The Baltimore Ravens have a log jam at tight end and that is a good thing. Right now, tight end Dennis Pitta is scheduled to come off of the PUP list after week 6 due to his second consecutive hip injury he has suffered in two seasons.
The latest hip injury occurred in week 3 last season on the road against the Cleveland Browns where he was splitting out to catch a pass but fell untouched.
There hasn't been a setback from anything we have heard so far so it looks like Pitta should be okay after week 6. Whether the Ravens put Pitta into action after that remains to be seen.
However, if Pitta comes back and plays to his normal capabilities, where will the Ravens put Pitta? Starting tight end Crockett Gillmore has performed nicely to start the season, rookies in Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle have played a critical role as well.
With the recent injury issues the Ravens have had at wide receiver this season from rookie Breshad Perriman dealing with a knee injury since training camp, Michael Campanaro dealing with a season-ending back injury and Steve Smith Sr. dealing with a back injury of his own causes the team to improvise.
Once Pitta arrives on the field, it would be nice to see all the talent the Ravens have at tight being put to good use. Allow Gillmore, Williams, Pitta and Boyle to all see some significant time. Let Pitta run as a slot wide receiver. Allow Maxx Williams to play on the outside at wide receiver. Allow Boyle to see time at tight end in twin tight end sets with Gillmore. Mix and match all four of them. Let them play on the field all at once.
The Ravens don't have a lot of speed on their roster offensively to begin with. To substitute the speed, they should use the size advantage they have at tight end and let cornerbacks deal with them.
Tight ends are hard to cover in this league. The Ravens have quite a few quality targets at the position. Put them to good use together.