If you haven't spent the summer living under a rock or in a foreign country, you probably know quite well that the Ravens receiving corps is far from set in stone. With the departure of Anquan Boldin to the 49ers and Dennis Pitta's season-ending injury, the Ravens have a serious void to be filled of sure-handed, tough possession receivers upon whom Joe Flacco can consistently rely. Before the preseason if you asked me who would be the 3rd wide receiver behind Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, I would have said Deonte Thompson. Some people expected Tandon Doss to step up in light of reports that he had some of the best hands on the team. I originally felt optimistic about Tandon Doss as well since I read that Flacco had handpicked Doss because he felt the young receiver was "easy to throw the ball to", but that was in 2011 and Doss has not since taken advantage of opportunities to step up and become a starting caliber receiver. Now we've observed the Ravens through three preseason games, and it has become abundantly clear that Tandon Doss simply isn't in synch with his quarterback. Deonte Thompson is also injured and could potentially be put on injured reserve in order to free up a roster spot. Luckily, two receivers have emerged in the preseason that could make Ravens fans almost totally forget about Doss and Thompson.
In April's post-draft analysis I wrote that Elon's Aaron Mellette could find himself beating out the likes of Tandon Doss and Tommy Streeter on the depth chart. The Ravens just recently cut Streeter and Doss my also find himself turning in his playbook in less than a week as well. Thus, it looks like my prediction might just come true. Mellette's college highlights weren't against incredible competition as he played against small schools, but that didn't change my opinion of the young athlete. Watching Mellette's tape I was struck by how he was able to go up and get the ball in tight coverage and find a way to make acrobatic catches on less than perfectly placed passes. It almost didn't matter who was covering him because he was going to find away to haul in the pass regardless. In that way, Mellette reminded me of Anquan Boldin. Clearly, Mellette is not Boldin, but he had two incredible touchdown catches in extremely tight coverage in this preseason, and I expect to see quite a bit more that kind of action on Thursday night. A former player of mine at Long Reach High School, Justin Biegel, happened to interview Mellette and Joe Flacco recently for Elon University's student news program. The report featured footage of one of Mellette's touchdown catches, take a look: ELN: Aaron Mellette Update Also, if you haven't seen Mellette's college highlights, they're really quite impressive, take a look: Ultimate Aaron Mellette Highlights | HD
It would appear as though Aaron Mellette will make the Ravens final 53 man roster, but almost totally out of the blue another receiver emerged last week in a big way. A young man who spent most of the summer rehabbing injuries and getting back in shape was an undrafted free agent named Marlon Brown. Marlon Brown is 6'5", he's fast, and he has impressive hands. Most importantly, Brown has seemingly developed chemistry with Joe Flacco overnight. Last week Brown caught 4 passes including one impressive 24 yard touchdown catch for a team high of 59 receiving yards against the Carolina Panthers. Brown's emergence is likely what gave the Ravens confidence to cut Tommy Streeter. Streeter had the size and the speed that NFL teams covet, but he never developed the hands or route running ability to match. Brown, however, possesses route running ability, hand skills, AND the natural combination of size and speed that will hopefully prove an absolute nightmare for defensive backs the league over. If you missed last week's preseason game, take a look at Brown's touchdown reception from Joe Flacco: Marlon Brown 24 yard touchdown reception
It may still take both Mellette and Brown time to adjust to real NFL game speed. During that early period of adjustment, the Ravens appear to be able to count on Brandon Stokely to fill the dependable receiver role so recently vacated by Anquan Boldin. I have little doubt, however, that Brown and Mellette will get plenty of opportunities to make plays and establish a rapport with Joe. Brown may have a bit of an edge as his catches and touchdown reception came against a first team defense. Mellette's touchdown catches were certainly impressive, but he made them off of the arm of Tyrod Taylor and against backup defensive backs. I certainly expect both receivers to make big impact plays on Thursday night and solidify their spots on the final roster. Make sure you tune in as the Ravens take on the Rams in the final preseason game of 2013!
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!
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