Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension with $20 million guaranteed this offseason. However, reports are now that the Ravens' pass catcher actually looked into trade opportunities ahead of signing the deal.

“What led to his contract extension is that he was almost traded during this offseason,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler told the NFL Live crew. “He went to the Ravens, wanted a new deal, they simply said, ‘no,' but they gave him permission to seek a trade. So, he went out on the open market, talked to teams, and I was told there were several involved … the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers. So, he saw he had a market. The Ravens saw that and said, ‘OK, we'll just pay you instead. We won't trade you.'” Expand

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