The Baltimore Ravens need to improve its wide receiver room this offseason since, other from Zay Flowers, they didn’t have any reliable wide receivers in 2024.
Henry McKenna of Fox Sports believes the Ravens will acquire Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in free agency, but general manager Eric DeCosta may try to fill the need in the April draft.
“The Ravens, who have as strong a chance as anybody to win the Super Bowl the next season, may benefit from Hopkins, a receiver who is declining. Hopkins, 32, has amassed a substantial fortune. He is pursuing rings. For a receiver like Hopkins, who would play behind Isaiah Likely, Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, and most likely Rashod Bateman, Baltimore should have an adequate number of snaps. And I think Hopkins would be very content with that,” McKenna wrote.
Although Hopkins was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Chiefs on October 24, the veteran wide receiver only managed 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games during the regular season.
Hopkins, a three-time first-team All-Pro pick, had just three catches during Kansas City’s journey to Super Bowl LIX, so the Chiefs also had trouble getting him engaged in the postseason.
Hopkins is still two years away from having a 1,000-yard season with the Titans in 2023, so even if he is no longer an elite receiver and had a lacklustre 2024 campaign, he could still have a few successful seasons left in him.
The former first-round selection would provide quarterback Lamar Jackson with a welcome safety net and add much-needed experience to Baltimore’s wide receiver corps. Along with forming a dynamic tandem with Flowers, Hopkins would provide the Ravens’ offence with a sharp route runner.
In free agency, the former Clemson star shouldn’t be too costly to sign. While Pro Football Focus predicts Hopkins will earn a $20 million contract over two seasons with an average yearly salary of $10 million, Spotrac expects Hopkins will sign a $15 million one-year deal.
According to Over the Cap, Baltimore has a projected $12.2 million in cap space, but they may make some roster changes to save money before free agency begins.
It’s unlikely that DeAndre Hopkins will ever regain his All-Pro status since he has lost a step. The eventual Hall of Famer is still a talented player, though, and would be a great complement to Todd Monken’s offensive scheme.
