Joe Flacco mentions Ravens WR Mike Campanaro as possible replacement for Danny Woodhead

The reported loss of running back Danny Woodhead for six to eight weeks puts a big hole in the Baltimore Ravens' short passing game.

One potential replacement for Woodhead's role as the catalyst out of the backfield might surprise you.

"Hopefully, we have some guys that can step up and hit some plays," quarterback Joe Flacco said after Sunday's 20-0 win. "Mike Campanaro is one of those quick little guys that can do stuff on the side."

Michael Campanaro is a somewhat out-of-the-box suggestion because he is a wide receiver who has lined up in the slot for a majority of his four-year NFL career. But this makes sense when you consider Campanaro has a similar build to Woodhead, possesses excellent lateral agility and shows awareness of how to find holes in the defense. He would just have to move to the backfield, where he has some familiarity as a running back during his high school days.

By moving Campanaro into Woodhead's position, the Ravens can utilize a player who's extremely shifty and can make defenders miss with his sharp cuts. Baltimore likes to get the ball in Campanaro's hands because it uses him as a punt returner and runs the occasional jet sweep with him.

A 96th-percentile SPARQ athlete (per PlayerProfiler.com, who also shows Julian Edelman as his top comparable), the 26-year-old Campanaro had 12 receptions from 2014-16. The conventional wisdom is that Javorius Allen will get most of Woodhead's receiving role, but owners in deep PPR leagues could take a flier on Campanaro and see what happens.