Those old enough to remember the Barry Levinson movie "Diner" will recall the famous Baltimore Colts test that Eddie Simmons gave his fiancé Elyse before she could marry him. On my first day at Ravens camp Monday at McDaniel College, public relations assistant Patrick Gleason asked me, "Do you have all the numbers memorized yet?''

"Quiz me,'' I said.

The first four were a breeze.

21? Chris McAllister.

23? Willie McGahee.

11? Troy Smith.

89?  Mark Clayton.

Not bad for someone who had covered four Ravens games in the 12 years since they came to Baltimore. But then things started going downhill. Quickly.

It began with 92. My response was "the guy from Oregon" because I couldn't quite pronounce Haloti Ngata's name. Then came 56. Who knew that Gary Stills was one of the best special teams players in the NFL? And finally 87, Demetrius Williams. Not a chance.

"I'll give you about a C,'' Patrick said. 

I had one question for Patrick, who is 25.

"Do you know about the Colts test in the movie 'Diner'?" 

"Never heard of it,'' said Patrick, who was born the year the movie came out.

Speaking of numbers, one number that I might not have to memorize is 34. It belongs to Cory Ross, the second-year cornerback and return specialist who took over when B.J. Sams went out with a broken leg last season.

Ross, who produced modest results in the team's last five games, is clearly fighting for a job with the return of Sams and the added presence of Yamon Figurs, the team's third-round draft choice out of Kansas State, who was the fastest in the 40 at the NFL's combine this year.

At special teams practice today, Ross didn't help himself, twice getting some constructive criticism from special teams coordinator Frank Gansz Jr., first when Ross outran his protection and later when he mishandled a wobbly kickoff from rookie Brendan Carney.

Ross and the rest of the Ravens were going back to the team hotel to study their playbook.

Me? I'm going home to study the roster.

My next quiz is Monday, and I'm going to rent Levinson's movie for inspiration.

Posted by Don Markus at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

1. There were a lot of dropped passes today, and there can be no excuses for them. The Ravens, like other NFL teams, have several minicamps during the offseason, so rust shouldn't be bothering the players. Fatigue can't be a factor either, especially since we're only in Day 2 of training camp. Head coach Brian Billick wasn't pleased, and he let some of the Ravens know about it.

2. Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is creative as far as blitz and pressure packages, but he may have outdone himself this morning. On one play, Ryan had nose guard Haloti Ngata playing middle linebacker, and then he brought the 340-pound Ngata on a blitz.

"Nah, that didn't happen," said Ryan, laughing. "Anything that I can do to take out the other team's top guns and then create mismatches for us, I'll do it. If you want to block Ngata with a 220-pound running back after he has gathered up a full head of steam, I'll take it."

3. One player that has been impressive rushing the quarterback is Antwan Barnes, a rookie linebacker out of Florida International. He is so fast and quick that opposing linemen have a hard time getting their hands on him, but when they do, he goes flying into another universe.

4. Apparently rookie offensive tackle and former Terp Jared Gaither has a tough time counting. He has jumped offsides or flinched numerous times during the first two days of practice.

5. Rookie quarterback Troy Smith has a strong arm, but he doesn't know yet when to put some heat on the ball or when to put some air under it. He has the arm and the mobility, now he just has to develop a feel.

6. I tip my hat to starting center Mike Flynn. I've been critical of him in the past, but I also admire his strong work ethic. He came to the Ravens as a no-name rookie out of the University of Maine ten years ago. He didn't have great size or speed, but he has lasted quite a while and has a Super Bowl ring. He could have retired or possibly taken it a little easy like veteran offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden in this training camp, but he doesn't miss a practice. He's a tough competitor.

7. Day 2: I'm still waiting for some new offensive wrinkles.

8. The Ravens' young offensive linemen continue to impress. Rookie Marshal Yanda, a third-round pick from Iowa, got some nice shots in on linebacker Bart Scott during the team period. There were times when you didn't know if Scott was playing inside or outside because Yanda got so deep into his body.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

The Ravens are still waiting for cornerback David Pittman to produce like the third-round pick that the organization used on him last year. Pittman was deactivated for all 16 regular season games and the lone playoff game last season, and then a strained left hamstring sidelined him for most of the team's offseason minicamps. But Pittman has looked fluid and smooth during the first two days of training camp.

