The Baltimore Ravens officially moved former quarterback Malik Cunningham to wide receiver this offseason.
The Ravens signed Cunningham off the New England Patriots practice squad in December, reuniting him with former college teammate Lamar Jackson. At the time, Baltimore cross-trained Cunningham as a QB, WR and special teams contributor. He appeared in one game with the Ravens in Week 18, taking four snaps, all at receiver.
With OTAs in full flight, the Ravens officially listed Cunningham as a wideout and are immersing him at the position.
Ravens WR coach Greg Lewis said Tuesday that the 25-year-old has transitioned well to the new job.
"He loves the game, and he wants to find any way he can to get on the field," Lewis said. "If it's at receiver, quarterback, running back, D-line, he's out there trying to get it done. He's doing a great job transitioning from the quarterback position to the receiver position. Working with Zay (Flowers), Sean Ryan, and Bate (Rashod Bateman), they're bringing him along and teaching him the nuances of playing receiver. But he understands spatial awareness. He understands that from the quarterback's perspective. Obviously, he understands zone coverage. So now it's getting him to do the little things as the receivers do it because he hasn't done it a bunch."
The Ravens watched Odell Beckham walk in free agency and didn't make any splash additions at the position. Flowers, Bateman and Nelson Agholor sit atop the depth chart, with 2024 fourth-round pick Devontez Walker a potential field stretcher. Deonte Harty, Tylan Wallace and Ryan are battling for depth, along with several undrafted free agents.
Position switches in the NFL are never as simple as they appear on paper, so Cunningham has an uphill battle but also possesses the dynamic athleticism to pull off the move. The wideout could also play a role on special teams, particularly with the new kickoff rules.
In his brief time in New England, Cunningham showed some explosive ability during preseason action. Baltimore is trying to tap into that and see if it can get the former QB on the field. If everything goes well, he could catch passes from his former college teammate in regular season games.
