One trade the Ravens needs to pull off before the 2022 NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens could use a spark on offense. Here is one trade they should pursue prior to the 2022 NFL Draft. 

The 2021 NFL season left much to be desired for the once Superbowl hopeful Ravens. They were one of the most injured teams in the entire NFL, and once again their WR couldn’t take a step forward. The Ravens need to make a trade by the NFL Draft before their Superbowl hopes are nevermore.

The Ravens have been trying to figure out the enigma that is the right WR combo for years, it’s time to give up and get a talent. Making a trade before the NFL Draft will give them a better picture of how to attack the draft and clarity on the position.

Currently, the New Orleans Saints are without a head coach, have quarterback concerns, and are over 75MM over the cap. Wide receiver Michael Thomas should not only be on the block but be aggressively shopped as the Saints look for cap space and a new direction. After a poor 2021 and injuries, the Ravens could get him for pennies on the dollar compared to what his value was from 2019-to 2020.

Since his rookie year in 2016 Thomas has played in 70 games, amassing 510 catches, 5,950 yards, and 32 touchdowns.

At 28-years-old he has a cap hit of just over 24MM for 2022-2024, where he is a UFA in 2025. This could be an easy pick flip for a player, with a contract adjustment for Thomas once he gets onto the Ravens to lessen the cap blow. None of the Ravens current WR compares over the last several years to Thomas`s production.

He has the great nickname of slant boy, thanks to his own teammate. But, that works perfectly for the Ravens offense which runs a lot of RPO, and options. he would also be one of the tallest on the roster at just over 6-foot-3.

Why Ravens should go after Thomas

With the Saints possibly unloading most of their talent to get under the cap and going into a possible overhaul, the Ravens have the pick ammo to pull it off.

The Ravens last year took Rashod Bateman with their first overall pick, and he showed promise, while fellow young WR Hollywood Brown is up and down. Sammy Watkins is past his prime and you cant count on him to even play a full season. However, if they can get Thomas, Bateman, Brown, and Watkins to all stay healthy it gives the Ravens four different types of WR which can spread the field and attack every level.

Only Mark Andrews, TE, and Hollywood Brown had over 1,000 yards in 2021 with several QBs throwing to them. Brown though looks better with 1,000 yards than he actually was during this season, Brown had three fumbles, multiple easy drops, and only 91 catches on 146 targets for a 62% catch rate. Thomas has a career catch rate over 77% with two seasons over 80% and only five total fumbles in his career.

As of right now, the Ravens have 52 players under contract heading into 2022, with around 9MM in cap space. However, the cap will be raised, and I would look for that number of 52 to be closer to 40, by the time FA rolls around as several players were a stopgap for the insane amount of injuries on the roster.

Currently, the Ravens are rostering eight WR, five TE, six OG, and seven CB. I would look for those numbers to adjust and the Ravens to play around with current contracts to open up more space.

Expect this to be the Ravens first call when the new league year opens, as he offers better options than who would be in Free Agency, and they will most likely miss out on a top-four WR in the NFL draft.