WR Rashod Bateman, BAL (1 Viewer)

[massraider]

I don’t think there’s a lot of room to move him down the WR rankings.  
 

I had him neck and neck with Marshall.  Marshall probably moves ahead if he gets drafted to a solid spot today.  
 

People may move Lawrence past him and look more at that 2nd group of RB’s before Bateman. 

I think the Moore's could move past him, if they get prolific offenses.  

I'm cool with Bateman there.  The #1 role there is for the taking, and it's a good team that will score. If he's good 1,000 yards and 6 TDs seems within reach most seasons.  

 

[massraider]

Also, this logic must mean everyone is completely distraught about Devonta's landing spot.  

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Is it really much different from AJ Brown going to Tennessee?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Boy, DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle vs. Bateman just became a much less fun debate. I don't like where any of them landed. 

Agree. I don't love any of the landing spots - I guess I'll take some solace in (mistakenly) avoiding AJB in drafts because i hated the situation and try and learn from it. They all should threaten to be the teams top target pretty quickly at least. 

 

[woodstock]

Yeah, I know you're not supposed to totally look at location and move guys down, but Baltimore has been such an outlier running the football, as Zachariason noted, that there's no pie to split there. There aren't any targets and Baltimore's own coaches were unrepentant about how much they ran last year. They're doubling down with it, whether that means January wins or not.

I was considering Bateman at 1.04 or 1.05 before this. Now I can't reach knowing his atrocious landing spot. So yeah, it really did knock him down a peg for me. I don't think I'll regret that, either. It's Baltimore and they'll be designed to do exactly what they've been doing for at least two more years. 

 

[barackdhouse]

It knocked him down several pegs. But I love what it does for their offense and for Lamar. It is the best NFL pick they could have made. 

 

[Faust]

Ravens draft Rashod Bateman: Fantasy Football impact, scouting report, Dynasty outlook, stats to know, more

 

[woodstock]

Read it and weep. 

Scott Barrett

@ScottBarrettDFB 19m

Rashod Bateman landing spot

- BAL ranked dead-last in pass attempts last year

- BAL have about ~70 vacated targets (Willie Snead, Dez Bryant) but added Sammy Watkins and now Bateman

- Of the few pass attempts thrown, Lamar Jackson ranked bottom-10 in Accurate Pass% last year

 

[jm192]

Also, this logic must mean everyone is completely distraught about Devonta's landing spot.  

Are the eagles consistently one of the most run heavy offenses in the league?

I have my reservations about Hurts.  But I think if Hurts struggles, they’ll get another QB.  Jackson is a pretty good QB.  I think he’s pretty safe.  I also think he’s much less of the “problem” than the run heavy offense. 

 

[barackdhouse]

Read it and weep. 

Yeah I pretty much can't take him now. And I wonder how precipitous the fall will be in rookie drafts. At what point do you say you can't pass him up? What if he falls to 2.01? And I think he will BTW. It is a rhetorical question because we don't know the rest of the board yet but I can't imagine anyone feeling good about taking him. 

 

[MAC_32]

Read it and weep. 

Scott Barrett

@ScottBarrettDFB 19m

Rashod Bateman landing spot

- BAL ranked dead-last in pass attempts last year

- BAL have about ~70 vacated targets (Willie Snead, Dez Bryant) but added Sammy Watkins and now Bateman

- Of the few pass attempts thrown, Lamar Jackson ranked bottom-10 in Accurate Pass% last year

I don't think Marquise Brown is getting another 25% target share

 

[Faust]

Fantasy Football: Will Rashod Bateman ball out in 2021?

 

[Faust]

Bateman and Oweh both listed in PFF’s 6 Biggest Steals of Round 1

 

[voiceofunreason]

Is it really much different from AJ Brown going to Tennessee?

I drafted AJB everywhere. I'm not touching Bateman before the late first, probably later. Good pick football wise for the Ravens. But for fantasy, you're probably looking at the team with the least throwing yards in the league for a few years. Just no ceiling. Hard to wait 5 years and hope he becomes a free agent and signs somewhere else.

