Ravens WR Willie Snead shed weight to gain speed this offseason and is embracing a new role

While Baltimore Ravens rising sophomore wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown has received a lot of attention and praise for putting on weight this offseason in the form of extra muscle without sacrificing any of his elite speed, veteran wideout Willie Snead IV spent his time away from the team shedding weight to gain more speed.

He spent part of the offseason in South Florida with his father Willie Snead III, who also played in the league, intensely training to increase his speed heading into his seventh year in the league and third with the Ravens. His training resulted in him losing seven pounds and Snead couldn’t feel any better.

“I got the results I wanted. I feel faster. I feel lighter,” Snead said Wednesday. “I really am feeling good at this weight. I haven’t been this weight since my first year in the league.”

Since joining the Ravens in 2018, he has established himself as one of the best blocking receivers in the league and the most physical on the team. In addition to being a great blocker at the line of scrimmage and downfield in the running game, Snead is also a reliable and sure-handed pass catcher, especially in the slot where he does his best work.

He led the team in both targets and receptions during his first year in Baltimore by hauling in 62 of the 95 passes that came his way in 2018 for 651 yards and a touchdown. While he scored a career-high five touchdowns last year in his second season with the team, his target (46), reception (31), and receiving yard (339) totals took a dip in 2019 and Snead believes his playing weight played a factor.

“I think for me, I’ve been playing at 200-202 (pounds) the past three years, and I think that was just really heavy for me,” Snead said. “I didn’t feel as good. I didn’t feel as quick, as fast. I think that affected me in the passing game a little bit – just creating separation, getting open, getting down the field a little bit faster.”

The key to losing weight and keeping it off or gaining weight and having it stick goes beyond just working out intensely. A dietary change must be made to achieve the desired results and that’s exactly what Snead did this offseason in addition to getting worked hard by his father. He was able to lose the weight by dedicating himself to a clean diet that included cutting out carbs and sugars.

“It’s hot, it’s humid, we’re sweating every day. My dad has me on the pavement, running,” Snead said. “[I’m] just being disciplined and trying to attack this 2020 year the best I can, because this is my contract year. I’m up again, and I just want to get the best out of it.

“And I feel like dropping weight really helped me. I have my hand fully healthy now. There are no surgeries, no nothing. For me, I’m just excited for the opportunity to come out here with these young guys and to be able to push the offense to the next level. That is my expectation for myself. I’m here now. I feel great. I’m just ready to go. I’m ready to play some football.”

In addition to having increased speed in 2020, Snead will have a new role in the receiver room as well. Since the Ravens opted not to resign Seth Roberts in free agency, Snead is now the oldest and most experienced player at the position on the team. At the still spry age of just 27-years old, he is embracing the role as the veteran leader of the group of young wideouts.

 “It’s funny that I’m the oldest guy in the room,” said Snead. “I still feel like a young man. Me as the leader in the room, I just have to give them the right advice, lead in the right direction, show them how to be a pro. So far they’ve been doing really good.”

The Ravens have drafted a pair of wide receivers in each of the last three years—Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley in 2018, Brown and Miles Boykin in 2019, and rookies Devin Duvernay and James Proche this year. With the exception of Lasley who was released early in training camp last year, all of those young players at the position will be competing for and trying to make the most of their targets in practice this year since the preseason was canceled.

“Every practice is important,” Snead said. “Every rep with Lamar is important. Guys like Miles, guys like Marquise are going to take that next step because they expect that out of themselves. There’s going to be a lot of great healthy competitions. At the end of the day, guys are going to have to prove themselves, prove their worth, and get out there and make these plays.”

Snead 73 games played and 40 career starts are more than the rest of the receiving core combined so they will be leaning on and looking to him for guidance this year, especially the rookies who didn’t have any semblance of real offseason program due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are hitting the field for the first time as pros.