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Free-agent offensive tackle Barry Sims has decided to sign with the San Francisco 49ers. A nine-year starter for the Oakland Raiders, Sims had worked out recently for the Ravens, St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots.
Sims chose the 49ers because they offered him the best chance to compete for a starting job. The Ravens are looking to start Jared Gaither at left tackle this season following the recent retirement of Jonathan Ogden.
The Ravens are probably behind the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams in signing free-agent offensive tackle Barry Sims.
Unlike the 49ers and Rams, the Ravens are more set on their offensive line, which could push them farther down Sims' list. A former nine-year starter at left tackle for the Oakland Raiders, Sims recently worked out for the Ravens.
The Ravens are preparing to go into training camp with Jared Gaither as their left tackle.
With the conclusion of the rookie minicamp yesterday, the Ravens won’t return to practice until July 22 for quarterbacks, rookies and injured veterans and July 25 for the remaining veterans.
But that doesn’t mean that the players are allowed to slide on their responsibility of staying in shape and absorbing the playbooks, according to coach John Harbaugh.
“Guys have got to work on their own,” he said. “There are skill-specific things at every position. Offensive linemen take pass sets and punch and also work on footwork. Defensive backs, all the footwork and technique. Quarterbacks or receivers can throw or catch, and I think our guys are planning on getting together and throwing and catching – one set on the West Coast and one set here on the East Coast. Those are the little things that guys do to make themselves better.”
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said one of the first tasks awaiting the offensive players is a pop quiz.
“When we come back, the first thing we give them is a 12-minute test,” he said. “It’s an eight-minute test for the offensive line, it’s a 12-minute test for the skill guys. In all of our segments throughout the year, we start with a test, and we remind them that it’s not really to point anybody out, [but] it’s to find out, ‘OK, where are you? Where do we need to grow from?’ We’ll find out. We’ll test them. ... We give them a timed test, and put a little heat, a little pressure on them and see what they’ve retained. There will be a significant number of guys that will know more when they get back than when they left.”
Third-round pick and offensive tackle Oniel Cousins returned to rookie minicamp today after sitting out yesterday with recurring migraines. But seventh-round pick Allen Patrick did not participate today after injuring his left hamstring yesterday.
“Allen tweaked his hamstring,” coach John Harbaugh said of the running back from Oklahoma. “He’s been fighting that, really, since he got here. He’s going to have to work hard on that for the next couple of weeks and get healthy.”
I can’t speak to this with 100 percent certainty, but it appears to me that this current crop of coaches is taking more of a hands-on approach with the players than the previous regime.
All three days of the rookie minicamp in Owings Mills have featured coach John Harbaugh getting in the trenches to instruct safety Haruki Nakamura or defensive lineman Lorenzo Williams on the proper method of punt protection.
Quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson has been simulating a pass rush that quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Brad Roach have to evade. And wide receivers coach Jim Hostler and special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg have filled in at cornerback and nickel back, respectively, when the offense uses a three-receiver set.
“Andy Reid was hands-on with the offense,” Harbaugh said of the Philadelphia Eagles head coach and his former boss. “I think football coaches like to coach. We’ve got a great staff, and they’ve been gracious to let me step in and coach ball every now and then. So I appreciate it.”
The Ravens have officially placed offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and quarterback Steve McNair on the reserve-retired list.
By making the transaction after June 1, the Ravens were able to spread out the salary cap hits over two seasons (2008 and 2009). The retirement of Ogden and McNair should free up about $6.5 million in cap space for this season.
The Ravens are expected to use that on signing their draft picks as well as possible contract extensions for linebacker Terrell Suggs and center Jason Brown.
I wrote a column this morning on Tom Zbikowski, the Ravens' third-round pick out of Notre Dame, and his attempt to make the team's roster. What I found interesting was the way Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan told Zbikowski he needed to lose some weight if he wanted to seriously compete in training camp. Ryan would never have uttered those words under the former coaching regime. The coaching staff was always told to have positive comments. I like the truth. Ryan wasn't trying to embarrass Zbikowski, just say what he observed. Later, Zbikowski agreed, and admitted Ryan was right.