Pittman said his hamstring is almost 100 percent healthy and said he didn't think his absences from minicamps placed him behind teammates Ronnie Prude, Evan Oglesby and Derrick Martin. "Mentally, I don't think I have an uphill battle to climb," Pittman said. "Physically, I wasn't able to be out there with everybody and move around and stuff. But the game is as mental as it is physical, so I think I am where I need to be."

While Pittman dismissed the notion of buying into the expectations placed on him, he did acknowledge that his primary objective is avoiding a repeat of last year's season-long status on the inactive list. "I do put pressure on myself to compete on every play and get better every day," he said. "As long as you go out there and make plays, everything else will take care of itself."

Finally, Pittman entered training camp with a new look. Gone is the long hair that used to hang out of his helmet and took him 2 1/2 years to grow. He shaved his head in June. "I was kind of tired of it," he said with a laugh. "It is pretty hot here and I went home [to Gramery, La.], and the heat was just killing me. ... But I'm not going to try that bald look like Martin or C-Mac [Chris McAlister]."

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The only no-show to the second day of camp was Prescott Burgess. He's the rookie linebacker who made a name for himself when he surprised running back Willis McGahee with a hit and caused him to fumble.

The official word on Burgess is that he's suffering from the stomach flu. Wait, does anyone have the stomach flu in July? I think McGahee and the University of Miami crew got a hold of Burgess and tied him up somewhere.

GREGG HURT: Nose tackle Kelly Gregg caused some concern when he walked off the field with 30 minutes left in practice. He had his right knee wrapped in ice. But coach Brian Billick said it was a thigh bruise and didn't seem worried about it. Of course, it was Gregg's thigh that was hurt and not Billick's.

PAINFUL MISTAKE: Chris Chester could unseat Mike Flynn as the starting center sometime this season, but today he showed that he has a long way to go. Chester inadvertently snapped the ball on the wrong count, hurting Kyle Boller's throwing hand in the process.

Boller, who wasn't expecting the snap at that time, tried to shake it off but it clearly affected him during practice. (And to all those Boller haters out there, you can tell the difference in how Boller throws when he's healthy compared to when he's not).

HEISMAN WOE: Troy Smith, last season's Heisman Trophy winner, has a tremendously strong arm. The problem is that his throws sometimes go to the wrong player. He was intercepted twice downfield, showing some jitters and a lot of inaccuracy.

MOVING MASON: The Ravens showed a lot of three-receiver looks today. For most of practice, the Ravens split out Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams wide and used Mason in the slot.

After practice, Mason said he could play either inside or outside. But more importantly, he acknowledged that he could have handled himself better at the end of the season when he publicly vented his frustration over being de-emphasized in the offense.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

1. I know it's only the first day of training camp, but the new offense looks a lot like the old offense. The only difference is that Willis McGahee is the starting running back having replaced Jamal Lewis. Even the first play the Ravens ran was the waggle right to tight end Todd Heap.
Hmmm. What imagination!!!!

Hope the Ravens didn't work all offseason on designing that one. Maybe we'll see some new wrinkles later, but I doubt it. It's still going to be an offense built around a downhill running game complemented by a short passing game. Hopefully, McGahee will be enough of an improvement over Lewis to take the team deep into the playoffs.

2. Note to first-year receiver Romby Bryant: If you catch the ball like you did in the morning session, you're going to be unemployed soon. Meanwhile, anyone notice that receiver Demetrius Williams is trying to be more physical in running routes? He pushed up on cornerback Ronnie Prude on a 12-yard crossing pattern, and then hauled in the pass. Ravens head coach Brian Billick was so ecstatic I thought he was going to kiss Williams.

