OTL: Can Rashod Bateman & Lamar Jackson Start Connecting?

In what seems to be an annual conversation at this point, the Ravens are once again having discussions about what to do at the receiver position.

Harbaugh: “I think we’re going to be in great shape at wide receiver. Give those young guys a chance and see how they do.”

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) March 25, 2024

Harbaugh said that Lamar Jackson has told the organization about a few of the WRs that he likes coming out in the draft.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) March 25, 2024

While those two statements seem slightly contradictory, it makes sense to explore receiving options in this year’s draft class. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, 19 of the consensus top 100 prospects this year are wideouts, signaling that, even if Baltimore opts to address the offensive line with their early draft capital, they may still be able to pick up an impact receiver in the second round and beyond. Looking past 2024, they’ll certainly need the reinforcements.

Every wide receiver that is currently under contract on the Ravens’ roster after next season ends:

– Zay Flowers

That’s the list

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) March 7, 2024

To their credit, Baltimore’s receiving offense did see improvement in the ‘23-’24 season. Their run-first approach still landed them in the bottom half of the league in receiving yards (21^st), but this was an uptick from 30^th in ‘22-’23. They also made a massive jump in yards per reception, as they improved from 10.8 YPC two years ago (23^rd in the league) to 11.8 YPC last season (5^th in the league). Undoubtedly, the addition of Zay Flowers and his immediate chemistry with Lamar Jackson had a lot to do with the improvement, but that bump is impressive, especially given the lengthy absence of Mark Andrews at the end of the year. The improvement in efficiency, leading to a league-low seven interceptions last season, was something I touched on in a recent piece following Nelson Agholor’s extension.

Out to Lunch w/@Royal_Farms & @KMackSports

Do the Ravens need more at WR? After the Agholor extension, #RavensFlock seems divided. https://t.co/T14Y84ShyF

— Russell St. Report (@RussellStReport) February 20, 2024

While Nelly was a focal point in that piece, another current member of the receiver room has been at the center of a lot of conversation around the Flock recently: Rashod Bateman. Specifically, whether the front office should pick up Bate’s 5^th-year option.

Is Rashod Bateman worth the $14 million option next season? I mean “worth” is so relative when guys like Darnell Mooney are making $13 mil APY.

I’m not saying he is making it all in one season btw.

Point is, this really isn’t a crazy figure for him in this economy. #Ravens pic.twitter.com/oKL6TeLbTJ

— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) March 22, 2024

PFF writer Brad Spielberger believes the Ravens will decline to exercise Rashod Bateman’s fifth-year option.

They have until May 2nd to make a decision. pic.twitter.com/ggYKMzt6S9

— ð—¥ð—®ð˜ƒð—²ð—»ð˜€ ð—¡ð—®ð˜ð—¶ð—¼ð—» ð™‡ð™„ð™‘𙀠(@LIVERavenNation) March 24, 2024

If it was based on Bateman’s talent alone, this would likely be a simple answer. Based on productivity and ability to separate from coverage, it feels like his numbers should be significantly higher. The talent is certainly there, and you can see the flashes of it (Chart below by Judah Fortgang of Pro Football Focus).

I went back and watched every Rashod Bateman route from the 2023 season.

Here’s what I learned about why separation ≠ production. https://t.co/wh5obJP6Ob

— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) February 20, 2024

Of course, absences from injury come into play when considering a player’s retention, and those missed games certainly play a part in the team’s outlook for Bate. For my money, the biggest question remains, “Can Bate build a better rapport with Lamar?” Bateman was fourth on the team in targets last season, behind Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and (notably) Odell Beckham. Reeling in only 57.1% of his catches was certainly an issue, but Bateman seemed to be in the latter stages of Lamar’s progressions, signaling the deep option on a lot of formations. Those downfield shots are lower-percentage throws, so perhaps if Bate slides into OBJ’s role, he’ll get more mid-range targets that will allow him to feature his skill set better.

All the times Rashod Bateman got great separation but not the ball in 2023, by @jonas_shaffer pic.twitter.com/drRzQr39b2

— Baltimore Banner Sports (@AllBannerSports) February 20, 2024

This is purely speculative, but I think that the lost time in Bateman’s rookie Training Camp really hurt his overall development. His physical skill set could make him a late bloomer at the NFL level, but I think the lost time in developing chemistry with Jackson may be the bigger inhibiting factor. Lamar and Zay Flowers clearly click in their chemistry already, and some of that may be due to the South Florida ties that make offseason training easier, but in an offense that’s already stingy with the pass, it could be an uphill battle for Bateman to prove that he’s the kind of player the front office was hoping for when they selected him in the first round in 2021.

If I’m EDC, with the receiver market as it currently exists, I’m locking Bate in for another year. That said, that extension comes with a conversation between the front office, Todd Monken, and Bateman about how to unlock his potential. If he performs the way we all think he’s capable of in 2024, great, everyone goes home happy. If not, the depth provided by this draft class gets that much more appealing.

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