The injuries to Steve Smith Sr. and Michael Campanaro didn't just put a dent in the Baltimore Ravens' wide receivers' group. The Ravens also lost their top two returners.

Baltimore can fill the special teams spots in-house. Lardarius Webb is the team's No. 3 punt returner, and Chris Givens, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius Allen all have experience returning kickoffs.

The better solution is promoting Jeremy Ross from the practice squad to become the team's return specialist. The Ravens added the former Detroit Lions returner as a fallback option, and this certainly qualifies.

Ross showed explosiveness in his two seasons as a returner in Detroit, and he lost his job to Golden Tate (punt returns) and Ameer Abdullah (kickoffs). In 2013, he ranked in the top 10 in both punt returns (16.2-yard average) and kickoff returns (29.3). Last season, Ross still had respectable numbers for punt returns (8.9) and kickoff returns (25.4). He produced three punt returns of 20 or more yards, the same amount at the Steelers' Antonio Brown.

The biggest problem with Ross last season was his decision making. He led the NFL with 37 fair catches, 11 more than anyone else in the NFL. Ross also fumbled twice.

The Ravens could also to promote Asa Jackson, the team's returner in the preseason, from the practice squad. But Jackson proved to be a liability this summer, and it's unknown whether he has regained the trust of the Ravens. His fumbles in each of the last two preseason games overshadowed his big returns. Plus, the Ravens could use a reserve wide receiver more than an extra cornerback these days.

Before you say the Ravens shouldn't have cut Jacoby Jones, it's not like he has made an impact for the San Diego Chargers. He has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.

Over the past five seasons, the Ravens have led the NFL in kickoff average (26.2) and ranks fifth in punt returns (10.1). But, five weeks into the 2015 season, one of the league's most consistent special teams will be on its third returner of the year.