The Baltimore Ravens enter Week 9 with an impressive 6-2 record, but they could still use some help at wide receiver. While Zay Flowers has played up to his draft stock, the rest of the depth chart has left something to be desired. Some reports link the Ravens to Davante Adams, but recent comments from head coach John Harbaugh imply that they’re happy with Rashod Bateman as the team’s WR2.
John Harbaugh RAVED about Rashod Bateman’s game yesterday. The play where Rashod wrestled the ball away from the defender? “You’re not gonna see a better play than that. It was great,” said Harbs.
He also noted how Bateman is showing more confidence in his health coming back…
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) October 30, 2023
John Harbaugh Expects Big Things From Rashod Bateman
When looking just at his box score, Rashod Bateman didn’t do anything too impressive in Week 8’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. The wide receiver was largely an afterthought in the passing attack, but still made the most of his limited opportunities. The former first-round pick hauled in both of his two targets for 34 yards while adding another 18 yards on the ground. On its own, this isn’t much to write home about, but Harbaugh clearly saw something he liked in Bateman’s performance.
Right now, the Ravens desperately need another wide receiver to step up on the depth chart. Odell Beckham doesn’t look anything like his old self and doesn’t even look like the guy who helped the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl in 2021. Journeyman wide receiver Nelson Agholor has actually been the second-best receiver on the team, and that’s never a good thing. If the Ravens didn’t think this situation could improve, then they should definitely consider a trade. However, if Harbaugh truly believes in Rashod Bateman, then perhaps they’ll stick with what they have at the deadline.
While Bateman hasn’t done much of anything this year, the former first-round pick has flashed plenty of potential throughout his career. Injuries limited Bateman to six games in 2022, and he played under 60% of the snaps in three of those contests. However, in the three games where he actually saw significant playing time, he proved he has what it takes to be a starting-caliber receiver. The wideout was on a 17-game pace of 45 receptions for 1,281 yards and 11 touchdowns. Obviously, this is a small sample and Bateman probably would have slowed down at some point, but the fact remains that the talent is there. The only question is whether or not that talent surfaces in 2023.
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Is John Harbaugh Right?
Rashod Bateman showed some signs of life in Week 8, but John Harbaugh might be a little optimistic here. Every single player in the NFL is insanely talented, so it’s no surprise that Bateman made a nice play against a bad Arizona Cardinals team. What truly makes players special in the NFL is the ability to do the absurd at a consistent rate, and we simply haven’t seen that from Bateman. Right now, the wide receiver has a 58.3 PFF grade, good for the 90th-best mark among 12o eligible players. Perhaps some of this can be explained by Bateman’s previous injuries, but he has a long way to go before he’s back to being a reliable every-down receiver.
Additionally, even if Bateman can find his old form, he is a walking injury risk. Generally speaking, injuries are completely random, as football is a violent game and every single player is one snap away from their season being over. However, in Bateman’s case, he has suffered a significant setback in every single year of his career, so one must wonder if his body simply can’t handle an NFL workload. Rashod Bateman has battled minor ailments all year long and, sadly, this is just par for the course with him. The Minnesota product began his career on the injured reserve with a groin injury and then missed most of the 2022 campaign with a foot injury. Ultimately, he has played in just 25 of a possible 42 games, and he hasn’t consistently looked like his collegiate self since early 2022.
Perhaps John Harbaugh is correct and Rashod Bateman is just about to turn a corner. However, until we actually see it on the football field, you should be wary about excited coach speak. If you roster him in fantasy football, you should see if you can find an excited Ravens fan and try to trade him for somebody.
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Main Photo: Mitch Stringer – USA Today Sports
