Baltimore Ravens: Keep Jeremy Butler in mind as a role player, darkhorse
When the Baltimore Ravens sent Tennessee-Martin 2014 undrafted free agent Jeremy Butler to the practice squad after he couldn’t crack the 53-man roster out of training camp, who could have seen him emerging as a player who made a distinct mark on the team’s disappointing 5-11 season?
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After Steve Smith Sr. was lost for the season, the Baltimore Ravens received strong play from Kamar Aiken, who was supposed to be locked in as a strong No. 3 wideout behind Smith and explosive rookie Breshad Perriman, who failed to play a single snap last season. Aiken exceeded expectations, rattling off at least five receptions in every game since Week 8 with some bigger performances mixed in, and clearly has a future in Baltimore as a restricted free agent.
However, Aiken wasn’t the only wide receiver to surprise on the Ravens, because the more out-of-nowhere breakout came from Jeremy Butler, who had never caught an NFL pass prior to making a 21-yard reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
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From the on, Butler became a big part of the offense, and he critically outplayed the likes of Chris Givens and Marlon Brown, who provided little in the form of competency to the Ravens reeling offense.
At 6’2″, 213 pounds, Butler looked a little bit like a poor man’s Anquan Boldin lining up in the Ravens offense, and he was just as clutch as the current San Francisco 49ers wideout. See, Butler’s 70.5% catch rate led all wide receivers and tight ends on the Ravens, and that’s impressive, considering breakout tight end Crockett Gillmore, who had a sensational start to the season, was just a few decimals below him in the catch rate department.
According to Pro-Football Reference’s Play Index, it only got more impressive for Butler on third downs. The big, strong, and sure-handed 24-year-old was targeted 11 times on third and fourth downs, and he caught all but one of those targets. He and the tight ends did a fantastic job of moving the chains, taking advantage of the attention Aiken likely drew, since the Ravens default No. 1 wideout’s catch rate fell to just 44.7%.
These stats are more reflective of the quality of targets and attention received, but it’s great to see that Butler looked like a safe option on these critical downs. The Ravens completed under 60% of their passes in these situations throughout the season, so having a No. 3 or 4 option like Butler who can safely secure the ball is a plus.
Next season, the Ravens could be rich with pass-catchers, since Smith and Perriman will be back, joining Gillmore, talented second-year TE Maxx Williams, and Aiken. Justin Forsett is also a great option out of the backfield, giving Joe Flacco another steady option to balance out the team’s dynamic WR duo in Smith and Perriman.
Some have wondered if the Ravens could spend a mid-round pick on a wide receiver this year, so that’s worth keeping in mind. However, Butler’s 31/363 line with a high catch rate are also worth remembering this offseason, because even though it took him some time, he did make good on the preseason hype, which included “dark horse” praise from ESPN NFL Nation’s Jamison Hensley.
Considering Flacco and wide receivers coach Bobby Engram, who was a pretty good option for the Seattle Seahawks back in the day, also had strong praise for Butler, he might not be a depth-deprivation-induced flash-in-the-pan for the Ravens in 2015.
There’s no way he’s higher than fourth on the depth chart next season, and that’s the way it should be. However, Butler’s clutch, solid season, which included a 90% catch rate on his ten targets over the middle of the field, show us that he deserves a chance at a role, making drafting a mid-round receiver more of a “for the future” or “best available” move.
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Drafting a receiver could still be smart, since Smith will presumably retire after the 2016 season, and it could be a way of hedging their bets in case Perriman busts. But wide receiver isn’t an immediate need by any means, and Butler’s ability to fill a specific role, use his size, and be a steady chain-mover as a No. 4 receiver have become a benefit worth considering as we head into the meatier parts of the 2016 offseason.