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I mentioned a couple weeks ago that the Ravens' offensive line was ranked as the third-best in the NFL by Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. Where does Cole rank the Ravens when it comes to the other positions? Well, in his recently released defensive line rankings, the national writer slots Baltimore's D-line in as the second-best in the league. Here's a portion of his comments
Terrell Suggs said earlier this offseason that he was dedicated to putting his admittedly sub-par 2009 season behind him and getting back to his Pro Bowl level of play. Suggs was around Owings Mills for much of the Ravens' offseason workout program, and was on the field when the team held its mandatory minicamp. However, when the Ravens' voluntary minicamps rolled around, Suggs was nowhere
Yes, the Steelers are having issues right now. But they're not alone. The Bengals might be losing their starting running back, Cedric Benson, to a suspension now that he has been arrested on charges of misdemeanor assault. Benson allegedly punched a bar employee in the face in Austin, Texas back on Memorial Day weekend. The former University of Texas star, who rushed for 1,251 yards
It hasn't been a great offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Within the last few months, the following events have occurred: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was suspended for at least four games (and possibly as many as six) for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Roethlisberger's infamous bathroom encounter in Milledgeville, Georgia was the cause of the suspension. Pittsburgh traded away their previous No. 1 wide
The Ravens have signed their final selection in the 2010 Draft, offensive tackle Ramon Harewood, according to multiple reports. Harewood, a sixth-round pick, has agreed to a three-year deal. He played his college ball at Morehouse and is the first ever NFL draft pick from Barbados. He's relatively new to football; the now 6-6, 340 pound Harewood grew up playing rugby, cricket, volleyball and soccer,
Earlier today, I wrote an entry about the Ravens' free agent acquisitions this offseason, and how, with the exception of the Cory Redding signing, they waited until after June 1 to ink their veteran free agents. One of the reasons why it took so long for the free agent wheels to get put in motion is likely because the coaches wanted a chance to assess
Now that USA futbol mania is finished (and boy, was it a shame to see Bob Bradley's boys fall on Saturday in a game they probably should have won), we can move on to NFL football. We're less than a month away from the start of training camp, so dust off your favorite jersey, break out the sunscreen, and start studying the Ravens' training camp
For months, Ed Reed's health has provided a lingering question mark over the Ravens' 2011 season. We knew Reed had an offseason surgical procedure on his injured hip, but how serious was the procedure, and where is the Ravens' six-time Pro Bowl safety at in his recovery? Now, we know. Reed provided an update on his health on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Radio today, telling
The Ravens have reached terms with fifth-round wide receiver David Reed on a three-year contract, the team announced. The Utah product is now the third Ravens draft pick to sign, following defensive lineman Arthur Jones and tight end Dennis Pitta. Reed, who was taken with the 156th overall pick, will earn slightly more than Jones, who the Ravens selected at 157 overall. Jones reportedly received
The Ravens' free agent signings keep coming. The team and cornerback Walt Harris have agreed in principle to a one-year contract, the Ravens announced. Harris, 35, tried out for the Ravens during their final week of minicamps. He was offered a contract for the veteran minimum by GM Ozzie Newsome last week, but opted not to sign. A 13-year veteran, Harris has seen time with
Troy Smith wasn't happy when he was the Ravens' backup quarterback. I'm guessing he's not going to like being their third-string signal-caller either. On a handful of occasions over the last six-plus months, Smith has asked out of Baltimore. Bulger's addition might give Troy his wish. The Heisman Trophy winner initially asked to be traded in December, smack-dab in the middle of the Ravens' playoff
Troy Smith vs. John Beck for the backup quarterback job? Not anymore. The Ravens have signed former Rams QB Marc Bulger to a one-year, $3.8 million deal, according to ESPN. Per the report, Bulger has incentives written into the contract which could "dramatically boost" his earnings. The move gives Baltimore a proven backup quarterback and provides legitimate insurance in case Joe Flacco happens to go
Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Redskins last year ($41 million of which was guaranteed), has been in the headlines a lot lately. As we all know at this point, Haynesworth is unhappy with the Redskins' switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 base set, and despite the fact that he has taken tens of millions of
It took quite a while, but Ken Hamlin is finally a Baltimore Raven. Five days after word of Hamlin's signing with the Ravens was first reported, the move became official. The team has announced the deal, saying that after passing a physical, the safety has signed a one-year contract that will bring him to Baltimore. Hamlin (6-2, 208 pounds) is an eight-year veteran who spent
While the Ravens usually wait until July to begin inking their draft picks, they've started the process a little earlier this year. Shortly after signing fifth-round defensive tackle Arthur Jones, the Ravens have agreed to terms with tight end Dennis Pitta on a three-year deal. That news is according to Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post. Pitta, a fourth-round selection out of BYU, was
The Ravens have signed one of their seven draft picks, agreeing to terms with defensive tackle Arthur Jones on a three-year deal. Jones was the Ravens' second fifth-round pick, taken one spot behind WR David Reed. The 6-3, 305 pound defensive tackle played his college ball at Syracuse and was projected as high as a late first-round pick after his junior season. He opted to
If you polled NFL players about their thoughts on training camp, I'd imagine the percentage of guys who actually look forward to the month-long stretch of practices is pretty minuscule. Practice sessions during camp often come twice a day in what is sometimes brutal heat, and when they're not working their behinds off on the fields, players sit in meetings for hours at a time.
