In the fourth round, the Ravens selected Gino Gradkowski from Delaware. He's a guard/center and the younger brother of quarterback Bruce Gradkowski.

Gradkowski is a 6-foot-2 , 300-pounder that will get a chance to learn under Matt Birk.

The Ravens finally ended their run on offense with their second pick in the fourth round when they selected safety Christian Thompson.
Thompson is out of South Carolina State. He will add depth to a position that was depleted with the departures of Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura in free agency.

The Ravens then shored up their return game and added to their defense with cornerback Asa Jackson in the fifth round.

In the sixth round, the Ravens addressed wide receiver by drafting Tommy Streeter. The Miami (FL) product is 6-foot-5 and weighs 219 pounds. He will compete for the third receiver role behind Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith.

The Ravens' final selection was defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson out of Georgia. Tyson will fill a need where the Ravens lost Brandon McKinney and Cory Redding to free agency.

The Ravens selected offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele out of Iowa State with the 60th overall selection in the draft.

Osemele is a 6-foot-6 333 pounder.

The Ravens have been looking for an offensive line upgrade after losing Ben Grubbs to the Saints. Bryant McKinnie is also a stopgap at left tackle.

Update: The Ravens traded up in the third round with the Falcons to select running back Bernard Pierce from Temple.

Pierce is a big back that will backup Ray Rice.

The Ravens gave up the 91st and 164th picks for the right to move up.

According to this tweet from Jason La Canfora, the Ravens traded to the Vikings for the 35th and 98th picks in the draft. That is a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick.

The Ravens now have two picks in the second round and two picks in the fourth round.

According to this report from Jason La Canfora, the Ravens have agreed to sign former Colts quarterback Curtis Painter.

Painter apparently has won the competition with Kyle Boller and Dennis Dixon.

In nine games, eight starts, last season, Painter completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 1,541 yards. He threw six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Update: The team announced the roster move. Painter signed a one-year deal.

That game is the first of four primetime games that will feature the Ravens.

Three of the team's first four games will also take place at home. After hosting the Bengals, the Ravens travel to Philadelphia and will host consecutive primetime games against the Patriots and Browns. Those two games will come Sunday night and Thursday night, respectively.

The second quarter of the season starts on the road at the Chiefs. The Cowboys will pay the Ravens a visit before Baltimore travels to the Texans before having their bye in Week 8.

Following the bye, the Ravens will play three of their next four games on the road. They will be at the Browns, home against the Raiders, at the Steelers on Sunday night and at the Chargers.

The Ravens finish the season at home against the Steelers, at the Redskins, home against the Broncos and Giants and conclude the season at Cincinnati.

That's a pretty tough schedule for the Ravens. It's nice to see the Ravens getting some primetime love though.

Here's the full schedule:

Mon. Sept. 10 CINCINNATI BENGALS 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun. Sept. 16 at Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.
Sun. Sept. 23 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Thurs. Sept. 27 CLEVELAND BROWNS 8:20 p.m. (NFLN)
Sun. Oct. 7 at Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 14 DALLAS COWBOYS 1 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 21 at Houston Texans 1 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 28 BYE
Sun. Nov. 4 at Cleveland Browns 1 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 11 OAKLAND RAIDERS 1 p.m.
Sun. Nov. 18* at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Sun. Nov. 25* at San Diego Chargers 4:05 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 2* PITTSBURGH STEELERS 4:15 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 9* at Washington Redskins 1 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 16* DENVER BRONCOS 1 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 23* NEW YORK GIANTS 1 p.m.
Sun. Dec. 30* at Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.

* Denotes flexible schedule game

This doesn't really come as a surprise, but Rice would be wise to try and get a deal done with the team.

The situation will be watched, but I can't imagine the team and Rice not agreeing to a contract.

Webb was a restricted free agent and the Ravens had given him a first-round restricted tender worth about $2.7 million.

The cornerback will be heading into his fourth season after being drafted in the third round of the 2009 draft.

Last season, his first as a full-time starter, Webb led the Ravens in interceptions with five, including a touchdown against the Jets in Week 4. He recorded 67 tackles.

In the playoffs, Webb recorded three interceptions, including two against Tom Brady of the Patriots, which led the team.

I wrote Wednesday that the Ravens were negotiating with Webb and three other players they would like to extend - quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Ray Rice and cornerback Cary Williams. It appears one of those deals is done.

Update: The NFL Network reports the deal is worth $50 million with a $10 million signing bonus and $20 million guaranteed.

Williams said on a radio show that he would consider unretiring if he could play with the Chargers. That report comes from ESPN 103.1 FM in San Diego. This is according to this tweet from the station's program director, Jon Madani.

Williams informed the Ravens he was retiring way back on Feb. 7. Apparently, if it's with the Chargers, he'd have a change of heart.

Last season, Williams had 108 carries for 444 yards and two touchdowns while he served as Ray Rice's backup.

This is just one of many twists and turns that define Williams' football career.

