In the endless repetition of training camp's two-a-days, the real story often is who practices and who doesn't. This afternoon, cornerback Chris McAlister and offensive tackle Oniel Cousins did not participate in the day's second practice. McAlister, who had knee surgery in the offseason, did work in the morning session. Cousins suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee yesterday.

One injured player who did practice was quarterback Kyle Boller, who left the morning workout early after removing his right shoe with an apparent foot injury. He showed no ill effects in the afternoon.

The Ravens had 15 representatives from the military at the afternoon practice, and invited them to participate in the practice-closing huddle.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

I thought Trevor Pryce would be whining about how tough training camp is under new coach John Harbaugh, but Pryce and inside linebacker Ray Lewis haven't uttered one negative word.

In fact, both players are working extremely hard and put in a lot of time as far as preparation during the offseason. Another player who has had a strong camp is tight end Todd Heap. He is playing with a new fire.

*******

One rookie that has stepped up lately is Tom Zbikowski, the safety and third-round pick out of Notre Dame. Zbikowski started out slow, but is getting a better grasp of the defense. He is a good tackler around the line of scrimmage, but still struggles in pass defense.

*******

Somehow, I just get the feeling that Ed Reed and Chris McAlister will text message Terrell Suggs, and the defense will be running at full tilt one week before the regular season opens.

*******

Next time you get a chance, take a look at the biceps of DT Justin Bannan. His arm looks more like a thigh than an arm. He'd put Hulk Hogan to shame.

Posted by Mike Preston at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Nearly a quarter of the players on the team's 80-man roster did not practice this morning at McDaniel College in Westminster. Perhaps the most surprising absence was defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, who did not participate yesterday. Gregg may still be experiencing some discomfort from a sore left knee that was heavily wrapped Monday afternoon.

Other absences included offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (sprained right MCL) and J'Vonne Parker, linebackers Gary Stills and Dan Cody (right foot), running back P.J. Daniels (cramps), fullback Justin Green, tight end Aaron Walker (leg) and kicker Matt Stover.

A number of players did not practice, but watched from the sidelines. That group included safety Ed Reed (shoulder), tight end Daniel Wilcox (toe), defensive tackle Justin Bannan, running backs Cory Ross and Allen Patrick (mild concussion), cornerback David Pittman (sore foot), offensive tackle Joe Reitz (shoulder) and wide receiver Patrick Carter (dislocated left shoulder).

One positive piece of news was the return of linebacker Edgar Jones (right leg).

Other notes:

* With running back Willis McGahee nursing a sore left knee wrapped in ice, rookie Ray Rice took most of the reps as the only healthy tailback on the field. Fullback Le'Ron McClain appeared to have injured his right foot, but he continued to practice.

* Quarterback Kyle Boller left practice early without wearing his right shoe. Troy Smith and Joe Flacco split the remaining reps. Both Smith and Flacco threw touchdowns during a red-zone drill.

* The pass rush took advantage of the patchwork offensive line. Linebackers Bart Scott, Antwan Barnes and Prescott Burgess and cornerback Frank Walker each would have registered a sack. Barnes also recovered a botched snap between Flacco and center Jason Brown.

* With Stover absent from practice, rookie Piotr Czech made all five of his field goals, succeeding from 20, 32, 44, 48 and 53 yards.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

On the heels of the departure of John Welbourn and signing of Chad Slaughter, coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens have not yet exhausted their search for a possible addition to the roster.

"I think if we find a guy, yes," Harbaugh said of bringing in another offensive tackle. "[General manager] Ozzie [Newsome] and [director of pro personnel] George Kokinis are working hard, but you’ve got to find the right guy in the right circumstances to bring him in. John would’ve been a good fit for us, but it wasn’t a good fit for him.”

If Cousins cannot practice this afternoon, that leaves the team with only three healthy tackles in Slaughter, Mike Kracalik and Isaiah Wiggins, who is more suited to play guard. Joe Reitz watched the morning session to rest his ailing shoulder.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Chad Slaughter had his first practice with the Ravens this morning, and by the end of it he had become the team's starting left offensive tackle.

Rookie Oniel Cousins, the team's starting right tackle, missed the second half of practice because of a knee injury. Cousins had an ice pack on his right knee as he stood on the sideline.

Slaughter looked quick and fast during the time he worked with the first team. He had explosion, but needed to do a better job of sticking with his blocks. It's amazing that a man of his size could have such small legs.

We'll wait for an update on Cousins, but Mike Kracalik, who was moved from the left side back to the right to replace Cousins, looks a lot more comfortable on the right side than the left. The offensive line had some breakdowns in practice, but for a patched-up group, the unit actually performed well.

-Mike Preston

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

The Ravens signed offensive tackle Chad Slaughter, but failed to reach an agreement with former Eagle and Chief, John Welbourn, an established player Kansas City officials thought was past his prime.

The Ravens still might reach an agreement with Welbourn, but he would be a high-risk player. Welbourn has a troubled past, and might not have been the ideal candidate for first-year coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens are desperate for a tackle, but Harbaugh also wants a player that can fit into his system. Welbourn also wanted a better contract than the minimum the Ravens were believed to offer.

