The Baltimore Ravens have lost their best player on the team for the remainder of the season as Steve Smith has been ruled out with an Achilles tear. The Ravens are already hurting for healthy bodies on offense and the loss of Smith just highlight that fact as the Ravens look poised to earn the No.1 draft pick in the spring. In need of playmakers, the Ravens are dipping into the free agency pool rather than the trade market.
At this point, the Ravens need all the draft picks they can get so signing receivers off the free agent market is the more favorable option rather than making a deal. According to the Baltimore Sun, Hakeem Nicks is expected to work out for the Ravens this week with a contract likely. The former first-round draft pick has been bouncing around teams, most recently signed to the Tennessee Titans. Despite all of the injuries this year, the Ravens are the first team to take a look at Nicks as an option as Baltimore has no other choices.
"I wouldn't rule out that we'd bring in another receiver from somewhere," head coach John Harbaugh said, via the Baltimore Sun. "Obviously, we're looking real hard right now to figure out what we're going to do."
By the sound of things, the Ravens are not confident that Breshad Perriman takes the field this year. The wide receiver had not played a down for the team this season after injuring his PCL and then suffering a setback of that very injury. The rookie wide receiver told the media that he was not closing the door on a potential return to the field this season, but right now things are not looking promising leaving the Ravens to try and make something out of nothing for the time being.
Baltimore's receiver corps is likely missing Torrey Smith right now who departed in free agency. With Smith gone, Kamar Aiken is now the No.1 receiver with Marlon Brown, Chris Givens and Jeremy Ross all likely to get more playing time. This is not the group Joe Flacco was expecting to be working with this season, but it is all the team has left if they are not going to be making any trade deals. That means players like Justin Forsett along with tight ends Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams in need of stepping up. Regardless of the injuries, confidence is high in Baltimore as the team believes they could win out the rest of the season.
"As soon as we're done enjoying it, we've got to give ourselves the best opportunity to go 8-0 the last half of the season," kicker Justin Tucker said, via ESPN.com. "I think we've got just the men for the job."