 

[The Frankman]

I don't think Marquise Brown is getting another 25% target share

I guarantee you Marquise Brown isn't getting another 25% target share. I said it earlier; sometime past the halfway point of the season assuming he's healthy and had a full camp Bateman is taking the #1 WR job.

 

[Adso]

Read it and weep. 

Scott Barrett

@ScottBarrettDFB 19m

Rashod Bateman landing spot

- BAL ranked dead-last in pass attempts last year

- BAL have about ~70 vacated targets (Willie Snead, Dez Bryant) but added Sammy Watkins and now Bateman

- Of the few pass attempts thrown, Lamar Jackson ranked bottom-10 in Accurate Pass% last year

Hrmm. 

- Of the few pass attempts thrown, Lamar Jackson ranked bottom-10 in Accurate Pass% last year:  

• Maybe he means passes completed? If so then yes, LJ's 2020 comp% was 64.4%. Still, that is within 2% of Mahomes, Herbert, and Brady. In 2019 it was 66.1% which was the 9th highest, basically tied with Wilson, Mahomes, and Ryan.
  
• If he means percentage of on target throws excluding spikes and throwaways, it's almost the exact same story.
  

Seems like there's some spin on this tweet. Agreed that it's a low passing volume office (wonder how much of that was due to the level of faith in their pass catchers?). The Accurate Pass% thing definitely sounds sensationalized. If this metric tells us anything, it's that the main difference between him and some of the QB's who are perceived to be the most accurate in the league is volume. Shocker.

So there's legitimate concern about the volume but the above doesn't convince me that Lamar Jackson is something to be concerned about with this landing spot. 

 

[barackdhouse]

Jackson is a confidence QB and he can throw darts when things are clicking. He is streaky. When things don't go right he can get rattled. It's a legitimate problem. I had a ton of shares of him (and Ingram and Andrews) in 2019 and was keenly aware of what they were doing in 2020. I reached for LJ in a number of spots and it didn't pay off. But I think he may be a value again. 

Dobbins really threw a monkey wrench into their offensive rhythm last year, IMO. Not his fault but Roman and Harbaugh wanted to run what turned out to be a very predictable offense. Partly based on their RB rotation where they would rotate Dobbins, Ingram and Edwards about every 3rd or 4th play. It was too much rotation and it is my belief that it handicapped them. They didn't get into grooves and LJ suffered for it as well. On top of legit regression issues. 

But Ingram is gone and although Edwards is a fine backup (or maybe even a spot starter in the league), this is Dobbins backfield this year. With the running game of LJ people can debate the FF outlook for Dobbins but my point is that I really think they are primed for a much, much better offense with Bateman, Dobbins, Andrews, Brown and others. With more of a workhorse type of backfield I think they can find a better rhythm and steamroll people.

I still wouldn't touch Bateman in FF but it is a great spot for Jackson.

 

[Wigglytuff's Gruff]

I think he could elevate Jackson. 

Really like his game. 

 

[Deamon]

I guarantee you Marquise Brown isn't getting another 25% target share. I said it earlier; sometime past the halfway point of the season assuming he's healthy and had a full camp Bateman is taking the #1 WR job.

But how good is the #1 WR job in Baltimore from a stats perspective?  I can see him maybe overtaking Brown, but he's still behind Andrews in a pretty weak passing offense.  I can see Andrews/Bateman/Brown becoming a 1a/1b/1c type deal.  Not that that is bad, but I'd pump the brakes on his fantasy outlook.

 

[Snorkelson]

I drafted AJB everywhere. I'm not touching Bateman before the late first, probably later. Good pick football wise for the Ravens. But for fantasy, you're probably looking at the team with the least throwing yards in the league for a few years. Just no ceiling. Hard to wait 5 years and hope he becomes a free agent and signs somewhere else.

Lots of people bringing up AJ Brown, but this situation isn’t the same at all. Mariota was on the hot seat; Jackson will likely be the qb there for the next several years. It won’t change to a suddenly high volume passing offense. 