The Ravens are in a major transition and looking for an experienced lineman that can lead. Welbourn may have made the Ravens better on the field, but may have caused them a lot of headache off it.

Posted by Mike Preston at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The Ravens added depth to their offensive line by signing six-year veteran Chad Slaughter to a one-year contract after they couldn’t reach a deal with John Welbourn, a four-year starter for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Welbourn sat in the team hotel for hours as the sides tried to agree to a contract. It is believed Welbourn walked away from a one-year deal worth the NFL minimum.

That led the Ravens to signing Slaughter, who drew interest from the Ravens in March. At 6 feet 8, 340 pounds, Slaughter can play at left or right tackle. He has played 43 games for the Oakland Raiders (2002-2006), including seven starts.

"I think they were looking to find someone with experience," said Angelo Wright, Slaughter's agent.

The Ravens are extremely thin at offensive tackle after losing starters Jared Gaither and Adam Terry to ankle injuries in a span of four days. Both are expected to be sidelined for at least this week, but neither injury is considered long term.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

On Friday, we reported that players were being separated into three groups with one group per day being unavailable for autographs and interviews due to mandatory post-practice weightlifting sessions.

Today, we found out that the policy has been amended to where two groups of players will now be off-limits to fans and media. While one group lifts, the other group will work on core exercises indoors. Thus, only one group of players will be able to sign autographs and conduct interviews.

For example, on Thursday, offensive and defensive linemen will lift and linebackers, tight ends, running backs, safeties and kickers will exercise their core muscles. Only quarterbacks, wide receivers and cornerbacks will be available after practice.

And on Friday, linebackers, tight ends, running backs, safeties and kickers will lift, while quarterbacks, wide receivers and cornerbacks will work their cores. Offensive and defensive linemen will talk and sign.

That's the schedule we have until Friday. When we have more information on the rest of the weekend and next week, we will pass it on.

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Lineman John Welbourn is sitting in the team's hotel lobby. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Welbourn, 32, is a 10-year veteran who was drafted in 1999 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round. Traded to the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the beginning of the 2004 season, Welbourn started at right tackle from 2004-06. He started every game at right guard last season for the Chiefs.

The only concern is that Welbourn has missed 10 games in two years for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. But if the Ravens do sign him, Welbourn could play either tackle or guard, which could come in handy for the tackle-depleted team.

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

The Ravens have bragged about the additions of cornerbacks Fabian Washington and Frank Walker, but I haven't seen anything special. Washington has been solid in holding his own, but Walker may not get on the field. He has been slow to catch on. Starting cornerback Samari Rolle has not been in training camp because of the death of his father, so we really don't know what type of playing condition he is in. But if I were the Ravens, I'd still like to find another dependable cornerback before camp breaks.

***

New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has already been in the ear of of general manager Ozzie Newsome. Cameron knows he doesn't have many game breakers for the 2008 season, but high on his wish list for next year is a big, go-to receiver. The only player that comes close to filling that bill right now is tight end Todd Heap, and if Heap doesn't have good offensive numbers this season, the Ravens will have major problems.

And by the way, there haven't been a lot of impressive receivers in training, regardless of age. The best young one has been Marcus Smith, the fourth-round pick out of New Mexico.

***

I hope the Ravens don't use Heap to chip on defensive ends in pass protection. It's hard on the eyes. It will be even harder on a quarterback's behind.

***

Maybe starting running back Willis McGahee is sick, or hurt, but it seems that rookie Ray Rice has taken more repetitions with the first team during the last two days than McGahee

- Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

A transcript of coach John Harbaugh's interview session with reporters Wednesday:

On whether players are starting to feel the tempo of practice:

“They started feeling it after the first practice; you start feeling it. I think we got through the first three days, which are the most high-rep days. [We] pushed through them really well, had good practices. In the fourth practice, the fourth day in the morning, we tacked another tough one on there. The idea is to get their legs right away. Let’s get ‘em, let’s break them down and start building them back up now.”

On the possibility of bringing in another offensive tackle:

“Ozzie [Newsome] and George [Kokinis] have been working on that for a couple of days, and they’ve got some good ideas on that.”

On the impact of injuries given the new 80-player roster limit:

“I think you’re going to see all around the league that coaches have had to adjust to the limited roster number. All these things you’re seeing are things that happen in every training camp, for the most part, and you’ve got a few more bodies in there so it doesn’t affect practice quite as much. We’ve had to adjust practice. Within our practice, we’ve adjusted the number of reps, where the reps go, who takes the reps, along with the fact that we’re doing the 30-plus [age] club. We have a number of guys that are in the 30-plus group, so that knocks a few more numbers out. But all you do is, you take the reps and you adjust the reps to the number of players you have.”

On when the coaches begin evaluating players’ progress:

“We do it every day. We evaluate guys every single day. It’s a good question and a good point. It’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re going to wait until the first preseason game to start deciding who fits best or who’s ahead.’ I think the preseason games are the major evaluating points, but every rep is an evaluation opportunity.”

