Baltimore Ravens Sign Former MSU Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe

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BALTIMORE, Maryland  --  The Ravens have started the process of replacing injured tight end Dennis Pitta.

The team signed veteran Visanthe Shiancoe to a one-year contract Sunday, one day after Pitta went down for the foreseeable future and perhaps the entire season, with a hip injury. The deal is worth the veteran minimum of $940,000, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.

Shiancoe immediately got fitted for equipment after signing his deal to participate in Sunday's practice.

Shiancoe, a 10-year veteran, spent last season with the New England Patriots. He saw action in four games, but did not register any statistics. Before going to New England, Shiancoe spent five years with the Minnesota Vikings and four with the New York Giants.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end is known as a red-zone threat who can make an impact  in the passing game. He has 243 receptions for 2,677 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career. His best season was in 2009 when he had 566 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

Shiancoe will now join a tight end group that includes Ed Dickson, Billy Bajema, Alex Silvestro and Matt Furstenburg. Dickson is expected to take over as the starter, but the No. 2 spot is up for grabs.

Bajema spent last year on the roster as the No. 3 tight end, but was primarily just used in goal-line situations and as an extra blocker. He did not have any catches last season.

Silvestro was on the practice squad last year and Furstenburg is an undrafted rookie out of Maryland.

"Somebody is going to have to step up, and we do have some capable guys all across the flanks," Offensive Coordinator Jim Caldwell said Saturday. "We do have some weapons, and we're just going to have some guys make plays for us."

Shiancoe enjoyed a successful college football career at Morgan State University, playing in 30 games and receiving 52 passes for 1001 yards. His senior year proved to be noteworthy, garnering both All-American Dream Team and All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 1st-team honors from the NFL Draft Report.


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