Should The Ravens Add Another Wide Receiver?

It’s a question that is discussed every single offseason. Should the Ravens add a veteran pass catcher to their wide receiver room? It’s a subject that gets old, mostly because the organization never seems to have any stability at the position. It’s a tired topic because almost always the answer to the question is “Yes!”. And this season might not be any different.

Some moves have been good. Some bad. Some downright ugly.

Rinse. Repeat.

To answer the question, let’s take a little trip down memory land as it relates to the Ravens and the position of wide receiver.

THE GOOD

Derrick Mason. He is the gold standard for what a free agent wide receiver acquisition is supposed to look like in Baltimore. Ozzie Newsome signed him in March 2005 after the Titans cut him loose, and Mason repaid that faith in full. He finished his Ravens career with 471 catches for 5,777 yards and 29 touchdowns across 96 games — and when he left, he held the franchise record for career receiving yards, career receptions, and the top three single-season reception totals in team history. His 86 receptions in his first season set a Ravens franchise record. He followed that with 68 catches in 2006, then 103 in 2007 — making him the first player in Ravens history to record 100 receptions in a season. In 2008, he had 80 catches for 1,037 yards and five touchdowns as the primary target for rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Newsome called him one of the best free agent signings he ever made. He was right. That’s what this conversation starts with and everything else gets measured against it.

Qadry Ismail signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent on April 28, 1999, following his release by the New Orleans Saints. That makes him a legitimate free agent acquisition — and a very good one. He absolutely belongs in “The Good”.

In his first season in Baltimore, Qadry led the team with 68 catches for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns, including a career-high 258 receiving yards in a single game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2000 he had 49 receptions for 655 yards and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV. He then bounced back in 2001 with 74 receptions for 1,059 yards — his second 1,000-yard season in Baltimore.

What makes this signing even more impressive in context is the degree of difficulty involved. Ismail produced 1,000-yard seasons while catching passes from Tony Banks, Trent Dilfer, and Elvis Grbac — not exactly a murderer’s row of quarterbacks. He arrived from New Orleans having recorded zero receiving yards in 1998. Similarly, Ismail had zero receiving yards in 1997 as a member of the Dolphins. Let’s label Qadry a reclamation project that worked out.

Steve Smith Sr. belongs in the conversation too. Cut by Carolina at 34 — yes, 34 — he signed with Baltimore and immediately proved he still belonged. Smith finished the 2014 regular season with 79 catches for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns, playing all 16 games. A legitimate No. 1 receiver season at an age when most players are working on their TV analyst audition tape. He played angry, he played hard, and he gave the Ravens’ offense something it sorely needed — a reliable weapon on the outside. Give credit where it’s due.

Jacoby Jones is a different kind of entry on this list. As a receiver, his body of work was modest. As a performer in the moments that matter most, he was unforgettable. In Super Bowl XLVII, Jones caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco late in the first half, then returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown — an NFL postseason record. His 290 total yards in that game remain the most in a single Super Bowl ever. You can debate his overall impact as a receiver. You cannot debate what he meant on the biggest stage this franchise has ever played on.

Mike Wallace arrived in 2016 as a deep-speed option and technically led the team in receiving yards that season with 1,017. The explosive vertical threat that once made secondaries miserable in Pittsburgh never quite materialized as a genuine game-changer in Baltimore. However, he did produce 124 catches for 1,765 yards and 8 touchdowns over two seasons. Given his modest 2-year, $11.5M deal, the returns were good.

December 13, 2009: Ravens’ Derrick Mason (@deemason85) takes a big hit, stays up, and runs for a 62-yard TD. pic.twitter.com/7dzS5NmmHF

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) December 13, 2022

THE BAD

Sammy Watkins arrived carrying the résumé of a former top-five pick and the production of a man who’d already left his best football on other teams’ fields. He contributed nothing of consequence and is remembered more for the plays he didn’t make than those he did. What did he actually do?

Odell Beckham Jr. came to Baltimore in 2023 on a one-year, $15 million deal, still recovering from a torn ACL. He finished with 35 catches for 565 yards — second on the team. There were flashes. His veteran leadership certainly had value but the production was not commensurate with the investment. The Ravens paid for filet mignon and got a flat-iron cut instead. OBJ was a complementary receiver at best during a time when they needed a primary one. This signing was a classic case of kowtowing to Lamar Jackson.

Nelson Agholor is the recurring organizational mistake in condensed form. A serviceable professional. A legitimate NFL player. Not a solution. The Ravens have confused “available veteran receiver” with “answer at the position” too many times. Agholor is Exhibit A.

THE UGLY

Lee Evans is remembered for one play, and it will follow him forever. With the Ravens trailing the New England Patriots by three late in the 2012 AFC Championship Game, Flacco lofted what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown pass to Evans in the end zone — but rookie cornerback Sterling Moore stripped the ball away. Baltimore then missed a field goal and the season ended. Evans was released that offseason. His Ravens tenure amounted to essentially nothing, and the one moment everyone associates with his name is the one this fan base most wishes they could erase. Technically Evans was acquired via trade, not via free agency. But in a way, giving up a 4th-round pick makes the acquisition even worse.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the prototype for what this franchise should stop doing. He signed in September 2010 for the veteran minimum. He appeared in all 16 games and produced 30 receptions for 398 receiving yards and one touchdown — as a fourth option behind starters on a roster that already had capable pass-catchers. Cheap and inconsequential. The only thing more frustrating than a bad signing is a pointless one.

