​The Baltimore Ravens have signed accomplished veteran receivers, found productive role players and spent premium draft picks trying to solve the position. Zay Flowers’ extension shows they have finally completed the entire process.Baltimore drafted Flowers in the first round, developed him into a legitimate No. 1 target and retained him with a four-year, $140 million extension. The contract includes $108 million in guaranteed compensation and has an average annual value of $35 million. That represents more than another expensive transaction. It is the conclusion of a decades-long search for a homegrown receiver capable of commanding defensive attention and earning a second contract near the top of the NFL market.Flowers has caught 237 passes for 3,128 yards through his first three seasons. He has produced consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns, earned back-to-back Pro Bowl selections and set the franchise’s wide receiver record with 1,211 yards in 2025. The Ravens previously found success with established veterans such as Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin and Steve Smith Sr. They also received meaningful production from drafted receivers including Torrey Smith and Marquise Brown. However, Flowers is the first Baltimore draft pick at the position to reach this combination of production, accolades and contractual value.General manager Eric DeCosta made retaining Flowers an offseason priority, and the organization completed the agreement before the receiver could move closer to free agency.Baltimore no longer needs to discuss whether it can draft and develop a top receiver. Flowers has provided the answer, and the Ravens backed that answer with the largest receiver contract in franchise history.This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Zay Flowers’ extension ends an unwanted chapter in Ravens’ history