On why safety Ed Reed has not practiced during camp so far:

“His situation has to do with a shoulder issue that he’s working on right now. It’s a strengthening issue, and that takes a little bit of time.”

On dealing with the media as the head coach:

“You get the same questions on a daily basis. Actually, it’s been something I like doing. We did it in Philly, not on a daily basis, obviously. But, from a special teams perspective, [Eagles head coach] Andy [Reid] was really good about getting the coordinators in front of the media, all three coordinators. That was a great experience to do that, and it’s something we want to do here, as you saw the last two days. Getting [offensive coordinator] Cam [Cameron] and [defensive coordinator] Rex [Ryan] in front of the media is great for them, but it’s even better for you guys, I think.”

On the special teams leadership of linebackers Gary Stills and Brendon Ayanbadejo:

“Yeah, those guys have been stellar, just outstanding. They’re both maybe the two best special teams players in the game right now, and we’ve got them both here not only to play, but to help train our young guys.”

On whether Stills and Ayanbadejo are benefiting from extra reps at linebacker:

“Those guys are football players. They love to play football. Brendon, he’s the happiest guy in the world because one of his packages went in yesterday, and he got a pick the very first day that the package was in. That gets those guys juiced up.”

On his time frame for bringing in another tackle:

“Yes, soon. As soon as we can. We’re working on it right now, so it’s going to happen quickly. To explain a little bit, it would already be done except there’s a physical issue. They’ve got to take their physicals, and they’ve got to be cleared to play.”

On what input the coaches have when looking for new players to bring in:

“The coaches do have a lot of input. Ozzie Newsome and George Kokinis have been great about coming to us. Especially a new staff that’s just been assembled, guys have coached guys in the very recent past. So they know if a guy can play or not. A lot of times, if you’re looking just on tape, you really don’t know the ins and outs of a guy, so that’s been a big part of what we’ve done.”

On how players are pushing through the heat and fatigue:

“The important thing, what we’re all about as a program – what’s important now? We talked to the guys about that. It’s not a slogan. It’s a mindset. I think we’re training a mindset right now, and the mindset is this: You take care of business today. This morning’s practice was important, and our guys did a great job of taking care of it. This afternoon’s practice is next. Next meeting is next. It’s one play at a time. It’s one series at a time. It’s one quarter at a time. It’s one game a time.”

On whether veterans missing practice with injury hurt their standing during evaluation:

“Well, it’s not like if you don’t take a rep, it’s a minus. It’s not like we say, ‘Well, he didn’t take the rep, so we knock off points,’ or anything like that. You evaluate the reps that they’re involved in.”

On offensive tackle Mike Kracalik:

“Mike has come a long way. From watching on tape last year through the spring, I think [offensive line coaches] Andy Moeller and John Matsko have just done a fantastic job with him, and he’s worked really hard. He’s a competitive tackle right now.”

On the wide receiver position:

“Demetrius [Williams] not being in the mix is obviously the wild card. How many receivers we keep is going to be a wild card. We’ve told those guys, ‘Don’t count numbers. Just play. Play yourself in or play yourself out.’ Really, that’s all you can say.”

On whether special teams affect the outcome of position battles:

“Sure, special teams plays a big factor here at all positions.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Adam Terry is walking around without the use of crutches, but the team is still in the market for adding a free agent to add depth after losing Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (injured right ankle) for what appears to be an extended period of time.

Speaking to the media for the first time since Sunday, coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that general manager Ozzie Newsome and director of pro personnel George Kokinis have been working on drafting a list of potential free agents.

The Sun's Mike Preston then asked Harbaugh a series of questions regarding the position. Here is the exchange:

Preston: "John, do you have a time frame for bringing in a tackle?"

Harbaugh: “Yes.”

Preston: "When is it?"

Harbaugh: “Soon.”

Preston: "How soon?"

Harbaugh: “As soon as we can. We’re working on it right now. So it’s going to happen quickly.”

Harbaugh then quickly added, “To explain a little bit, it would already be done except there’s a physical issue. They’ve got to take the physicals and we’ve got to get them cleared for practice.”

Finally, the first offensive line remained the same from yesterday with Jason Brown at center, Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda at left and right guards, respectively, and Mike Kracalik and rookie Oniel Cousins at left and right tackle, respectively.

There's some speculation that the team could shift Yanda to right tackle and either insert Chris Chester at right guard or put Chester at center, move Brown to left guard, and shift Grubbs to right guard -- essentially the same configuration used on occasion last season. So far, that hasn't happened.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh suggested after the morning practice that the team had an agreement with a new offensive tackle following yesterday's injury to starter Adam Terry, but it's doubtful it will be anyone with name recognition.

I think the best option to fill in the right offensive tackle position is to move right guard Marshal Yanda back to right tackle, where he played last season as a rookie. The Ravens could then move center Jason Brown back to left guard and Ben Grubbs from left guard to right guard. Chris Chester would become the starting center, and that would leave the Ravens with only the left tackle position to fill.

