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Dennis Pitta has decided that he's going to come back and try to play for the Ravens for another year. After spending all of 2015 on the sidelines, this is a pretty bold move for Pitta, who personally admitted that this was a hard decision. It's a bold move on Pitta's part, but his roster spot is far from guaranteed.
Why he won't make the team:
Pitta hasn't played a game since September 21, 2014. By the time the real action starts and the Ravens play their next meaningful game, it will be September 11, 2016. Pitta hasn't played live-action football for almost two years. One has to be skeptical about whether he's in any condition to play football and even if he still has that famous chemistry with Joe. Also, Pitta's suffered two hip dislocations, one of them he got making a routine turn upfield without even being touched. His health is a huge concern.
And there's plenty of other tight ends on the team. The Ravens have two good, young tight ends on the roster (three if you count Nick Boyle, whose odds of making the team are only slightly better than Pitta's) and Crockett Gillmore already appears to have built the trust of Flacco. The Ravens also brought veteran tight end Ben Watson in and he should be able to provide the reliable third-down presence that Pitta brought.
Why he will make the team:
Pitta certainly has the determination to make the roster. After suffering two hip dislocations and being sidelined for the entire 2015 season, Dennis Pitta is still planning on coming back and playing in the NFL. And perhaps he still does have the chemistry that will make him invaluable to Joe Flacco.
Dennis Pitta is going to try and play in the NFL after missing all of this time with injuries. Personally, I think that there's too much going against him for him to make the team and that it would take a miracle for him to be a Raven. But maybe Dennis Pitta makes the team and he builds off of that 2012 season. Pitta's making a risky decision here, but his determination is something to be admired.