Patriots should take advantage of Rashod Bateman's beef with Ravens
The Patriots need a veteran wide receiver without an obvious path to acquiring one
A new option might have emerged Thursday for the wide-receiver-needy New England Patriots.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman, a 2021 first-round pick, seemingly took offense at a statement his general manager, Eric DeCosta, made at the NFL Scouting Combine about the team's struggles drafting at the position.
"There have been some guys that have been successful players for us that were draft picks," DeCosta said. "We've never really hit on that All-Pro type of guy, which is disappointing, but it's not for a lack of effort. … It's one of those anomalies that I really can't explain, other than to say that we're not going to stop trying.
"We're gonna keep swinging and hopefully at one of these points, we're gonna hit the ball out of the park."
Bateman sent out a response in a since-deleted quote tweet.
Bateman tweeted out, "my apologies" in a follow-up.
While it seems that fences have at least begun to be mended between Bateman and the Ravens, if any of this contentiousness continues, the Patriots should reach out and see what it would cost to acquire Bateman via trade.
DeCosta essentially already showed his hand by implying that Bateman, who has 61 catches for 800 yards with three touchdowns over two seasons since entering the league out of Minnesota, isn’t an All-Pro type of guy.
Bateman, 23, played just six games last season and caught 15 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns before his season ended prematurely due to a foot injury that required surgery. It seems unlikely, given how his NFL career has started, that Bateman would command a first-round pick if he’s made available via trade.
Patriots top wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is the top free agent at his position and should command a high salary if he hits the open market later this month. Nelson Agholor is also a free agent for the Patriots, who currently have Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, Raleigh Webb, Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon on their roster. Acquiring a player like Bateman would at least lessen the need to bring back Meyers.
Bateman has just $4.2 million left over two years on his rookie contract. The Ravens showed a willingness to trade away a first-round wide receiver last season when they dealt Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals.
It’s rare for a player to take such a direct shot at his own team, but there’s plenty of time left in the offseason for Bateman and the Ravens to make amends. If they can’t, however, it would be a decent opportunity to get a player with a first-round pedigree at a discount.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
