Who is Michael Campanaro?
With league championships behind us, now is the beginning of the season for which we are dynasty enthusiasts. If your league rules allow for waiver wire pickups, you are likely sorting through the unfamiliar names for potential diamonds in the rough. As I go through this exercise myself, a player on my short list of readily available targets is Baltimore wide receiver Michael Campanaro.
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Selected 218th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft with the third pick of the seventh round, Campanaro was the only wide receiver selected by the Ravens despite a depth chart with only two proven veterans (one an aging castoff and the other entering the final year of his contract). We will get to these details shortly, but the bottom line is that going into the offseason the rookie should be given plenty of opportunity to prove himself on the field.
At 5’9” and 185 pounds Campanaro, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, was as versatile as a football player could be in high school. Primarily a running back, he also played wide receiver, as a defensive back, as the school’s primary kick returner, and even occasionally at quarterback. He chose to attend Wake Forest in North Carolina, and after redshirting in 2009 was a star kick returner as a freshman in 2010, performing well in sporadic opportunities as a running back (29 attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown) and wide receiver (ten receptions for 107 yards).
The shift from special teams to offense came to fruition shortly after the beginning of the 2011 season. He finished the year with 73 receptions for 833 yards and two touchdowns while he only returned seven kicks and nine punts. He followed with a 79-reception junior season, tripling his touchdowns and adding in some carries out of the backfield. Injuries interrupted his senior season, though he finished 2013 with career-bests in receptions per game (8.4) and yards per reception (12.0). He finished collegiate career with a school record 229 receptions and 3,902 all-purpose yards (including 2,918 yards from scrimmage), leading to an invitation to the NFL Combine.
Though his performance at the Combine was not particularly noteworthy, Campanaro did record the fifth-best time in the 60-yard shuttle and surprised many by posting the fourth-most bench press reps behind only Cody Latimer (6’2”), Brandon Coleman (6’6”) and Jordan Matthews (6’3”). Overall, his performance did not change his general projection as a late-third day pick or priority free agent. Baltimore management had worked out the local product in April and liked what they saw enough to trade their 2015 sixth round pick to Cleveland to select Campanaro at the beginning of the last round.
Following the trade, assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said the team liked Campanaro’s shiftiness, toughness and quickness as a slot receiver. He did also mention the rookie’s ability as a punt returner and run-after-the catch ability, indicating that though the Ravens saw him primarily on the offensive side of the ball he has the versatile skill set necessary to stick on a 53-man roster. His football IQ and character, reliable hands and deceiving strength (evidenced by his performance at the Combine) impressed scouts as well.
Concerns over Campanaro as a pro all revolve, directly or indirectly, around his size. He lacks the speed desirable for a 5’9” wide receiver and short arms limit his catch radius (he recorded the smallest wingspan – 70.5” – of any wide receiver at the Combine). Though he only missed a few games in college, injuries his senior season at Wake Forest and rookie season in Baltimore may be red flags for his ability to stay on the field. He is also a below-average blocker, which could be detrimental to the number of snaps he receives.
Despite the hamstring issues that limited him to three games in 2014, Campanaro jumped right in and averaged 18 yards per catch and scored a touchdown when he was able to play in weeks eight, nine and ten. He returned to catch a 17-yard reception against the Browns in week 17, opening the door for more opportunities in the playoffs. He was also used sparingly as a returner, which is not surprising given DeCosta’s previous comments.
The small sample size notwithstanding, Campanaro is squarely in the mix for a roster spot in 2015. The Ravens currently have seven wide receivers under contract, though Torrey Smith and Kamar Aiken will be free agents following the playoffs. Marlon Brown will be entering the final year of his contract, leaving Steve Smith Sr., Jacoby Jones, Jeremy Butler and Campanaro the only players at the position currently signed beyond next season.
To Campanaro’s benefit is his unique skill set, different from that of any other player on the roster, and the team’s focus on his use as a slot receiver, which is a role that has not truly been filled in recent years for Baltimore. Brandon Stokley was supposed to cover the team’s slot in 2013 but was limited to 13 receptions and retired after the season.
Brown is occasionally used in the slot, but his skill set doesn’t translate well to the role and has seen his production cut in half following a promising rookie season (including some surprising healthy scratches). Between a roster full of outside receivers and aging, oft-injured tight ends in Owen Daniels and Dennis Pitta, Campanaro may see an expanded role as early as next year.
The number of available targets will hinge on the status of soon-to-be 36 year old Steve Smith and whether Torrey Smith returns, but it is a situation worth monitoring as you look for end-of-the-bench stashes. An improvement in blocking and staying on the field would go a long way to increasing his value both to the Ravens and fantasy rosters. Campanaro is available in many leagues, and though he doesn’t have a high upside given injury issues and lack of touchdown production, could carve out a role big enough to be a flex option or bye-week fill-in.
I’d prefer acquiring higher upside in Albert Wilson, but if he is not available I’d be happy grabbing Campanaro and keeping tabs on the Ravens’ depth chart as it evolves this offseason.
Follow me on Twitter @jlfoster10 and feel free to send player suggestions for future articles.
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