Back to the Receiver Drawing Board

Upon news of Drew Bennett retiring plus Joe Flacco saying he's unsure if Derrick Mason will return (credit both to the Baltimore Sun), the Ravens are back to the drawing board with a new wide receiver. So, looking at the possible options, what are the pros and cons of the next possible moves?

Option A: Sign a new wide receiver.
--Possibilities: Marvin Harrison, Plaxico Burress, D.J. Hackett, Joe Horn, Amani Toomer among others
--Pros: It will not cost much and allows the Ravens to sign who they want to the offense without another team's say.
--Cons: None of these players have been signed yet, making you wonder if they still have what it takes to be a big wide receiver. Plus, some of these players are having issues with the law, which could affect their ability as well.

Option B: Trade for a receiver.
--Possibilities: Brandon Marshall of the Broncos, Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals
--Pros: Both are proven receivers that could become #1-WR easily in their spot. Plus, they want out of their current location, and a place with a team that reached the AFC Championship last season as the clear #1 would likely get them to play hard.
--Cons: For both, money is a certain factor. They will cost high draft picks to bring here plus a very high contract to either one after a year. Plus, neither have good reputations; Marshall with the law, Boldin as a teammate. These factors could be problems for the Ravens.

Option C: Go with who you have.
--Pros: No extra money is spent plus you can grow your current WR corps. Expect a lot of two tight end sets with Todd Heap and L.J. Smith with this decision. Plus, you can only gain something if Derrick Mason returns.
--Cons: The current WR corps minus Mark Clayton is unproven, so there is a lot of risk. Plus, injuries would be issues with most of them.

Option D: Try to get Derrick Mason to return.
--Pros: If successful, you get back Mason, who is a solid leader on the field plus a reliable receiver.
--Cons: Even if you get Mason back, the WR corps is still a problem with injuries. Plus, it is very unlikely that Mason will return, and the Ravens would not have a backup plan if that happened.

Obviously this is not a good situation, and with the start of training camp today for the rookies, it might be a lot worse. But Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh will have decisions to make soon.

Personally, I believe going after Marshall or Boldin is not worth the overall price. Although talent wise they are the best, the Ravens will have issues with them short and long term. Although it won't solve a lot, bringing in a D.J. Hackett or someone probably is the best way to go; a low cost wide receiver that could compete with Clayton and Williams. The point is that no decision is a perfect one for the Ravens.

Drew Bennett Signs With Ravens, Problem Solved?

The Ravens once again turn to a former Titan for a need, this one being wide receiver Drew Bennett, who signed a one-year deal with the Ravens on Friday, almost two weeks after Derrick Mason retired.

Bennett was on the Titans for six years, then joined onto the Rams in 2007 and 2008. Before that, he had caught at least 700 yards in his last three years with Tennessee, including over 1200 in 2004. He got hurt with a foot injury in the opening game this past year and had his six-year contract terminated by St. Louis after the season. Now 30, he won the receiver tryouts and will join the Ravens for this season, meaning Baltimore believes his foot is fine and will have him on the field.

Bennett will likely get the #1 or #2 spot with the other going to Mark Clayton. Demetrius Williams and Marcus Smith will probably fight for the slot position. The Ravens may employ their tight ends a lot with Todd Heap and L.J. Smith to balance the air attack for Joe Flacco.

I'm not sure if this is who the Ravens need at wide receiver in place of Derrick Mason, but this might have been the best option. It is concerning that no one wanted Bennett beforehand, but that would have been a problem with anyone they picked up in free agency, including Marvin Harrison. It is also concerning the Ravens are depending on another receiver with injury issues. But, it will mean the Ravens will not do a high risk trade for players like Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin, whose respective teams would have likely raised the price for their talented but risky off the field receivers.

But this does bring up the question of Mason's retirement. The buzz had gone around that John Harbaugh was not sure if Mason had retired, that maybe he would want an extension or just didn't want to go to training camp. But signing Bennett may be an important move to this. Obviously the Ravens would love to have Mason back, but Ozzie Newsome can not bank on convincing Mason to change his mind. At the very least the Ravens need another receiver that can play to be ready. The door is not shut on the situation, but the Ravens are ready to move on if nothing changes.

No matter what, the Ravens will be readying their two tight end sets to have their best core of ball-catchers on the field to help Joe Flacco. This is not an easy situation to deal with and the problems are not over, but Bennett was a good pickup considering the situation in Baltimore.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Boldin to Ravens? Think Twice.

There has been a flurry of talk around Anquan Boldin, one of the elite Cardinal wide receivers, possibly being traded soon to another NFL club. The Cardinals have said that they are looking for at least a first and a third round pick in exchange for this disgruntled Pro Bowl wideout. The Ravens have been mentioned as one of the teams interested in possibly making a move for Boldin. There are a good number of Ravens fans who might agree with this, but please please think twice about this before pulling the trigger.

The Ravens should absolutely not make this trade if it involves giving up their first and third round picks. Anquan Boldin, while he represents the ideal physicality and toughness for a wide receiver, doesn't provide that breakaway speed that the Ravens have been looking for to complement Flacco's arm. Boldin is brilliant over the middle and in space, but the Ravens already have two receivers who are best when going over the middle rather than down the field. To acquire Boldin would no doubt be a massive upgrade to the receiving corps, but I would argue that the benefits of having a receiver like Boldin are far outweighed by the costs of getting him.

Before I even get to the cost in draft picks, let's consider the fact that Boldin expects to be paid like a top-flight receiver in the area of Larry Fitzgerald (hence why the Cardinals have to trade him). The Ravens are already in a tightening cap situation, and adding on a contract like Boldin will carry would severely handicap the Ravens down the line. The Ravens would be far better off paying one of the many talented rookie wideouts in the draft and saving those many millions of dollars that Boldin would warrant. This brings me to the cost in draft picks that this potential trade would entail. The Ravens have built their franchise through the draft, and not through quick and easy rentals. When they have traded away picks (getting rid of a future first rounder for Kyle Boller, trading several draft picks for McGahee), they have not been resounding successes. Rather, the Ravens have had uncanny success when they hang onto their picks and rely on their scouting department.

This is a very above-average draft for the wide receiver position. It is loaded with high-ceiling wideouts, and is exceptionally deep with receivers of different molds. Some of the top-tier guys certainly will not be there at pick 26, but there are still quality receivers who should fall. There is talk of Percy Harvin dropping, who would be a bit of a project but still has unbelievable physical tools, and Kenny Britt out of Rutgers is a fast riser who is finding his way into the first round discussion. Hakeem Nicks out of North Carolina is not quite the vertical player that the Ravens might be looking for, but has an immense physicality to him and excellent size. Also, the Ravens could utilize later picks, as with last year in jumping to get Joe Flacco, to nab a player like Darrius Heyward-Bey if he drops to the late teens. The point is, there is immense opportunity in this year's draft, and I feel more than confident that Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens scouting department can find an excellent wideout within this year's draft class and make the moves to get him.

There is no way that Anquan Boldin is worth the draft picks and contract money necessary to acquire him. The Ravens have built their success upon the draft, and the last thing the Ravens should do is mortgage that philosophy for a band-aid. Anquan Boldin is an excellent player, but he is not the answer. Get a young receiver who can grow together with your budding franchise quarterback, and you'll be onto something special.

(Photo Credit: SI.com)