The Baltimore Ravens and free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins agreed to a one-year deal worth $5 million, a source confirmed to The Athletic on Friday. The deal includes an additional $1 million available via incentives.
Watkins spent the last three seasons in Kansas City, finishing last season with 37 receptions for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games in 2020. Watkins has 4,665 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns in seven NFL seasons with Buffalo, the LA Rams and Kansas City.
GO DEEPER
NFL free agency signing grades: Bucs, Antonio Brown like fit with new deal
GO DEEPER
2021 NFL free agency news: Chiefs move swiftly to sign DT Jarran Reed
GO DEEPER
The Ravens' veteran wide receiver hunt ends with landing Sammy Watkins
GO DEEPER
Ravens' free agency news, grades, analysis: Baltimore signs Alejandro Villanueva to play right tackle
GO DEEPER
NFL free agency updated Big Board: Trai Turner, Richard Sherman and the top unsigned players
How Watkins fits in Baltimore
Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer: Staying healthy has been extremely difficult for Watkins, who hasn’t played 16 games in a season since his rookie year in 2014 and who has played more than 10 games just twice in the past five years. If healthy, Watkins will give the Ravens a quality route runner and a reliable target in the intermediate areas of the field.
Advertisement
Watkins isn’t a deep threat at this stage of his career. He ranked 64th out of 78 players last season in yards run per route and he averaged a career-low 11.4 yards per reception. However, he can man the “X-receiver” spot and take some pressure off of Marquise Brown and tight end Mark Andrews. He also has the ability to make contested catches and he’s shown a propensity for elevating his game in the postseason.
What impact will he have?
Zrebiec: It was hard to imagine the Ravens heading into the season without adding a free-agent receiver. The expected free-agent losses of Willie Snead IV and Dez Bryant left the team without any veterans in its receiving corps. Watkins should immediately have a leadership role and he also shouldn’t keep the Ravens getting more opportunities for second-year receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche, who both figure to work more in the slot. The Ravens have plenty of snaps available for receivers who can get open and catch the ball.
(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)