Ravens News

"The Ravens loaded up on undrafted rookie free agents today, signing 13 to compete for spots on their roster. The most intriguing prospect might be tight end Joe Reitz of Western Michigan. Baltimore began a mandatory three-day minicamp today at its practice facility in Owings Mills. Reitz was a star basketball player for the Broncos, playing center, but realized that 6-foot-7, 256-pound centers rarely make it in the NBA. But he could be a tight end and eventually an offensive tackle if he gets big enough. He last played football in high school in Fishers, Ind."

"Two big-time members of the Ravens failed to show for the team's mandatory minicamp today -- offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. Ogden's absence was expected, but Suggs wasn't on the field because of a contract dispute. The 25-year-old Suggs, who showed up for earlier team practices to show his support for new coach John Harbaugh but couldn't practice because he hasn't signed his one-year contract, wasn't with the team when it took to the field this afternoon in the rain."

"Ray Lewis sidestepped questions about his future with the Ravens today, saying he is focused on team issues and not individual ones. The nine-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker is entering the final year of his contract and could become a free agent for the first time in his career. Lewis and the Ravens are negotiating an extension, but the sides are not believed to be close. "

"Joe Flacco threw dozens of passes during his first practice as a Baltimore Raven on Friday afternoon, but there was one in particular that veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason remembered afterward. It came during team drills, it went deep to Mark Clayton and, as Mason described it, "I think it was 50 yards, down the field, in the air, and he put it on target." That arm strength is one of the reasons Baltimore was eager to take Flacco with the 18th pick of the draft. "

"During the next three days, a lot of the Ravens' attention will be focused on quarterback Joe Flacco, the team's top draft pick out of Delaware. But the sleeper of the Ravens' draft is a safety of Japanese heritage out of the University of Cincinnati named Haruki Nakamura. Nakamura was a sixth-round pick, and general manager Ozzie Newsome and secondary coach Mark Carrier love the guy."

"When the Ravens report for mandatory minicamp today, they'll try to take another step in moving past last year's dismal season. Their latest veteran addition, cornerback Fabian Washington, is on a similar path. Washington, who was traded from the Oakland Raiders on April 27, is coming off the worst year of his NFL career. He was abruptly benched for poor tackling early last season before getting arrested on a domestic battery charge after the season. That's why the Ravens only needed to give up a fourth-round pick to acquire the former first-round selection."

"John Harbaugh, the 45-year-old rookie coach, has never run an offense or a defense. Joe Flacco, the 23-year-old rookie quarterback, has never taken a snap in the NFL. But it is to these neophytes the Baltimore Ravens — a club that fell further in one season than all but three teams in the 16-game era — have entrusted their future."

"Brandon: Despite Trevor Pryce's age and health issues, the Ravens didn't go after a defensive end in the draft. Do you think they should have drafted a pass rusher? Are they thinking about adding somebody through a trade or free agency, or is the roster pretty much set? Jamison Hensley: The roster is basically set. The Ravens could have taken a pass rusher in the draft -- you're right that there are some depth issues --but they addressed other concerns (getting backups at running back, linebacker, safety, offensive line and receiver)."

"Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry will be released from court-ordered electronic monitoring and house arrest so he can try out for another NFL team. Hamilton County (Ohio) Municipal Court Judge Richard Bernat issued the ruling yesterday, when Henry's attorney Perry Ancona said he has an offer to try out for a team, which he didn't identify."

"The Orioles were willing to give injured pitcher Adam Loewen a couple of days to attend to personal matters before he headed to the club's minor league complex in Sarasota, Fla. However, Loewen, who returned to Baltimore on Monday night after having his left elbow examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., was scheduled to arrive in Sarasota last night with plans to start his throwing program today."

"The Ravens took a break out of their minicamp schedule to surprise O.J. Brigance, showing up to run at yesterday's charity 5K race for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brigance, 38, a former Ravens player who is the team's director of player development, was the honorary chairman for the event that started at Power Plant Live. He was diagnosed in May 2007 with ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive and fatal illness that shuts down nerve cells responsible for movement."

"Imagine if some day, in the not-too-distant future, we wake up here in town to the harsh realization that ... it wasn't Brian Billick's fault after all. That nightmarish vision could become a reality if Joe Flacco flops - and Kyle Boller and Troy Smith flop right along with him - and the Ravens stay on the same quarterback treadmill Billick had them on for years. Of course, it's way too early to believe one way or another in what the Ravens have at the historically cursed position. The draft that brought in Flacco, in the first round, was all of one week ago."

"The quarterback's buddy had an idea for meeting girls. He made a shirt that read "I'm Joe Flacco" across the chest and wore it for a night out on the University of Delaware campus. The guise of a future NFL draft pick would have to improve his romantic fortunes, right? Well, no. Fellow student after fellow student saw the shirt and asked, "Who's Joe Flacco?""

