When training camp opened up for the defending Super Bowl Champions the Baltimore Ravens, they had a full, healthy squad to work with. Then about a week or so into Camp, star tight end Dennis Pita goes down with a season ending hip injury. So instead the Ravens get set to go with his replacement, Eric Dickson, who hasn't caught a pass at all a year ago. Now he goes down with a hamstring issue, but in all likelihood will be back to play again this season. So now what do the Ravens do for a tight end? Simple.....sign Dallas Clark.
The 34-year old Clark has been one of the more productive tight ends in the NFL during the last decade. He has 474 catches 5,322 yards and 50 touchdowns in 10 NFL seasons, the first nine of which he spent with the Indianapolis Colts. Clark's numbers have dipped in recent years, but he still had 47 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.
Look i know Clark's numbers have been on the decline the last few years, especially ever since he left the Colts. Don't get me wrong, Clark can still be a threat catching the ball from the slot, but he isn't as good as he once was. This is a great move from a Ravens perspective though. Think about this. Baltimore lost a good receiver and solid pass blocker when Pita went down. Dickson wasn't, at least in my book, good enough to be able to fill that hole left by Pita. That's where Clark comes in. Clark can still catch and is still a pretty good blocker and can be able to pick up a blitz and give Joe Flacco time in the pocket to make the throws he needs to.
So it may not be as good a solution to the problem as having Pita back in the lineup, but its a start. Clark can do a good job in filling in and then some.
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