Jerricho Cotchery

Torrey Smith is now preparing himself to start beyond Thursday's preseason opener at Philadelphia. The rookie is ready to line up in the spot vacated by Derrick Mason, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, when the Ravens kick off the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 32 days.

Former New York Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery visited team headquarters Tuesday, but the Ravens haven't aggressively pursued him. This might be a signal that the Ravens are ready to start a rookie wide receiver for the first time in six years.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said one of the reasons why the team drafted Smith and Tandon Doss (fourth round) was because they were receivers who "would get up to speed quickly."

The Ravens are a run-oriented team, but if Smith is getting starter's snaps, he'll be worth a flier on draft day. Remember, he'll likely be the third receiving option behind Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice, who is heavily targeted out of the backfield.