LaQuan Williams (left) and Tandon Doss

The Baltimore Ravens have several wide receivers vying for a spot on the 2012 roster including second year receivers Tandon Doss and LaQuan Williams.

Both players were on the roster last season; they are working hard with hopes of being added again.

Last season, Doss was only active for six games, targeted twice with no catches; so far he has been impressive in training camp.

Doss made a number of nice catches in traffic. The sure-handed receiver also showed off a burst of speed to get by defenders, and Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron said it was the best practice he’d ever seen from Doss.

He needs to stay healthy, he already missed Monday’s practice because of a tweaked hamstring and no timetable has been set for his return.

Williams has also been impressive in camp, he’s shown his speed when getting past defensive backs.

He saw more activity than Doss did last season and he also helped on special teams. In 2011, Williams caught four passes for 46 yards. Two of the grabs occurred during a pivotal road game against the Steelers.

Williams knows how hard he needs to work to make the roster:

“I’m pretty much trying to prove that I belong here,” Williams said. “Every day I come out and get that stigma off my back that I’m an undrafted free agent. Just come out every day and try to stand out. It’s definitely a chip that I hold on my shoulder.”

Last season, the Ravens kept five wide receivers on the roster, no word as to how many they plan to keep in 2012.

A battle for the third wide receiver spot is about to begin in Baltimore. The current starting receivers are  Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, but the third spot is up for grabs.

Newly signed receiver Jacoby Jones, acquired from the Houston Texans, is the favorite for the position, but there is no guarantee that he will be the third receiver.

The Ravens want to fill the spot with the best man for the job; tryouts will start during training camp in July. The players vying for the job include Jones, Tandon Doss, LaQuan Williams and David Reed.

Doss was a fourth round draft pick in 2011. Last season he was active for seven games and filled in on special teams. At 6’2, 205 pounds he claims he is faster than most people think. While he didn’t have any catches, he showed good hands last preseason.

Williams, an undrafted receiver from the University of Maryland, had four catches for 46 yards last season. He played in the game at Pittsburgh and had two catches, impressive when you consider the hostile and loud environment at Heinz Field. He also filled in on special teams and forced a fumble in the AFC championship game.

Reed is entering his third season with the Ravens and did not have any receptions in his first two seasons with the team. Unfortunately he suffered a few injuries including a torn ACL during the December 24 game against the Cleveland Browns.

Reed is still rehabbing from his injury and is showing progress and hopes that he will be back by the start of the season.

The Ravens need to determine how many receivers they will keep on the 53-man roster; they had six last season.

These players bring different skills to the table and even though the Ravens will have a tough time making a decision, at least one thing is for sure, they have several talented wide outs to choose from and any one of them has the potential to take this offense to the next level.

Good luck guys. We know you will work hard and do your best; the final decision is up to the Ravens.