Baltimore Ravens: Donte Moncrief interest displays proper mindset
The Baltimore Ravens reportedly are interested in Donte Moncrief in 2018 free agency, which displays that the team know where they’re lacking.
Saying that the Baltimore Ravens put Joe Flacco out there all alone in 2017 might be putting it kindly. The lack of production and, frankly, talent at the wide receiver position in Baltimore this past season was the talk for much of the year. However, it’s something that the front office has promised to address in the 2018 offseason.
It appears as if they aren’t just giving fans what they want to hear, either. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Ravens and free agent wide receiver Donte Moncrief — formerly of the Indianapolis Colts — are what he calls a “match to watch” in the upcoming free agency period.
Banged up for parts of the this past season and playing without Andrew Luck, Moncrief’s 2017 campaign was ultimately forgettable. He finished the year with only 26 catches for 391 yards and only two trips to the end zone. However, the 24-year old Ole Miss product has proven throughout his four years in the NFL that he can be productive.
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Moncrief’s best season came back in 2015 as he proved to be an all-around threat. Playing in all 16 games, the wideout caught 64 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns. Perhaps most impressively, though, nearly two-thirds of his receptions (40) resulted in first downs on that season. Given that he’s also proven to be a big-play threat throughout his young career, that’s a valuable commodity for a team like the Ravens.
A washed-up combo of Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace were the two top guys in Baltimore’s receiving corps this past season. However, Wallace is almost surely not going to be re-signed in free agency and the Ravens are expected to cut Maclin at some point this offseason. Thus, they need to rebuild that group, but also need to upgrade it.
Giving Flacco a weapon such as Moncrief would be a great building block to start that. In theory, he could be a viable No. 2 threat and a complement to Breshad Perriman, should the former high draft pick of the Ravens actually start to produce. Even if Perriman remains a non-factor, the Ravens would still have a combo guy in Moncrief to potentially pair with a 2018 draft pick that could be their No. 1 guy.
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Regardless of how things shake out, though, the reported “match” with Moncrief is good news for the Ravens. Addressing the glaring hole at receiver should be their top priority. Not only does going after a young guy like the former Colt show they’re willing to do that, but it displays that they’re prepared to do so wisely.