Wide Receiver

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly waived wide receiver Randy Moss. The NFL Network is reporting the move, one day after Moss was held to one reception for eight yards in the Vikings' 28-18 loss at New England. More to follow.

The impact of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones was obvious every time that one of the speedy outside wide receivers ran past flat-footed defenders and under a long, arching throw from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Smith, now entering his third season, has quickly become one of the NFL's premier deep threats. And Jones, who got behind defenses for huge touchdowns twice in the postseason, also has speed to be reckoned with. Part of their hidden impact -- besides forcing safeties to back away from the line of scrimmage to protect against the big play -- came in the penalties they drew downfield when they weren't catching Flacco's deep balls.

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at wide receivers . The top prospects: Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon is the top wide receiver in the draft, and he could go as early as No. 2 overall to the St. Louis Rams, who need help at wide receiver. Blackmon caught 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2011.

On Monday night, Eric DeCosta was in our house for once. The Ravens assistant general manager visited our offices down on Calvert Street to speak and answer reader questions in our latest Baltimore Sun Sports Forum. Among the highlights was DeCosta acknowledging that the team's “hunt goes on” for a veteran wide receiver . "We're still working. The roster is not set. We're always evaluating. We're always looking at guys,” DeCosta said. “Our pro personnel department looks at all available players and we'll make a decision at some point of what we want to do at that position.

Before his record-breaking sophomore season at Iowa Western Community College, Deon Long spent his summer days working out and running routes with Maryland quarterback Ricardo Young and wide receiver Stefon Diggs . The offseason workouts clearly paid off, with Long catching 25 touchdown passes in leading Iowa Western to the National Junior College Athletic Association championship, and Diggs emerging as one of the most electric wide...

Maryland wide receiver Deon Long has been suspended for two weeks for violating university policy. The suspension was disclosed today but began at an earlier date - meaning Long will return in less than two weeks. The university did not release further details. The Red-White game is April 12. Long, who grew up in the area and attended Iowa Western Community College, will compete for immediate playing time once the season begins. He began spring practices atop the depth chart at one of the receiver positions.

This is part of a series of 2012 Maryland football commitment Q&As leading up to Signing Day on Feb. 1. All answers are provided by the featured player. Name : Amba Etta-Tawo Birthdate : Nov. 10, 1993 Birthplace : Muscat, Oman Hometown : Atlanta Height : 6-3 Weight : 180 Position : Wide Receiver Nickname : None High School : McEachern High in Powder Springs, Ga. Senior statistics : 58 receptions for 907 yards and six touchdowns Rankings : Rivals.com - Three-star prospect.

Tommy Streeter will never forget the pain he felt the weekend of the NFL draft. Projected by some analysts to be a second-day pick, Streeter remained on the board until late in the sixth round. But shortly after the Ravens ended his disappointment, his phone rang. Linebacker Ray Lewis was reaching out to the Miami Hurricanes wide receiver and welcoming him to the family. “I basically told him that I was ready to make that next step, ready to train,” Streeter said Sunday, the final day of the team's three-day rookie minicamp in Owings Mills.

When the Ravens open the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, fans will take solace that Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans will start at wide receiver. There is, however, no such certainty with regards to the No. 3 receiver. When the offense goes to a three-receiver set, rookies Torrey Smith, Tandon Doss or LaQuan Williams could line up in the slot or on the outside. The development of the No. 3 receiver will be an important facet if the Ravens intend to improve as an offense.

Even with today's news that Randy Moss plans to come out of retirement, the bumper crop of free-agent wide receivers appears to be thinning out as we learn more about how teams plan to use their franchise tags. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that the Philadelphia Eagles plan to use their franchise tag on DeSean Jackson, one of the NFL's top deep threats, who made 58 catches for 961 yards and four touchdowns in 2011. There is also media speculation that the Kansas City Chiefs may use the franchise tag on Dwayne Bowe and the New Orleans Saints could do the same with Marques Colston if they can avoid using it on Drew Brees.

