"The Ravens made their long-awaited move to upgrade at wide receiver Friday, trading a fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Lee Evans.

The acquisition of one of the NFL's most consistent deep threats should quell the teeth-gnashing after Malcom Floyd re-signed with the San Diego Chargers and Derrick Mason defecting to the New York Jets. Evans is considered an upgrade over both of those free agents because he's more proven than Floyd and is faster than Mason.

The Bills' third all-time leader in receiving yards, Evans is expected to become the Ravens' No. 2 receiver. His speed will complement Anquan Boldin's physical style. His 15.7-yards per catch average ranks 12th in the NFL since Evans entered the league in 2004.

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"He's a quality veteran receiver who stretches the field and gives us a significant downfield presence," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. "He's the type of person you want on your team. He brings leadership and maturity to the locker room."

This move adds much-needed experience to the Ravens' wide receiver group and allows the Bills to shed more salary. Evans, 30, is scheduled to make $3.275 million in 2011 and 2012, the final two years of his contract (which reportedly includes an additional $1 million roster bonus due in 2012).

It is believed the Ravens were inclined to wait until Evans was cut by the Bills, a small-market team known for reducing their payroll. But Buffalo started shopping Evans aggressively Thursday (Arizona and Carolina reportedly showed interest), which prompted the Ravens to make the trade.

"This is a very exciting time for me and my family and I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to play for the Baltimore Ravens," Evans said in a statement. "I'm excited about the Ravens organization, players, and coaching staff and can't wait to get started.""