It will be interesting to watch the competition between Zbikowski and rookie Haruki Nakamura. Zbikowski has the better background being drafted out of Notre Dame, but Nakamura, a sixth-round pick out of Cincinnati, has been impressive. He appears to have a natural flow pursuing the ball. We'll see what happens when they put the pads on.
The coaches are no joke and are making their expectations known to the rookies at minicamp in Owings Mills today.
During one special teams drill, running back Allen Patrick appeared to be hesitating to man a winger spot on the field. That caught the attention of special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, who roared repeatedly at Patrick, "Are you hurt? Are you hurt? Tell me yes or no. Are you hurt? Were you in treatment this morning? Yes or no?" (Later, a trainer did wrap a bag of ice on Patrick's left hamstring.)
A little bit later, coach John Harbaugh was imploring the special teams to move faster into position to get acclimated to game speed. "You are going to be shocked," he said a few times.
If the Ravens had a rookie and free-agent camp version of Trivial Pursuit, Brad Roach would be the answer to the question, "Who is the other quarterback aside from Joe Flacco in Owings Mills this week?"
Roach, a rookie free agent from little Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., is hoping to do enough here to get invited back to training camp next month at McDaniel College.
"I'm just trying to take the opportunity I have right now and make the most of it,'' Roach said Monday.
Despite having NFL size (6-6, 245) and what many say is an NFL arm, Roach knows the odds are stacked against him. Though general manager Ozzie Newsome raised the possibility of having four quarterbacks on the roster -- that was before Steve McNair retired -- it seems very unlikely.
Roach is undeterred.
"I think the situation here is good. We're all working together to learn the new offense,'' Roach said. "I know it's tough for a first-year guy to come in and start right away, but I if I can get on the practice squad and get a year under my belt that would be good."
Who knows?
He might be the next Derek Anderson.
Or not.
The Ravens released their training camp schedule with two practices -- one at 8:45 a.m. and the other at 3:30 p.m. -- on Tuesday, July 22 to open the almost four-week camp. Rookies, quarterbacks and injured veterans will report to the Best Western at 461 WMC Drive in Westminster on Monday, July 21, while the remaining veterans will report on Wednesday, July 23. The first full-squad practices will take place on Friday, July 25 at 8:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.
The team will practice twice a day on 20 of the 26 days slated for training camp, including a string of 12 consecutive two-a-days July 25 through Aug. 5. All sessions are open to the public except on Thursday, July 24 (administrative day), Wednesday, Aug. 6 (pre-game walk-through), Thursday, Aug. 7 (preseason opener at the New England Patriots) and Friday, Aug. 8 (players off). Tuesday, July 29, is Suite Holders and Sponsors Day with the morning session open only to those guests.
Camp officially ends with a walk-through closed to the public on Aug. 15 prior to the Ravens' first home game of the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 16. For updated practice information, call 410-261-RAVE (7283).
The Ravens turned a minus into a plus when they rescheduled their first rookie minicamp for this week. The impetus for the change was the NCAA rule that precluded quarterback Joe Flacco and safety Haruki Nakamura from attending the first camp because their college class had not graduated.
By rescheduling, both Flacco and Nakamura were able to participate, and coach John Harbaugh saw dividends just from Monday's practice.
"It's kind of neat now to have the rookie camp at the end after these guys have had the minicamp they were allowed to be at, plus all the OTAs," Harbaugh said. "They’re so much further along than if we would’ve had this camp in the beginning before they had been through the offense twice. For a lot of these guys, it’s their third time through the offense, and it showed up today in their ability to operate the offense and run the routes and make the adjustments."
Along those lines, the Ravens coaches were able to go farther into the respective systems because of the familiarity. "We're taking it deeper than we would have had the rookie camp been earlier," Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh did not rule out the possibility of scheduling a rookie camp at the end of offseason preparation in the future.
The rookie offensive tackle out of UTEP walked off the practice field about 40 minutes after the beginning of the first session of rookie minicamp due to a reoccurrence of migraines.
“He had migraines again," coach John Harbaugh said after practice. "We’ve got migraines going around, I guess, on the offensive line. He had to come out because of the migraines.”
Cousins was the only injury of note today.
Coach John Harbaugh wants the Ravens to be a blue-collar team.
