With the first wave of free agency finished, the Baltimore Ravens still have a huge hole at wide receiver. While the free agent market for wide receiver was already thin before contracts were getting signed, there are some options still available if Baltimore is interested.
Let’s take a look at the three best wide receivers still available in free agency.
Pierre Garcon:
Garcon, who will turn 33 years old next season, is the type of signing Baltimore has typically made at wide receiver. With the San Francisco 49ers, Garcon didn’t put up a ton of stats but was a sure-handed option for a struggling offense. Looking back three years to 2016 with the Washington Redskins, Garcon caught 79 passes for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ravens could add Garcon as a stopgap option and mentor for what will undoubtedly be a very young wide receiver corps. If Garcon is closer to what he was with the Redskins, he’d be a great value pickup for Baltimore.
Jermaine Kearse:
Kearse had a really down year with the New York Jets last season, catching 37 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown. But some of that could be due to working with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold in an anemic offense. With veteran quarterback Josh McCown throwing to him in 2017, Kearse caught 65 passes for 810 yards and five touchdowns.
At 29 years old, Kearse likely has a few years left of better production. Though he’s never been a 1,000-yard receiver, Kearse has been a sure-handed receiver that can attack the middle of the field.
Kelvin Benjamin:
Benjamin has been a huge disappointment everywhere he’s been. But it’s hard to hate on what Benjamin brings to the table physically. At 6 feet 5 and 245 pounds, he’s faster than his 4.61 40-yard dash says he is.
In his two-and-a-half years with the Carolina Panthers, Benjamin caught 168 passes for 2,424 yards and 18 touchdowns. That’s production Baltimore has rarely seen from their wide receivers and something they could use with so few options.
The big question is whether the Ravens could get Benjamin to keep his nose to the grindstone and work hard or whether he’d continue to be a distraction, as he was with the Panthers and Buffalo Bills. The talent is clearly there; it might just take a change of scenery to a no-nonsense coaching staff and roster that will get the most out of him.
On a short-term, one-year deal, Benjamin might be a good option for young quarterback Lamar Jackson.