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Lots of people bringing up AJ Brown, but this situation isn’t the same at all. Mariota was on the hot seat; Jackson will likely be the qb there for the next several years. It won’t change to a suddenly high volume passing offense. 

Sure it is. Tennessee is low volume too. Tannehill threw for 86 more yards than Bridgewater last year. Good for 15th.

Now, admittedly, Jackson had a LOT less than that. But that's where this is a chicken and egg question - does Jackson throw so little because he has nobody to throw to or just because he doesn't? I'd guess the responses to that would be about 50/50.

So let's not say "same" but "similar" instead.

 

[jm192]

Hrmm. 

- Of the few pass attempts thrown, Lamar Jackson ranked bottom-10 in Accurate Pass% last year:  

• Maybe he means passes completed? If so then yes, LJ's 2020 comp% was 64.4%. Still, that is within 2% of Mahomes, Herbert, and Brady. In 2019 it was 66.1% which was the 9th highest, basically tied with Wilson, Mahomes, and Ryan.
  
• If he means percentage of on target throws excluding spikes and throwaways, it's almost the exact same story.
  

Seems like there's some spin on this tweet. Agreed that it's a low passing volume office (wonder how much of that was due to the level of faith in their pass catchers?). The Accurate Pass% thing definitely sounds sensationalized. If this metric tells us anything, it's that the main difference between him and some of the QB's who are perceived to be the most accurate in the league is volume. Shocker.

So there's legitimate concern about the volume but the above doesn't convince me that Lamar Jackson is something to be concerned about with this landing spot. 

Lamar is not the problem.  I think Lamar can sling it downfield just fine.  Will the coaching staff move towards more passing?  I’ll believe it when I see if.

 

[Snorkelson]

Sure it is. Tennessee is low volume too. Tannehill threw for 86 more yards than Bridgewater last year. Good for 15th.

Now, admittedly, Jackson had a LOT less than that. But that's where this is a chicken and egg question - does Jackson throw so little because he has nobody to throw to or just because he doesn't? I'd guess the responses to that would be about 50/50.

That’s a fair point, but Tannehill seems to execute that better than Mariota. Volume wasn’t exactly the point I was trying to make, more that the qb spot there is settled. Brown seemed to take a step forward when tannehill became qb. 

 

[Wigglytuff's Gruff]

Will they need to sling it? 

D still looks good to me. Don't think they're gonna be in that many shootouts. Even the divisional games all look like attritional affairs. 

 

[massraider]

Question is, who do you move above him?

We can be sad about this, but I dunno if I am going to take one of the slot-only guys just because they went to a better offense.  

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Lamar Jackson attempted 376 passes last year down from 401 the previous year as his completion percent dipped from 66% to 64%.  His TDs went down from 36 to 26 from the previous season and his INTs went up to 9 from 6.

For comparison's sake Josh Allen's pass attempts went up from 461 the previous season to 572 as his completion percent shot up from 58% to 69%.  HIs TDs went from 20 to 37 as his INTs went from 9 to 10.  

The Baltimore offense isn't built for a major overhaul from run based to a wide open passing attack.  

I don't think WR was a big need or will do much for that offense.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Question is, who do you move above him?

We can be sad about this, but I dunno if I am going to take one of the slot-only guys just because they went to a better offense.  

I think the answer differs if it's a PPR league. Non-ppr you probably keep him where he is or maybe drop him below Sermon. PPR, it depends on how you feel about a couple/few guys.

 

[Snorkelson]

I think the answer differs if it's a PPR league. Non-ppr you probably keep him where he is or maybe drop him below Sermon. PPR, it depends on how you feel about a couple/few guys.

I think sermon is going to rocket up boards, possibly as high as 5 or 6. Especially with the lack of rbs being drafted to this point.

 

[jm192]

Is it really much different from AJ Brown going to Tennessee?

This is a fantastic point.

