Ed Dickson: Can He Get the Job Done?

Dennis Pitta dislocated his hip on Saturday after a collision with safety James Ihedigbo in practice. Pitta was carted off of the field, and coach John Harbaugh came to the podium and told the press what had happened. Pitta went into surgery almost immediately, and it sounds like the injury was worse than expected. As soon as Pitta was out of surgery, ESPN reported that he would be out for the season, although it has not yet been confirmed by the team. (NOTE: There is a possibility that Pitta is not out for the season.)

Now, it seems like the former backup tight end Ed Dickson will have to move into the No. 1 slot. Not too many people are excited about it. All over Twitter and other social media sites, people were complaining about having Dickson who "drops the ball all of the time." It seems as if most of the people sold on Dickson only watched the 2012 season.

In the 2012 season, Dickson only had 21 catches for 225 yards and 0 touchdowns. Sounds not very good, right? Well, you're right. You just have to remember that he was the No. 2 TE, didn't get nearly as much playing time as Pitta, and wasn't targeted nearly as much as Pitta. If you want a clear result of how dominant Dickson can be, look to the 2011 season.

In the 2011 season, Dickson had 54 receptions for 528 yards and 5 touchdowns. That seems a lot better, correct? Exactly. Dickson had an off season last year, especially since he was being overshadowed by Dennis Pitta.

Now, Dickson will be able to showcase his talents being the No. 1 tight end.

One thing we all know is that Dickson was looking for a larger role in the offense, now he's gotten one. If he really wanted the larger role, he's got it now. I hope he's ready.

Whether Pitta is out for one game or 16 games, I am not worried about this team or Dickson. You guys have to remember, the Ravens were without Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, and Lardarius Webb for many games last season. If the Ravens can lose those three defensive monsters and still win it all, we can afford to lose our starting tight-end for a few games or more.

One thing that Ravens' fans are upset about is the fact that Dickson drops a few balls here and there, and they are worried about him dropping the ball in crucial situations, unlike Pitta. Over the course of the three years Dickson has been here, I have seen him drop a few passes, especially in situations where we need a first down. Dickson is looking to have much better hands, and if you look at the highlight video below, you can clearly see that Dickson has some talented hands. We'll see what happens with this, but I'm not worried one little bit.

Remember one of the few Ravens' mottos: Next Man Up.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED...

A video of Ed Dickson career highlights (2010-2012) is here.