The Baltimore Ravens have quietly been going after free-agent wide receivers this offseason. While the Ravens haven’t been talking publicly about their needs or desires at the position, their actions have spoken loud and clear.
According to T.Y. Hilton, he was the latest player the Ravens made a serious run at acquiring. Ultimately he re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts on a one-year deal worth $10 million, but he said Baltimore made a “great push at the end.”
"Hey did you see my 👀👀👀's tweet yesterday?"
Is that when you got the text from Irsay?
"No that was the text that I was almost GONE" 😂 @TYHilton13 confirmed he had an offer from the #Ravens #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/HnIOx6npDr
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 25, 2021
The Ravens made a similar push for JuJu Smith-Schuster, offering him more money than he eventually re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for. After having Sammy Watkins in for a visit earlier in the week and making a call to Kenny Golladay’s agent, Baltimore has clearly been looking to hand quarterback Lamar Jackson another weapon for this season.
Hilton is entering his 10th season in the league, having played every one of them with Indianapolis. Last season was a bit of a down year for Hilton, catching 56 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. However, he’s not far from one of his best seasons in 2018 where he caught 76 passes for 1,270 yards and six touchdowns over 14 games. Even in a smaller role with Baltimore, Hilton could have been a serious asset, adding some quickness and experience to pair with Marquise Brown and the Ravens’ rushing attack.
With the Colts re-signing Hilton after having hosted Watkins themselves, it could indicate they’re no longer interested in his services. Since the Ravens were clearly interested enough to bring him in, Watkins might not have too many more options available. However, Baltimore could always look at the 2021 NFL draft, with many mock drafts handing the team a wide receiver in the first round.
Time will tell how the Ravens end up solving their wide receiver issue but it’s abundantly clear they know they have one.