Ravens receiver Aaron Mellette's knee injury still an issue

2013 seventh-round draft pick Aaron Mellette was unable to play last season due to a knee injury that placed him on injured reserve.

At the time, the notion that Mellette could be someone the organization was stashing on IR was floated around, since there didn't seem to be any problems during the preseason. As it turned out, he was truly hurt and had to go through a lengthy rehab process. Earlier this offseason, Mellette announced on his personal twitter account that he was cleared for running.

Now, with mandatory minicamp approaching soon, Mellette is facing more trouble with his knee. According to The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec, Mellette is experiencing recurring swelling in his knee.

Zrebiec wrote:

When Mellette was shut down and placed on injured reserve last September, the knee surgery he underwent was described as relatively minor, a cleanup. However, he’s obviously still experiencing a few problems more than 8 months later.

That's not a great sign for the second-year receiver, who will be fighting for a roster spot at the end of the depth chart. It would seem that Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Jacoby Jones and Marlon Brown are safe. After that, there are potentially two spots left on the 53-man roster and most likely three candidates to fill them.

Those spots will likely come down to a competition between Mellette, Michael Campanaro and Deonte Thompson. If Mellette is still experiencing this, then that could be trouble for his future in Baltimore.

Mellette was impressive at times last preseason. He's a big body that can do well in man-to-man situations on the outside. While he would be a rotational player at best this year, he is someone that could be a long-term receiver in this offense.