Dennis Pitta Was Once The Ravens Go-To-Guy, Will He Ever Be That Player Again?
When OTA’s started last week the Ravens had a lot of questions that needed to be answered and one of those was the health of tight end Dennis Pitta who hasn’t played in an NFL game since September 21, 2014.
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Pitta has been attempting to come back after suffering two dislocated hip injuries, the first coming in a practice after contact, but the second one he went down on his own with no contact. This had everyone questioning would he ever be able to come back?
Now with over two years off from football, Pitta is once again attempting to come back and give it another shot. He’s been working out over that time and is now getting back on the field where all indications have been positive.
When head coach John Harbaugh was asked about Pitta he had this to say via the Baltimore Sun “He looks like Dennis Pitta to me.If your asking for a comparison to what he was when he was playing to what he was now, he’s removed from football for a couple of years and we’re in-this is nothing. As far as the stability of the hip, how he feels about it, running around,making catches,looking like a football player, it’s all good.”
To me it sounds like both the coach and the player are encouraged by what they are seeing in this stage of the come back. All of that could change once the pads come on and training camp begins. The real test will be preseason games when he starts taking hits to the hip on a continuous basis.
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If he can stay healthy there is no question to what Pitta can provide, he is Joe Flacco’s favorite target and his best friend. Pitta is great in the slot and has great hands. The Ravens are deep at tight end and it will be an up hill battle for him.
The Ravens added Benjamin Watson and already had Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams. It’s not like Pitta is going to be automatically inserted into the starting lineup. He has to earn it all again, and his competition is tough.
You can make the case that Pitta is the most accomplished tight end on the Ravens roster. With 138 receptions for 1,369 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career, and with big plays in the playoffs, that’s a pretty good argument. The Ravens have a lot of questions at the tight end position, because they have a lot of options.
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Pitta is someone you root for after all he’s been through. If he does make the team you would have to think he would be playing in a limited role. There is a place for him on the team. He can make plays, but so can the other tight ends.