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Ravens confident in Joe Flacco developing receivers

The top of the Baltimore Ravens' current wide receivers depth chart includes Steve Smith Sr., Marlon Brown, Michael Campanaro and Kamar Aiken.

With Torrey Smith leaving for San Francisco, it would seem the Ravens are in the market for a receiver early in the NFL Draft. Yet, owner Steve Bisciotti said the team is "not desperate for a wideout."

Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta boiled down why Baltimore isn't scrambling to add more receivers: Faith in Joe Flacco.

"You can look at any team in the league that has good receivers, and you'll see a quarterback who is pretty darn good," DeCosta toldĀ the team's official website. "You'd be hard pressed to find a really, really good receiver that doesn't have a good quarterback.

"In saying that, we have tremendous confidence in Joe Flacco and his ability to develop receivers."

It's true that top-flight (dare I say elite?) quarterbacks can raise up mid-level receiving talent. Tom Brady has been the standard-bearer for this belief for years.

"You look at guys that have not performed or been misses in the NFL, and you have to look at the quarterback," DeCosta said. "It goes the other way too. A quarterback has to have some pretty good playmakers around him. You're not going to have a really good quarterback without some playmakers. It's a synergy."

Despite the Ravens' confidence in Flacco to milk production out of whatever talent he's given to start the season, we still expect Baltimore to use a pick on a receiver early in the draft -- specifically a speedster to help stretch defenses.

The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the latest moves and debates if Michael Bennett should change his tune on Jimmy Graham. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.

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