Ravens to work out tight end Jake Ballard on Monday

Though it's still very early in the season, the Ravens certainly could use some additional help at the tight end position.

And that appears to be exactly what the organization is doing.

The Ravens are working out former Giants and Patriots tight end Jake Ballard, according to a report from Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. It doesn't appear a deal is imminent, or anything of that nature, but a solid tryout could result in an offer.

And it's quite obvious the Ravens need the assistance.

Between Ed Dickson and Dallas Clark last Thursday in Baltimore's 49-27 loss, the two tight ends combined for at least seven dropped passes. Clark finished the game with seven receptions for 87 yards but dropped what would have likely been a touchdown near the end of the first half. Working against traffic in the middle of the field, Clark looked a step slow and didn't seem to offer much in that regard.

He picked up most of his yardage on two plays. One was when Denver's Ayers gambled on for a pick-six and missed, leaving Clark open for a big gain, and the other would have resulted in a lost fumble if Rahim Moore didn't grab his facemask.

Though his performance wasn't great, it fared better than Dickson's, who had just one reception for 13 yards.

However, it remains unknown whether Ballard has anything to offer the Ravens. In 2011, he caught 38 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns with the New York Giants after signing with the organization as an undrafted rookie. During Super Bowl XLVI against the Patriots, Ballard tore his left ACL, which effectively ended his 2012 season before the it could even begin.

However, the Giants decided to put Ballard on injured reserve during the offseason, which meant he had to be waived-injured first. The Patriots decided to claim him, which ruffled some feathers in the Giants organization. Ballard missed all of last year and was released this preseason by New England.

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