If the players didn't know that before, they certainly do now.
Harbaugh placed a button-down, blue-collar shirt in each locker. Each shirt has the player's first name written in red cursive script over the left pocket.
This message even extends to the coaches, who also received the new shirts.
After moving rookie and free agent camp back a month to accommodate first-round draft choice Joe Flacco, the Ravens pushed the start of today's workout up by around an hour to a little past 10 this morning.
I was thinking -- and hoping -- it was because the coaches wanted to see Tiger Woods teeing off against Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open playoff, but I think it was more to get the 25 players out on the practice field a little longer, a certain quarterback in particular.
Aside from Flacco's progress, the most intriguing aspect to these three days of workouts is the fluidity at the tight end position and along the offensive line.
Joe Reitz, a former basketball player at Western Michigan, is now being shuttled between both spots. After wearing No. 46 at minicamp, Reitz is now wearing No. 77, an offensive lineman's number. Xavier Lee, a former quarterback at Florida State, was brought back after his tryout at minicamp and is getting a lot of work at tight end.
O'Niel Cousins, a rookie tackle from Texas El-Paso who has received his share of attention for getting in a couple of blowups with teammates (including the brawl last month with Amon Gordon) came off the field midway through the morning workout looking a little woozy.
And for those who are interested, Tiger tees off around noon.
The news conference to announce offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden’s retirement seemed more joyous and light-hearted than those you’ve seen on television. No tears were shed, and a smile never seemed to leave Ogden’s face.
Ogden, in fact, played the role of stand-up comic with a few well-timed quips. His first zinger involved thanking general manager Ozzie Newsome for using the franchise’s first pick in the 1996 draft on the massive offensive tackle from UCLA rather than former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. “I think that was a good decision,” Ogden said.
Asked if a return was out of the question, Ogden said enthusiastically, “Oh yeah. You ain’t got to worry about me coming back. That won’t be happening.”
Ogden recalled getting handed a white Ravens baseball cap with black block lettering when his name was announced during the draft. “I’m like, ‘What is this?’” he said, drawing hearty laughs from the crowd. “We didn’t have colors, we didn’t have logos, we didn’t have nothing. And I remember coming to minicamp and my first rookie card, I got a white helmet on.”
Ogden seemed to chafe at the suggestion that he redefined the left tackle position. “I always thought Anthony Munoz defined the position. [He was] the first one, but you know, if people want to say I was the next one to redefine it, I’m very happy with that, and I’ll take that. I’m not going to be too modest anymore. I’m retired.”
Newsome also got into the act, especially when Ogden’s three-year-old son, Jayden, began to talk during Newsome’s opening statement. “We’ve got Jayden talking, and he’s already committed to come to Alabama,” Newsome said, referring to his alma mater. “So I’m happy about that.”
The biggest laughs, however, may have belonged to former Denver Broncos and current Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce, who recalled playing against Ogden on Dec. 11, 2005 -- less than a year removed from missing the 2004 season with an injured back. “I come around the corner and thought, ‘Oh, he’s 380 pounds. Let’s try to throw him out of the way.’ I don’t think he lifted a foot off the ground. In the middle of the play, he said, ‘Oh man, are you all right? You can’t do that. Your back hurts,’” Pryce said. “That was my most vivid memory. In the middle of the play, he’s trying to help me out.”
Top photo from today's news conference by Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron; 1996 photo: AP
Nearly everyone associated with the Ravens turned out for Jonathan Ogden's retirement announcement. Former players like offensive tackle Orlando Brown and guard Harry Swayne and former team president David Modell made their way to the team's training complex in Owings Mills as did current players like quarterback Kyle Boller, center Jason Brown, tight end Todd Heap, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, defensive end Trevor Pryce, linebacker Bart Scott and kicker Matt Stover. Former Ravens and current Detroit Lions guard Edwin Mulitalo flew in last night from Detroit once he got wind of Ogden's announcement.
The news conference started promptly at 11:30 a.m. with a neatly coiffed Ogden in a black-and-silver pinstriped button-down shirt and matching slacks and general manager Ozzie Newsome sitting at a table. Here are a few hastily written quotes from this morning's news conference:
Newsome on Ogden's presence: "For 12 years, we did have a luxury where not at any point against any defender did we have to worry about who was rushing off of that left end because we had Jonathan Ogden."