I have calmed down a lot on The Bateman situation.  I’m kind of to the point he’ll fall and I’ll be glad to have him

AJ Brown had 84 and 106 targets the last 2 seasons.  He’s done well obviously.  Bateman may not be as efficient.  But there’s a model for Bateman’s fantasy success.

I like Lamar Jackson.  I think he’s a hard worker and talented.  I think he he has a chip on his shoulder and wants to show the world he can be a big time passer.  I agree drafting Bateman probably signals they want to open the playbook up and pass more.

Hollywood had 57 targets over his last 8 games.  That puts you on pace for 114.  Assuming Bateman is the alpha in the offense, it’s not hard to see him having 100-120 targets and finding success.  

 

[jm192]

Question is, who do you move above him?

We can be sad about this, but I dunno if I am going to take one of the slot-only guys just because they went to a better offense.  

I think I’m leaving him where he was.  Rondale in AZ is probably one of his best landing spots, and I still don’t love him.  Elijah going to NYJ is very interesting and I think he’ll succeed.  I can’t bring myself to like him with Wilson more than Bateman with Lamar.

Marshall is a tough one. I love Marshall.  I think Carolina will be a good offense.  But the pie will be spread thin.  

 

[massraider]

I think I’m leaving him where he was.  Rondale in AZ is probably one of his best landing spots, and I still don’t love him.  Elijah going to NYJ is very interesting and I think he’ll succeed.  I can’t bring myself to like him with Wilson more than Bateman with Lamar.

Marshall is a tough one. I love Marshall.  I think Carolina will be a good offense.  But the pie will be spread thin.  

Good stuff. 

Elijah Moore is probably the guy most likely, but for me that's Ravens vs. Jets. So I won't have that talk with myself very long. 

I'm going to draft Rondale Moore at least once because he could be so much fun there. But I think you can see a ton of variance in his game logs. 

 

[Faust]

Is Rashod Bateman the Ravens' true No. 1 wide receiver?

 

[Faust]

@Cjw_55106 - I am requesting a thread title update on this one!

 

[Faust]

Ravens signed No. 27 overall pick WR Rashod Bateman to a four-year, $12.6 million contract.

It's fully guaranteed and includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. As is the case with all first-rounders, Bateman's deal comes with a fifth-year team option. Bateman (6'0/190) led the country in Yards per Route Run from out wide as a 20-year-old sophomore (and Big Ten's Receiver of the Year) alongside Bucs WR Tyler Johnson before being moved into the slot for 61% of his snaps in 2020 in order to see more schemed targets. His career marks of 36 broken tackles (on 147 catches) and 15.7 YPR are still pigeonhole-proof in the NFL since he succeeded across Minnesota's formation with at least one catch in all 31 games. An average athlete, Bateman's basketball background and production from anywhere on the field should earn him reps in three-wide sets alongside Marquise Brown and free agent pickup Sammy Watkins. The Ravens have definitely upgraded their wideout room.

May 12, 2021, 5:04 PM ET

 

[The Show]

Jackson is a confidence QB and he can throw darts when things are clicking. He is streaky. When things don't go right he can get rattled. It's a legitimate problem. I had a ton of shares of him (and Ingram and Andrews) in 2019 and was keenly aware of what they were doing in 2020. I reached for LJ in a number of spots and it didn't pay off. But I think he may be a value again. 

Dobbins really threw a monkey wrench into their offensive rhythm last year, IMO. Not his fault but Roman and Harbaugh wanted to run what turned out to be a very predictable offense. Partly based on their RB rotation where they would rotate Dobbins, Ingram and Edwards about every 3rd or 4th play. It was too much rotation and it is my belief that it handicapped them. They didn't get into grooves and LJ suffered for it as well. On top of legit regression issues. 

But Ingram is gone and although Edwards is a fine backup (or maybe even a spot starter in the league), this is Dobbins backfield this year. With the running game of LJ people can debate the FF outlook for Dobbins but my point is that I really think they are primed for a much, much better offense with Bateman, Dobbins, Andrews, Brown and others. With more of a workhorse type of backfield I think they can find a better rhythm and steamroll people.