It sounds like musical chairs, but at least these guys are familiar with the positions, having played there last season. The weak link in the group would be Chester, but if you played him at center, at least he could get double-team help from one of the guards. If Chester started at one of the guard positions, he would be left with one-on-one matchups at times, and that would not be good.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

The veil of secrecy has been lifted around Ed Reed. The Pro Bowl safety has a shoulder injury, coach John Harbaugh said after Wednesday’s practice.

Reed is on the physically unable to perform list and has yet to practice in training camp. Team officials had declined to comment specifically on Reed’s injury, causing speculation about his status.

During camp, Reed has worked off to the side, running and catching passes.

“It’s a strengthening issue and that takes a little bit of time,” Harbaugh said.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Even though it's only the second week of training camp, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has to be concerned.

The quarterbacks are, at best, inconsistent.

The offensive linemen are dropping like 300-pound flies.

And even when the protection is solid and the throws are there, the receivers are not always holding onto catchable passes.

There was one point early in today's morning practice when three or four straight balls went through the hands of their intended targets, though second-year wideout Matt Willis made a terrific grab in stretching out over the middle to catch one of Troy Smith's slightly errant throws.

Smith was up and down, making a couple of great throws (a deep ball in the end zone to Justin Harper and later one to Darnerian McCants) but also had two passes picked off, one early by linebacker Robert McClure and later on when the second-year quarterback tried to jam a throw into double coverage and was intercepted by David Pittman.

Though rookie Joe Flacco didn't have his worst practice as a Raven, today was another indication that the first-round pick is a work in progress. Playing mostly with backups, Flacco seemed to be off-target for much of the practice. In fact, he made his best play with his feet, stepping out of pressure and scampering about 20 yards before the play was whistled dead.

If anything, the much-maligned Kyle Boller was probably the most consistent of the bunch, including threading a nice pass over the middle to Willis McGahee. Neither Boller nor Smith have yet to separate themselves in their pursuit of the starting job.

Who'll be blocking for them is another question, especially at left tackle.

With both Jared Gaither and Adam Terry out with injuries, it has been left second-year player Mike Kracalick to fill the spot left vacant by perennial All-Pro Jonathan Ogden. Kracalick definitely has the size (6-8, 340), but he needs work on his footwork. Rookie free-agent linebacker Jameel McClain, seven inches shorter and 90 pounds lighter, did a great swim move to get into the backfield.

Another observation is that the more physical camp under coach John Harbaugh is taking its toll. The practice field looked a little empty today, with 15 players out with an assortment of injuries and a couple of others hobbling off the field for stretches. There were also five players given the morning off by Harbaugh as part of his plan to rest some of his 30-and-over crowd, and two others, Terrell Suggs and Samari Rolle, were not in camp.

One final observation: Give Harbaugh credit for getting out there on a kickoff drill. Though he looked more like one of those old-time cabdrivers with a yellow cover to his cap, Harbaugh got into the mix before smartly pulling up in front of Oniel Cousins. Considering the feistiness Cousins showed during the OTAs, I wonder if the rookie tackle from UTEP gave any thought to popping the head coach. As it turned out, Harbaugh came away grabbing his left hamstring.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Top three rookies in training camp so far have been running back Ray Rice, linebacker Tavares Gooden and safety Haruki Nakamura.

Rice finds holes and has good acceleration. He might be small, but he runs with both authority and power. Gooden is physical and plays with a lot of energy. He definitely has a passion for football.

Nakamura just makes plays. He is always around the football. He needs to be more physical, but that will come with time as he adds more confidence.

********

Lost among the injury stories about offensive linemen is the play of center Jason Brown. He has played well, and tried to rally the troops this morning when left offensive tackle Adam Terry went down. Brown pitched a shutout in the pass rushing drill.

Posted by Mike Preston at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed has been reduced to bystander at the Ravens' training camp. He works out on his own at McDaniel College, running and catching balls daily. But he has yet to be cleared for practice for an unspecified injury or condition.

Today is the fifth day of practice Reed has missed. Asked about Reed's return, defensive coordinator gave no timetable.

"You'd have to ask [John Harbaugh] that and Bill [Tessendorf, team trainer]," Ryan said. "I really don't know. I know one thing is that Ed is working his tail off out here. He took [cornerback] David Pittman under his wing and he's working him out and getting him right, and he's working just as hard as he can possibly work.

"But whenever we get him, Ed will be ready. Mentally, in the meeting rooms he's really taking that leadership over. He's making all the calls and he's sharp. It's just about when he can return due to physical play."

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

With news of offensive tackle Adam Terry's lower left leg injury and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata's improving health dominating this morning's practice, there were a few other tidbits of injury news.

First, wide receiver Derrick Mason appeared to injure his right leg when he and rookie safety Haruki Nakamura collided during a full-team exercise. Mason limped off the field, but later appeared to put weight on the leg. Linebacker Edgar Jones walked gingerly off the field at the end of practice and slowly made his way to the locker room with what appears to be a right leg injury.