Newsome on selecting Ogden with the franchise's first pick in the 1996 draft: "Twelve years ago, [former team owner] Mr. [Art] Modell gave me an opportunity to be the head of football with the Baltimore Ravens. We were a young staff. We didn't know what we were doing. ... In that very first draft, we had some needs, but we took the best player in that draft in Jonathan Ogden."
Ogden on being selected by the Ravens: "I want to thank Ozzie for picking me over [former Nebraska running back] Lawrence Phillips. I think that was a good decision."
Ogden on the likelihood of a return: "Oh no, you ain't got to worry about me coming back. That won't happen. That's why it took so long [to make this decision]."
Ogden on his emotions: "It's mixed emotions. There's a huge part of me that's going to miss playing football. ... But at the same time, I realize it's time."
Ogden on his late father Shirrel, who died in 2006: "He's the reason I started playing football. ... Losing him two years ago, it was tough. But I think he'd be proud of me, too."
Ogden on advice for his successor, Jared Gaither: "I would tell him, 'Don't try to be me.' I would tell anybody, 'Try to be the player you can be.'"
Pryce on trying to be physical against Ogden on Dec. 11, 2005 -- less than a year removed from missing the 2004 season with an injured back: "I tried to throw him off. ... In the middle of the play, he said, 'You can't do that. Your back's hurt. Are you all right?'"
One year after he took over for Adalius Thomas at linebacker, Jarret Johnson is making his move under new coach John Harbaugh. Johnson's hustle was best seen when he chased rookie quarterback Joe Flacco from the back side on a sprint out pass. Flacco got the pass off, but only because Johnson pulled up.
Afterward, Harbaugh complimented Johnson on his work ethic.
"He's been here every single lift (for weight lifting) and every single practice," Harbaugh said. "He's really emerged as one of the real leaders on defense."
It probably doesn't mean anything, but the only organized team activity this week where media were allowed to watch became a model of trickery. The Ravens tried a little of everything, including a statue of liberty play with Kyle Boller at quarterback, and the old Nebraska "fumbleruski" where the ball is placed on the ground and a running back picks it up and runs with it. The Ravens also practiced several fake field goals.
Interesting and entertaining, perhaps, but not exactly something the Ravens will pull out of their bag of tricks -- at least the fumbleruski.
"We got a little creative out there," coach John Harbaugh said. "A lot of that was look-team stuff against the defense. Cam [offensive coordinator Cam Cameron] has a very creative mind."
It was more than the heat of the moment when Ravens linebacker Dan Cody threw rookie offensive tackle Oneil Cousins to the ground and ripped off Cousins' helmet on the way down yesterday. It was his career flashing in front of him.
Cody finished his first three NFL seasons on injured reserve with knee and foot injuries. He's only played in two games since he was a second-round pick in 2005. So it's probably understandable that he reacted with anger when he felt Cousins had crossed the line during 11-on-11 drills. There was an immediate melee atop and around the two fallen players, but order was restored pretty quickly.
"He kind of fell on me as I was rushing around him," Cody said in the locker room later. "I've been through too much the last few years. If we're in pads in training camp, it's not a problem. [But] I have no sense of humor about this stuff."
Cousins, a third-round pick from UTEP in April, said there was nothing personal about the skirmish. "We all want to prove something," he said. "Me, I love to play the game. I love being physical. ... All I'm trying to do is help the team win in any way I can."
Nevertheless, it was Cousins' second fight of offseason workouts. His first was with defensive tackle Amon Gordon.
Jason Brown has moved from guard to center, but there has been no movement on his contract front.
Brown is entering the final year of his contract, and the Ravens want to sign him to an extension. But the sides are not close at this point.
"If I could finish my career here, that would be a blessing," Brown said. "There’s nothing I want more for my career and my family."
The Ravens scouts do extensive research on all of their draft picks, but it was easy to assume rookie safeties Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura would both be physical.
In 2006, Zbikowski fought his only professional boxing match, knocking out Robert Bell in 49 seconds. And Nakamura's family has always been heavily involved in judo.
