Last season, the Baltimore Ravens had a great lack of reliable and productive wide receivers.
But this coming season, the team is very hopeful their passing offense will improve.
They have added Odell Beckham Jr., the three-time Pro Bowler who is apparently fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
The Ravens also took Zay Flowers, a wideout from Boston College, with the No. 22 pick in this year’s draft, and they seem to have high hopes for him.
Flowers was seen on video, via the NFL on Twitter, working on building chemistry with his new quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Building that chemistry 🤝 (via @ravens)@Lj_era8 | @ZayFlowers pic.twitter.com/RLxSvfCCHI
— NFL (@NFL) June 28, 2023
Jackson was thought to have one foot out the door after some long and fruitless contract negotiations, but earlier this offseason, Baltimore gave in and agreed to give him a $260 million deal.
He electrified Baltimore and the entire NFL when he won the regular-season MVP award in 2019, but he has seen his production drop ever since while also suffering some injuries.
Perhaps having a healthy Beckham and a hungry Flowers by his side is just what he will need to return to form in 2023.
Flowers, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, put up 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns last season as a senior while earning third-team All-American honors.
In 2022, none of the Ravens’ wideouts had as many as 500 receiving yards, a mark of futility they must avoid again this coming season, and it looks like it’s very likely they will.
With Beckham and Flowers making plays alongside Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, perhaps the team will reach the playoffs again and get past the initial round.
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Analyst Says 1 NFL Player Is ‘Out Of Excuses’ This Season