Ravens Rashod Bateman to 'Explode' in Baltimore's New Offense?

Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman has been officially reinstated after his injury troubles and is now looming as the ace in Todd Monken's deck.

The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for training camp, and the offense is getting a key piece returning just in time. Receiver Rashod Bateman has been officially reinstated, per ESPN, as another Lamar Jackson weapon looks to bounce back from his injury issues.

Bateman, who has been dealing with a foot issue, now looks to get back into the swing of things as he learns Todd Monken's new vertical-style offense. After only managing six games last season (five starts), Bateman will be looking to put together a solid foundation at training camp.

And if he does and keeps his injury troubles in the rearview mirror, CBS Sports thinks Bateman could end up being Jackson's No. 1 receiver this season.

"Bateman has managed to play in just 18 of 34 possible games during his two NFL seasons due to injury issues, and he's totaled 61 receptions for 800 yards and three scores during that time. These are famous last words, but if he can just manage to stay healthy, he has a chance to explode as Lamar Jackson's No. 1 receiver in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken's offense."

The theme for Baltimore's offense this offseason has been staying healthy. With Lamar, Odell Beckham Jr., and Bateman all having unwelcome injury histories, the biggest unknown is how many games all will play.

For Bateman, he still managed 285 yards on 15 receptions last season before injury struck. If we take his average yards per game (47.5) and stretch that out over the 17-game season, he was on track to have 807 yards.

That kind of production would be welcomed in Baltimore and would have had Bateman only 40 yards behind tight end Mark Andrews who led the team in receiving yards.

While it is a big if, a fully healthy Bateman might just be the game-changer that many are sleeping on next season. All eyes are on Odell and Zay Flowers, but in Bateman, the Ravens might just have an ace up their sleeve.

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