Ravens Advised to Target Receiving Playmakers in Offseason

Even with a month remaining in the NFL's regular season, picking one way to fix the Baltimore Ravens is a daunting task.

They're an older team, and they've recently pledged their committed to some of their more experienced contributors with a Mark Andrews extension while lacking sufficient resources all around their roster.

Neither sides of Baltimore's line have looked all that impressive over the last three months, and they now find themselves looking to sort out uneven defensive back and wide receiver rooms while trying to figure out how much they should be worrying about their injury-plagued star in Lamar Jackson.

Locating a Ready-Made Star

Cultivating a new-and-improved offensive line can't be done overnight, as that requires locating and developing goliaths at the center of the scoring attack. What they can do, though, is handle their issues one-by-one to fix one of their many thin position groups, and ESPN's advising that they add an explosive playmaker to provide some breathing room to the decrepit offense.

"The Chiefs and Ravens both need a classic boundary receiver on the outside and could address that with one big move in free agency," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. "George Pickens would be a significant upgrade in Baltimore, and Alec Pierce would satisfy that need in Kansas City, which has been starved for explosive playmaking on the outside since Tyreek Hill was traded after the 2021 season."

Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver George Pickens — Nov 23, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) reacts during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

"Both would be costly, and Pickens might be franchise-tagged by Dallas. But if available, the Ravens could use some of their $40 million in 2026 cap space on Pickens, knowing John Harbaugh is good at managing big personalities."

Managing Priorities

He won't be some easy get, especially after proving himself as capable of ranking as a top-10 receiver in the sport with the Cowboys, but the Ravens simply can't run it back with the same underwhelming scoring weapons next season. Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell are worth keeping as exciting running backs.

As athletic as Zay Flowers is, the mistake-prone wideout can't headline Jackson's receiving weapons, having gone a dozen straight games without adding a second touchdown to his season statistics.

ESPN's advice still feels like putting a band-aid over a totaled car, though. Just about all of the Ravens' issues -- the battered quarterback, the stymied red zone attack, the neutered run game, the steep sack count, the countless untimely losses -- can be drawn back to Baltimore's lack of blockers. It's hard to imagine that anything will seriously change until Jackson, the orchestrator of the offense, is safe to do his job. That's where the Ravens should start their offseason re-tool.

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