Ravens still considering Owen Daniels as a possibility

Re-signing Dennis Pitta was a big deal for an obvious reason.

One of Joe Flacco's top targets will be back to help move the chains as a slot presence over the middle of the field. In addition, tight ends have excelled in Gary Kubiak's offensive system, meaning bringing back a player of Pitta's caliber can only increase the odds of how effective the new scheme can be in Baltimore.

Kubiak likes to use two-tight end sets, which is why it's still important for the Ravens to either bring in another in free agency or draft a capable one that can contribute.

Baltimore hasn't ruled out the former, as John Harbaugh told reporters that there's still a chance the Ravens could go out and grab a top name at the position.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Harbaugh said team is still considered signing a free agent tight end and Owen Daniels and Ed Dickson are in conversation.</p>&mdash; Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiecsun) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeffzrebiecsun/statuses/448432737784197120">March 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Harbaugh confirmed that the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Ravens&amp;src=hash">#Ravens</a> are discussing the prospect of adding TE Owen Daniels, along with re-signing Ed Dickson.</p>&mdash; Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ravens/statuses/448436140652392448">March 25, 2014</a></blockquote>
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This isn't to say the Ravens will bring in Owen Daniels to work in tandem with Pitta. But it does appear they're at least assessing his value. Pitta and Daniels would be a dangerous duo, especially with the fact the Ravens brought in Steve Smith to work with Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones and Marlon Brown.

Daniels also understands Kubiak's offense better than anyone outside of Jones. Both Daniels and Jones previously played under Kubiak during their time with Houston.

Though the option is there, it's a definite wait-and-see ordeal. It's very likely Daniels heads elsewhere and the Ravens strike a deal with Ed Dickson instead. If so, the Ravens would probably need to draft a tight end as an insurance policy, given Dickson hasn't proved he's a reliable dual-threat tight end in both the running and passing game over the past two years.

Daniels would be a sizable splash that would further balance the offense. Imagine an offense featuring a receiving group that includes the two Smiths, Jones, Brown, Pitta and Daniels. Regardless of where you stand with Joe Flacco, he'd have no excuses in taking the offense to the next level.