I still wouldn't touch Bateman in FF but it is a great spot for Jackson.

Great post! Nailed it top to bottom. 

 

[Shaq90]

Was shocked to see him sitting there at 2.05 in a 12 team Super Flex.

Another guy who's tape I didn't even bother with since I thought he'd be long gone by my pick. Happy to have him on the team.

 

[Faust]

Rashod Bateman continues to receive high praise from coaches and teammates

Ravens Gushing Over Rashod Bateman's First Impression At OTAs: 'He's A Very Special Wide Receiver'

 

[Faust]

NFL Beat Writers @32BeatWriters

"I like what I’ve seen from Rashod Bateman so far....he doesn’t look like a rookie. He has a very professional and mature way about everything he does. He runs crisp routes, his hands have been good and he just looks smooth and confident."

https://twitter.com/32beatwriters/status/1403037614932779011?s=21

 

[Biabreakable]

Lamar Jackson attempted 376 passes last year down from 401 the previous year as his completion percent dipped from 66% to 64%.  His TDs went down from 36 to 26 from the previous season and his INTs went up to 9 from 6.

For comparison's sake Josh Allen's pass attempts went up from 461 the previous season to 572 as his completion percent shot up from 58% to 69%.  HIs TDs went from 20 to 37 as his INTs went from 9 to 10.  

The Baltimore offense isn't built for a major overhaul from run based to a wide open passing attack.  

I don't think WR was a big need or will do much for that offense.

Bracie look at what Stefon Diggs did for Josh Allen.

I wont give Diggs all of the credit for the change in Allens completion percentage but I think Diggs did have a large impact on that change.

Something similar could happen with Jackson because of Bateman although I am not saying Bateman is as good as Stefon Diggs is.

Jacksons completion percentage is not bad to begin with so the improvement wont be so drastic, but the improvement may be in terms of yards per attempt and things like that.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Bracie look at what Stefon Diggs did for Josh Allen.

I wont give Diggs all of the credit for the change in Allens completion percentage but I think Diggs did have a large impact on that change.

Something similar could happen with Jackson because of Bateman although I am not saying Bateman is as good as Stefon Diggs is.

Jacksons completion percentage is not bad to begin with so the improvement wont be so drastic, but the improvement may be in terms of yards per attempt and things like that.

Offensive philosophy. 

The Ravens pushed in all of the chips to Lamar Jackson two years ago and went with a run-heavy attack.  Lamar's best numbers come from 2 and 3 WR sets, with at least 1 TE on the field, highest with 2 TEs.

The Bills dealt draft capital for Diggs to build their WRs because they pushed in all chips to go with a pass heavy attack.  Allen's best numbers come from 3 and 4 WR sets with 517 pass attempts coming out of 0 and 1 TE sets.

Drafting Bateman, currently listed as the 3rd WR on the depth chart, doesn't represent a paradigm shift in offensive philosophy IMHO.

 

[Catbird]

Getting a new #1 WR, if Bateman continues to show the quality football people around him are seeing and commenting on, moves every receiver up as he is higher quality than the former #1, Marquise is better than Boykin was as the 2nd WR, Watkins is also better than the former 3rd WR, etc. You can think that doesn't help a team or its QB's fantasy numbers unless they are a pass first offense, but unless Lamar's running falls off, an improved receiver core helps his and the team's production. Adding Bateman, if he develops into a quality #1 receiver won't make Jackson compete with Mahomes on passing stats, but it will upgrade the production of the whole offense and particularly Lamar.

 

[Biabreakable]

Offensive philosophy. 

The Ravens pushed in all of the chips to Lamar Jackson two years ago and went with a run-heavy attack.  Lamar's best numbers come from 2 and 3 WR sets, with at least 1 TE on the field, highest with 2 TEs.

The Bills dealt draft capital for Diggs to build their WRs because they pushed in all chips to go with a pass heavy attack.  Allen's best numbers come from 3 and 4 WR sets with 517 pass attempts coming out of 0 and 1 TE sets.

