The Facts: Watson hasn't thought about retirement even though he's the Ravens oldest player at age 36. His focus is earning the respect of the teammates after his first season with the Ravens was cut short by a season-ending Achilles injury in the preseason. "I'm still hungry to do that," Watson said. "I'm rehabbing not only to play but to play well."
Diehards Line:
Watson was aggressively pursued by the Ravens last year and was the team's first free-agent signing in the 2015 offseason. He was coming off a career year and was looking to be a strong weapon in Baltimore's offense before tearing his right Achilles tendon on the first play of a late August preseason game. The expectation has been for Watson to return for training camp, but ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley reports the veteran has been ahead of schedule in his recovery. Watson returns to a situation where the Ravens have plenty of tight ends and not a lot of salary cap room. He will have to fight for a spot on what is the deepest position on the Ravens. In addition to Watson, Baltimore brings back Dennis Pitta, who led all NFL tight ends in catches, Crockett Gillmore, Maxx Williams, Nick Boyle and Darren Waller.