Reeling from injuries at the wide receiver position, the Ravens acquired Chris Givens from the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick on Saturday morning.
To make room on the 53-man roster, second-year wide receiver Michael Campanaro was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a back injury suffered in Week 4. The 2014 seventh-round pick scored a touchdown in the 23-20 win over Pittsburgh and has shown promise, but injuries have continued to limit his ability to make an impact as a receiver and return specialist.
Givens was a 2012 fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest and had fallen out of favor in St. Louis, registering just 12 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown over his last 17 games. The speedy six-foot receiver adds speed that the Ravens have lacked with rookie Breshad Perriman sidelined with a knee injury since the start of training camp, but Campanaro’s absence once again creates major questions in the return game as Givens only has experience as a kick returner in his career.
Averaging 16.3 yards per reception in his four-year career, Givens caught 42 passes for 698 yards and three touchdowns in 2012, but his numbers have declined every season since his rookie campaign.
In addition to losing Campanaro for the year, Baltimore confirmed Saturday morning that Steve Smith is “week-to-week” with a lower back injury suffered against the Steelers. Multiple reports have said that the 36-year-old suffered four broken ribs late in the third quarter of the Thursday night win.
Givens has 88 catches for 1,433 yards and four touchdowns in his career.