Drafting Bateman, currently listed as the 3rd WR on the depth chart, doesn't represent a paradigm shift in offensive philosophy IMHO.

I am not saying the Ravens are going to start throwing the ball more like the Bills did.

Just pointing out an example of improved WR play increasing the efficiency of QB play. Josh Allen is one of the most drastic and obvious example I can think of.

I dont think your point about personnel groupings matters here. The Ravens were better in 2 TE because Andrews was their best receiving option. With Bateman on the team that could change.

 

[jm192]

Offensive philosophy. 

The Ravens pushed in all of the chips to Lamar Jackson two years ago and went with a run-heavy attack.  Lamar's best numbers come from 2 and 3 WR sets, with at least 1 TE on the field, highest with 2 TEs.

The Bills dealt draft capital for Diggs to build their WRs because they pushed in all chips to go with a pass heavy attack.  Allen's best numbers come from 3 and 4 WR sets with 517 pass attempts coming out of 0 and 1 TE sets.

Drafting Bateman, currently listed as the 3rd WR on the depth chart, doesn't represent a paradigm shift in offensive philosophy IMHO.

I think Bateman will quickly be the #1 WR on the team.  Brown is very good, he's just not an elite #1 level guy.  Bateman very well could be.  Andrews is a pro-bowler.  

I don't think the Ravens turn into KC or Buffalo.  But I do think teams that get better passing options tend to pass more than they previously have.  

 

[Faust]

Ravens News 6/16: Minicamp Standouts and more

Excerpt:

It was another strong day for Bateman who probably caught more passes than any other Raven. Bateman did have one drop and walked away from the play shaking his hand. Otherwise, he made a bunch of plays in the middle of the field and also was a popular target in the red zone.

 

[Faust]

CAMP NOTES Bateman Looks the Part & Then Some

Excerpt:

The big focus on the day (thanks to the layout of the fields versus the positional group drills) was the wide receiver group. I must say, Rashod Bateman looked the part and then some. If I could sum up what I saw from Bateman, it’s that everything he does is done with purpose. He’s not going to burn you, but every stride, every cut, and every action in his route is done with intent and an expectation of getting the ball. He didn’t make false steps, cut routes short, or really jog at any point (even after a dead play). I know it’s early and just camp, but that little glimpse gave me some serious excitement for his future.

 

[TS Garp]

I am not saying the Ravens are going to start throwing the ball more like the Bills did.

Just pointing out an example of improved WR play increasing the efficiency of QB play. Josh Allen is one of the most drastic and obvious example I can think of.

I dont think your point about personnel groupings matters here. The Ravens were better in 2 TE because Andrews was their best receiving option. With Bateman on the team that could change.

I've been thinking about this a lot.  The Ravens attempted 406 passes in 2020 and 440 in 2019.  I don't think they will suddenly throw the ball 600 times but is 475 (which would have still been 3rd to last in 2020) possible in a 17 game season? I think it is. The thing I'm trying to sort through is the distribution of targets, specifically between Brown and Bateman. I know the popular narrative is that Brown was a huge disappointment last year and so owners have generally written him off but he came on at the end of the year: 26/338/6 in his last 6 games as well as 11/196 in the playoffs.  Do the Ravens feel like Brown was being asked to run routes that don't play to his strengths and they want to use him solely as a deep threat, so his targets are reduced, which opens up more for Bateman, or does Brown have the 3rd year breakout and Bateman is inconsistent and puts up something like 62/750/4?  Even with an increase in passing attempts, I don't think the offense will support three viable fantasy pass-catching options (Andrews, Brown, Bateman), so it really comes down to whether you believe in Brown or Bateman, I think.

