Deonte Thompson Eager to Compete with WRs

Ravens' 2nd-year wide receiver Deonte Thompson has already put plenty of work into earning his spot in the NFL. Thompson signed with the Ravens following the 2012 draft as an undrafted free agent out of Florida. He turned heads in training camp last season and earned a spot on the final 53-man active roster for the duration of the 2012 season. However, Thompson is well aware that he must continue working hard if he wants to the see the field come game day in 2013.

Thompson will be a part of a heated competition entering training camp as the Ravens search for a replacement for departed veteran Anquan Boldin, who was an invaluable asset in the team's 2012 championship run. The competition at the moment looks to include Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams, David Reed, and rookie Aaron Mellette out of Elon. In an interview with the team's website, Thompson was asked about the competition. He said, "It's going to be fun, all of those guys are like my brothers and I know all of us want the same spot. At the end of the day, its going to be fun. We're always competing. We competed last year. We're going to do the same thing again. I'm looking forward to the challenge and I am excited about it." Thompson impressed the Ravens coaching staff last offseason with his elite speed and his ability to run after the catch. Thompson's action on the field last season was limited mainly to special teams, on offense he only caught 5 passes for 51 yards. While he lacks gametime experience, he claims that his time working with Anquan Boldin was a huge catalyst for his development as a professional. There is no doubt in the minds of the Ravens coaching staff that Deonte Thompson has all the ability and potential to work his way into the starting lineup, it should be an interesting training camp for the Ravens in 2013 as a group of relatively unproven receivers (with the exception of Jacoby Jones) battle for their shot shine on Sundays.