There are a number of questions about the Ravens' offensive line entering the 2010 season, most of which center around tackle Jared Gaither. After being moved from left tackle to right tackle, Gaither missed most of the Ravens' minicamps. Is he truly OK with the position change as he claimed immediately after his first practice at right tackle? Does he want to be traded? If
Michael Oher has received a good bit of attention over the last year. When your childhood story is turned into a major motion picture, that will tend to happen. Well, Oher's about to receive some more attention - from members of Congress. The Ravens' left tackle will receive the Congressional Award Gold Medal in Washington, D.C. later this month. Oher's particular award is the Horizon
The Ravens have made a move to bolster their depth behind Ed Reed, signing free safety Ken Hamlin to a one-year deal, according to ESPN. The team also announced that they have waived five young players: DB Brad Jones, DB Ashton Hall, CB Courtney Smith, DL John Fletcher and OL Daniel Sanders. Hamlin, 29, is a seven-year veteran who played the last three years with
Earlier today, during talks between the NFL and NFL Players Association, the league delivered a proposal for an 18-game season which would eliminate two preseason games but extend the length of the regular season. The proposal, which could be instituted as early as the 2012 season, is not going over well with many players, including Ray Lewis. "Don't get me wrong, I love the game
Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has only recently returned to his team's offseason workouts after spending most of the last few months participating in "Dancing with the Stars". Anyone who thought that the ballroom dancing competition would bring out a softer side in Ochocinco and lead him away from the boisterous, trash-talking persona that we've come to know, well, you might want to think again.
Yesterday, I profiled inside linebacker Jason Phillips and his attempt to return from a 2009 season-ending injury. Today, I've got news on another ILB who is working his way back from a serious injury that left him on IR last year. Brendon Ayanbadejo said at the beginning of OTAs that he was in "an unusual amount of pain" in his recovery from a torn quadriceps
This summer is a big one for inside linebacker Jason Phillips. The 2009 fifth-round pick didn't get to show the Ravens' coaches much last year; he was limited throughout OTAs and training camp because of a torn meniscus in his left knee suffered during the Scouting Combine, and was eventually placed on Injured Reserve, ending his season. A year later, Phillips is finally back near
If you head over to Camden Yards tonight, you'll get to see both the O's and the Ravens in action. Today marks the third annual O's Ravens Rally, an event which has gone over really well in the two previous years. The event will take place during tonight's O's-Mets game at 7:05 p.m. This year, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will be on hand to
Although it might have ended a week earlier than expected because of a violation of the league's practice rules, the Ravens' offseason was deemed a success by those at 1 Winning Drive. And it'd be hard to argue with them. Within the last few months, the Ravens acquired Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth and resigned Derrick Mason, turning the wide receiver position from a weakness
The three veteran defensive backs who tried out yesterday for the Ravens - cornerbacks Ken Lucas and Walt Harris and safety Ken Hamlin - all returned to minicamp today for day two of their tryout with the team. Asked for his thoughts on the three DBs after today's practice, head coach John Harbaugh said he was impressed with what he saw. "I would say that
The Ravens made a big deal about Terrell Suggs being a part of their offseason workout program from March until the start of voluntary minicamps. Since then, however, Suggs has been nowhere to be found at Ravens headquarters. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker had pledged to work harder this offseason after a sub-par 2009 season, and being part of the team's workouts was supposed to
The Ravens made their second and third roster cuts of the week, waiving wide receivers Chris Hannon and Maurice Price. Hannon missed last year with a hamstring injury. The 6-2, 205 pound receiver was hoping to catch on with the Ravens after previously spending time with the Panthers, 49ers, Dolphins and Lions. Price, 6-1, 200 pounds, spent part of last season on the Ravens' practice
