Derrick Mason

For someone contemplating retirement last offseason, Mason sure didn’t play like it. Mason caught 73 balls in 2009, averaging 14.1 yards per catch, the third-best mark in the 36-year old’s career. Moreover, he managed four catches of 40 yards or more and seven touchdowns, despite seeing just 14 red-zone looks, only one of which was inside the 10. At 5-10, 188, Mason gets by on toughness, quickness, route-running and smarts more than physicality or speed. He’s got good hands and is not afraid to make the tough catch over the middle of the field. This year will mark the first time in more than 10 seasons — spanning stints both in Tennessee and Baltimore — that Mason is not his team’s top wideout, as the Ravens signed Anquan Boldin this offseason. Expect lighter coverage on Mason, but it‘s hard to see him getting another 135 targets so long as the injury-prone Boldin stays reasonably healthy.

For a 34-year old possession receiver playing with a rookie quarterback in a run-first offense, Mason’s 2008 season could hardly have been better. His 13 yards per catch were his highest since 2003, and his 8.6 yards per target ranked 13th among the 35 100-target wideouts. At 5-10, 188, Mason isn’t much of a red-zone target (just 10 looks and two scores), and he doesn’t have the speed to hurt defenses deep (just 12 catches of 20-plus and one for 40 or more). But Mason is as consummate a route runner as there is in the league, has terrific hands and isn’t afraid to make a play in traffic over the middle of the field. The biggest issue here is that Mason underwent surgery to repair the scapula and labrum in his left shoulder in February and could miss some of training camp. Nonetheless, he’s expected to be ready for the start of the regular season and if healthy would return at age 35 as the team’s No. 1 wideout. But even if quarterback Joe Flacco develops in his second season, and Mason returns healthy, the Ravens are likely to be a run-first, defense-oriented team again, so 2008 probably represents his ceiling.

The Ravens (5.9 YPA, 30th) utter inability to throw downfield last season might actually have helped Mason, their reliable possession receiver with good quickness and excellent hands. Mason caught 66 percent of the 155 passes thrown his way, and the result was 103 receptions, good for fourth in the NFL. The problem is Mason's not going to beat anyone deep (just seven of his catches were for 20 yards or more), and he's not big enough to be a factor in the red zone. (He saw 20 targets there, but only five of those were from inside the 10, tying him for 50th). And Mason averaged just 10.6 yards per catch and 7.0 yards per target. Steve McNair's retirement is a good thing for the Ravens' passing game, but not necessarily for Mason who was his favorite target dating back to their Titans days.

Mason’s neither big, nor fast, nor young, nor in a good system, nor playing with a good quarterback. That he’s an excellent route runner with outstanding hands and good quickness can only mitigate that to an extent. Mark Clayton is the Ravens’ playmaker, and Todd Heap is their red-zone threat. Steve McNair will still get Mason his looks, and he’ll rack up at least 750 yards as a possession receiver. But more than five touchdowns would constitute a minor miracle.

After years of prosperity as the favorite target of Steve McNair, Mason was exiled to Baltimore to track down errant tosses from Anthony Wright and Kyle Boller. But Mason was up to the task, hauling in 63 percent of the balls thrown his way, and managing to break 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season. That he caught just three touchdowns was largely a function of the Ravens’ inept offense, but given his below-average size and lack of breakaway speed, Mason will never be mistaken for a big touchdown threat. Mason is a first rate route-runner, with excellent hands (just four drops) and very good quickness. Mason is tough enough to catch balls in traffic, and he can evade defenders after the catch with top-notch change of direction skills. Mason will never be a top-5 receiver, but now that McNair has been traded to the Ravens, Mason’s a shoo-in for 1,000 yards and a few scores, so long as both stay healthy.

Mason has been one of the most reliable possession receivers in the league the past four seasons, topping 70 catches and 1,000 yards in each. But that was in Tennessee with Steve McNair as his quarterback. After signing a five-year deal with Baltimore in March, Mason inherits third-year signal caller Kyle Boller, who to date hasn’t done much. Moreover, the Ravens are one of the top defensive teams in the league, and they like to pound the ball with massive tailback Jamal Lewis. In short, Baltimore isn’t likely to be involved in many shootouts this season. Boller, though, has good physical tools and is in his third season – quarterbacks traditionally take a couple years to develop – and the Ravens added more skill talent on offense in general from the drafting of wideout Mark Clayton to the presumed return of tight end Todd Heap. Mason’s not much of a red-zone threat at 5-10, 190 pounds, and he’s not a true burner. He does have excellent quickness, elite change of direction skills and good hands. He’ll run crisp routes and make defenders miss after the catch. Mason doesn’t have a ton of upside, especially with Heap and 6-5 Clarence Moore providing better red-zone options, but Mason should be Boller’s No. 1 target and earn his keep in yardage-heavy leagues.

The biggest beneficiary of Steve McNair’s greatness, Mason caught an amazing 71.4 percent of the 133 passes thrown to him in ’03. Mason’s TD totals are usually suppressed by McNair’s tendency to spread the wealth in the red zone (just five catches for Mason here in ’03, for three TDs), but as the co-MVP’s first look, Mason is a sure bet for 70-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards. Mason is a sure-handed receiver and a good route-runner, but his upside is limited as McNair is likely to make plenty of use of the Titans’ other receiving options.

Mason's skills don't match up with a lot of the other better receivers in the league. He's got ordinary speed, nothing great, and he drops too many passes. But he's made a nice living the past two years, because Steve McNair doesn't have a better target to throw to. Perhaps Drew Bennett or Justin McCareins will develop into something special in a year or two, but we're not betting on that happening right away -- and with that in mind, Mason probably has another 1,000 yards in him. It would help if the Titans could find a reliable return man, so Mason could avoid having to spend at least part of the season handling double duty. Mason fractured a bone in his hand in a charity golf tournament in May, but is expected to be available for full duties in time for training camp.