Baltimore Ravens: Dennis Pitta Out, Crockett Gillmore In
Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore (80) scores a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Baltimore Ravens’ rookies have reported for camp, but the veterans are not too far behind before returning. After a preview of the rookies, fans should also keep an eye on some of the other players as they report next week.
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Despite the good signs and hopeful thoughts, it looks as if Dennis Pitta will miss the beginning of the season. For some, this outcome was expected, and as the offseason progressed, it was seemingly even more unlikely he would be able to start.
Baltimore Sun insider Aaron Wilson reported the unfortunate news July 21. He says the NFL sources say Pitta will likely start training camp and the season on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.
Ravens expected to place Dennis Pitta on physically unable perform list to start camp, season, sources say http://t.co/fV7rtvqfHq
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 21, 2015
The tight end has only played in seven games since the 2012 when he played in all 16 regular season games. In his last full season, he caught 61 passes for nearly 700 yards along with seven touchdowns.
The Ravens did draft two tight ends, but Crockett Gillmore needs to step up to replace the veteran. He played in 15 games last season, while only starting one. Despite the playing time, it did not come through as impressive stats.
He only caught 10 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown. This season, he is going to have to step up into a new role. Gillmore ended the season on a good note as he caught a pass in each of his last five games.
Two of those games were in the postseason, which included a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wildcard game. He is going to be put into a much bigger role with Pitta starting the season on the PUP list, which will keep the veteran out at least for the first six weeks of the season.
If the second-year player takes the starting position, he’ll take most of the reps and be the target of Joe Flacco a majority of the time. The quarterback likes to utilize his tight ends, and the new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman uses them as well.
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Trestman has used a dual-tight end offense in the past, so if the rookie Maxx Williams or Nick Boyle take the starting spot, Gillmore could still play an important part. However, the former Colorado State player should be the frontrunner for the starting position.
He’ll need to mature faster than a normal second-year player, but as he said during OTAs, he is ready for a bigger role. He has worked on improving his blocking, which is an important tool for any Ravens tight end.
Even though it seems he is set for the new role, his lack of experience in the NFL keeps the position open with Williams and Boyle competing. With all the other position battles taking place, the starting tight end position could be one of the closest.