The battle for the Ravens' kicking job should be fun to watch once training camp kicks off (pun intended), and at today's minicamp, we got a preview of what's in store later on this summer. Billy Cundiff and the newly-signed Shayne Graham traded field goals all practice, and at the very end of the morning session, head coach John Harbaugh called on the two kickers
If you're a fan of the Ravens' black jerseys, you'll be happy with the news I'm about to pass along. If you're not a fan, well, odds are you won't be as pleased. According to the team's website, the Ravens will be wearing their alternate black jerseys with white pants on three occasions this year - during home games against the Broncos on Oct. 10,
Still looking to improve the depth in their secondary, the Ravens tried out three veteran defensive backs today, according to Aaron Wilson of The Carroll County Times and The National Football Post. The team had cornerbacks Ken Lucas and Walt Harris and safety Ken Hamlin in for an audition today. Lucas, who checks in at 6-0, 205 pounds, has 25 career interceptions in his nine
I passed along head coach John Harbaugh's thoughts on the Ravens needing to forfeit their final week of OTAs because of a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement's offseason workout rules. Below are the thoughts of Derrick Mason, Chris Carr and Todd Heap, the team's player representatives to the union, as well as Domonique Foxworth, who is an executive committee member for the NFLPA. Mason
The Ravens had about 700 pounds of extra weight on the practice fields yesterday, as defensive tackles Haloti Ngata and Brandon McKinney were both able to participate in individual drills after each underwent offseason surgery. Ngata says he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered during the Pro Bowl. He estimated that he's about 75-80 percent healthy at
I really hope everyone had a chance to watch Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg absolutely dominate the Pirates last night in his Major League debut. The 21-year-old went 7 innings, gave up just 2 earned runs, and struck out 14. He touched 101mph on the gun, showcased an absolutely filthy curve, and made big league hitters look like children. You might not be a Nationals fan,
Derrick Mason, a huge Lakers fan, started today's post-practice talk with reporters by switching things up and discussing a little basketball. With the Lakers and Celtics preparing to square off in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the Ravens wide receiver gave his take on tonight's contest - while staying completely unbiased, of course. "For one, Ray Allen will not shoot 8-for-9 from three-point," Mason
The Ravens trimmed their roster today, releasing outside linebacker Willie VanDeSteeg. VanDeSteeg, who was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, spent the entire 2009 season on the Ravens' practice squad. He was part of a crowded group at outside linebacker; Terrell Suggs, Jarred Johnson, Sergio Kindle, Antwan Barnes, Edgar Jones, Prescott Burgess and Albert McClellan all still remain. I will miss VanDeSteeg, mainly
Jared Gaither returned to practice yesterday after missing the last month with a foot injury. Today, the Ravens' offensive tackle was nowhere to be seen. Gaither received a cortisone shot to help his injured right foot heal, and also received some orthodics in his shoes. Harbaugh said both helped Gaither yesterday. "He practiced yesterday, did a nice job," head coach John Harbaugh said after practice
The NFL announced yesterday that the Ravens will forfeit the final week of their OTAs because they violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement's offseason workout rules. The issues in question were the intensity and tempo of drills and the length of time spent by players at the team's facility on OTA days. After today's practice, head coach John Harbaugh shed some light on the violations and
Another week, another Ravens minicamp. I'll be back in Owings Mills today for what has now become the Ravens' final week of OTAs, and I'll have plenty of news and notes for you throughout the afternoon. Included in that mix, I'm sure, will be plenty of reactions from players and coaches about the NFL's ruling yesterday that the Ravens violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement's offseason
Today was a big day for Jared Gaither - not only did the offensive tackle sign his restricted free agent tender, he also returned to practice after missing the last month with a foot/toe injury. The Ravens announced that Gaither has inked his first-round tender, meaning he is officially locked up for the 2010 season and will make $2.4 million. Gaither also returned to the
