The Baltimore Ravens’ wide receiver situation has been a hot mess this season. Veteran wide receiver Sammy Watkins needed a home after surprisingly finding himself released by the Green Bay Packers on Monday.
This is apparently a match made in heaven. According to multiple media reports, Baltimore has picked up Watkins off waivers from Green Bay.
This is pretty much a no-brainer for Baltimore. Watkins, 29, had a base salary of $1.12 million before Green Bay opted to move off the veteran. The team will pay the pro-rated version of that, less than $200,000, for the remainder of the season.
It also comes after No. 3-leading receiver Devin Duvernay exited Ravens practice on Tuesday with a foot injury that’s feared to be significant.
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With star quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined to injury, the Baltimore Ravens have been a hot mess on offense in recent weeks. That included scoring a mere three points in Saturday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. As for Watkins, the former top-four pick of the Buffalo Bills did very little in Green Bay prior to being waived.
- Sammy Watkins stats (2022): 13 receptions, 206 yards, 0 TD, 59.1% catch rate
With that said, there is some familiarity here. Watkins suited up for the Ravens a season ago, catching 27 balls for 394 yards and a touchdown in 13 games (nine starts).
With Baltimore at 9-5 on the season and hoping to get Jackson back from his knee injury soon, adding a reinforcement was key. Given the Duvernay injury news, that’s magnified further.
As of right now, Demarcus Robinson is Baltimore’s leading pass-catcher from the wide receiver position with 44 receptions. He, too, was picked up off waivers earlier in the season.
Outside of Robinson and Duvernay, not a single active Ravens receiver has caught more than eight passes with former No. 1 pick Rashod Bateman on injured reserve and lost for the season.
Baltimore takes on the Atlanta Falcons Christmas Eve as the team looks to get out of his rut offensively.