Derrick Mason News: Pro Sports Daily

Ravens wide receiver Mason agrees to return

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March 11

Baltimore Sun

"On the night when wide receiver Derrick Mason came back to the Ravens, their passing attack continued to take another step forward. The Ravens struck a two-year, $8 million agreement with Mason on Wednesday, retaining the most consistent wide receiver in team history. He will earn $3.5 million the first year. This much-anticipated deal returns Joe Flacco's favorite target and sends yet another message that the Ravens wanted to improve their passing game. The Ravens have made three moves this offseason, and all three have involved the wide receiver position. The result: This could be the deepest wide receiver group in team history. Last month, they signed Donte' Stallworth (one year, ..."

Increased speculation that Mason, Ravens will reunite

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March 10

Baltimore Sun

"The Ravens still appear to be the frontrunners to re-sign wide receiver Derrick Mason, according to reports on ESPN and NFL.com Here's probably the biggest reason why this will happen -- Mason hasn't drawn much interest elsewhere. Terrell Owens and Antonio Bryant are visiting Cincinnati. Bryant could be visiting Miami next. Nate Burleson went to Detroit. Kevin Walter re-signed with Houston. Even Brandon Marshall got a visit, meeting with the Seattle Seahawks. While there was speculation that Miami and New England had expressed interest in Mason, there have been no visits for him. In the end, Mason's best opportunity might be staying with the Ravens."

Mason could return, but no longer a priority

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March 7

Baltimore Sun

"The addition of Anquan Boldin doesn't eliminate the chances of Derrick Mason returning, but the Ravens no longer view the free-agent wide receiver as one of their priorities, a league source said. Mason, 36, certainly lost his leverage by not agreeing to a two-year deal with the Ravens before free agency began. Because Boldin and Mason play similar styles, it's not considered a necessity to bring back Mason. There is a chance that the Ravens could wait until after the draft in April to re-sign Mason. So far, Mason has drawn interest from New England and Miami but he hasn't set up visits."

Boldin signing sends message to Mason

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March 7

Baltimore Sun

"With the trade and signing of Arizona Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin, the Ravens are leaking word around the league that veteran receiver Derrick Mason is no longer a priority. The Ravens still might sign Mason, but they are in no hurry. In fact, he fits general manager Ozzie Newsome's favorite saying: "Right player, right price." The Ravens might not try to sign him until after the draft. The Ravens might be leaking word out because they are simply tired of Mason saying he might retire, and then he might not. Or that he might want to play for another team or would prefer to stay with the Ravens, but wants a two-year contract."

Mason says he wants to return

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February 19

Baltimore Sun

"The news of the week wasn't that the Ravens signed Donte' Stallworth to a one-year, second-chance contract, but that veteran Derrick Mason wants to come back to the Ravens for two more seasons. That's what Mason told the Ravens' Web reporter this week, while at the same time saying there was a "high possibility" he would go elsewhere to play. As an unrestricted free agent, Mason has that right. And in a free-agent pool diminished by the new rules of an uncapped season, he will be one of the more attractive receivers, even at the age of 36. Mason showed in 2009 that he can still play and still make a difference. Despite the rap he lacks great speed, Mason averaged 15.8 yards per catch on 22 ..."

Derrick Mason unlikely to return to Ravens without multiyear deal

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February 19

USA Today

"With 4,975 yards, WR Derrick Mason is the Baltimore Ravens' all-time leading receiver. But without a new contract that extends beyond 2010, he may not be willing to add to that total. "I'm weighing my options to potentially come back and play," Mason told the team's website this week. "My thought pattern is that if there's no need to come back for one year, then there's no need to come back. It has to be for more than one year. I'm not just going to come back for one year and let it be at that. If I came back, it would be for more than one year." Mason, 36, nearly retired last summer but ultimately returned to lead the team with 1,028 receiving yards and seven TD catches among his 73 ..."