"We call them the mixed martial arts safeties," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "We might not be able to cover anybody, but we’re going to beat up somebody."
After last week's passing camp practice, new Ravens coach John Harbaugh went out of his way to praise Dawan Landry.
In a brief meeting with reporters, Harbaugh brought up the third-year starting safety without being asked.
“He has been tremendous this spring,” Harbaugh said. “He’s playing fast [and] he’s all over the field. He’s taking charge of that secondary back there.”
Landry is the only starter in the secondary to attend all of the offseason camps.
OK, everyone needs to keep this in perspective. I know Baltimore fans want a quarterback they can call their own, and after watching rookie Joe Flacco throw for the first time Wednesday, he was impressive. In all honesty, I haven't seen a Ravens quarterback throw with such force and velocity since Vinny T.
Flacco looked rusty, which is to be expected, but he showed a quick release and made some really strong throws. He needs to develop touch, which will come as he becomes more familiar with the offense. But there were a lot of coaches smiling Wednesday after practice.
Second-year quarterback Troy Smith and Kyle Boller also performed well. Smith has made good progress from a year ago. He is still inaccurate at times, but he has other intangibles. He has a presence with the veteran players and a grasp of the offense. Boller performed just as well, so it should be an interesting battle going into training camp. If the competition is close, I'd start Smith because he has a greater upside than Boller, who has only a year remaining on his contract.
I can't see the Ravens starting Flacco unless Boller and Smith get hurt. The Ravens learned their lesson by forcing Boller to play as a rookie. Plus, the Ravens are in need of offensive tackles. This is going to be another tough year for the offense, but maybe the Ravens have found a quarterback to build their offense around in Flacco.
The defense's on-again, off-again love affair with the officials reared its head today. During 7-on-7 passing drills, members of the secondary loudly protested one penalty flag and one non-call.
When a referee flagged cornerback Frank Walker for pass interference on the left side of the field near the end zone, cornerback Fabian Washington -- who was standing on the right side -- yelled, "Kiss my [bad word]!"
Later, quarterback Troy Smith overthrew wide receiver Yamon Figurs who had somehow gotten open along the right sideline with no one around him for about seven yards. After the play, cornerback Corey Ivy seemed to be imploring an official to call Figurs for stepping out-of-bounds before getting open.
But the referees did get on the offense, too, flagging the unit for at least one false start.
Wide receiver Demetrius Williams, tight end Daniel Wilcox, linebacker Dan Cody and cornerback David Pittman practiced today after missing the team’s previous OTA (organized team activity) with a variety of injuries.
Williams’ return was perhaps the most eye-opening, especially after the fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft hauled in a high pass from quarterback Kyle Boller between cornerback Corey Ivy and safety Jim Leonhard and raced 50 yards to the end zone this morning.
“It’s a good feeling being back,” said Williams, who said he is fully recovered from a sore Achilles’ tendon. “I’m working with the guys and getting a feel for what they’re doing and what I’m doing.
“I feel a little bit rusty right now just because I’m trying to get my legs back under me from not running,” he continued. “So in that aspect, I feel a little rusty, but I’ll be all right.”
Cody (foot) also practiced, taking his turns during 7-on-7 passing drills. Wilcox (toe surgery) and Pittman (foot) appeared to participate in individual drills. Offensive tackle Adam Terry (ankle surgery) was also limited.
The next week or so should be interesting for Ravens fans because a number of decisions will be made. Look for Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden to finally make it official and announce his retirement.
Ogden has let a couple of people around him know that he is retiring, but still hasn't told head coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens, though, aren't expecting him to return anyway. Ogden's departure leaves a huge void on the left side, and the Ravens have to hope that either Jared Gaither or Adam Terry step up. But none of the quarterbacks will be sleeping well to start the season knowing there is no Ogden on the left side.
Also in a week or two, we could be hearing some news about the team's negotiations with veteran star linebacker Ray Lewis. There has been some movement on both sides, and it's getting close to the point where it's either going to get done, or it's over for a while. The Ravens want to treat Lewis well because of what he has done for this franchise, but they can't afford to overpay a player entering his 13th season.
There has been no progress in the talks with Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. The two sides aren't even talking right now.
--Mike Preston
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