Months after trading veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers following a contract dispute, the Ravens waited until the seventh round to draft a wide receiver. Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta attributed that to how their draft board stacked up with only a few elite receiver prospects like former Dunbar star Tavon Austin, but didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring an established receiver prior to the regular season. "I think the hunt goes on," DeCosta said Monday night during The Baltimore Sun Sports Forum.

As the third and final day of the draft gets underway with the Philadelphia Eagles selecting USC quarterback Matt Barkley to kick off the fourth round, the Ravens have seven total picks remaining and a host of positions that they'd still like to fill. The Ravens have two picks in the fourth round (numbers 129 and 130), one in the fifth round (168), two in the sixth round (200 and 203) and two in the seventh (238 and 247). The picks at 130, 168, 203 and 247 are compensatory meaning that they can't be traded.

Ray Rice was one of three Ravens who took a break from the team's offseason workout program Tuesday to chat with reporters. He appeared to be wearing black pajama pants, so maybe a nap was next on his agenda. Before he took off, he was asked about Torrey Smith, who is expected to be the team's top receiver in 2013. In his second NFL season, Smith caught 49 passes for 855 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns. His 17.4 yards-per-catch average was among the highest in the league in 2012.

Each weekday through April 24, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will look at where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. Today we'll examine wide receivers and tight ends: Current wide receivers under contract : Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams, David Reed, Deonte Thompson, Tommy Streeter, Tori Gurley Current tight ends under contract : Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson, Alex Silvestro, Steve Watson Chances that the Ravens draft a WR or TE in first three rounds : Good chance for wide receiver, unlikely for tight end. The trade of veteran slot man Anquan Boldin created a big hole within the Ravens' receiving corps and they opted not to fill it in free agency.

Maryland wide receiver Deon Long has been suspended for two weeks for violating university policy. The suspension was disclosed today but began at an earlier date - meaning Long will return in less than two weeks. The university did not release further details. The Red-White game is April 12. Long, who grew up in the area and attended Iowa Western Community College, will compete for immediate playing time once the season begins. He began spring practices atop the depth chart at one of the receiver positions.

The Ed Reed era is officially over in Baltimore, though the safety will always be considered one of the greatest Ravens players of all-time -- and arguably the most entertaining, as my colleague Childs Walker wrote today. In this excellent piece on Reed , Childs explained why he can't help but feel a little sadness now that Reed has joined the Houston Texans, because, in his words, Reed didn't want to just be “ordinary great.” Reed did it his way, especially when he had the ball in his hands -- a common occurrence -- making him fun for us to cover.

Each weekday through April 24, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will look at where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. Today we'll examine wide receivers and tight ends: Current wide receivers under contract : Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams, David Reed, Deonte Thompson, Tommy Streeter, Tori Gurley Current tight ends under contract : Dennis Pitta, Ed Dickson, Alex Silvestro, Steve Watson Chances that the Ravens draft a WR or TE in first three rounds : Good chance for wide receiver, unlikely for tight end. The trade of veteran slot man Anquan Boldin created a big hole within the Ravens' receiving corps and they opted not to fill it in free agency.

PHOENIX -- The Ravens were awarded four compensatory picks for next month's draft, bringing their total number of selections to 12. Because of their free-agent losses last offseason, they were awarded extra picks in the fourth (130th overall), fifth (168l), sixth (203) and seventh (247) rounds, the NFL announced Monday at its annual meetings at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. The Ravens already had picks in all seven rounds and an extra sixth-round selection courtesy of the trade that sent veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin to the San Francisco 49ers.

As the occasional snowflake fluttered through the air and landed on a makeshift football field, Jahvid Best once again stood on the sideline, watching others play the game he loves. This day, it was his choice. The Detroit Lions running back, who hasn't played a game since October 2011 because of multiple concussions, was one of 17 NFL players who visited St. Vincent's Villa in Timonium on Sunday morning. As Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt captained teams of children, Best laughed, cheered and tried to stay warm.