Derrick Mason: I don't know how much more I can say about Derrick Mason (other than that I'd name my first-born for him). He was Joe Flacco's primary option and security blanket from the start; indeed, until Mark Clayton and Todd Heap began to show up down the stretch, he was for all practical purposes Flacco's only option. Yet somehow he kept getting open, though every defense we faced doubtlessly game-planned specifically for him. And it wasn't just the dink-and-dunk kind of "open," the kind that came to define Brian Billick's plodding offense and resulted in Mason's catching a career-high 103 balls in 2007 for a career-low 10.6 yard average. He got open short, he got open long, and he got open every which way between, with a full three-quarters of his catches producing first downs---the best ratio in his career as a starter.
In all, he caught 80 balls for a 13.0 average and 5 TDs (plus 12 more catches in the playoffs, including the crucial TD that gave us hope against the Titans)---his best production in four years as a Raven. And despite dislocating his shoulder in Week 10 and re-aggravating it in Week 15, to the point where he required a shoulder harness just to keep the bone in its socket, he never missed a start and barely missed a snap, at times running those perfect routes with one arm hanging uselessly at his side. In short, he epitomized the toughness and the determination that came to characterize this team, and if the Ravens can ever pair him with a legitimate deep threat, he'll do greater things still. All he did this past year was turn in an MVP-caliber season for a young offense in need of consistency and leadership.
Status for 2009: He's nearly 35 and he shows no signs of slowing down. Pencil him in for another 16 games, another 1,000 yards, and more intangibles than you can count.
Mark Clayton: It's hard to know how to rate Mark Clayton after 4 years. He's a former first-round pick who's never had a 1,000-yard season or caught more than 5 TDs ... Looked at that way, it's hard not to label him a bust. Yet the first 3 of those seasons were played in a broken system for a coach who'd already failed to develop one 1st-round receiver (with better size) in Travis Taylor. Consequently, when I look at Clayton's numbers in 2008---41 catches for 695 yards and 3 TDs---I tell myself that he's really only entering Year 2 in a legitimate NFL offense, and that his strong-armed rookie QB is only going to get better at delivering him the ball. I tell myself that amongst receivers with 40+ receptions, Clayton's 17.0-yard average ranked 5th in the league, behind only Bernard Berrian, Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, and Calvin Johnson---pretty good company for a guy whose 5'10'', 190-lb frame hardly strikes fear into opposing DBs. And as far as 5'10'', 190-lb receivers go, he's already in the best company there is, sharing a huddle each week with Derrick Mason. If that's the career path that Clayton is on---and I'm still optimistic he has the talent and the drive (and now the coaching) to get there---the Ravens might not end up regretting that 1st-round pick after all.
Status for 2009: Clayton has yet to put together consecutive productive seasons. (And really, it was only during the second half of 2008 that he could be considered productive, starting with the Week 9 game in Cleveland when he caught 4 balls for 87 yards.) Building on this year's numbers is a must. Any production he gives us running end-arounds (or even throwing passes) is a bonus, but Clayton needs to show up catching passes from Week 1 and avoid disappearing for games at a time if he's going to be a long-term cog in this offense.
Demetrius Williams: One of the few real disappointments of 2008, Williams entered the season with hopes of becoming the deep threat, but the high ankle sprain that cut short his 2007 season rendered him mostly ineffective through 7 games before landing him on IR. Williams has the size and speed to make Ravens fans drool over his potential. but after consecutive injury-plagued years, it's impossible to know just how good he might be, though his history thus far suggests he is merely a tall, speedy guy with average skills. His only big play this year was the result of a blown coverage against the Raiders; on the other hand, Joe Flacco didn't begin to look comfortable launching deep balls until Williams had already been shut down.
Status for 2009: With no marque receivers entering free agency, and the unlikelihood the Ravens (or any team, history suggests) will draft a receiver who can make an immediate impact, Williams should have one more chance to prove he can stay healthy enough to produce. That would be start; consistently producing would be even better. Based on the little I have read, he seems to have a good attitude and a lot of confidence. If he can live up to his potential, he would fill perhaps the most gaping hole on the roster.
Yamon Figurs: Figurs has caught 2 passes in his 2-year career: the first was for 36 yards, the second was for 43 yards and a TD. And that's pretty much sums up his potential as a receiver --- the occasional home run off a go route, and nothing more. His impact was supposed to come on special teams as a return man, so we'll hold off evaluating him for now.
Status for 2009: Figurs already has a tough road ahead of him reclaiming his job as the return specialist. Anything he gives us out of the receiving game is a bonus --- at 5'11 and 180 lbs (and already fully developed, it appears), he's almost certainly too small to play receiver in the NFL.
Marcus Smith: The Ravens took him in the 4th round of last year's draft, and he began making appearances in the passing game around Week 13, though he never did make a catch. (A penalty on Derrick Mason robbed him of a terrific catch of a tipped ball in the playoffs against the Titans, and he was the victim of an obvious pass interference in the end zone that set up our second TD in the championship game.)
Prospects for 2009: Smith certainly has the size to play receiver in the NFL (6'1'', 215 pounds), and he apparently never fumbles. He'll get his opportunity to make more plays in 2009. Until I actually see them, though, I cannot say much about his potential.
Terrance Copper: Copper joined the team in Week 9 after Demetrius Williams had gone on IR. He only played in two games, and truthfully I don't recall his number being called once (not even on special teams).
Status for 2009: Through 5 seasons Copper has totalled 46 catches for 600 yards. His 2006 numbers (a 16.7-yard average and 3 TDs playing in the Saints wide-open offense) are intriguing, but he only averaged 8.4 yards/catch the following year, and he did absolutely nothing in 2008. Maybe the Ravens invite him to training camp next summer, but I wouldn't count on him making the final cut.
IR and the Practice Squad: Justin Harper was a 7th-round pick last year who got hurt and missed the whole season. He's another big guy (6'3'', 215 lbs) whose potential is totally unknown, but he'll almost certainly get another crack at making the team next summer. Ditto for Ernie Wheelwright (6'5'', 220 lbs), an undrafted free agent who spent 2008 on the practice squad. Otherwise, there's nothing here to report.
Keywords: Baltimore Ravens 2008 player grades Wide receivers
