issue once Baltimore had built a comfortable lead. It was the kind of precautionary move teams make when they can afford to think beyond one game.
Jesse Minter confirmed Flowers status ahead of Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, keeping the door open for a quick return while still leaving the Ravens with a little uncertainty to monitor. Hamstrings can be tricky, even when the initial concern is mild, so Baltimore will be watching closely as the week unfolds. For now, the news is as good as the Ravens could have reasonably hoped for after watching one of their top playmakers head to the sideline. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Moore Just Made The Ravens Roster Decision A Lot Harder
Chris Moore gave the Ravens a lot to think about in their Week 1 game against the Colts, handling the primary kick return duties and flashing as a receiver when he got his chance. He finished with four kick returns for 121 yards and added a 53-yard catch, a showing that lined up with the kind of all-purpose value Baltimore can always use when the roster starts to tighten up.
Jesse Minter made clear he noticed the impact, and Moores 174 all-purpose yards only sharpened the question of whether his performance was enough to push him toward the 53-man roster. With another wide receiver dealing with an injury, the Ravens suddenly have a tougher call to make about whether Moores special teams spark and playmaking on offense are enough to earn him a longer stay. [Read more 🡒]
Declan Doyle May Be Unlocking A Different Version Of Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson opened the season looking comfortable in a version of the Ravens offense that asked him to do a little more than just freelance from the shotgun. In Week 1, Baltimore rolled up 506 total yards in a 41-23 win over the Colts, with Jackson completing 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards and one touchdown while adding 40 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
A big part of the shift was structural, not just explosive plays. With offensive coordinator Declan Doyle leaning on under-center looks on 67% of the snaps, the Ravens were able to pair cleaner play design with better blocking and more efficient spacing, and the result was an attack that looked more balanced than the version defenses often spent a full week preparing for. The question now is whether that opening-week formula is a one-game wrinkle or the start of a much different Baltimore identity. [Read more 🡒]