‘We Can Thrive!’ Hollywood Brown Returning to Ravens?
Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is apparently dealing with a bit of a rewrite.
Originally chosen by the Baltimore Ravens in the opening round of the 2019 draft, Brown enjoyed reasonable success with Lamar Jackson over his first three seasons, picking up 2,361 yards and 21 aerial scores.
But as Jackson struggled with health, Baltimore became more inclined to run the ball - including Jackson's own showcase of his mobile abilities. The Ravens led the league with 2,194 rushing attempts during Brown's time with the team, one of only two teams (the other being Derrick Henry's Tennessee Titans) to have over 2,000.
The overzealous ground attack led to Brown shedding his purple feathers for red, moving on to the Arizona Cardinals through a draft day trade in 2022. Such a transaction reunited Brown with former Oklahoma University teammate Kyler Murray, but the Heisman Trophy winner's own medical owes, as well as a potentially messy divorce from the team has them rethinking the future. With Murray currently stationed on the PUP list and potentially having played his final down in red, Arizona could move onto a run-heavy offense centered around tenured, if not reliable, veteran James Conner.
Brown was asked about such a possibility in Cardinals camp this week and his response made it clear that he's still facetiously charmed by Charm City.
"I played in Baltimore,” Brown said, per PHNX Sports. “I played in Baltimore, so I’ve been in it. When I met with these guys and they told me their philosophies and their thought process, I was like, OK, I can work with it, and this is something that we need as a team, and we can thrive in.”
Arizona, looking to recover from an ugly four-win campaign, might have no choice but dish it off to Conner, limiting the opportunities Brown desired upon forcing his trade. It's widely expected that Murray won't be ready for the Sept. 10 opening game against Washington and the current backup options are Colt McCoy, David Blough, Jeff Driskel, and rookie Clayton Tune.
If Brown is able to escape the potential carnage and tries to make his way back to Baltimore, it's probably unlikely they'll bite. The Ravens have since restocked with Odell Beckham Jr. and premier rookie Zay Flowers to join Rashod Bateman and tight end Mark Andrews.
Brown gets a shot at his former team on Oct. 29 when the Ravens travel to Glendale to partake in Week 8 action. In the meantime, Baltimore kicks the preseason off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET on WBAL and NFL Network.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
Follow the Baltimore Ravens Daily Blitz Podcast
Follow Raven Country on Twitter and Facebook
Ravens Alert! Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Baltimore Ravens?