3. The ankle-breaking move of the day belonged to rookie receiver Matt Willis. He twisted cornerback David Pittman so bad one time that they looked like dancing partners. Ouch. And Pittman is trying to become the Ravens nickel back.

4. Monday was a good day for teaching. The Ravens spent more time walking through plays than running them. The pace will heat up soon.

5. One of the best things about the opening practice was the rookie class. Sometimes, the rookies come in and are intimidated, but not this class. Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither didn't hesitate going after defensive end/outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, and rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess stretched out McGahee on a running play. I love that kind of enthusiasm from young guys trying to make the team.

6. Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden was a no-show for the first practice. He has become the unofficial assistant coach of the team. Basically, J.O. does what he wants, and in a way, he's earned that right.

Posted by Mike Preston at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Coach Brian Billick added another job title today -- he's also the Ravens' chief meteorologist.  When reports filtered back to the Ravens' camp early this afternoon of possible thunderstorms in the Westminster area, Billick considered moving the first day's second practice to the team's regular season facility in Owings Mills.

After going to a Doppler weather site on the computer in his room,  Billick decided to keep the practice at McDaniel College and then cross his fingers, hoping that practice would come off without a hitch -- or any dangerous weather. Moving the practice back to Owings Mills is an option that the Ravens have rarely had to exercise since the indoor practice field opened during the 2004 season.

Bob Eller, the team's senior director of operations, said that a possible move for this afternoon had been discussed during the morning, "but the front moved off to the east and the weather cleared.'' And you think the Ravens are only worried about who's going to fill the right side of the offensive line?

Posted by Don Markus at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess put his own stamp on the first day of Ravens training camp when he tackled running back Willis McGahee and forced a fumble during the morning practice. A longer Q&A session with Burgess will be in tomorrow's paper, but here are a few nuggets that Burgess offered earlier today.

When I asked Burgess if he still talks to former University of Michigan teammate and linebacker David Harris, Burgess recalled conversing with Harris at the NFL rookie symposium earlier this summer. "He's grinding with the [New York] Jets and trying to get on the field just like me," Burgess said. "We play each other, and best wishes to both sides."

That led me to ask Burgess how he felt about playing against Harris and the Jets on Sept. 16 at M&T Bank Stadium. Burgess pointed out that he will see a lot of former Wolverines on the Ravens' schedule, including cornerback Leon Hall and the Cincinnati Bengals, wide receiver Braylon Edwards and the Cleveland Browns and linebacker LaMarr Woodley and the Pittsburgh Steelers. "It's about trying to make an impact on the teams that we're on and just to show guys that we deserve to be out here," Burgess said. "We're from a great college. We just have to carry what we learned in college and bring it out here."

One of the enduring traditions at Ravens training camp is a rendition of each rookie's school's fight song. Burgess said he has no qualms about singing. "I can sing that all day," he said. "That's one of the great fight songs in the country. So I'm ready."

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

It was a disappointing start to Ravens training camp, and it had nothing to do with the team itself. With all of the excitement surrounding the team, one had to wonder: Where were the fans?

The Ravens announced that a crowd of 3,008 attended the morning practice, but it seemed less than that. The stands at the McDaniel College football stadium weren't full, and there were plenty of empty spots on the grass hill.

The crowd topped last year's first-day total of 2,530 but many expected more. Maybe fans were still traveling home from Cooperstown, N.Y., where Cal Ripken Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

WELCOME TO TOWN: On one of his first carries in team drills, new running back Willis McGahee fumbled after being surprised by a hit from rookie Prescott Burgess. A fan greeted the former University of Miami star by yelling from the stands, "Hey Willis, this is Ravenstown. It's not South Beach."

EYE ON THE PRIZE: Linebacker Ray Lewis said everyone on the team has high expectations after last season's 13-3 season. "It's no secret," Lewis said. "We're not overlooking anybody, but everybody knows we're looking to be in Arizona (for the Super Bowl)."

NEW LOOK: Linebacker Terrell Suggs looks to be in the best shape of his career, especially his upper body. He seems to be built more like a defensive end than a linebacker. After practice, Suggs joked with reporters about the ongoing talks for a contract extension.