"In two minicamps under first-year coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens' offensive line has been a revolving door. But if there is one player the team would like to see help end the shuffle, it's fourth-year offensive tackle Adam Terry. If Terry finally plays up to the Ravens' expectations, he could be the replacement for Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden if Ogden decides to retire. If Ogden doesn't, then Terry could be the starting right tackle."

"The reason the Ravens drafted Flacco with the 18th overall pick was that Boller hasn't lived up to the expectations set upon him when he was drafted in the first round in 2003. Boller, who turns 27 next month, has not established himself as the starting quarterback, struggling with his consistency and decision-making. But he has the physical tools to be a successful quarterback: size, arm strength and athleticism. Always known as a consummate team player, Boller said he would help Flacco adjust to the NFL and the Ravens' offensive system."

"While you were huddling with your family and friends watching last weekend's draft and waiting for the phone to ring, Mason was out in Turners Station. His team Saturday was called Rebuilding Together Baltimore, and they were going to homes like Blackwell's, doing the important work that, for a variety of reasons, some homeowners can't do themselves."

"Flacco might not have faced the top defenses in the nation every week, but he wasn't exactly surrounded by Bowl Championship Series-caliber weapons on offense, either. You'll notice that he was the only Blue Hen selected in the NFL draft."

"The Ravens grabbed their quarterback of the future with an aggressive move, upgraded their depth at cornerback with a favorable trade and bolstered their special teams throughout the NFL draft. But did the Ravens upgrade their roster enough this weekend to go from the bottom of the AFC North to the top of it?"

"The Ravens wanted Matt Ryan, but Joe Flacco was the next-best quarterback in this draft. The Ravens made a great deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars that got them three additional picks."

"The Falcons have received permission to interview two Baltimore Ravens executives for an assistant director of player personnel position, according to a person familiar with the situation. The team is set to interview Baltimore assistant director of pro personnel Vincent Newsome and Baltimore national scout Lionel Vital."

"Standing in front of photographers yesterday, Joe Flacco was asked to hold his jersey higher. As the new Ravens quarterback did so, he nearly covered the face of coach John Harbaugh, who only comes to Flacco's shoulders."

"For all of the questions that surround the Baltimore Ravens quarterback of the future, there is one thing that cannot be questioned: Joe Flacco is tall. That much was apparent as soon as the former Delaware quarterback, who is listed at 6 feet 7, walked into his introductory news conference Sunday afternoon."

"The Ravens addressed their need at cornerback yesterday, but it didn't come in the draft. Instead, the Ravens traded a fourth-round pick to the Oakland Raiders for Fabian Washington."

"The defending division champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens raised the running back ante in the division with picks at the position in this weekend's NFL draft. The Steelers jumped on Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois with the 23rd pick in the first round. The Ravens pounced on Ray Rice of Rutgers 32 picks later."

"When punter Benjamin Dato began his college career at Fordham four years ago, he never would have thought he'd someday have a shot at making an NFL roster. But four years later, he's within kicking distance."

"No matter who else the Ravens picked, this will be forever known, for better or worse, as the Joe Flacco Draft. Which is too bad, because if the Ravens' draft follows the usual pattern, it should produce a wealth of productive players from the final five rounds yesterday."

"The Ravens had long targeted Ryan, but the Atlanta Falcons took the top quarterback in the draft with the No. 3 pick. That led the Ravens to trade back to the end of the first round before moving back to the middle where they selected Flacco, a risky small-school pick who was the clear-cut No. 2 quarterback on the Ravens' draft board."

"The Baltimore Ravens had watched the quarterback they coveted the most, Boston College's Matt Ryan, come off of the board early in the first round of the NFL draft. So as they sat toward the bottom of the first round -- having traded down from the eighth overall pick -- they wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on their clear-cut second choice. The Ravens sent three picks to the Houston Texans to move up eight spots and grabbed Delaware's Joe Flacco with the 18th overall selection."

"After working the phones feverishly and ultimately missing out on their first option, the Ravens selected a quarterback to finally fill that black hole in the pocket, a young arm and sharp mind charged with leading the team to new heights and into a new era of success."

"Flacco was described by Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome as "the guy to lead our football team into the future" (before diplomatically deferring the actual decision to John Harbaugh, sitting to his right). With Smith, the guy still labeled as being too small, one season and two starts into his career."

"The Ravens drafted one of college football's best quarterbacks in the first round yesterday. It set the stage for some exciting yet anxious moments in the development of Delaware's Joe Flacco."

