Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome didn’t waste any time adding veteran reinforcements to the offense. Sunday he signed wide receiver Brandon Stokley and agreed to terms with tight end Dallas Clark.
After trading veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens needed to fill the void he left behind.
Stokley was originally drafted by the Ravens in 1999 and played four seasons in Baltimore. He was part of the Super Bowl winning team in 2000; he caught the first touchdown of the game .
After leaving the Ravens in 2002, Stokley played for the Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants. Last season he played for the Denver Broncos, he had one of the best seasons of his career with 45 receptions for 544 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Over of his career, Stokley notched 384 receptions for 5,224 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Newsome improved the wounded tight end situation by agreeing to a deal in principle with Dallas Clark.
“One other thing – I have an announcement. [General Manager and Executive Vice President] Ozzie [Newsome] has an agreement in principle with Dallas Clark as of today,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said Sunday after practice at M&T Bank Stadium. “So he’ll be in tomorrow to get a physical. Obviously, all of that is going to have to pan out for us to finalize it, but Dallas Clark is on his way to Baltimore right now.”
The 10-year veteran previously played for the Indianapolis Colts. Last season he played for the Tampa Bucs where he had 47 receptions for 435 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Over of his career Clark had 474 catches for 5,322 yards and 50 touchdowns.
The offensive additions show why “In Ozzie we trust.” While I don’t believe Stokley and Clark will make or break the offense, they will provide the team with experienced reinforcements and veteran leadership.
Zennie Abraham