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WR Rashod Bateman
Could Ravens Turn Into a Pass-First Offense This Season?
The Ravens often get labeled as a run-first team, which is understandable considering they set the NFL s single-season rushing record in 2019 and led the league in rushing again last season while finishing last in passing yards.
However, as Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman pointed out last month, the Ravens actually called more passing plays than running plays last season. They finished last season with an NFL-high 555 carries and NFL-low 406 pass attempts. In theory, though, the numbers told a different story, The Baltimore Sun s Jonas Shaffer wrote. According to Sports Info Solutions data, if you were to move the Ravens 49 scrambles over to their passing column, remove their 13 kneel-downs from their running column and imagine all 32 sacks as pass attempts, the margin narrows considerably.
Left: WR Sammy Watkins; Center: WR Rashod Bateman; Right: WR Tylan Wallace
Ravens Have One of NFL s Most Improved Receiving Corps
When General Manager Eric DeCosta expressed confidence in the Ravens wide receivers during the team s pre-draft press conference, some assumed it indicated Baltimore wasn t going to address the position early in the draft.
Of course, it wasn t an either/or situation. It s possible to have faith in the players you have and still look to get better, deeper and create competition.
In drafting Rashod Bateman in the first round, Tylan Wallace in the fourth and signing free agent Sammy Watkins, the Ravens are among the top three most improved receiving corps heading into the season, according to Pro Football Focus sBen Linsey.