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I have no specific information to back this up, but I'm guessing that when the Ravens' season ended in January, team officials expected center Matt Birk to opt for retirement. Birk is now 35 years old, his contract with the Ravens expired after the 2011 campaign and he's dealt with knee trouble over the last few years. He had said that retirement this offseason was
Terrell Suggs has never been shy about expressing his distaste for the hype that surrounds Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Not that the Ravens linebacker is ever shy about expressing his distaste for anything, really. In the past, most Suggs' comments about Tebow have been largely sarcastic, like the time that Suggs said he wasn't going to worry about talk of him winning Defensive Player of
The Ravens' offseason pursuits of offensive linemen, linebackers and wide receivers will occupy a lot of our attention over these next couple months. There are clear holes at those spots and general manager Ozzie Newsome has indicated that when it comes to upgrading the roster, those positions will be his priorities. But there's one situation flying somewhat under the radar on the Ravens' offseason to-do
Welcome to the franchise tag period of the offseason. I know how intently you all have been waiting for this day. This is a time (starting today and going until March 5) in which NFL teams can place the franchise tag on one of their own free agents, guaranteeing that player will remain with the team for at least the upcoming season. The team can
Former Raiders head coach and Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson has signed on to become an assistant coach with the Bengals. But the guy who has been a QB coach, wide receivers coach, running backs coach and offensive coordinator at various points throughout his coaching career won't handle what you might think during his tenure in Cincinnati. Jackson will work specifically with the Bengals' defensive
Sometimes, it's not tough to tell whether an impending free agent will depart and sign with a new team. The player might be set to make more money on the open market than his previous team is able to pay him (cough, cough, Ben Grubbs) or he might have underperformed his old contract and worn out his welcome with his prior organization. Other times, however,
The Ravens announced they've hired Chris Hewitt as their assistant special teams coach and have promoted Matt Weiss to defensive assistant. Hewitt has spent the last eight seasons as an assistant at Rutgers University, most recently serving as the Scarlet Knights' running backs coach from 2010-11. Hewitt also had stints coaching Rutgers' cornerbacks (2008-09), serving as the director of speed and skill development (2005-07) and
As the seemingly endless stream of mock drafts - yes, you sense some annoyance in those words - have started to trickle out over the last handful of weeks, one player has been linked to the Ravens perhaps more than any other. That player is Arizona State inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Burfict has become well known for his mean streak and pad-thumping hits, and would
Joe Flacco has said on more than a few occasions that he'd like to begin talks with the Ravens about a contract extension. Apparently, he'll get his wish. According to reports, the Ravens will meet with Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis next week to discuss a long-term deal for the four-year veteran quarterback. With Flacco still under contract for
I'm back from Vegas safe and sound ... and incredibly tired. I came out perfectly even on my gambling for the trip, which in my mind goes down as a win. And now that I'm home, we can get back to business as the Ravens start to get into their offseason and decide how to go about improving their roster. As the NFL draft approaches
Last summer, the Ravens' April draftees had to sit around and wait as the NFL lockout got resolved. Some of the players selected didn't have a full playbook to go over, and the ones that did had to try and figure out complex NFL schemes without coaches or veteran teammates around to walk them through it on a daily basis. That certainly set those players
Hello from Las Vegas, where the weather is warm, and ... well, I'll just stop there. I'm here through the weekend for a buddy's bachelor party, but will still check in every now and then to publish a quick entry and check comments. This is actually my first Vegas trip, so I plan on spending minimal time around my laptop. I'm excited to see what
Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff will be presented with the "Double D Award" this Sunday by Drake University. The award is presented to Drake letterwinners for achievements in their chosen fields of endeavor and/or community service since leaving the University. Why do I have a feeling the AFC championship won't be brought up during the presentation? As is usually the case when a team falls short
Ricky Williams' decision to retire from the NFL with one year left on his contract with the Ravens leaves the team in an interesting position. Believe it or not, the running backs the Ravens currently have under contract for next season have just three career carries under their belts, collectively. Obviously, that number is a bit deceiving. Although two-time Pro Bowler Ray Rice is an
