The Ravens didn’t wait long to find their way out of a deal with Ryan Grant so that they could snap up wide receiver Michael Crabtree after he was released by the Raiders.
They didn’t wait long to install him as “the guy” in their offense either. Crabtree is the most experienced and accomplished receiver in a Baltimore group that includes fellow newcomers John Brown, Willie Snead, DeVier Posey, Jordan Lasley and Jaleel Scott as well as holdovers Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore.
It’s a group that has to take shape in the coming months, but there’s little doubt that Crabtree will be in the center of it on and off the field.
“I don’t have a choice,” Crabtree said of being a leader. “I’m going on 10 [years] in the game, and all these guys are three-, four-, first-year guys. That’s just my role. At the same time, I’m out there competing like I’m 21, so I’m going to have fun with it.”
Coach John Harbaugh said that Crabtree has been “great for our locker room” and has shared “the tricks of the trade” with his younger teammates in hopes of lifting the entire group. If that happens, it will mark a big step in the right direction for a beleaguered receiving group and a new role for Crabtree as he moves into his second decade as a professional.
