Former Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Marquise Brown was the headline-piece of a draft day trade between the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens Thursday night. Brown was a somewhat controversial figure in Baltimore, as some fans questioned the selection of an undersized receiver over others at the position that were taken off the board later.
After his first 1,000-yard season in the NFL, Brown will be reunited with his college QB Kyler Murray out west. Brown and Murray clicked as the duo connected for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games.
They also might be the shortest QB-WR duo in the NFL this season.
Brown had his moments in Baltimore, but the lack of another bona-fide weapon at receiver and his reluctancy to play in the slot made it difficult for him to get free against the strong secondaries in the NFL.
Former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. shared his thoughts on NFL Network’s Total Access.
Steve Smith Sr. with some harsh words tonight for Hollywood Brown.
(via @DarinMccann)pic.twitter.com/1yCEy54207
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) April 29, 2022
So yeah, Brown has his flaws.
Perhaps the most important thing here isn’t the talent of the players involved in the trade, but how this affects another Ravens player.
Former MVP QB Lamar Jackson didn’t appear too happy after news of the trade broke:
Wtf
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 29, 2022
To be clear, the selection of Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum is not what he was upset about, rather the ousting of his WR1.
Jackson and Brown are both South Florida natives. Their friendship over the last three seasons has been well-documented, although Brown was strangely absent from Jackson’s workout videos this offseason.
Now we know why. Brown requested a trade after last season ended and the Ravens did an amazing job keeping it quiet.
As someone who is a Sooners and Ravens fan, I have a somewhat unique way of looking at this situation.
On the one hand, the Ravens landed one of the most talented lineman in the draft and somehow landed a first round pick for a player who had a year left before hitting free agency until Arizona picked up his fifth-year option.
That’s good business by Ravens GM Eric DeCosta. He filled a position of need with the best player available on the board and traded a player who clearly didn’t want to be in Baltimore.
The Sooners fan in me is hurting a bit.
While Brown had his issues with drops and consistency, seeing him and All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews on the field together was something I loved watching every week. With fellow Sooners OL Ben Powers on the roster bubble, I may have to watch another Sooner leave Baltimore soon.
Despite my mixed feelings, this was the best course of action for all parties involved. The Cardinals have their Christian Kirk replacement, the Ravens got their O-Line piece to protect the face of their franchise, and Hollywood Brown is back with a familiar face in a very WR-friendly offense.
That’s something that’s kind of getting overlooked here. Arizona is a very nice place for a player like Brown, who is very good in motion. Particularly, when the best corner on the defense will be on DeAndre Hopkins.
[listicle id=62754]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.