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.