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Donte’ Stallworth’s broken foot, which is expected to sideline the Ravens wide receiver for about two months, is a “big blow” to Baltimore in the words of his teammates.
But it would have been tougher for the Ravens to recover from in previous years.
Due to the team’s depth at wide receiver, Baltimore won’t have to look far to find a wideout to step in for Stallworth, who was acting as the team’s fourth wide receiver during the preseason.
A popular candidate seems to be Demetrius Williams, whom the Ravens have been grooming since 2006. Williams was mainly battling with rookie David Reed, wideout Marcus Smith and others throughout training camp.
Williams was sticking out from the group in practice, but he suffered an ankle injury in the Ravens’ second preseason game against the Washington Redskins, which forced him to sit out a week of practice and Saturday’s game versus the Giants.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said the injury has been a little slower to heal than they first thought.
“There’s a durability factor and consistency with Demetrius. He’ll be the first to tell you that,” Harbaugh said. “He’s just struggled with that to no fault of his own. I thought he was having a tremendous camp. He was making plays every day.”
Now Thursday night’s game could be a big one for Williams. Although he’s been on the team for four years, the Ravens want to see how he performs in the spotlight.
“He does need to get out there Thursday night and he’s shooting for that,” Harbaugh said. “And if he does get out there, I’m sure we’re going to get him the ball and see how he does.”
The 6-foot-2 Williams brings a lot of the skills Stallworth also possesses. He has speed that can stretch a defense, and his niche is as a deep playmaker. He was also flashing better hands during camp. But Williams hasn’t put it all together on Sundays.
After notching 22 catches for 396 yards his rookie season, Williams’ receptions and yardage totals dropped off each following season. Last year he made eight grabs for 142 yards (17.8 yards per catch) and one touchdown in 12 games.
“Demetrius is going to have to step up mentally because this is a mental game,” fellow wideout Mark Clayton said. “Once you know what you’re doing out there and are comfortable in that, then your natural ability will take over.”
The Ravens made a concerted effort to get the ball to Reed, the fifth-round rookie, and Smith during the past two games in an effort to see what they brought to the table.
Reed made four catches on one drive and nearly secured a touchdown versus the Redskins, but he had a tough time at camp. Smith, who is one of the Ravens’ top special teams players, caught four passes for 29 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown reception.
In order to keep Stallworth on the roster, the Ravens would have to designate him inactive each weekend until he returns. Stallworth cannot go on the physically unable to perform list because he has practiced with the team since the start of camp.
Thus, the Ravens have to decide whether they want to keep a player they maybe wouldn’t have otherwise to slide in for Stallworth. Baltimore also must factor in that Stallworth was returning punts, so that position must be filled in as well.
“I think we have to sit down and figure that out over the next five days and exactly how many players we want to carry at certain positions,” Harbaugh said. “Does that mean we carry another wide receiver? Or do we feel like we have enough receivers and tight ends to keep it at the same number?”
