Baltimore Ravens trade Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to Arizona

The NFL Draft featured another shocking wide receiver trade when the Baltimore Ravens traded Hollywood Brown to the Arizona Cardinals for pick 23 and pick 100. Hollywood had quietly requested a trade and was unhappy with the Ravens’ run first offensive approach.

This was a very surprising move and while the Cardinals overpaid, Brown will be an impact player. He is very good friends with Kyler Murray and they played together in college. Kyler has been vocal in his unhappiness with Arizona and he wants a new contract or a trade. Now, it appears like he will stay.

Regardless of Kyler’s situation, this acquisition of Brown makes this Cardinal’s offense way more dangerous. He has game breaking speed and will add an extra element to the Arizona offense. They lost their previous deep threat Christian Kirk in free agency and Brown is an upgrade.

Also, the Cardinals have one of the best receivers in the NFL in DeAndre Hopkins. Brown’s presence will give more space for Hopkins to operate and if Hopkins can stay healthy, he could be in for a big year.

Hollywood has struggled with drops in recent seasons but is still considered a very good receiver. He broke out last season and had 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. He is still 24 years old and with Kyler, he could be in for a massive season.

On the other side of this trade, it was good value for the Ravens. However, moments after the news broke, QB Lamar Jackson voiced his frustration and tweeted “WTF”. Brown was a good friend of Lamar’s and was his number one receiver. While his loss may hurt Lamar, the team doesn’t get much worse. They drafted a receiver in the first round last year in Rashod Bateman and he will be expected to step up in Brown’s absence.

With this trade, the Cardinals Super Bowl Odds sit at +2500. That’s actually good value and the Cardinals have a very strong team. If Kyler stays healthy, they could make a run. Historically, he has started very well before faltering down the stretch of the season. At this number, it is worth the bet as the Cards will probably start off hot and this number will get much lower.

The Ravens odds now sit at +2200 with Bovada and while they will be in the playoff mix, it’s not worth betting on them. The AFC is absolutely loaded and the Ravens will be hard pressed to make a true Super Bowl run. While they have a lot of talent, they are firmly in the second tier when it comes to AFC teams.

Regardless, this is yet another big trade with wide receivers during this offseason. It was a bit of an overpay for the Cardinals, but if it keeps Kyler happy, it will be well worth it.

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