The NFL has canceled the last week of the Ravens' organized team activities because it was determined that the team violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement's offseason workout rules. The specific violations involve the intensity and tempo of drills during OTAs and the length of time spent by players at the team's facility on those days. The league's ruling comes as a result of a complaint
The Omaha Nighthawks might want Frank Walker, but Frank Walker does not want the Omaha Nighthawks. Walker, the former Ravens cornerback who is currently an unrestricted free agent, was drafted by the Nighthawks in the 10th round of the United Football League draft on Wednesday. Yesterday, after getting the news that he had been selected by a team in the minor professional football league, Walker
At 5-8, 198 pounds, Prince Miller looks like he should be taking notes in high school chemistry, not battling for a spot on an NFL roster. Yet, that's exactly what the undrafted rookie cornerback is doing this summer - lining up against players nearly a foot taller than him and trying to show the Ravens' coaches that he can hang with the big boys. For
Marvin Lewis, who was Shayne Graham's coach with the Bengals for the last seven seasons, had some interesting comments today about his former kicker and the two kicks that he missed in the playoffs last season. "He had an opportunity to come back here and regain what he had here," Lewis told Cinicinnati reporters today after practice. "Unfortunately he has the demons of the last
Shayne Graham popped out of The Castle after rookie minicamp ended today, and walked to the podium to greet the Baltimore media for the first time. Hours after finalizing a one-year contract with the Ravens, Graham spoke to reporters in a Virginia twang and with a smile on his face, clearly pleased to have free agency behind him. "This is just a great fit for
It's finally a done deal - Shayne Graham will compete with Billy Cundiff for the Ravens' place kicker job. The Ravens have signed Graham to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. ESPN's Adam Schefter says the contract can be worth up to $2.5 million if all the incentives are met. Graham is the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history, converting on 85 percent of
Often times, early-round draft picks are tossed into the fire right off the bat in their rookie season. Because many teams draft for need in the first and second-rounds, the players they select have an inside track to starting jobs and often get to play significant reps in their first year in the league. The Ravens don't appear to be in that type of situation.
The fewer players on the field, the more reps those in uniform get. And with only about 20 players in uniform at today's rookie minicamp, plenty of guys had a chance to run around and show the coaching staff what they could do. One of those guys, former Holy Cross quarterback Dominic Randolph, is only in Owings Mills on a tryout basis. But Randolph won't
Fabian Washington has said he plans on being at full strength at the start of training camp after tearing his ACL last year. His fellow injured cornerback, Lardarius Webb, says he's now about 70 percent healthy as he recovers from his own ACL tear. Webb, who spoke to reporters today for the first time this offseason, said he is making progress in the rehab of
The "Shayne Graham to the Ravens" talk is still going strong, but the place kicker has not yet inked a deal to bring him to Baltimore. Graham is expected to sign with the Ravens sometime soon, but the two sides have not yet finalized a contract, which is expected to be a one-year deal. Asked about the situation with Graham after today's rookie camp, head
Another day has gone by and Billy Cundiff is still the only kicker on the Ravens' roster. Don't expect that to be the case for much longer. There's still no official word on Shayne Graham to pass along, although the former Bengals kicker will almost surely become a Raven sometime soon. You can bet head coach John Harbaugh will get asked about Graham after today's
The Ravens have said for the last couple months that they plan on adding a veteran kicker to compete with Billy Cundiff during training camp. Shayne Graham has seemed like the logical option ever since Neil Rackers signed with the Texans in early April, and sometime soon, Graham signing with the Ravens could become official. ESPN is reporting that the Ravens are closing in on
In a move that won't surprise anyone around the NFL, George Kokinis has re-joined the Ravens as a Senior Personnel Assistant. Kokinis had previously worked for the Browns/Ravens franchise for 18 years and was the Ravens' director of pro personnel from 2003-2008, but left last year to become the Browns' general manager. Things didn't go as planned in Cleveland, and Kokinis was fired in November
