It's that time in the offseason. Even with OTAs in full force, the news cycle in NFL land is drier than the sahara right now. The only thing doing the heavy lifting are the trades that went down last week, and the potential that more big trades could follow before the summer ends and the season starts.
And as per usual, the Atlanta Falcons are one of the teams at the center of the offseason speculation. This time last year it was Kirk Cousins' name being dangled in every trade discussion this side of the Mississippi, but this year it looks like Kyle Pitts is set to take Cousins' spot on the chopping block.
Once the Falcons extended Drake London, it quickly became clear Bijan Robinson would be next in line to get a payday. And that has put Pitts' future in Atlanta back under the microscope since they only have until July 15 to agree to a long-term deal with him after placing the franchise tag on him.
Could the Baltimore Ravens be a team to watch in the Kyle Pitts sweepstakes?
Not only are the Pitts trade rumors being dragged right back to the surface, he's vying for a long-term deal that's more likely to end in a tag-and-trade. And ESPN's Dan Graziano already a potential trade destination in mind if the 25-year-old is moved before the deadline (or the summer) ends: the Baltimore Ravens.
"If they don't get him extended by July 15, and that rankles him and/or they struggle early in the season, teams will come asking about the availability of the uber-talented former top-10 pick, who doesn't turn 26 until October," Graziano wrote. "Baltimore lost a pair of tight ends --Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar-- in free agency and could be looking for the kind of offense Pitts can generate."
The idea of having Pitts catch passes from Lamar Jackson is admittedly pretty terrifying. Baltimore already has Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry, and an army of young receivers around their two-time MVP, but adding another Pro Bowl-caliber TE would be the tip of the iceberg for a Ravens team that's already legit contenders.
Graziano noted that the Ravens lost Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency, but that won't be the only thing triggering their potential interest in the former top-five pick. Despite his own lucrative price tag, Andrews will turn 31 in September, and KP would be a younger, more athletic safety valve for Lamar.
New Ravens' offensive coordinator Declan Doyle also learned from a 12-personnel system. He is a disciple of Sean Payton in Denver and Ben Johnson in Chicago, so Pitts would play an every-down role even with Andrews. And they often ran 12-personnel when they had Likely and Andrews.
The interesting part about a potential Pitts-to-Baltimore trade is that the Dirty Birds host the Ravens on Sunday Night Football in Week 5. And it would be pretty poetic to see him make his return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium just weeks after he's traded. A big game would send a strong message.
Since the Florida product's future with the Falcons is back to being up in the air, Kyle Pitts has a unique opportunity to make an elite team even better if given a chance to leave Atlanta and cash in elsewhere.
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