OTL: Ravens Overpaying! Dogs and Cats, Living Together!

When Odell Beckham was originally reported to have agreed to a deal with the Baltimore Ravens, many fans assumed his guaranteed money would be in the $8-10M range, a sort of “show me” deal for the wide receiver who, while once one of the most feared in the NFL, hasn’t played an NFL game since the Super Bowl in February of 2022. Then, however, we heard that the Ravens were guaranteeing Beckham over $15M dollars, and many heads around #RavensFlock – and in NFL circles – began to spin.

What happened to “Right Player, Right Price?” The Baltimore Ravens handing out a free agent contract widely agreed upon to be an “overpay?”

We seem to have entered a new era of sorts around here, and many aren’t too comfortable with it. This is quite the calculated risk the Ravens are taking.

A Calculated Risk

On the other hand, this is just the kind of move for which many within the Flock have been clamoring for YEARS. To bring in a true, established, stud number one wide receiver, still in the prime of his career, cost be damned.

Will it work out? That, of course, remains to be seen. For now, we should appreciate how far afield from their usual way of business Eric DeCosta and company have stepped though. To put together a deal like this involved the type of contract structure we don’t usually see around here, with void years dangling the potential of a hefty price in dead money just over the horizon.

Our own Brian McFarland has been making the rounds on the local airwaves and podcasts to discuss it, and you can listen to him with Glenn Clark right here.

ICYMI what exactly would the cap penalty be for the #Ravens in 2024 if the Odell Beckham signing doesn’t work out/he’s not worth signing long-term after this season? @RavensSalaryCap (as always) offered us a thorough explanation of the deal… https://t.co/BVGRxjIY3P

— Glenn Clark (@GlennClarkRadio) April 10, 2023

As you can hear Brian explain in the above clip, this is the fifth contract with void years the Ravens have done recently, a clear signal to the rest of the NFL that they plan to match any deal anyone else offers Lamar Jackson.

While many fans are still hoping the team continues to add weapons by drafting a wideout in the first round of the upcoming draft, it no longer seems quite a necessary as it did a week ago. The Ravens prefer to head into the draft without glaring needs, allowing them to pursue their Best Player Available strategy.

A guy projected to last until the early second round is Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt, and the Flock has been eyeing him of late.

Jalin Hyatt could be the perfect fit along side of Bateman, OBJ & Andrews. You must account for him or it’s an easy 6. Miss a tackle, it’s 6. Thank you to @j_stew55. Used his youtube video for this cutup. #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/Ldkg0QKRPk

— Huddle It Up Films (@HuddleItUpFilms) April 12, 2023

With Marcus Peters still unsigned though, the cornerback room is a bit thinner than their counterparts across the hall in the WR room at the moment, and a corner in round one wouldn’t surprise anybody. As Jeff Zrebeic describes, unlike at WR, the Ravens haven’t had any problems drafting that position in the first.

Ravens have drafted a cornerback in the first round four times and not once have they regretted it. They figure to have that option again this year with what’s being touted as a deep and talented CB class.

via @TheAthletic https://t.co/CnBogH02bs

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) April 12, 2023

We’ll have plenty to talk about between now and two weeks from tomorrow.

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