Not all of the news is bad. Wide receiver Demetrius Williams had the brace on his lower left leg removed, and he walked around the practice field with little difficulty. And defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, whose left leg was heavily wrapped yesterday, participated this morning.

Other observations:

* It's never a good sign when your first completion in full-team drills is an interception. That's what happened to rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, who was picked off by linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo.

* Troy Smith and Mason connected on a nice touchdown strike during 9-on-9 drills. Smith threaded a pass between cornerback Frank Walker and rookie safety Tom Zbikowski and hit Mason in stride for what appeared to be 40-yard play.

* In the field-goal competition, incumbent Matt Stover converted attempts of 20, 31 and 50 yards, but banged a 40-yarder off the left upright. Rookie Piotr Czech was successful on all four of his tries from 20, 30, 41 and 51 yards.

* During kickoff coverage drills, cornerback Derrick Martin flattened wide receiver Matt Willis. Less than a minute later, linebacker Nick Greisen laid out rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Uh oh, the Ravens are in trouble. Left offensive tackle Adam Terry was already suspect for the upcoming season, but he was carted off the field with an ankle injury this morning. It was inevitable because Terry had been hobbling the entire training camp. He had surgery on the ankle during the offseason.

It doesn't appear likely Terry will return anytime soon, so the Ravens' already bad offensive line situation becomes even worse. Now starting at left tackle for the Ravens is Mike Kracalik, who has spent the past two seasons on the practice squad. And starting at right tackle is Oniel Cousins, a rookie out of UTEP who should be on the practice squad. If the Ravens have to start these two players, cancel Christmas. They'll be lucky to win three or four games.

You could tell general manager Ozzie Newsome was working the phones checking around the league for tackles. When he wasn't on his cell phone, he was on the field talking with coach John Harbaugh. I haven't seen Newsome on the field this much since his playing days. There isn't much out there left on the free agent market as far as tackles. The Ravens should have signed former Oakland Raider Barry Sims when he came to Baltimore to visit during the offseason. Sims signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

-Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Tavares Gooden, the rookie and third-round pick out of Miami, has drawn a lot of praise, and rightfully so. This morning during a pass rushing drill, he ran over fullback Le'Ron McClain, no easy task, and also trucked running back Allen Patrick. Gooden has good strength, and is able to work low under the running back's pads. He excels through a hit.

But a linebacker to keep an eye on is Jameel McClain, a rookie free agent out of Syracuse. McClain is 6 feet 1 and 250 pounds. That young man will jack you.

Posted by Mike Preston at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Special teams practice usually draws yawns from fans, features little hitting and tackling, and offers the offensive and defensive starters a chance to stay back at the hotel and relax.

That wasn't the case this afternoon. Sure, starters like linebacker Bart Scott, safety Dawan Landry and wide receiver Mark Clayton took active roles on special teams because they've done that in the past. But in the John Harbaugh era, linebacker Ray Lewis, tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Derrick Mason also attended practice. While Heap and Mason -- dressed in their uniforms -- watched from one end of the field with assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, Lewis actually took a couple reps on kickoff coverage. I can't remember the last time that happened.

On the other practice field, offensive and defensive linemen worked on their own -- refining their run-blocking schemes for the former and tweaking their pass-rushing skills for the latter. You rarely saw the offensive and/or defensive linemen working with their position coaches during special teams practice under the Brian Billick regime.

Final observation from the morning session: after practice ended, dozens of aqua-green exercise balls were taken out of boxes, and linebackers, tight ends, running backs and safeties pumped out a series of core exercises on the balls in the end zone. What's next -- tai chi in the parking lot?

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

It's the price of holding a physical training camp, but that price is a little scary right now for the Ravens. Nine-year veteran defensive tackle Kelly Gregg was seen limping heavily in the hotel lobby this afternoon, his left leg tapped from the knee down.

Although there was no injury report issued by the team, Gregg obviously was hurt in live drills during the morning session. He "waddled" through the lobby without the use of crutches.

On Sunday, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata suffered what is believed to be a sprained knee during the same live drills. That means the team's two front-line defensive tackles are sitting out camp for at least a little while.

Posted by Ken Murray at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

John Harbaugh was brought in to change the culture of this team, and that included the team's on-the-field image. The Ravens have been known for being mouthy, and famous for their taunting and poor sportsmanship. During the last two days of training camp, it seems as if nothing has changed.

This morning outside linebacker Bart Scott tackled rookie running back Ray Rice so hard that Rice's helmet came off. Scott then picked it up and tossed it down the field. Yesterday, after the defense stopped the offense in a short yardage situation, outside linebacker Jarret Johnson kicked the ball quite a while after the play was over. They weren't having fun either. It was the typical, poor behavior we have seen in the past.

What goes on in practice usually carries over into the games, and we've seen this act before. The best way to intimidate an opponent is to smack the snot out of him, not demean him, especially in front of his peers. Scott's response drew a penalty from the official, and hopefully it drew the wrath of Harbaugh. No one wants to change the identity of the Ravens as a hard hitting team, but all the other cheap stuff needs to go.