Hat tip to Profootballtalk.com.

According to this tweet from Aaron Wilson, the Ravens will have two compensatory selections, one in the fourth round (130th overall) and one in the fifth round (169th overall).

The Ravens get a fourth-round selection back after trading their pick to the Bills in the Lee Evans trade.

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 an option, and this seemed like a decent time for him to step away from football and spend more time with his family, which now includes a whopping six children.

But after thinking things over for the last few weeks, Birk now says he wants to return. According to reports, the veteran center's agent has informed the Ravens that Birk is open to playing again in 2012, and apparently, the Ravens have interest in bringing the six-time Pro Bowler back.

Assuming the two sides are able to reach an agreement on a contract, Birk's presence will help the Ravens fill one of their larger voids this offseason.

If Birk and left guard Ben Grubbs (who is expected to leave via free agency) both were to depart, the Ravens would have needed to put a lot of focus on upgrading the interior of the offensive line through the draft and free agency over the next few months. Should Birk return, that need isn't as dramatic.

Would Birk remain in the starting lineup? Would the 14-year veteran serve as a backup and mentor for a younger player?

That depends how the Ravens choose to approach the position. But if they bring Birk back into the fold, they'll have far more options than they would if he had chosen to retire.

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 continue negotiating a long-term contract with the player after the franchise tag has been applied, but if one isn't reached prior to the league-imposed deadline early in the regular season, the player will have to play out the season under a one-year contract which pays him the average of the top-five highest-paid players at his position.

This conversation is relevant in Baltimore this year, obviously, because of Ray Rice, the Ravens' two-time Pro Bowl running back.

Rice is an unrestricted free agent this offseason after playing out his rookie contract, and while he's looking for a long-term deal from the Ravens, he's unlikely to get one prior to the March 5 deadline in which the tag must be applied.

Negotiations like these take time, as we all know, and the tag is not only a way for the Ravens to ensure that Rice will remain with the organization for 2012, but also a way for them to buy more time to negotiate with Rice's agent, Todd France.

That's worked out well for the organization in the past, as the Ravens have reached long-term deals with defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, linebacker Terrell Suggs and cornerback Chris McAlister after initially slapping the franchise tag on those players. (Both Suggs and McAlister got their long-term deals only after having the tag placed on them in back-to-back seasons, however.)

The Ravens want Rice around long-term, and Rice wants to be in Charm City for years to come. But if a Sports Illustrated report is accurate - one which states that Rice is looking for a contract similar to the seven-year deal worth up to $100 million that the Vikings reached with Adrian Peterson last September - then these talks might be going on for quite a while.

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 decision isn't so easy.

Take the Jarret Johnson situation, for example. Johnson has been one of the Ravens' most underrated, yet valuable, players the last handful of seasons. The outside linebacker is an absolute warrior, playing through numerous injuries and suiting up for 129 straight games, the longest streak in team history. He's a smart player who's comfortable in the Ravens' complex defensive scheme and is a key presence in the locker room.

But Johnson, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, will be 31 when the 2012 season begins, and his productivity has dropped off the last two years, as he's averaged just two sacks and 67 tackles per season since a strong 2009 campaign.

Johnson has said he hopes to return to Baltimore, but obviously, his future is dependent on whether the Ravens give him a contract offer he feels is acceptable and what type of offers he receives from other teams.

The Colts, for example, might swoop in and give Johnson a healthy deal to help new head coach Chuck Pagano install his defense in Indianapolis. That would make sense on a couple levels.

If you're the Ravens, not only do you need to balance budgetary concerns with Johnson, but also the makeup of the roster. You could opt to bring back a solid, veteran player, but one who might only have a couple years left in his NFL career, or you could decide it's time to move on and slot a younger, cheaper player in at Johnson's strongside linebacker spot.

That's where the decision becomes particularly tough. The money saved by letting Johnson walk could be spent to help add a new wide receiver or offensive lineman - positions the Ravens would love to upgrade.

Johnson's been a major part of what the Ravens have built during his nine seasons in Baltimore. The question now is whether he'll be around as the organization makes another push for a Lombardi Trophy.

And that's not an easy question for anyone - especially general manager Ozzie Newsome - to answer.

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 working as a graduate assistant (2004).

Hewitt, who saw action in 39 games over three NFL seasons as a player, has personal ties to two of his new bosses. He played college ball at the University of Cincinnati from 1992-96, and was coached by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, who both had a number of coaching roles with the Bearcats.

"I'm really excited about being in the NFL," Hewitt said in a statement. "It's a great opportunity to be working with coach Harbaugh. He is someone I've known for a long time. I look forward to helping this team and learning more - especially with this being the NFL and the highest level of coaching."

Now, Hewitt will work directly under Rosburg. The 37-year-old Hewitt will replace Marwan Maalouf, who served as the Ravens' assistant special teams coach the last four seasons before leaving to become the Colts' special teams coordinator.

