Another playmaker closing in on a return to action

Last week, the Ravens got six-time Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed and three-time Pro Bowl linebacker/special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo back from injuries.

When they return to practice next week after having a handful of days off, it's possible the Ravens will have another injured player back on the field - wide receiver Donte' Stallworth.

Stallworth has been out of commission since he broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in the Ravens' preseason game against the Giants back in late August.

He's targeted the Dolphins game after the bye week for his return, and after taking part in practices last Thursday and Friday for the first time since his injury, it appears Stallworth could be in the mix next week.

Still, head coach John Harbaugh is staying cautious when talking about Stallworth returning against Miami.

"I don't know yet," Harbaugh said. "I think he's got a good chance to be. He thinks he's going to be. So, we'll keep our fingers crossed."

Taken by the Saints in the first-round of the 2002 Draft, Stallworth has the potential to be a big-time playmaker. His biggest asset is his breakaway speed, something which the Ravens' current top-three wide receivers - Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and T.J. Houshmandzadeh - lack.

"He's an explosive guy," Harbaugh said. "He's a strong runner with the ball. He's got the speed element, obviously, that always helps. He's kind of a little different than the other three [receivers] that are playing mostly right now, so that should help us."

When Stallworth is able to return to the field, the Ravens will have the difficult task of trying to fit him into the offensive rotation.

With Boldin, Mason and Houshmandzadeh, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron already has three quality wide receivers at his disposal. Toss in tight end Todd Heap and running back Ray Rice, and that's a lot of offensive weapons all vying for one football.

Quite a problem to have here in Baltimore, huh?

Cameron will have to find a way to get Stallworth on the field, however. The veteran wide receiver's speed will open things up underneath and will give Flacco a weapon to beat the Cover-2 look that he has struggled with this season.

"Teams are going to have to prepare for some different packages when we get him back," quarterback Joe Flacco said. "And hopefully, he can stretch the field for us a little bit and at least scare some teams.

"We'll see how much we can get him involved. You know, we've got a lot of guys on this team that demand the ball and are good at doing things with the ball. So obviously, we're going to have to be patient with him and let things happen. But we'll definitely see in the next coming weeks, because we'll definitely try things."

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