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Ravens TE Pitta reworks deal in attempt to continue career

The Sports Xchange

April 13, 2016 at 10:34 am.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta. Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta. Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

Tight end Dennis Pitta restructured his contract Wednesday to stay with the Baltimore Ravens as he attempts to return from his second significant hip injury.

Pitta signed a five-year, $32 million contract in March of 2014, and was due to earn $5 million in base salary in 2016 along with $2.2 million of his prorated signing bonus for a total salary cap hit of $7.2 million. He was due to count $7.7 million against the cap in each of the final two years of the deal. Terms of the restructured deal were not disclosed, although Pitta will have the opportunity to earn some of his reduced pay back through incentives.

“Dennis wants to continue his playing career, and we want to give him that opportunity,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “We have reworked his contract, and we’re excited to help him with his comeback. Everyone here wants Dennis to succeed.”

Pitta missed the entire 2015 season after re-injuring his hip injury originally sustained on Sept. 21, 2014 at Cleveland. That came after recovering from a dislocated and fractured hip suffered during the preseason in 2013.

Pitta began last season on the physically unable to perform list. He returned to the practice field in October, but it was determined in November that he wasn’t ready for contact in a regular-season game and he was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Originally a fourth-round pick by the Ravens in the 2010 NFL Draft, Pitta has 138 career receptions for 1,369 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 21 catches for 233 yards and four touchdowns in the postseason. However, the 30-year-old has played in only seven regular-season games over the past three seasons, posting a combined 36 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown, and has not appeared in a regular-season game in 19 months.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to continue my career,” said Pitta, who joined the team for this week’s offseason workouts. “I’m excited to get back to work with my teammates and for this organization. Physically, I feel great and am ready to begin building toward a successful 2016 season.”

Pitta’s doctors and the Ravens will monitor his progress through the offseason program and into training camp to see if his hip is strong enough to return to the field in 2016. Baltimore has good depth at tight end with Crockett Gillmore, 2015 second-round pick Maxx Williams, converted wideout Darren Waller, Konrad Reuland, Harold Spears and Nick Boyle, who is facing a 10-game suspension to open the season.

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