This shapes up as a pivotal week for several Ravens rookies, particularly for wide receivers Aaron Mellette and Marlon Brown.
Both have made solid cases to earn one of the final roster spots.
At the least, they're top candidates for the practice squad if they don't make the active roster when the Ravens cut down to the NFL roster limit of 53 players following their preseason finale Thursday night against the St. Louis Rams.
Brown leads the Ravens with six receptions this preseason, ranking second on the team with 90 receiving yards, and he has one touchdown. The undrafted rookie from Georgia caught all four passes thrown to him last week against the Carolina Panthers during a 34-27 loss, finishing with 59 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown catch on a Joe Flacco throw.
Mellette, a seventh-round draft pick from Elon, has four receptions for 70 yards and two touchdowns, catching two passes for 9 yards against Carolina on three targets.
Both players are big downfield targets, especially Brown at 6-feet-5, 205 pounds.
"They're competing for a roster spot, and therefore, an active role," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said when asked about the outlook for the two rookies. "Absolutely, that's part of it."
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