CBS Sports names Ravens as potential landing spot for star wide receiver

The Baltimore Ravens have been linked to many star receivers over the last few years. From Julio Jones to Antonio Brown and plenty of others in between, Baltimore has been named as a potential destination due to fact that people have been clamoring for the team to acquire a true No. 1 receiver for years.

With reports and rumors flying about New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports put together a list of seven NFL franchises that could make a play for the star if New Orleans decides to trade him. Benjamin included the Ravens on his list, putting them in the No. 3 spot. When explaining his reasoning, Benjamin said that Thomas could be the most natural target for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“They’d need to move some money around to make it work, but they’ve been sniffing around veteran receivers all offseason in hopes of helping out QB Lamar Jackson. Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins may very well help the aerial game alongside Marquise Brown, but Thomas would be the most natural target for Jackson, especially in a run-heavy, short-area passing attack. Baltimore is obviously also solely focused on winning now, and they reside comfortably outside of the NFC.”

While there’s no doubt that Thomas would instantly become the best wide receiver on Baltimore’s current roster, the move doesn’t make sense for a few reasons. For one, as Benjamin notes, the Ravens would have to shuffle around money to make any trade involving Thomas happen. The star is in the second year of a five-year contract extension that will see him have more than a $24 million cap hit in each of the next three seasons after 2021. If he’s acquired by another team, that cap hit falls to at least $15 million.

Another reason why Baltimore will most likely not trade for Thomas is the fact that they’ve made it clear how much they trust their current group of wide receivers. While injuries have hit the unit hard during the opening part of training camp, they’ve built a talented group that compliments the offense and can make plays themselves. With tough decisions already ahead for the team based off of how much depth there is at the position, Thomas would only add to that. In that situation, the Ravens could potentially have to part ways with a talented wideout such as James Proche II in order to field a well-rounded team.

Adding a player like Thomas would make Baltimore a better football team. After all, he’s accumulated 510 receptions for 5,950 yards and 32 touchdowns over the course of his career. However, it just doesn’t seem like he fits what the Ravens need or even want right now, so it feels extremely unlikely that the team would make a move for Thomas even if he was made available by the Saints.

The only two teams to be ranked above Baltimore on Benjamin’s list are the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 2 and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold the top spot at No. 1.