The Ravens would have welcomed back Ricky Williams next season, considering the numbers he put up in 2011 and the way he made a positive impact on starting running back Ray Rice. But there's always been a lot more to Williams than just football. He's an educated man, one who has spiritual interests and has talked about wanting to spend his time learning more about
One of the most interesting careers in NFL history has apparently come to an end. Running back Ricky Williams has decided to retire after 11 NFL seasons. The Ravens have officially announced Williams' decision to step away. "Thank you all, but this ain't it, I'm gonna do something really special." Williams wrote on his Twitter account this afternoon. "'Be you and change the world'" Williams,
There are hundreds of things for which Joe Flacco gets criticized. His pocket awareness isn't strong enough. He holds the ball too long. He has trouble reading a cover-2 defense. His eyebrows are too bushy. Perhaps more than anything else, however, Flacco draws the ire of fans and some media members because he doesn't display much emotion on the field or in interviews. Sure, he'll
I'm pretty sure Ahmad Bradshaw will go down as having the most awkward game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl history. Bradshaw's bizarre "I don't know whether to score or fall down on the 1-yard line" touchdown with under a minute left in the fourth quarter last night gave the Giants their second Super Bowl in five years. On the losing end - both times - were
The Ravens are done playing, but they aren't done getting recognized for their efforts during the 2011 season. Linebacker Terrell Suggs was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year at the first-annual NFL Honors awards show in Indianapolis. In addition, center Matt Birk was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year. Suggs becomes the third Ravens player to win the Defensive Player
If you miss the type of kick that Billy Cundiff missed, you're going to have fans calling for your job. That's just how this game works. But while a portion of the Ravens' fan base hopes the team will cut ties with Cundiff after he pulled a potential game-tying 32-yard field goal wide left with 15 seconds left in the AFC championship game, the team
Asked toward the very end of Wednesday's State of the Ravens press conference what he perceives as his team's biggest need this offseason, general manager Ozzie Newsome displayed a rare bit of candor. Instead of dancing around the question or making a generic statement about needing to improve as a whole, Newsome came right out and listed three areas he hopes to bolster: Offensive line,
When the Ravens reached an agreement with Eric DeCosta to remain with the organization and not interview for general manager jobs elsewhere, it led some to wonder whether DeCosta would be taking over for Ozzie Newsome as Ravens GM in the near future. Speaking at yesterday's State of the Ravens press conference, Newsome shot those rumors down, saying he doesn't have any intention of retiring
Fans have, and will continue to, question whether the Ravens can win a Super Bowl with Joe Flacco and Cam Cameron. Running back Ray Rice's abilities and impact on the offense are clear, but the hot topic seemingly after every loss this season centered around the future of Flacco and Cameron and whether the Ravens would be better off replacing either their quarterback, offensive coordinator
Chuck Pagano's hiring as Colts head coach has created some movement along the Ravens' coaching ranks. Pagano, formerly the Ravens' defensive coordinator, has taken two Ravens assistant coaches with him to Indianapolis - Marwan Maalouf and Roy Anderson, who will serve as Pagano's special teams coach and safeties coach, respectively. FoxSports.com first reported those coaching moves. Maalouf has spent the past four seasons working under
The Ravens made it clear today during their season-ending press conference that they have every intention of keeping both quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice around long-term. They'd love to say the same thing about left guard Ben Grubbs, but right now, the odds appear stacked against the five-year veteran remaining in Baltimore. Make no mistake, Grubbs is a fantastic player. He made
The 49-minute State of the Ravens press conference has now come to an end, and before I pass along lengthy quotes from today's session, I wanted to get a handful of quick-hit notes out there. Owner Steve Bisciotti was the star of the show today, garnering most of the questions from reporters despite the fact he had general manager Ozzie Newsome, president Dick Cass and
The questions will be sent toward Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, president Dick Cass, general manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh at high speed today. 'Tis the nature of the State of the Ravens press conference, arguably the most hyped Ravens media event of the year. This day traditionally draws a horde of media members out to The Castle, some of whom seemingly haven't
