Dennis Pitta says his hip is '100 percent'

Now, nearly 11 months after Ravens TE Dennis Pitta had surgery to repair a dislocated, fractured right hip, he is armed with a new contract and said that his hip “feels great” and he is back to full health.

“It’s nothing I even think about when I’m at practice,” Pitta said Tuesday. “That’s a good sign. I feel like I’m at 100 percent and able to run and do what I need to do.”

Pitta also said his explosiveness has returned, which “was a process.” Pitta returned for the final four games of 2013, and caught 20 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown.

Throughout the spring, Pitta has lined up all over the offense. He's seen time split out wide, and also flanking the quarterback in the backfield. Pitta said his role may increase more, but he’s trying to get the base offense down during the spring before he can get in a position to be moved around the field even more.

Pitta missed most of 2013 due to a hip injury and he was sorely missed in the Ravens’ passing game. Upon his return, he saw 33 targets in four games, putting him on pace to finish with the 3rd-most targets in the league. It’s not a solid sample size, but it’s still an indicator of what may come. (He finished with the 12th-most targets in 2012.) The big plus for Pitta heading into 2014 is the arrival of new OC Gary Kubiak who has been very TE-friendly throughout his career, specifically with the development of both Shannon Sharpe in Denver and Owen Daniels in Houston.