Mason, Reed retiring — or maybe not

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January 20

Baltimore Sun

columnist Kevin Cowherd

"Maybe you're one of the doubters, one of the talk-show whiners and Internet gloom-and-doomers who watched the Ravens go 9-7 and make it to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs and still think they should blow up this team and start over. John Harbaugh would strongly disagree with you. "I really like the makeup of our team," the Ravens coach said Tuesday at The Castle, at his final news conference of the season. "I like the foundation that we have with our football team. I like the kinds of guys we have." But two of the best - Derrick Mason and Ed Reed - could decide to retire, which would make for a busy offseason for the Ravens. The NFL is likely headed toward a season without a ..."

The only stat that matters to Ravens' Mason: a 'W'

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January 14

Baltimore Sun

"In his 14 postseason games, Ravens starting wide receiver Derrick Mason has caught more than five passes only twice. Those are the only two times he has had 80 or more receiving yards in the playoffs. His team lost both games. On Sunday, Mason and fellow starter Mark Clayton combined for two catches and 30 yards against the New England Patriots. And the Ravens won in a rout, 33-14. These facts aren't lost on Mason as his team prepares to face the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. "I don't care if I don't catch a ball. I don't care about stats or anything else right now but winning football games," said Mason, who had seven ..."

Mason delivers milestone, message

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September 28

Baltimore Sun

"In a career filled with big plays and dramatic moments, the Ravens' Derrick Mason delivered two more poignant, irrefutable messages Sunday. They were couched in a simple 5-yard pattern in the second quarter and an electric 72-yard touchdown in the fourth. Know this about the man who sometimes calls himself Superman: For most of his 13 seasons, he has consistently ranked among the NFL's best wide receivers. And yes, he can still play. Even at 35, there are no signs of slippage. There was no braggadocio after the Ravens' 34-3 dismantling of the hapless Cleveland Browns. After collecting the 800th catch of his career on a 5-yard route, and then finishing off the Browns with a tantalizing long ..."

Mason will return to Ravens

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August 1

Baltimore Sun

"Derrick Mason will end his retirement and return to the Ravens, the team's No. 1 wide receiver said Saturday. According to the Ravens, he is sending a letter to the NFL stating his intention to return to the team. He is expected to be on the field Sunday, the third day of full-team practices. "It was a tough decision, but I think it was a good decision for me to come back," Mason said in a statement released by the team. "I needed to evaluate my life, football and my career. The last several weeks thinking about it and talking with my family was an important time for me and them. "I still have an intense fire inside me, and I want to play. My family and I wanted to finish it out the right ..."

Ravens' Harbaugh to meet with Mason

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July 15

Baltimore Sun

"Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said today that he has had some " informal communication" with wide receiver Derrick Mason about his pending retirement and plans to meet with him as early as next week. "We have an appointment to talk real soon," Harbaugh said. "It will be interesting to see where he's at with everything. I know he's been going through a lot the last couple of weeks with Steve's [McNair] situation, but I'm looking forward to talking to him.""

Ravens' Mason says he's retiring

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July 14

Baltimore Sun

"Wide receiver Derrick Mason abruptly announced his retirement Monday, a decision that surprised and confused the Ravens. Mason, 35, the Ravens' No. 1 receiver, was entering the final year of his five-year, $20 million contract and was seeking an extension. The Ravens publicly said they were agreeable to a new contract, but no deal was imminent. Mason's retirement would leave a huge void at wide receiver and mark a drastic setback for a team that reached the AFC championship game. But it's still unclear whether Mason intends to follow through with his retirement. "This is a decision that I've made," Mason told ESPN News. "If I do change my mind, it won't be because of the Ravens. It'll be ..."

Ravens receiver Mason retires from NFL

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July 13

Baltimore Sun

"In the most surprising move of the Ravens' offseason, wide receiver Derrick Mason has abruptly announced his retirement. "I have had a tremendous career, and I played for two great teams. I had fun," Mason told jocklife.com, a Web site that shares the same address as Mason's agent. "In my career, I have been able to do everything but win a Super Bowl. I've had the opportunity to play on great teams and with great players. After 12 years, I have seen it all and done it all," Mason said. "Right now, I am content with the decision I am making. All good things come to an end, and I am ready to see what else life has to offer." The Ravens, though, would not confirm whether Mason has officially ..."

