Baltimore Ravens fans watched the passing game run through one player again in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Could the answer to that problem be sitting on the free-agent market?
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay paired the Ravens with veteran receiver Darius Slayton, whom the Indianapolis Colts released last week.
Slayton caught 296 passes for 4,435 yards and 22 touchdowns in 106 games over seven seasons with the New York Giants. The Colts released him Oct. 16 without him playing a game, and at 4-2, Baltimore could use a reliable veteran as Lamar Jackson works his way back.
Why the Ravens need another receiver
Zay Flowers has carried the passing game. Despite missing a game with a hamstring issue, he leads the team with 32 catches for 471 yards and two touchdowns on 42 targets. Rashod Bateman is the only other wideout with real production, with 16 catches for 233 yards, and he left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.
We’d previously asked whether the Ravens might trade Rashod Bateman. Getting hurt may make that question outdated.
Behind them, the options are young and unproven.
Rookie Ja’Kobi Lane was the Ravens’ highest-graded offensive player in Cleveland, posting a 79.7 grade on 31 snaps, according to PFF, but he’s played in just two games. Devontez Walker started and finished with a 47.1 grade, and fellow rookie Elijah Sarratt has mostly been a healthy scratch.
Tyler Huntley started in place of Jackson, and the offense never found a rhythm. Head coach Jesse Minter even pointed to the offense’s execution after the loss.
Huntley finished with a 45.3 grade and three penalties, according to PFF, and with Bateman hurt, the margin for error at receiver is even thinner heading into the second half of the season.
Slayton isn’t a No. 1 receiver, and the Colts didn’t keep him long. But he’s at least a proven deep option who could take pressure off Flowers and give Jackson a veteran he can trust on the outside.
He also knows what it’s like to play in a run-heavy offense that needs a receiver to win one-on-one downfield.
Signing him would cost Baltimore nothing but a roster spot, and with a tight AFC North race taking shape, who says no?
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