"We believe Chris' maturity, work ethic and overall skill set will enhance our special teams units," Rosburg said. "He brings experience as a coach in a highly-competitive college program and also as a NFL player. Chris is very familiar with our organization, and his core values align well with those of our coaching staff."

Weiss, 28, had spent the last three seasons as the head coach's assistant, supporting Harbaugh with administrative duties while also working in a defensive quality control capacity. He also helped compile opposing scouting reports, worked closely with scout teams in practice and served as a liaison for in-game coach's challenges.

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 the 2012 season, however, the question is how hard the team will push to get a deal done.

These negotiations are a step in the right direction, but the step might not be all that large. General manager Ozzie Newsome and Pat Moriarty, the team's salary cap guru, will listen to what Linta has to say and might start to lay the groundwork for a deal, but these things don't come together overnight.

Long-term contracts, especially those involving franchise quarterbacks, take time and often begin with the two sides standing on opposite ends of the negotiating spectrum.

Linta probably views his client as worthy of being in the same class as Eli Manning and Philip Rivers (Manning got a seven-year, $106.9 million deal with $35 million guaranteed, while Rivers signed a seven-year, $98.25 million contract with $38.15 million guaranteed) while the Ravens might counter with a deal closer to the one signed by Kevin Kolb, who scored a six-year, $63.5 million contract with $21 million guaranteed.

It will be interesting to see how the Ravens attack the Flacco negotiations, especially given the situation surrounding running back Ray Rice, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Ravens will likely give both Flacco and Rice big-money deals at some point, but how will they time those deals?

Will they put the franchise tag on Rice this season and leave it there, giving the running back a one-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 million and allowing them to sign Flacco this year? Will they take care of Rice's long-term deal first and make Flacco wait until 2013? Will they be able to navigate the cap, enabling them to get both contracts done this season?

It's clear the team wants both Flacco and Rice around for years to come, but there are a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared before the team is able to lock up both players. These initial discussions with Flacco's representative are nice, and could also indicate to the quarterback's camp whether they can expect anything to get done prior to the start of the 2012 season.

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 (and April 26-28 isn't too far around the corner), we'll discuss the Ravens' draft priorities and where they'll consider going with their first couple picks. The main areas they need to address at this point are at inside linebacker, the interior of the offensive line, defensive end/outside linebacker and wide receiver.

Traditionally, the Ravens draft based on a "best player available" strategy. They've had a ton of success sticking with that mentality over the years, taking the guy they feel is the most talented player left on the board when they're on the clock, as compared to the one who might best fit whatever needs they have at certain positions.

That's a large part of the reason why general manager Ozzie Newsome has churned out so many Pro Bowlers. When you trust your talent evaluators and think big-picture instead of getting influenced by short-term needs, you're more likely to hit big on prospects.

But given the makeup of the Ravens' roster at certain spots, will they need to compromise the "best player available" strategy to an extent this year?

As of right now, this is what the Ravens depth chart looks like at inside linebacker:

* A 36-year-old Ray Lewis (who will be 37 in May)
* Three-year veteran Dannell Ellerbe, who will almost certainly be brought back as a restricted free agent
* Two-year veteran Cody Glenn, who's played 19 career games and was signed as a free agent Jan. 27
* Albert McClellan, an outside 'backer who was forced inside in 2011 due to injuries
* Josh Bynes, who appeared in one game in 2011 and spent time on the practice squad

That's it. Starting weak-side linebacker Jameel McClain is an unrestricted free agent, as is veteran Brendon Ayanbadejo, and while Lewis will return, the 2012 season might be his last. When you look at what's behind the 11-time Pro Bowler, it's hard to find a guy currently on the roster capable of replacing Lewis once he steps away.

The Ravens don't have to panic and spend this year's first-round pick on an inside linebacker if there isn't one there, but it sure seems like they'll need to address that area at some point in the first three rounds or so.

Same deal when it comes to the interior of the Ravens' offensive line. With center Matt Birk contemplating retirement and left guard Ben Grubbs likely to depart via free agency, this is what's left on the Ravens' roster at the center and guard positions at this point:

* Pro Bowl right guard Marshal Yanda
* Practice squad center Cecil Newton
* Guard Howard Barbieri, who spent 2011 on the Texans' practice squad
* 2010 third-round pick Jah Reid, a tackle who could be moved to guard

Again, that's it. Birk might choose to come back for one more year, and if not, veteran center Andre Gurode could probably be re-signed at an inexpensive rate. But the Ravens will need to find a way to fill the holes on the interior of the line. That's especially true at the center spot, where Newsome needs to develop a guy the team can plug in for the next handful of seasons.

Of course, the Ravens can always address some of their needs through free agency, and I'm certainly not suggesting they completely adjust their typical draft strategy and just go inside linebacker, center/guard, wide receiver in the first three rounds this year. You don't mess with a system that's worked so effectively for so long.

But it will be interesting to see if the Ravens push the issue just a bit and look to fill some holes early in the draft. Given the current makeup of the roster, it might be something worth considering.