 

[King of the Jungle]

I've been thinking about this a lot.  The Ravens attempted 406 passes in 2020 and 440 in 2019.  I don't think they will suddenly throw the ball 600 times but is 475 (which would have still been 3rd to last in 2020) possible in a 17 game season? I think it is. The thing I'm trying to sort through is the distribution of targets, specifically between Brown and Bateman. I know the popular narrative is that Brown was a huge disappointment last year and so owners have generally written him off but he came on at the end of the year: 26/338/6 in his last 6 games as well as 11/196 in the playoffs.  Do the Ravens feel like Brown was being asked to run routes that don't play to his strengths and they want to use him solely as a deep threat, so his targets are reduced, which opens up more for Bateman, or does Brown have the 3rd year breakout and Bateman is inconsistent and puts up something like 62/750/4?  Even with an increase in passing attempts, I don't think the offense will support three viable fantasy pass-catching options (Andrews, Brown, Bateman), so it really comes down to whether you believe in Brown or Bateman, I think.

I think they are pretty talented at the position now. Don’t forget they added Watkins. Duvernay is someone they will want to get touches, Proche is someone they like as well. It also sounds like they want to get the backs involved more in the passing game. I think Andrews leads in targets, Brown in second, and then you have a melting pot for the remainder.

 

[Biabreakable]

I've been thinking about this a lot.  The Ravens attempted 406 passes in 2020 and 440 in 2019.  I don't think they will suddenly throw the ball 600 times but is 475 (which would have still been 3rd to last in 2020) possible in a 17 game season? I think it is. The thing I'm trying to sort through is the distribution of targets, specifically between Brown and Bateman. I know the popular narrative is that Brown was a huge disappointment last year and so owners have generally written him off but he came on at the end of the year: 26/338/6 in his last 6 games as well as 11/196 in the playoffs.  Do the Ravens feel like Brown was being asked to run routes that don't play to his strengths and they want to use him solely as a deep threat, so his targets are reduced, which opens up more for Bateman, or does Brown have the 3rd year breakout and Bateman is inconsistent and puts up something like 62/750/4?  Even with an increase in passing attempts, I don't think the offense will support three viable fantasy pass-catching options (Andrews, Brown, Bateman), so it really comes down to whether you believe in Brown or Bateman, I think.

Well you bring up an interesting point.

In 2020 the Ravens threw the ball 406 times and that was dead last in the league. That was 25.4 attempts per game. The next lowest was the Patriots with 440 attempts which is more by a full game. 2019 the Ravens had 440 pass attempts also dead last in the league that season,

While this is clearly by design and part of the reason for this is because Jackson has been running the ball over 100 times in each of those seasons.

We have heard the OC say that he will have more plays designed to dump the ball off to the RBs and that they want to pass the ball a bit more in general. The moves they have made adding Watkins and Bateman further shows that they are trying to improve that part of their offense.

It would not be hard for the Ravens to add 5 passing attempts per game which over 17 games would be 510 passing attempts and perhaps still be the lowest in the NFL in 2021.

As far as the pecking order goes I would expect Bateman to become their lead WR but it might take some time. Not sure if that happens this season or if it will be in 2022 but I think he is a better player than Brown is and it should be him sooner or later. I don't believe in Brown being that guy. I think Brown is a complimentary piece who can make big plays but that he won't be consistent. Not as consistent as Bateman.

I do think the passing volume has an enormous amount of room to increase even as the Ravens maintain a run first philosophy on offense.

 

[Leroy's Aces]

I find it interesting to hear all of the nuanced arguments about how the Ravens "could throw more" and "if X happens, then maybe they improve to the 25th lowest passing team in the NFL". Occam's Razor and experience tells me it is much easier to simply cross Bateman off my rookie dynasty WR list due to landing on the lowest-volume passing attack and move on to the 5-7 other rookie WRs that have talent, yet don't have this issue. Ahh, that was easy. 

 

[tangfoot]

I find it interesting to hear all of the nuanced arguments about how the Ravens "could throw more" and "if X happens, then maybe they improve to the 25th lowest passing team in the NFL". Occam's Razor and experience tells me it is much easier to simply cross Bateman off my rookie dynasty WR list due to landing on the lowest-volume passing attack and move on to the 5-7 other rookie WRs that have talent, yet don't have this issue. Ahh, that was easy. 

The difference is that I don’t think there are 5-7 other rookie WRs who have his talent. Maybe 2 or 3