Posted by Mike Preston at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

A transcript of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's interview session with reporters Monday:

Opening statement: “First, training camp has been outstanding so far. The effort of our guys is as good as I’ve ever been around. It’s probably as tough as any training camp that I’ve been through. But I’m pleased that Derrick Mason, Todd Heap, Jason Brown and Adam Terry – those types of guys – have stepped up. We’re getting tremendous leadership out of some guys on offense, and that’s what we need at this time of year. But we’re just getting started. We’re not coming to any conclusions at this point. Camp has been really positive so far and now we have to keep getting better.”

On what has made this camp so successful thus far: “I wouldn’t say there have been minimal mistakes. There are mistakes being made, especially by young guys, but they’re not repeating mistakes. That’s the important thing. Guys are coming out and we’re trying to get them to not focus one day at a time, but focus one practice and one play at a time so that they can learn from mistakes. That’s what I’m seeing. Especially up front, guys aren’t repeating mistakes. Receivers have come back in great shape, so mentally they’re in great shape and that’s the important thing. Mistakes are going to happen, especially this time of year.”

On the practices: “Right now it is truly one day at a time and one practice at a time, just trying to get better. Obviously there are no final evaluations. We haven’t played any games yet. However, these practices – and this is a credit to Rex [Ryan] and our defense – these practices are very, very game-like. I can’t imagine a better environment to develop quarterbacks because the practices are so game-like. We don’t need to come to any conclusions right now; we’re just trying to get better. They’re grasping what we’re doing. However, we’re going against a freestyle defense and that’s just making them better and better.”

On the verbal battles with the defense during practice: “I think what you’re seeing there is that you have a lot of guys who care about each other. We talk about the Raven Way, and there is a culture here amongst these guys. They care about each other. Obviously there’s some noise coming from the defense and some noise coming from the offense, which I think is a good thing. It can go too far, but it hasn’t gone too far yet. It’s good and spirited. We’re a family here and I think they understand that.”

On tight end Todd Heap: “I’m getting to know Todd better. Obviously, I had a decent feel for him when I got here. He’s worked at it. He’s a pro. Obviously, as you saw today, we had a critical play on fourth-and-five and Todd makes a play for about six yards. He’s a guy we’re going to lean on. At the same time, we know that everybody in the league knows about Todd, so the other guys have to keep developing. He’s a critical component to what we do, but he’s not the only guy. Every guy has a role. Every guy is a critical component and I think our guys are starting to understand that. We want every guy involved in this offense. Not one or two guys. We want all 11 guys and probably another handful of guys who are involved in this offense throughout the course of a ballgame.”

On the three quarterbacks: “We’ve mixed them with groups so much that we haven’t given a guy that many consecutive reps with one group. That may start to change; we’ll let you know. I know John [Harbaugh] will keep you guys posted. But guys, we’re just focusing on getting through the grind. It’s a little early. They’re all competitors and they’re all talented in their own way. We’re really not tailoring anything to a guy who’s in there. We’re just inserting plays right now. To get any separation between the three right now would really be difficult, and until we start playing preseason games, how would we know?”

On depth: “Depth is a concern for everybody in this league. As several teams found out last year, you can have depth and it can be gone in a day or in a week. You’re always building depth. Is depth a concern at this point in time? We’re just trying to get everything we can out of every guy. When the roster comes out, we’ll just take a look to see where we are, but you understand that we have to build as much depth as we can.”

On the wide receivers: “We talked last night, and you guys have watched out here. We haven’t caught the ball as well as we need to. And then today I think they stepped it up and made some plays. We have to continue to improve. At times there's not going to be enough separation against our defense. And they compete. This secondary and these linebackers, they compete for the ball as well as any group I’ve been around, and our guys just have to continue to be strong around the football. But, we have improved. There’s no doubt in my mind in that area.”

On rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith: “We think he’s just a good all-around football player. We’ll carve out a role for him if he continues to improve. He’s going through what most rookies go through – ups and downs. Has a good practice, struggles the next practice, then has a good practice for a half and struggles the next half. That’s what all rookies go through. He just has to keep grinding and develop some consistency. In my mind, he’s definitely a football player. He’s almost 220 pounds. He enjoys the game, I think he’s bright, and we just have to carve a role out for him.”

On running back Willis McGahee: “When he’s practiced, obviously he’s a guy that we’re going to lean on tremendously. He didn’t practice much today or yesterday, and it’s early. There is a process, and Willis and I have talked. We’re in communication in meetings and he is learning the system. He is one of the brighter guys that I’ve been around as a running back, and that’s encouraging. So we just have to keep getting our work in and get him as many reps as we can and see where it takes us.”

