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The awful news of tight end Dennis Pitta potentially being lost for the season after suffering a dislocated hip on Saturday was followed by the signing of veteran tight end Visanthe Shiancoe a day later.
After general manager Ozzie Newsome visited with Shiancoe in Owings Mills on Friday, his signing to a one-year deal became a no-brainer with Ed Dickson moving to the top of the depth chart and the Ravens looking for another experienced tight end to fill the void left behind by Pitta. The Morgan State product is entering his 11th season in the NFL and has caught 243 passes for 2,677 yards and 27 touchdowns in time spent with the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings, and New England Patriots.
Shiancoe spent last season in New England but did not record a reception in four games as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez topped the Patriots depth chart. His best season came in Minnesota in 2009 when he made 56 receptions for 566 yards and 11 touchdowns playing with future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.
The veteran will wear No. 81, the jersey formerly worn by wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, the veteran should provide quarterback Joe Flacco another target in the red zone, but the question will be how much Shiancoe has left at this point in his career.
