Ravens’ New Return Man Turns Heads Deonte Harty aims to revitalise the Baltimore Ravens’ return game.
It’s unusual for a team to lose one All-Pro player and then sign another All-Pro at the same position in the same offseason, but the Baltimore Ravens did exactly that this year.
After losing 2021 All-Pro returner Devin Duvernay to free agency, Baltimore signed 2019 All-Pro returner Deonte Harty to replace him. Harty played for the Buffalo Bills last season and produced the year’s biggest punt return, a 96-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
Filling in for Duvernay is a tall order, but the Ravens believe Harty is up to the task.
“I think this guy’s electric. He was a Pro Bowl player. He’s an All-Pro guy, and when his name came up, it was like, “Oh, man. We’ve lost our guy. “We need a guy to fill these shoes, someone with some experience,” Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton explained. “You prefer to have a player with some experience so you’re not dependent on inexperienced kids, especially in the punt return game.
“Then it simply allows us to do a little more back there. I’m excited about him. I know where the coaches are. The players are. When I talk to the guys, some of the veterans say, ‘Hey, we’ve got Harty coming in. Those guys inquire, ‘Is that the guy from the Saints, or the person who used to be on the Saints? I said, ‘Yeah, man, that’s the little Saints returner.’ So he’s a well-known and renowned returner in our league, and we adore him.”
Harty is a capable receiver, however it is not his primary strength. His finest offensive season came in 2021, when he caught 36 passes for 570 yards and three scores with the New Orleans Saints.
Harty is heading to Baltimore with huge shoes to fill on special teams, and the Ravens are hoping he can meet and exceed those expectations.
Leave a Reply