When the Ravens unveiled new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to the media on Monday, Kubiak mentioned that one of the offense’s best players will be utilized extensively going forward.
Per multiple reports, Kubiak said in his introductory press conference that he expects tight end Dennis Pitta to be a big part of the offense in 2014.
Before Pitta can be a big part of the offense in 2014, he has to be part of the team. Pitta is due to become an unrestricted free agent, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be re-signed by the Ravens before he hits the open market.
It’s also unclear whether the Ravens would restrict his ability to leave the team with the franchise tag. If the Ravens use the franchise tag, it’s also unclear whether they’ll use the tight end or the receiver version of it.
Presumably, they’d use the tight end version of the tag, which will cost roughly $4.5 million less on a one-year deal than the receiver franchise tender. Pitta, who dislocated a hip during training camp, appeared in only four games during the 2013 season. Under the labor deal, whichever position he took the most snaps in 2013 will be the position at which he’s eligible to be tagged.
For now, it’s safe to say the Ravens want to keep Pitta. How they go about doing that remains to be seen.