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.