"In a draft where multiple scenarios could occur today in the top 10, the Ravens haven't ruled anything out when it comes to the No. 8 overall pick."

"Eric DeCosta, the Baltimore Ravens' director of college scouting, has been known to joke that last year's dismal 5-11 season made him feel like he was caught in a movie. A very bad movie."

"The speculation has been circulating for months. In the first round of the NFL draft, the Ravens are going to select Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, or Virginia defensive end Chris Long, or Troy cornerback Leodis McKelvin."

"But I do feel comfortable offering this: Ryan is a better bet than Kyle Boller was five years ago and has the potential to affect a franchise more than Troy Smith, who was picked by the Ravens in the fifth round last year. When you factor in the Ravens' immediate dire need at quarterback, you're faced with this truth: If there's any way they can nab Ryan tomorrow, they absolutely must."

"As Ryan Clady walked onto the practice field at the Ravens' complex in Owings Mills during minicamp one afternoon last week, few paid attention to the offensive tackle from Boise State in the tan business suit. That could change tomorrow. If the Ravens take Clady with the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft, he could replace Jonathan Ogden, the 12-year anchor on the left side."

"If Vernon Gholston were your typical kid leaving college to look for a job, he might have put this on his resume: He beat Michigan's Jake Long, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, for a sack. That's only part of the reason the 6-foot-4, 258-pound defensive end and linebacker from Ohio State will be chosen pretty quickly in tomorrow's draft. While Long was made the No. 1 pick earlier this week by the Miami Dolphins, some mock drafts have Gholston going right behind him to the St. Louis Rams at No. 2. But some draft scenarios have Gholston falling to the Ravens at No. 8."

"It is clear the Baltimore Ravens need to add a quarterback, whether through this weekend's NFL draft or free agency. Steve McNair, their expected starter, retired last week after 13 NFL seasons, leaving the team with two on the roster: former first-round pick Kyle Boller and second-year player Troy Smith. With the eighth and 38th picks, Baltimore is in a position to address that need. "

"There's no way the Ravens will pass on Ryan at No. 8 because he would clearly be their top-rated player if he slipped that far. He could be their starter for the next decade. The problem is other teams feel the same way. There are three major hurdles standing in the way of the Ravens and Ryan. The Atlanta Falcons (No. 3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 5) both could pick him, and the New England Patriots (No. 7) could trade down to allow another team to jump up for Ryan."

"Was Miami Dolphins czar Bill Parcells playing mind games with his NFL peers when he began negotiations with Michigan tackle Jake Long as the first pick two weeks ago? Contrary to popular opinion, he was not."

"If the Ravens take a quarterback with the No. 8 pick, they'll undoubtedly draft Matt Ryan from Boston College. When it comes to the Ravens' other biggest need in the draft, the decision is not that simple. This year's cornerback class -- especially the top of it -- is one of the most difficult groups to dissect for NFL teams."

"In a conference call to promote his involvement with the NFL Network's draft coverage, Billick was noncommittal on whether Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan would be a good fit for the Ravens."

"Unless Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan is available when the Ravens go on the clock for the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft, general manager Ozzie Newsome and director of college scouting Eric DeCosta will be faced with an age-old dilemma."

"With Steve McNair retired, the Ravens are expected to be among those quarterback prospectors in next weekend's NFL draft. But if they are to find the next golden arm, they'll have to defy the odds. Most teams that pick a quarterback in the first round come up with copper at best, a handful of dirt at worst."

"Their starting quarterback a week into retirement, the Baltimore Ravens are assumed to have one giant hope entering Saturday's NFL Draft: the possibility of quarterback Matt Ryan being available after seven picks."

"Eric DeCosta makes picking in the top 10 of the NFL draft sound so easy. "We just rate the players," the Ravens' director of college scouting said. "When you're looking at the top 10 players, they're so good. Just like when you're driving down a neighborhood, you see a million-dollar home versus a $300,000 home, and you know which is the million-dollar home.""

"Some 24 hours after Steve McNair announced his retirement, Troy Smith said he had yet to speak individually to his former teammate, mentor and friend, only as part of the team farewell meeting that had ended in a standing ovation."

"A day after the retirement of Steve McNair, the Ravens took the practice field not knowing who their starting quarterback is going to be. Will it be the more experienced Kyle Boller? Will it be intriguing prospect Troy Smith? Or will it be someone not even on the roster right now?"

"As far as the Ravens are concerned, the emphasis has changed from the retirement of quarterback Steve McNair to the pace and installation of a new offense. Minicamps are about concepts and philosophy, and the Ravens were busy instilling them yesterday. Very busy."

"If there were a NFL Tough Guys Hall of Fame, Steve McNair would stand at the head of the class. Five years from now, when McNair is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he will fall short when voters gather during Super Bowl week."