Lee Evans Traded to Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens officially acquired wide receiver Lee Evans in a trade with the Buffalo Bills on Friday.
The Bills received a fourth-round 2012 draft pick from the Ravens in exchange for Evans, according to ESPN. The receiver is likely to fit in with the Ravens, who NFL networks report are looking to fill the position after Derrick Mason, their former wideout, chose the New York Jets during his free agency.
Ozzie Newsome, Ravens’ general manager, expressed his excitement about acquiring the wide receiver.
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"Our fans will remember him from his outstanding game against us last season. He's a quality veteran receiver who stretches the field and gives us a significant downfield presence." Newsome said on the Baltimore Ravens website. "He’s the type of person you want on your team. He brings leadership and maturity to the locker room."
Evans seemed equally enthusiastic about the trade.
"I'm really excited about it," Evans said, according to Buffalo News. "You look at their team and what they've done over the years and the personnel that they have. I'm really excited to get over there and be a part of what they have going. I'll do anything I can to try to help them win."
Evans, who would have made $3.27 million with the Bills this season, told the Buffalo News that his situation with the team was no longer working. Although he had respect for the team and its staff, they were looking to find younger talent.
"New coaches come in, they always like to bring new guys in, bring new talent in and bring guys they're familiar with," said 30-year-old Evans. "So you don't know. I just tried to work as hard as I could to try to fit in. at the end of the day it just wasn't a fit. I talked to them both today, and it wasn't a personal thing. They both said they have a tremendous amount of respect for me. It's just the way the game is. They want to get a little younger and move forward."
Ben Dogra, Evans’ agent, said he feels the move is beneficial for both Evans and the Bills.
"I think personally it's a great move for Lee," Dogra said, according to Buffalo News. "Lee has had an unbelievable stay in Buffalo. I know for a fact he likes Buffalo. The organization has been very good to him and at some point in a business career, people have to make difficult decisions. Obviously Buffalo thinks this is a good move for their team moving forward. I think it's a terrific move for Lee."
Over the course of his Bills career, Evans made 377 catches for 5,934 yards and 43 touchdowns. Last season, he caught 37 passes for 578 yards and made four touchdowns.
