Ravens extend veteran wideout

The Ravens saw contributions from a number of new faces in the receiving room in 2023, and at least one veteran member of that group will remain in place for another year. The team announced on Sunday that Nelson Agholor has signed a one-year extension.

Agholor joined the Ravens on a one-year deal last offseason, but multiple void years were added to his pact for salary cap purposes. As The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes, his deal was set to void on Monday, which would have set him up for free agency. Instead, the veteran will remain in place as a complementary option in Baltimore’s passing game.

Four years removed from a career year in Las Vegas, there were relatively low expectations coming into 2024 for Agholor. While his production doesn’t jump off the stat sheet by any means, he proved a reliable target for MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. He finished third in the team’s receivers room in yards (381) and second in touchdowns (4), and despite a career history of questionable hands, Agholor caught a career-high 77.8 percent of his targets, only dropping two passes.

With Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and return specialist Tylan Wallace all set to return on their rookie contracts, the Ravens were set to enter the postseason with Agholor, Odell Beckham Jr., and another return specialist in Devin Duvernay headed toward free agency. When asked in a recent interview whether he’ll need to rebuild the wide receivers room again this offseason, general manager Eric DeCosta said, “I think (Bateman) is going to have a great season. We got Zay. I feel really good about where we are.” He went on to mention that the team had already had conversations about re-signing some of the veterans set to leave the building, and Agholor appears to have been one of those considerations.

It remains to be seen whether or not Agholor is just the first domino to fall. Though Beckham once again fell short of achieving the highs of his days in New York, the 31-year-old still finished second on the team in receiving yards and displayed some decent chemistry with Jackson at times. Duvernay’s receiving contribution took a huge step back after taking a larger role in 2022, but the 26-year-old still has some of the talent in the return game that made him a first-team All-Pro in 2021.

Regardless, with Agholor back in the fold, alongside Flowers, Bateman, and Wallace, the Ravens have a functional receiving corps. The team may still pursue contracts with the departing vets or perhaps some new talent from the college ranks, but with today’s signing, any such move would be considered an upgrade, as opposed to a necessity.