John Brown is quietly having a very good offseason. While it is no secret to those paying attention that Brown is on the cusp of a breakaway year, many who are not watching the situation have no indication of what the 28-year-old receiver is capable of. The Baltimore Ravens signed Brown earlier in the offseason, mainly to fill a specific role. Baltimore envisioned Brown as the deep threat specialist. His natural talent for speed compliments his reliable hand abilities well for the role. Now, as the offseason progresses, it is becoming clear that Brown will have a much larger role than originally anticipated.

Unsurprisingly, the skillset Brown possesses is a major asset to the Ravens field general, Joe Flacco. Flacco’s canon that some would call an arm can launch a football farther than most in his situation. The last great season Flacco had was in 2014. Uncoincidentally, this was the last year the speedster Torrey Smith was on the roster. Although Smith was never a sure-hands type of player, his speed gave him the power to wreak havoc in secondaries. Since Smith’s departure, Flacco has struggled to find a replacement archetypical player. Breshad Perriman was drafted in 2015 to fill the void left by Smith, but his development has stalled out after barely beginning.

In his first offseason with Flacco, it is clear that Brown has already gained a rapport with the Super Bowl MVP. Almost daily, Flacco and Brown demonstrate the connection that is soon to take over Baltimore and surprise the rest of the NFL. Both Brown and Flacco have something to prove this year, as both arguably have to fight to ensure the future of their careers. While the rest of the NFL media continue to speculate on Lamar Jackson and Michael Crabtree, Flacco and Brown will continue to hide in plain sight.