Why Dennis Pitta Is Worth the Money for the Baltimore Ravens

Dennis Pitta is a happy man, and the Baltimore Ravens (and their fans) should be happy too. After signing a 5-year, $32-million contract, some are of the opinion that the Ravens overpaid to retain the services of a one-dimensional tight end with average athleticism. Those people are wrong.

I get the initial gut reaction. Paying $6.4 million per year to a tight end who doesn’t block and isn’t an athletic freak?! But that number isn’t really so high—especially when you consider how the tight end position has changed over the last five years. Here’s a look at the highest-paid tight ends in the league and the stats from their most recent healthy season (meaning at least 14 games):

Player	Average Annual Salary	Receptions	Yards	TDs
Rob Gronkowski	$9,000,000	90	1,327	17
Jason Witten	$7,400,000	73	851	8
Vernon Davis	$7,350,000	52	850	13
Antonio Gates	$7,235,000	77	872	4
Jimmy Graham	$7,035,000	86	1,215	16
Jared Cook	$7,020,000	51	671	5
Jermichael Finley	$7,000,000	61	667	2
Tony Gonzalez	$7,000,000	83	859	8
Zach Miller	$6,800,000	38	396	3
Marcedes Lewis	$6,800,000	52	540	4
Dennis Pitta	$6,400,000	61	669	7
Greg Olsen	$5,700,000	73	816	6
Owen Daniels	$5,421,875	62	716	6

This table shows just how much the tight end is becoming a weapon in modern offenses, but it reveals two more things. Firstly, Dennis Pitta truly belongs in this group of the top tight ends in the league based on his 2012 numbers.

Secondly, Pitta’s deal is pretty good considering some of the names ahead of him. Guys like Jared Cook, Jermichael Finley, Marcedes Lewis and Zach Miller all make more than Pitta—and to be fair, they’re all better blockers—but none of them compare to Pitta as a receiver and route runner.

Let’s evaluate Pitta for what he really is: a receiver. We can get caught in the positional label of “tight end,” but he’s a bona fide receiver by trade and that’s how the Ravens are going to use him. Most of his snaps last year (albeit in a small sample size of four games) came out of the slot, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun:

Stats courtesy of BaltimoreSun.com; Graph courtesy of yours truly

Pitta gives the offense a much-needed playmaker on third down and in the red zone (the Ravens ranked 21st and 31st respectively in those categories in 2013, per TeamRankings.com), and he is the only receiver on the roster (right now, at least) that can consistently gain separation through route running and reliably produce in the short-to-intermediate passing game.

He has some of the surest hands in the league at his position, as evidenced by his drop rate—a signature stat of ProFootballFocus (subscription required)—in 2011 and 2012 (the only years he qualifies for the stat due to targets):

Year	Catchable Passes	Drops	Drop Rate	TE Rank
2011	40	0	0	1st out of 35
2012	61	3	4.69	6th out of 37

Furthermore, he can make contested catches which is a welcome skill for the Ravens offense. Do we really need a reminder of how terrible the passing game looked without Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta to make tough grabs?

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

And that brings us to the next point: the future—specifically this season. You may complain that Baltimore is shelling out money for a receiver that has only caught over 40 passes once in his career (2012), but this contract isn’t for the previous five years of Pitta’s career. It’s for the coming five years, which is good for Baltimore considering Pitta’s upward career trajectory.

Let’s not forget that he seemed like a lock to have a breakout campaign in 2013 before a brutal injury robbed him of three quarters of the year. Without Boldin in the mix, Pitta is the primary receiver in the short passing game and in the middle of the field. That means plenty of targets and the opportunity to put up big numbers.

Then there’s the Gary Kubiak factor.

Kubiak loves using tight ends. He’s done it in the past, and he’ll continue to do it moving forward. Don’t believe me? Check the numbers posted by his primary tight ends in Houston and Denver:

Year	Receptions	Yards	Games	TDs
2008	70	862	16	2
2009	40	519	8	5
2010	38	471	11	2
2011	54	677	15	3
2012	62	716	15	6

Year	Receptions	Yards	Games	TDs
1995	63	756	13	4
1996	80	1062	15	10
1997	72	1107	16	3
1998	64	768	16	10

If those numbers aren’t good enough for you, here’s what Gary Kubiak told Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com:

"

I remember studying Dennis, and I’m very impressed with him as a player. I know he went through a tough year this year with getting injured, but that position has always been a big part of our offense. I’m sure it won’t be any different.

"

Kubiak has traditionally used his tight ends as one of his primary weapons—particularly in the red zone—and Pitta is thrilled at the opportunity to work with the renowned offensive mind, according to Ryan Mink of the official team website:

"

It’s not all about statistics, but [Kubiak’s tight ends have] been productive, and they have been a centerpiece to that offense. So I feel like I can produce in that same way, and I’m excited about the challenge and ready to get going. I’m excited to be able to kind of fill that role, to be able to be a big part of the offense going forward and excited to be in a new system and get a fresh start for our offense.

"

Not only does Pitta have an offensive coordinator that is sure to highlight him in the offense, but he has a quarterback that loves to get him the football and is one of his best friends.

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Pitta admitted to Garrett Downing that his relationship with Joe Flacco was a factor in his decision to stay in Baltimore:

"

You know where you fit into an offense and you have a good relationship with the quarterback. That on-field chemistry is important. Joe and I certainly have that, so we can kind of continue to build off that and kind of pick up where we left off. It’s exciting to be part of it. He wanted me to stay as much as I wanted to stay. We have a great friendship and a good chemistry on the field. It was something I certainly wanted for my career and I’m sure he enjoys the fact that I’m staying.

"

Their chemistry is evident on the field at the end of last year, as Pitta has emerged as Flacco’s security blanket and go-to target.

Year	Targets Per Game
2012	6.81
2013	7.75

With all the physical tools at his disposal and a perfect system awaiting him in 2014, Dennis Pitta is poised to have the greatest season of his career in 2014 and claw his way into the upper echelon of pass-catching tight ends.

Six million dollars may seem like too much cash right now, but Pitta will look like a bargain at the end of this year. Do you still think he’s not worth the money?

Shehan Peiris is B/R's lead Featured Columnist covering the Baltimore Ravens and a co-host of Ravens Central Radio, a weekly podcast on the Pro Football Central radio network that focuses on all things Ravens-related. For breaking news, roster evaluation, draft analysis and links to the latest episodes of Ravens Central Radio, follow me on Twitter:

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