The Baltimore Ravens organization has a notorious reputation at wide receiver, and not in a good way. For this reason, Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman faces a bigger 2023 season than most would acknowledge.
Baltimore have had NFL draft busts, such as Travis Taylor, Mark Clayton, and Breshad Perriman. And they have also had off-season flops, such as Frank Sanders, Kevin Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Lee Evans, and Jeremy Maclin among others.
In recent years, the Ravens even picked up the remains of DeSean Jackson and Dez Bryant midseason, hoping they had something left in the tank. Even successful draft picks like Torrey Smith and Marquise Brown only lasted a handful of years. Smith left in free agency after four years and Brown was traded after three. For this reason, 2023 is a big year for Bateman if he wants to avoid a similar fate.
Ravens Receiver Faces Big Year: Rashod Bateman Under Pressure in 2023
Bateman was the fourth wide receiver the Ravens ever took in the first round. He was the first since Perriman back in 2015.
Bateman was brought in as a talented all-round receiver for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore hoped that Bateman could finally solve their wide receiver problem. However, it has been a struggle for the former Minnesota Golden Gopher.
On the field, Bateman has displayed his potential and has proven to be a weapon for Jackson. Even backup quarterback Tyler Huntley has trusted Bateman in games. But there is certainly more to the tale.
Big play @Ravens. Rashod Bateman goes 75 yards! @R_bateman2
— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
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Injuries Halting Development and Production
The main problem with Bateman has been his inability to stay on the field.
Back in his rookie campaign, Bateman missed the first five games of the year with a groin injury that required surgery. He suffered the injury during training camp, which halted the chemistry he was building with Jackson.
When Bateman finally returned in Week 6, he only got six full games with the team’s franchise quarterback before Jackson himself went down, causing the 2019 MVP to miss the rest of the season. Huntley finished the season as the Ravens quarterback as they lost out and missed the playoffs. Bateman finished the year with 46 catches for 515 yards and a touchdown.
2022 was supposed to be a big year for Bateman as he and Jackson both entered the year fully healthy. The duo got off to a hot start in Week 1 and Week 2. Over this period, Bateman notched 226 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight catches.
Unfortunately, the injury bug stopped Bateman’s progression yet again. He injured his foot and missed two games. He returned in Week 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but did not finish the game as he reinjured his foot in the second quarter. This led to him having season-ending Lisfranc surgery.
Bateman only managed 15 catches for 285 yards and just two touchdowns in 2022, while missing 11 games. Bateman’s résumé so far is not what general manager Eric DeCosta was hoping for after drafting him.
Rashod Bateman and Baltimore’s Crowded Receiver Room
Before training camp officially began, the Ravens placed Bateman on the reserve-did not report list. Shortly after that, the Ravens reinstated him off the list, making him active for the start of camp.
Bateman now enters his third season in a receiver room with some talent. He joins Odell Beckham Jr, Nelson Agholor, and 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers on the field as weapons for Jackson.
Bateman also sees a new offensive coordinator enter as Todd Monken has arrived to replace Greg Roman. After coordinating at Georgia, Monken is looking to elevate Baltimore’s passing game.
Given the situation, Bateman will have to fight for targets to finally fulfil his potential, but he also has to stay healthy. If he can, the passing offense is in for a big year. While Beckham is a big name and Flowers is a new weapon, a lot of the passing attack rides on the Bateman-Jackson combination.
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