On the attitude being established at camp: “With the goal-line scrimmage, it was nice to see the ball get in the end zone a couple of times. There’s a way, there’s a system that John is establishing here and it’s about enthusiasm. It’s about energy. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a rookie or whether you’re in your 25th year coaching, that’s our way. Ray Lewis – if you can’t come to practice as a coach – Ray Lewis gets me jacked up. I remember being around some other guys like Junior Seau that can do that. We want to impact these players as coaches, but these players impact us as well. It’s nice to see that enthusiasm from the coaching staff and offensively, that starts with me.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

As the Ravens start their second week of training camp, their quarterback battle still hasn't taken shape. But judging from the one week of practices, Kyle Boller would be my choice to start the season opener.

Boller has been the most consistent quarterback in camp, which might come as a surprise to some. But Boller has 42 career starts, which is 40 more than what Troy Smith and Joe Flacco have combined.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Perhaps the biggest news from Ravens training camp this morning was the return of Willis McGahee after sitting out yesterday. The running back’s left knee was taped, but it did not appear to slow him.

Cornerback David Pittman (foot) is no longer on the physically-unable-to-perform list and practiced today. Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and rookie offensive tackle David Hale also returned after watching from the sideline yesterday.

Left offensive tackle Jared Gaither (ankle), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and running backs P.J. Daniels (cramps) and Cory Ross were also absent. The team has not commented on the injuries to Ngata and Ross. Cornerback Samari Rolle (bereavement) is still excused from camp.

Other observations:

* Quarterback Kyle Boller seemed to get the bulk of the reps with the first offense, and he and wide receiver Derrick Mason hooked up often. But Troy Smith and the second offense enjoyed the most success against the first defense in goal-line situations.

Smith rolled out twice for touchdowns, while rookie Joe Flacco connected with tight end Lee Vickers for his only score of the drill. Smith’s only mistake was a pass to rookie wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright that was intercepted by cornerback Corey Ivy. In his best imitation of Deion Sanders, Ivy high-stepped his way down the left sideline for what would have been a touchdown.

Flacco didn't create any waves, good or bad.

* Smith's best play occurred during full-team drills. From the 40-yard line, Smith pump-faked to a running back in the right flat, then floated a pass to rookie wide receiver Justin Harper, who was wide open 20 yards downfield and jogged into the end zone.

* Kicker Matt Stover went 4-for-7 in field-goal attempts. He was successful from 20, 39, 42 and 43 yards, but his kicks went wide right from 47, 50 and 53 yards.

* Linebacker Dan Cody recovered from a brief injury to "sack" Boller. Linebacker Antwan Barnes registered two sacks of Boller, too.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

I'm having a hard time believing left offensive tackle Adam Terry will make it through 2008 without having another ankle injury. Terry has been filling in for regular starter Jared Gaither, who is out for at least a couple of days with an ankle injury of his own. Terry had surgery on his left ankle during the offseason and was held out of all the offseason minicamps.

Now you can tell why. There are times when he hobbles after plays, and he has problems pushing off. In the morning session today, he was beaten badly by outside linebacker Jarret Johnson after Johnson put a spin move on him. Johnson is a solid player, but he is no Dwight Freeney. You can't afford to have a poor left tackle, and the Ravens are taking a gamble with both Gaither and Terry.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has been scanning the waiver wires looking for a possible replacement, or backup candidates. If he doesn't find one, he might pursue Roman Oben, who played last season with the San Diego Chargers, but is working with the Ravens through the league as a minority assistant coach. Oben looks like he's in pretty good shape -- it might take him two weeks to get in condition. But the former third-round pick out of Louisville in 1996 is better than both Gaither and Terry, and could provide some leadership on an inexperienced offensive line.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Bart Scott went the extra mile to see Antonio Margarito pound Miguel Cotto for the welterweight title in Las Vegas Saturday night. He purchased an 18-month subscription to DirectTV to get the fight delivered to his room at Best Western in Westminster.

Scott, a fight devotee, had the satellite dish installed outside the team's dormitory. Apparently some modifications were in order.

"Sorry, Best Western, for poking a hole in your screen," Scott said. "Mr. Steve Bisciotti [team owner] will take care of it. Put it on my [bill]."

It was an extreme measure to see just one fight, especially since, as Scott pointed out, "I get Comcast [cable] at home. ... Anybody want to split it with me?"

Posted by Ken Murray at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Of the fireworks that accompanied the ending of the Ravens' 27-24 loss to the New England Patriots last season on Dec. 3, the most memorable may have been Bart Scott's heave of an official's flag into the stands at M&T Bank Stadium. While that memory may seem like eons ago, the linebacker's colleagues haven't forgotten.

An official and outside linebackers coach Mike Pettine were talking on the practice field furthest from the stands prior to the start of today's morning session. With Scott standing about 10 yards away, Pettine bounced the official's yellow flag in his hand and shouted, "Bart, let's see how far you can throw."

I wish I had Scott's response, but his reply was not audible from where I was standing.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Ravens worked without two offensive starters, running back Willis McGahee and tackle Jared Gaither, for Sunday's morning practice.

After practice McGahee wouldn't reveal his injury but he indicated that it would be short term.