Mason could return in time for training camp

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May 28

Carroll County Times

"Baltimore Ravens veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason may have been a bit too conservative recently when gauging whether he would be able to take part in training camp following offseason shoulder surgery. Ravens coach John Harbaugh predicted that Mason will be ready for the majority of camp. "I think there's a real good chance Derrick will be there for training camp, but that obviously depends on what's best for Derrick," Harbaugh said Wednesday at a passing camp. "I'm pretty sure Derrick will be there for most, if not all, of training camp." Mason, who had his labrum and scapula in his left shoulder repaired, practiced on a limited basis Wednesday as he caught passes from quarterback Joe ..."

Mason hints at leaving Ravens

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March 10

Baltimore Sun

"Pushing hard for a contract extension, Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason intimated he would want to be released if he didn't receive one. Mason, 35, has been the team's only dependable receiver, leading the Ravens in catches for three of his four seasons with them. He is entering the final year of his five-year, $20 million contract. His agent has approached the Ravens about a new contract, Mason said. "I don't know if I'm going to be back," Mason told the NFL Network last week. He added: "So if we can get that deal done, then that will be great. But if not, then we have to explore other options after that. I don't know where this thing is going to end, but I think I've earned the right ..."

Ravens' 'warrior' wideout

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January 15

Washington Times

"Derrick Mason was happily musing about the type of conditions he would prefer in Pittsburgh for Sunday's AFC championship game against the Steelers. "Those are the games you remember," he said. "Those are the games 10, 20 years from now they show on NFL Films. You really enjoy games like that, where it's cold and two powerhouses are fighting and every inch matters. And they start to show the game in slow motion. You see face masks getting pulled, guys' heads getting twisted and it's muddy and it's snowing, and that's just football in its essence." Wide receivers, in their essence, are temperamental, self-preserving and unruly. And none of that describes the Baltimore Ravens receiver, a ..."

The start of something beautiful

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October 26

Baltimore Sun

"Joe Flacco doesn't remember exactly how the first conversation with his favorite receiver, Derrick Mason, went, but the Ravens' rookie quarterback has a pretty good guess at how it played out. "It was probably Derrick being nice and talking," Flacco said, "and I was making grunting noises." When it comes to the personalities in the Ravens' locker room, it doesn't get much different than Flacco and Mason. Flacco is a quiet and reserved soul who might relax by turning on the radio. Mason is a verbose and animated leader who has his own radio show. Mason comes from Detroit and played in the BigTen. Flacco grew up in the New Jersey suburbs and threw passes in DivisionI-AA. Flacco is 8 inches ..."

Ex-Titan still grabs headlines

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October 5

Tennessean

"Derrick Mason still thinks of Nashville as home, but the former Titan has another locker room in his heart. The Baltimore Ravens receiver considers today's game against his old team a business matter, just another opportunity to pick up a win. "I've been long gone from that situation," Mason said Wednesday in a teleconference with Nashville media. Mason was a vital member of the Titans for eight seasons, which included a pair of Pro Bowl trips, and he and his wife, Marci, started to raise their two children here. H's grateful for the opportunity he received from Coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. Gone, he said, are any feelings he once had about the way he ..."

Ex-Titan Mason still making the big catches

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October 2

Tennessean

"Derrick Mason still thinks of Nashville as home, but the former Titan has another locker room in his heart. The Baltimore Ravens receiver considers Sunday's game against his old team a business matter, just another opportunity to pick up a win. "I've been long gone from that situation," Mason said Wednesday in a teleconference with Nashville media. Mason was a vital member of the Titans for eight seasons, which included a pair of Pro Bowl trips, and he and his wife, Marci, started to raise their two children here. He said he's grateful for the opportunity he received from Coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. Gone, he said, are any feelings he once had about the ..."