Former Ravens tight end Ed Dickson signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday to officially end his four-year run in Baltimore.
A third-round pick out of Oregon in the 2010 draft, Dickson had some discussions about remaining with the Ravens earlier in the offseason before Baltimore signed veteran tight end Owen Daniels last week. His departure follows a disappointing 2013 season in which he managed just 25 catches for 273 yards and a touchdown despite No. 1 tight end Dennis Pitta missing 12 games with a dislocated hip suffered in training camp.
After spending his rookie season as the understudy to longtime Ravens tight end Todd Heap, Dickson appeared on track to becoming a staple in the Baltimore offense in 2011 when he started 16 games and caught 54 passes for 528 yards and five touchdowns. However, inconsistency catching the football and the emergence of Pitta late in the 2011 season relegated Dickson to mostly blocking duties in his final two years with the Ravens.
Dickson is expected to compete to be the Panthers’ No. 2 tight end behind starter Greg Olsen, who led Carolina with 73 receptions, 816 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in 2013.
