Report: Ravens not expected to pursue a No. 1 wide receiver in free agency

The Ravens are not expected to pursue one of the top wide receivers in free agency, according to ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley.

“The expectation is Baltimore won’t pursue a No. 1 wide receiver like Allen Robinson or Kenny Golladay,” Hensley said in his Baltimore Ravens free-agency overview article.

Though fans want nothing more than a player of Robinson or Golladay’s caliber for quarterback Lamar Jackson to throw to, this news should not come as a big surprise given the cap constraints presented by lesser revenue due to COVID-19. Baltimore is in the top half of the league in available cap space, but according to overthecap.com they still only have a little over $18 million.

Spotrac.com listed Robinson’s market value at four years for $80,208,536 with an average annual salary of $20 million while Golladay is listed at four years for $85,006,560 with an average annual salary of $17 million.

The Ravens cannot afford to allocate their entire budget to one player this offseason, especially given the vacancy at outside linebacker with only one player currently under contract at the position. Hensley did not say that Baltimore would ignore the receiver position in free agency entirely, however.

“Signing one or two wide receivers from the second tier (perhaps Corey Davis, Sammy Watkins or A.J. Green) would boost the Ravens’ passing game at a lesser cost,” Hensley said.

While it may not be the superstar wideout that fans have wanted for so long, General Manager Eric DeCosta will surely add another piece or two to the position group, whether through free agency or via the upcoming draft. With both Willie Snead IV and Dez Bryant not expected to be back with the team for the 2021 season, expect some new faces for Jackson to throw to this year.