Baltimore Ravens Sign Former Cardinals WR John Brown

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown. Brown had 21 catches for 299 yards last year in Arizona.

Editor’s note: this article has been updated to reflect the Baltimore Ravens’ official signing of Brown.

The Baltimore Ravens have signed former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown, according to the ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter.

Brown, 27, had the worst season of his career last year with the Cardinals, ending the season starting just five games and playing in 10, with 21 catches for 299 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 14.2 yards per catch.

That’s not to say Brown isn’t still a talented player, the receiver out of Pittsburg State is still a fast, capable slot receiver and is just two years removed from his 2015 season in which he caught 65 balls for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 15.4 yards per catch.

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One of the major obstacles that Brown has had to overcome during his career has been injuries. Brown carries the sickle-cell trait, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, means he’s more likely to experience muscle breakdown while doing intense exercise than those without the trait.

As such, Brown has frequently dealt with muscle injuries, though he has played in at least 15 games every year of his career except for last year.

The wide receiver position is certainly one of the biggest needs the Baltimore Ravens need to fill this offseason. The team is reportedly likely to release receiver Jeremy Maclin, and both Mike Wallace and Michael Campanaro are free agents.

Aside from Maclin, that leaves just Chris Moore, Breshad Perriman, and Quincy Adeboyejo as wide receivers on the roster currently, along with DeVier Posey, whom the team intends to sign once free agency begins.

The Ravens were previously linked to former Miami Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns, and were also linked to former Indianapolis Colts receiver Donte Moncrief, who recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The team was also interested in former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham, who recently signed with the Green Bay Packers.

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The team might elect to address the position through the draft, as there are a lot of solid options this year, however free agency would be a smart move as well, and John Brown should fit on the team as a solid slot option.