The Ravens have been recently linked to former Steelers and Raiders (lol) wide receiver, Antonio Brown. https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1275574551582330882
Already stacked backfield
While it remains unlikely, the Ravens would be pretty scary with AB. In 2019 the Ravens were the darling on the AFC, at least in the regular season. Lamar Jackson ran wild, and it wasn’t just him, the Ravens as a whole. According to (https://www.teamrankings.com/) the Ravens had the most rushing attempts per game and most rushing yards per game. The Ravens clearly plan to add to those numbers, having drafted running-back, J.K. Dobbins out of Ohio State. Dobbins didn’t miss a single game at OSU and has the speed and balance to enhance an already good Baltimore backfield.
Ravens added help on defense
Besides getting a good pick with Patrick Queen at LB from LSU, the Ravens also added a few other key pieces. The most notable being Calais Campbell, a DE from the Jaguars. The Ravens acquired Campbell by trading the 5th round pick they got in return for Hayden Hurst to the Jaguars. Campbell isn’t just a pro bowler, but also a winner of the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. While being 33 years old, Campbell brings some gas left in the tank, and leadership to a young defense. Campbell is the big fish of free agency, but the Ravens also added some good depth with Derek Wolfe (Broncos DE) and Jake Ryan (Packers LB). According to https://www.footballoutsiders.com/ the Ravens ranked 4th in overall defensive efficiency. Can’t imagine these additions would have the Ravens taking a step back.
Throw in Antonio Brown….Yikes
Without a healthy Hollywood Brown, the Ravens relied heavily on the run, and tight ends to handle a good chunk of passes. Imagine the Ravens with, Hollywood and AB lining up every week. This scenario is obviously a dream for Lamar Jackson who, in my opinion, still struggles with his arm talent. Antonio Brown had six consecutive years of 100+ receptions before his falling out with the Steelers, Raiders, and Patriots. Statistically, it’s hard to argue against signing the guy, but the game is bigger than stats. Which brings me to my next point…
Is he……is he okay?
Since before leaving Pittsburgh, Brown had many….incidents in the locker room, on the field, practice, you name it. By the time he left, you could hear the collective sighs of relief of Steelers fans everywhere. His short-lived tenure with, the Raiders was surprisingly worse, with a constant headline of him trashing the GM, the organization, his helmet, or his own feet. Accusations have also come out against, Brown, and to be honest I can’t see them going anywhere. Especially after the media hype if he signed with a new team. Brown hasn’t formally been punished by the NFL, but I wouldn’t count on that if signed.
Verdict: Chill, not happening
The Ravens have a really good football team, and I truly believe signing a healthy, happy, AB would put them over the top. The healthy, happy part is a stretch at this point. Throw in a pending suspension, and what having him around could do to the locker room, and I just don’t think it’s worth the risk. I’m happy to see that Brown has been reaching out lately to and working with Deion Sanders, who knows a little something about the spotlight. I’d guess that Brown is coming back at some point, I just hope that when that happens, he’s in a good place mentally. If that does happen, I hope he stays the hell away from, Baltimore!
(Just to point out, if said accusations about Brown are true, he shouldn’t be playing football.)