Wearing a new shirt -- it was a full-body picture of himself that read "Team Sizzles" -- Suggs said he doesn't expect the same type of contract that Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney received (he became the NFL's highest-paid player with a $30 million signing bonus), but he acknowledged that he did notice the numbers. "I think it got everybody's attention," Suggs said.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

Ravens players arrived early today at the Best Western in Westminster in preparation for training camp, which begins tomorrow. The first player to show up? Surprisingly, it was not eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis, who held that distinction for many years. Third-year defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison walked through the hotel doors at 9:30 a.m., according to public relations coordinator Patrick Gleason. Long snapper Matt Katula was next at 11 a.m., with Lewis showing up a few minutes later.

A few other tidbits from today:

*In addition to 10-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden (toe), three other players could begin training camp on the team's physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list. Backup inside linebacker Mike Smith confirmed that his left shoulder will keep him off the field tomorrow. The team's medical staff "didn't want to put me out there and kind of do the same situation that I did in minicamp [last month] where I went out there and it didn't feel right and then it sets me back two or three weeks," said Smith, who added that he had the shoulder scoped about three weeks ago. "So I'm going to start off on the PUP for maybe a week and just kind of work my way into it and get started."

Fullback Justin Green (knee) said he had yet to talk to the doctors about his status, while linebacker Dan Cody checked in with his right knee wrapped.

*Asked if he missed Buffalo, running back Willis McGahee replied, "Huh?" After the laughter died down, McGahee said, "No, Buffalo's a good city, but I'm in Baltimore right now. I'm not even worried about Buffalo."

*Defensive end Trevor Pryce noted the biggest difference between training camp this year and last year, which was his first with the Ravens. "It's different in that I know where I'm going. That's the big thing. I know where I'm supposed to be at. I know how to get to places. I know where the Burger King is, and I know where my room is. So that's all fun."

*Rookie quarterback Troy Smith wore an Orioles baseball cap and the credentials distributed to the media are orange and black on a day when former Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. Coincidence?

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Now that the Ravens have signed their last two draft picks (first-rounder Ben Grubbs and fourth-rounder Le'Ron McClain), the only meaningful contract negotiations left will be with Terrell Suggs. The Ravens want to extend the contract of Suggs, a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

But how much do the Ravens want to pay for Suggs?

Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney recently became the NFL's highest paid defensive player, when he signed a six-year, $72 million contract that included a mind-boggling $30 million signing bonus. (Side note: Freeney and Suggs are both represented by the same agent). But Freeney's contract numbers likely will be trumped by Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, who could receive between $35 to $40 million in guaranteed money.

Suggs is an emerging player in the league but NFL observers don't put him in the same class as Freeney or Peppers - yet. Freeney is a more dominant pass rusher than Suggs at this point, although Suggs is stronger against the run. And Peppers is a better all-around player than Suggs, but Suggs is just 24 and will only get better.

My guess is that the Ravens will try to give Suggs a deal that is richer than the one signed by former Raven Adalius Thomas (five-year, $35 million contract that included $20 million
in guarantees) but falls short of the Freeney deal.

And if the Ravens can't reach a new deal by the end of the season, they'll probably keep him around for at least another season by using the franchise tag on him.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
                    

Once considered the front-runners, the Jacksonville Jaguars are apparently out of the running for recently released quarterback Daunte Culpepper.

On his radio show, Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio told listeners that his "gut" said it's not going to be a good fit for the team.

But don't jump to conclusions, Ravens fans.

I don't see Culpepper being a good fit with the Ravens, either. The Ravens' coaching and personnel staff is happy with Steve McNair and Kyle Boller as the top two quarterbacks. All the Ravens could offer would be the No. 3 job, something Culpepper is not likely to take.

So the national media can still try to link the Ravens to Culpepper, but I'm not buying it. I have heard nothing from the Ravens' organization to think this is going to happen. Don't expect Culpepper to be wearing purple anytime soon.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)