Jeremy Maclin had real promise attached to his name when he arrived. But 40 catches on 72 targets is evidence that he wasn’t a fit for the Ravens nor Joe Flacco.

INCOMPLETE

Both Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson belong in this conversation, but with an important qualifier attached to each that affects how harshly they should be judged. Neither was a traditional free agent acquisition. Both arrived via the practice squad — Bryant in October 2020, Jackson in October 2022 — with the Ravens in desperate need at the position and treating each as a low-cost, hope-for-a-miracle addition rather than a genuine offseason commitment.

That matters when you’re grading them.

Dez Bryant with the Ravens (2020): 6 catches for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns in 6 games. He came in via the practice squad, was elevated twice, then signed to the 53-man roster. His Ravens stint was brief — a late-career flicker rather than a meaningful contribution. Importantly, he was a minimum-cost, late-season addition, not a big free agent investment.

DeSean Jackson with the Ravens (2022): 9 catches for 153 yards and zero touchdowns in 7 games before being waived. Also a practice squad signing elevated to the active roster — not a traditional free agent acquisition. Again, low cost, low impact. Meh!

SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US IN 2026?

The Ravens enter the summer with one reliable wide receiver in Pro Bowler Zay Flowers, after drafting USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane in the third round and Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt in the fourth with consecutive picks in the 2026 draft. Counting on rookies to contribute meaningfully in year one is a big-time gamble, particularly considering Baltimore’s past inability to develop wide receivers.

Counting on Rashod Bateman is like the Orioles counting on Jordan Westburg. You can’t! After finally flashing upside in 2024 — catching 45 passes for 756 yards and nine touchdowns — Bateman had a disappointing and injury-marred 2025 campaign. He finished last season with just 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 38 targets across 13 games. Bateman hasn’t been at voluntary workouts since the first week of the offseason program. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle noted he’s dealing with some personal things, though the Ravens don’t seem overly concerned. I’m concerned. I can’t trust Bateman. You? 

Devontez Walker is an interesting option. Tez thrived in limited opportunities last season, recording three touchdowns and 136 yards on just eight targets while playing just 24% of the team’s snaps. Walker ran only 61 routes last season — even fewer than Tylan Wallace or backup running back Rasheen Ali. John Harbaugh’s staff certainly didn’t exhibit much confidence in Tez. Will Jesse Minter’s?

All of this begs the question, “Is there an available and reasonably priced veteran free agent wide receiver who can be the Ravens’ next Steve Smith, Sr.?”

Enter Keenan Allen.

The six-time Pro Bowler remains unsigned as we move through the middle of June — a remarkable fact for a receiver of his accomplishments and recent track record. His most recent season with the Chargers produced 81 catches for 777 yards and four touchdowns across all 17 games. He is 34 years old. He also hasn’t needed elite athleticism to produce since his early years in San Diego. Allen wins through precision, intelligence, and route-running that doesn’t erode the way a 4.3 forty does.

Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski listed signing a veteran wide receiver as the No. 1 item on Baltimore’s pre-training camp to-do list, with Allen as the logical fit. “Baltimore also wanted to get bigger and more physical at wide receiver,” Sobleski wrote. “The organization has never had a problem bringing in aging veterans who can still play.”

And then there’s Stefon Diggs. I have a few concerns about Diggs: character; Ozzie Newsome; money. Diggs has created off-the-field distractions for himself which eventually affect the team. He’s not an exemplary dude but former teammates do vouch for him, including recently signed safety Jaylinn Hawkins who played with Diggs in New England. Hawkins has actively lobbied for the signing, saying “[Diggs is] from Maryland. Why not come back to the crib? It makes the most sense.”

But does it make sense? Let’s not forget that Stephanie Diggs, Stefon’s mother, once cornered Ozzie Newsome at a college football game telling him, “They should fire your ass!” for not drafting Diggs. And even if the Ravens can get beyond all that, what would it cost to add Diggs to the roster? Spotrac projects him to sign a two-year, $27.6 million contract, one that would probably be written like a one-year deal and allow the Ravens to bail in 2027 rather unscathed from a cap perspective. But might this be OBJ Part II?

That’s a fair concern, although Diggs has been productive in recent seasons. He finished in the top 16 in the league in first downs, catches, and yards in 2025 — his seventh 1,000-yard season — while registering just a 2.9% drop rate. Pairing him with Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers would give Baltimore a genuine 1-2 punch at wideout.

Or might a reunion with DeAndre Hopkins make sense. D-Hop was grossly underutilized by Todd Monken in 2025. Maybe an inexpensive redo is in order?

Stefon Diggs is a top ___ WR in the NFL?
pic.twitter.com/oXtAdqAa6k

— PFF (@PFF) April 6, 2022

CONCLUSION

The Ravens haven’t exactly been a place where free agent a wide receiver can regularly go to flourish. For many it has been quite the opposite – a place where veteran receivers’ careers go to die.

But there’s a new sheriff in town. New ideas. A new regime. Maybe things are about to change. Maybe. That said, one thing is certain – the Ravens relying on Rashod Bateman and a collection of unproven talent will not be a good thing for Lamar or the Ravens offense, particularly when you consider that they’ve lost big play weapons in the forms of Isaiah Likely and Keaton Mitchell. Leaving things as they are in the wide receiver room might represent the kind of roster malpractice that we witnessed last season when the team’s brain trust was willing to prop up Lamar behind a ragtag offensive line that counted on the worst guard tandem in the NFL.

The question is, does EDC agree?

OTL: Can You Diggs It?

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