Ravens admit to looking for young WR to "grow" with Flacco

by Bruce Raffel on Feb 5, 2011 2:00 PM EST

The Baltimore Ravens have freely admitted that they would love to find and develop a young wide receiver to grow with QB Joe Flacco and develop that chemistry that most great passing-receiving combinations seem to have. Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta seems to think that this would be a better way of finding success in the passing game than signing free gent WR's such as Donte Stallworth and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

DeCosta was quoted on BaltimoreRavens.com as saying,

"I think it’s important to get a bunch of guys here that are going to be here for a while that can work with Joe and develop a great relationship with Joe long-term," DeCosta said.

"If you bring in a younger player, he comes in here from Day 1 and hits the ground running and is all the time working, I think that’s really good long-term moving forward for our team."

Whether or not this means bringing in a young, proven veteran through free agency or more likely drafting a to talent in April's NFL Draft remains to be seen, but this is certainly another step in the right direction for the Baltimore Ravens passing offense.

Tweet Comment 24 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Titus Young or Hankerson plus another WR in the 3rd or 4th Rd

Just Win Baby !

by sethg28 on Feb 5, 2011 2:33 PM EST reply actions

Greedy!

I’ll settle for Young to go with Boldin and David Reed, as well as one more year of D-Mase! Add Dickson (and/or Pitta) at TE and Joe has everything to “grow” with and nothig to comlain about and Cam will have zero excuses in 2011!

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Feb 5, 2011 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

It won’t make a difference with Cam’s approach. I think an old vet can succeed as much as any young speedster with the basic short routes we run. Experience in blocking and knowing when to curl seem to be more important than any jet kept in a deep holding pattern.

by Killer Kahn on Feb 5, 2011 4:38 PM EST reply actions

I notice that Eric Decosta said that it would be good to get a young wideout with

good height and speed but he really is looking for a playmaker so they have to love Jerrel Jerigan he is a real playmaker

by jazz20 on Feb 5, 2011 4:49 PM EST reply actions

Height? Over and over again the height thing creeps in when we have seen super WR’s in the 5’11" area. Seems that the over-rated height factor might play too big a part in our search. I’d rather throw darts to quick cutting short guys instead of jump balls to 6’3" + guys. If height is such a factor they may as well include vertical leap because I’d take a short guy with springs for legs over a tall guy…..Anyway…

by Killer Kahn on Feb 5, 2011 5:01 PM EST up reply actions

Well the wideout I want the Ravens to get is 5'9 it be good to get a wideout

thats tall but if he cant be a playmaker then it not worth it

by jazz20 on Feb 5, 2011 6:05 PM EST up reply actions

Travis Taylor and Mark Clayton weren’t tall. I just think he is trying to go down a new avenue as far as what they want to bring in.

by Raven_all_day on Feb 5, 2011 9:00 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

The guys under the 6-foot category always seem to be the #2 guys. I think we want a guy that is 6’3 220 and can be the future at WR. We don’t need another complimentary WR. We need talented youth. i.e. Leo

Editor at Baltimore Beatdown - SB Nation Baltimore Ravens Blog
I heart Leonard Hankerson

by Zachary Beard on Feb 5, 2011 10:03 PM EST up reply actions

Sometimes it seems like

all we want is someone for Flacco to throw the jump ball fade route in the end zone all the time to. BFD!

aka 'Rexx'

by Bruce Raffel on Feb 6, 2011 12:26 AM EST up reply actions

When did we ever have that though.

by Raven_all_day on Feb 6, 2011 10:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

We don't need another Clarence Moore

by YeahDonnie on Feb 6, 2011 1:29 PM EST up reply actions

Hopefully we will have some good choices late in the first.

by Georgia Raven on Feb 5, 2011 4:54 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Was Boldin not able to get open? Anyone have an opinion on who’s to blame for his lack of production considering the hype? Maybe we expected too much. I think I did.

by Killer Kahn on Feb 5, 2011 4:55 PM EST reply actions

He's an over the middle receiver

and Cam has never heard of a slant or drag route. Every single player on offense was horribly misused.

by YeahDonnie on Feb 5, 2011 4:56 PM EST up reply actions

Can’t help but to agree. Kind of a lost year(s) (decade) in that department,

by Killer Kahn on Feb 5, 2011 5:02 PM EST reply actions

Your right, Boldin thrives on catching the short passes and breaking tackles. Yes Cam did use him wrong but there where quite a few times when Joe didn’t get him the ball. I personally feel like Joe didn’t have the confidence or maybe the skill to hit Boldin on some of those routes that require more timing. Remember, Boldin came from an “west coast” styled offense with quick slants and screens that made up for lack of a running game.

by Georgia Raven on Feb 5, 2011 5:02 PM EST via mobile reply actions

he is closing in on possible HOF numbers so i think he stays.

by Killer Kahn on Feb 5, 2011 10:50 PM EST reply actions

I think he plays out his contract starting with Boldin as we bring up a younger wr

by Georgia Raven on Feb 5, 2011 11:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Even last season I thought having two recievers that don’t have that speed factor in the starting lineup, hindered the offense. U need someone to force the defense to never put 8 in the box. Mason needs to be a number three now. IMO

by Raven_all_day on Feb 6, 2011 11:09 AM EST via mobile reply actions

the Patriots had Deion Branch and Wes Welker as there starts and they dont have

blazing speed and they were sucessful they not not in the superbowl but that doesnt not mean they wasnf successful with what they had

by jazz20 on Feb 6, 2011 1:24 PM EST up reply actions

They weren’t opening up to the run though, we need that guy to force the safety back to benefit ray.

by Raven_all_day on Feb 6, 2011 1:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

They also have Tom Brady who is throwing it to them. I love Flacco, but he is no Tom Brady and could use more speed on the outside because he is not able to pick apart defenses yet with quick slants and the routes they use in New England. That is not all Flacco’s fault because Cam doesn’t work the middle of the field much, but in our type of offense speed to spread the field could really open things up.

by AV23 on Feb 6, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions