February 28, 2024
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
reiterated Tuesday that he expects Bateman to "take a big step" forward in 2024.
ANALYSISAccording to
Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site, Harbaugh made similar comments earlier this month, noting that the 2021 first-round pick will be a starter in 2024 and is expected to take on more snaps. On the other hand, the Ravens have already re-signed wideout
Nelson Agholor, and Harbaugh said he's also hoping to keep soon-to-be free agent
Odell Beckham around. Neither Agholor nor Beckham would automatically block Bateman from a starting job, but both could be threats to his quantity of snaps and routes, just as they were in 2023. Bateman seemed to get open more often as the 2023 season unfolded, perhaps regaining some explosiveness with time after undergoing season-ending Lisfranc surgery the year prior. A breakout of sorts is certainly possible, but it probably wouldn't translate to much production in fantasy terms, given that the Ravens routinely rank near the bottom of the league in pass attempts and have wideout
Zay Flowers and tight end
Mark Andrews to account for a large chunk of the targets.