The Baltimore Ravens had one of the worst passing games this past season, and they went into the offseason with a clear mission to address that area of need ahead of 2023.
They drafted Boston College WR Zay Flowers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, adding an electric player with speed and quickness to create after the catch. They also signed free agents Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. to add proven veteran playmakers to a relatively young WR room.
Even after the Ravens signed Beckham to a one-year deal with $15 million guaranteed, they “did their homework” on trading for DeAndre Hopkins, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals, but “backed off” from making a deal with Arizona, according to the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec
Right before the 2023 NFL Draft kicked off in Kansas City, Kevin Eck who writes for Baltimoreravens.com, said that the Ravens were “close” to getting a deal done with Arizona to acquire Hopkins. Apparently the sticking point for Baltimore was the draft capital associated with acquiring Hopkins along with making his contract work with their current salary cap after extending QB Lamar Jackson to a record-setting contract.
Ultimately, a deal never transpired, and the Ravens now sit here with Hopkins being a free agent who can sign with any NFL team. The Ravens currently sit with just over $11 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap and would have to free up more space to sign Hopkins. With the Chiefs and the Bills the current favorites to sign Hopkins and Baltimore’s current state of the WR room after its offseason acquisitions, it seems unlikely that the two would come to an agreement. Still, the Ravens could make it work if they desired to give Jackson yet another weapon in the passing game.
We shall see if Hopkins decides to go to one of the AFC’s heavyweight contenders or to an AFC North team like the Ravens or the Browns. Either way, it appears like the Pittsburgh Steelers will see another star WR joining one of the teams they may have to face in the regular season or as a playoff team in 2023.
