Bleacher Report puts together four trades for Ravens ahead of 2022 training camp
The Baltimore Ravens are no strangers to making trades. The organization has both brought in and sent out a multitude of players over the course of their franchise history, and it remains a great way to either bring in a quality contributor or get assets back for a player who might not be in long-term plans.
When listing out one trade that each NFL team should offer before 2022 training camp, Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report named his choice for Baltimore as acquiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Wharton’s reasoning was that Miller is stuck behind a very talented wide receiver group in Tampa Bay, and would be able to fill the void left by Marquise Brown at a cheaper price.
“Miller’s lack of impact was shocking, considering the success he found with Tom Brady in their first year together. The speedy 5’9″, 174-pounder averaged 15.2 yards per catch and totaled 501 yards and three scores in 2020. He’s stuck behind the deepest receiving corps in the league but would catch on in Baltimore with his ability to get open quickly…Baltimore opted against adding another quality receiver despite moving Marquise Brown during the NFL draft, creating a massive hole that Miller could fill for a much cheaper price.”
Miller is a talented player, but his skillset is rather redundant to the wideouts that the Ravens currently have atop their depth chart. A big-bodied pass catcher or a speedy wide receiver are the profiles that the team should be looking for, and Miller, albeit skilled, is neither.
Wharton had Baltimore make three more appearances on his list when talking about trades for other teams. First, he has the Ravens trading safety Chuck Clark to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick.
“Clark is set to receive a new contract after this season and would surely rather be in a situation where he can build value and cash in. Dallas has the perfect opening next to free safety Malik Hooker and versatile defender Jayron Kearse. The Cowboys saw both Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee depart in free agency, and Clark could help fill the box safety role they split in 2021.”
Next, he has the Indianapolis Colts acquiring cornerback Marcus Peters in exchange for a 2023 third-round selection.
“Baltimore recently signed veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller as depth to go with 2022 fourth-round pick Jayln Armour-Davis and Iman Marshall. It wouldn’t be shocking if Peters was made available…Indianapolis would be a natural landing spot as it goes all-in around Matt Ryan. The current array of options across from Stephon Gilmore is a gamble, as Brandon Facyson hasn’t even put together a full season of consistent play yet. Peters would raise the ceiling of that unit considerably in 2022.”
Finally Wharton moves tight end Nick Boyle out of Baltimore, trading him and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the New York Giants in exchange for wide receiver Kenny Golladay.
“Finding a new home for Golladay is complicated by the fact that his new team would need to pay his $13 million base salary in 2022. Baltimore would need to reshuffle some money to make this work, but it has a need for a playmaking receiver after dealing Marquise Brown during the NFL draft. Golladay would give Lamar Jackson a trustworthy, big-bodied threat who can win on deep jump balls better than anyone currently on the roster.”
While the Ravens certainly have some form of a logjam at tight end, cornerback and safety, they’ve build their depth to be deep at those positions for multiple reasons. Trading Clark, Peters and Boyle likely wouldn’t be worth the assets they’d be receiving back, as each is a key part of the team both on and off of the field.
Baltimore could certainly look to trade some of their depth pieces as the 2022 regular season draws closer and they need to make some tough decisions about who makes the final roster. However, moving on from some of their stars for draft capital or bad contracts while they’re still in a competitive window doesn’t make a lot of sense, especially not now.
