Jeremy Maclin left Baltimore without a deal after his first visit. Now, he’ll head back there to continue his NFL career. On Monday, the Ravens signed the wide receiver to a two-year contract:
Jeremy Maclin gives Ravens much-needed receiving boost
At 29 years old, Maclin has a wealth of experience in the NFL and can help the Ravens offense with his route running and strong hands.
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Chiefs released Maclin on June 2 after two seasons with the team. He’s coming off a down 2016 campaign where he played 12 games due to a nagging groin injury. Two days after Maclin’s release, Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy openly campaigned for the Bills to sign Maclin, who visited Buffalo Tuesday and Wednesday before leaving for a meeting with the Ravens.
However, ESPN’s Josina Anderson said Maclin’s decision came down to the Ravens and Eagles, not the Ravens and Bills.
Last week, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he enjoyed a “great visit” with the wide receiver, according to NFL.com’s Marc Sessler.
“He’s going to go back. We didn’t press him to stay,” Harbaugh said. “He wants a little more time to make up his decision. ... The main thing is, you want guys to be happy. If they come here, or wherever they go, you want them to look back and say, ‘I made the best decision of my life to do that.’”
Maclin can give Baltimore’s offense a boost, especially after three of Joe Flacco’s favorite targets last year are no longer on the team. Steve Smith retired at the end of the season, fullback Kyle Juszczyk joined the 49ers during free agency, and tight end Dennis Pitta was released after suffering another hip injury this offseason.
Maclin will join a wide receiving corps where the top two options are Breshad Perriman and Mike Wallace. Perriman, a 2015 first-round draft pick, has been plagued with injuries throughout his short career. He missed his entire rookie year and only recorded 499 yards and three touchdowns last season, but he still has the speed to take the top off defenses. Wallace, on the other hand, had a comeback season in 2016 after several disappointing years with various teams. He exploded for 1,017 receiving yards and four touchdowns, his first 1,000-yard season since 2011.
The Ravens also face uncertainty at tight end after losing Pitta. Benjamin Watson and Maxx Williams are both coming off injuries, while Crockett Gillmore and Nick Boyle are relatively unproven.
There’s an opening for Maclin to be Flacco’s No. 1 wide receiver if he can shine in his reunion with Marty Mornhinweg. The Ravens offensive coordinator served the same role with the Eagles during Maclin’s first four seasons with the team.
Maclin, a 2009 first-round draft pick, spent his first five seasons with the Eagles, registering 343 catches for 4,771 and 36 touchdowns. He entered the 2015 offseason as one of the hottest free agents on the market. Kansas City signed him to a lucrative six-year, $55 million deal, with $22.5 million guaranteed.
In his debut season with the Chiefs, Maclin corralled 87 passes for 1,088 yards and eight scores, finishing the season with the lowest drop rate among all receivers, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he finished his injury-plagued 2016 season with career lows in catches (44), yards (536), and touchdowns (two).
Maclin can still carve out an important role in Baltimore’s offense. The question concerning the 29-year-old is whether he can come back from those groin injuries. As an Eagle, he missed the entire 2013 season with a torn Achilles but bounced back in a spectacular way in 2014, finishing with career highs in receiving yards (1,318) and yards per catch (15.5).
If he can rebound in 2017 the same way he did in 2014, Baltimore will be happy it took a chance on Maclin.
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