Gillmore tells fellow Ravens tight ends to 'enjoy the bench'

Crockett Gillmore is ready for a breakout season.

The Baltimore Ravens tight end, who's struggled with injuries over each of the past two years, doesn't care about how much competition he has heading into 2017. As far as he's concerned, his teammates can take a seat.

"I don't want to come off the field. All downs, every down, and (I want to be) the guy," Gillmore told WNST during Super Bowl week, according to the team's official website. "There's no reason I shouldn't be. There's no reason I can't be. That's great we have nine tight ends. They're going to enjoy the bench. That's just reality. I'll tell them. They know."

Confidence is a powerful thing. The other tight ends on the depth chart would surely say the same about taking the lead role, right?

"No," Gillmore said.

Gillmore was a reserve player for his rookie season. He began to show flashes of playmaking ability thereafter, but missed a total of 15 games over the next two years.

The 25-year-old explained that he believes the shoulder injury that sent him to the sidelines for an extended stretch in 2016 can end up being a positive for his development.

"It was the best injury I've ever had," Gillmore said. "I got to sit back. I got to learn. I got to change my attitude about what happens and what you can control and what you can't. I came back faster and stronger and healthier than ever (at the end of the season), and we were just short. I got to see the changes in myself as well as everything else that was going on. I really got to be ready to go."

Making good on his potential next season, the fourth and final year of his rookie deal, could depend largely upon how he fares against his competition over the summer.

Also still under contract at tight end are a pair of established veterans in Dennis Pitta and Benjamin Watson, as well as 2015 second-round pick Maxx Williams.

Gillmore's most productive stretch to date came during his sophomore season, where he pulled in 33 receptions for 412 yards and four touchdowns across 10 starts.