The Ravens didn?t just give rookie free agent Xavier Lee a new jersey number, they gave him a new position.
“Starting fresh I guess,” Lee said with a smile. “My friends are like ?[you?re playing] tight end? I can’t see you as a tight end.? I?m like ?you and me both,? but the more and more I play and see myself on film at tight end, it seems more natural.”
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The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder played quarterback at Florida State for three seasons, plus a redshirt year, before declaring for the NFL draft this spring. Lee was brought in to compete for a backup quarterback job in May, but due to injuries at tight end, switched positions during the team?s minicamp.
Ravens starting tight end Todd Heap is still not fully recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of 10 games last season. Third-year player Quinn Sypniewski is lost for the 2008 season with a knee injury and Daniel Wilcox has yet to participate in team drills.
“Right now we get a lot more reps and a lot more teaching,” Lee, who sports a full head of shoulder-length dreadlocks, said. “The big thing I learned was being more of a blocker, being more physical and tuning in and knowing the offense and what to expect on every play.”
One of the reasons Lee reportedly left Florida State was because the Seminoles were going to switch him to tight end and not give him a shot to win the starting quarterback job. Lee threw for 2,323 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and ran for 217 yards and six touchdowns in his collegiate career in Tallahassee, Fla. But the former top high school recruit from Daytona Beach, Fla. often split time under center with other quarterbacks and the coaching staff struggled to blend his athleticism with the team?s scheme.
In the NFL, however, Lee?s athleticism and willingness to switch positions could be what earns him a roster spot.
“I don’t know if it’s that he’s surprising us, because we were hopeful that he’d be able to do some things at tight end, but he is starting to look a little bit like a tight end,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s running routes somewhat like what a tight end looks like. He’s blocking in some fashion, not unlike a quarterback.”
And if Lee, who has been upbeat and optimistic about the switch, keeps blocking and catching like a tight end, he could soon find himself listed as one on the season-opening depth chart. The Ravens offense needs any help it can get, as the unit averaged a meager 17.2 points and 302 yards per game and was one of the team?s biggest weaknesses in finishing a disappointing 5-11 last season.
“Right now we get a lot more reps and a lot more teaching,” Lee said. “It was an opportunity I couldn?t pass up, and at the same time, it’s a chance to come and make a living.”