Gaither, who was injured in Saturday's workout, missed Sunday's practice with an injured right ankle.

Adam Terry continued to work at Gaither's left tackle spot, and Mike Kracalik ran with the starting offense at right tackle.

"He woke up and it was swollen," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "They’re evaluating it still."

Running backs P.J. Daniels (cramps) and Cory Ross (undisclosed) along with offensive lineman David Hale (undisclosed) did not practice.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A hush fell over Ravens training camp when defensive tackle Haloti Ngata laid on the ground after a full-contact drill. He limped to the sideline and was carted off the field.

It is unknown what Ngata injured.

"We don’t think it’s serious," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, "but we got to find out as we go."

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Veteran cornerback Chris McAlister passed his physical and began practicing with the team this morning.

McAlister has some progress to make before he returns to his old form. He took limited repetitions and only two snaps during the initial seven-on-seven period.

McAlister, who had offseason knee surgery, was comfortable dropping back, but wasn't easily making cuts or coming back to the ball. He had a noticeable limp after some plays and at other times walked gingerly.

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

A few days ago, I drew some criticism after I basically called Ravens starting running back Willis McGahee a "flake" in an article about rookie running back Ray Rice. Of course, those who drink the Purple Kool-Aid said I was out to get McGahee. And then there was the usual whining.

Well, after reading the article in The Sun this morning, I think people will now understand why even the Ravens coaching staff thinks McGahee is "flaky." He really is a likable guy, but lacks discipline. With a new coach and a new system, he should have attended more offseason minicamps. He shouldn't be late for a morning practice because he has no idea of the time while sitting at the breakfast table.

The Ravens need offensive leadership this season more than ever. They have a young offensive line and the quarterback position is unstable. Wide receiver Derrick Mason is a leader and I see tight end Todd Heap trying to emerge as one, too. But if the Ravens are going to win this season, they are going to have to count on their defense and running game, especially early in the season.

This team needs McGahee to step up, not back. There shouldn't be questions about his conditioning or commitment. There shouldn't be questions about his off-the-field habits. He has to become a leader -- and put his team first -- even ahead of himself.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

I just watched Saturday afternoon practice, and for the first time I saw Troy Smith separate himself from the other quarterbacks. He made some really good throws, two in particular in very tight windows. When he had to make a play, he scrambled out of the pockets to gain some time. You get a little nervous watching these quarterbacks because none of the three competing for the job had played well.

But, it's only the second day. In particular, you have to give Smith and rookie Joe Flacco some time. Plus, it's hard grading these guys because the offensive line has performed so poorly. There have been times when the quarterbacks don't have enough time to even carry out a play fake.

If you get out to training camp, watch tight end Adam Bergen. He hasn't been flashy, but has hung onto everything thrown his way. He has been in the two tight end offense with Sugar Ray Leonard -- oops -- I mean Todd Heap.

Posted by Mike Preston at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Jared Gaither wasn't on the field for Saturday's afternoon practice. The Ravens' starting left tackle had his right ankle taped as he was carted off the field at the end of today's morning practice.

To replace Gaither, Adam Terry moved from right to left tackle. Mike Kracalik then filled in at Terry's right tackle spot.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Two injured Ravens -- receiver Demetrius Williams and tight end Daniel Wilcox -- took a dip in the hotel pool Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't for fun.

Both were walking in the five-foot deep pool to rehab their injuries. Williams has a lower left leg injury, and Wilcox had toe surgery this offseason.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 3:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In a pinch, everybody chips in with the Ravens. Take Bill Tessendorf, who is in his 36th year in the NFL as an athletic trainer. When cornerback David Pittman was testing an ankle injury during this morning's workout, it was Tessendorf who played the role of wide receiver.

While another member of the staff tossed passes, Tessendorf ran short pass routes against Pittman and would actually cut. He performed admirably.

Later, he laughed about it. "When I was younger," he said, "I used to be good."

Tessendorf moved with the Browns to Baltimore in 1996 and has served as trainer each of their previous 12 seasons.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Forget 5-11. The Ravens are sizzling -- in ticket sales, at least. They opened single-game ticket sales today and in very little time sold out the first seven games of the regular season. There remain a limited number of tickets for the Dec. 28 home finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Also, there are fewer than 1,000 tickets left for the two preseason games at home: Aug. 16 vs. the Minnesota Vikings and Aug. 28 vs. the Atlanta Falcons.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Jared Gaither was carted off the field at the end of Saturday's morning practice. The Ravens' starting left tackle had his right ankle taped.

The Ravens' policy is not to comment on injuries.

Gaither struggled though most of the workout, frequently bending over to catch his breath. He is expected to take over for Jonathan Ogden, who retired this offseason.

Also, fullback Le'Ron McClain was helped off the field at the end of practice. It appeared to be the result of heat exhaustion.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Four players, as well as general manager Ozzie Newsome, attended the funeral for Samari Rolle's father today. Rolle's father died of a heart attack last week.

The players who went to the service were wide receiver Derrick Mason, linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and cornerback Chris McAlister.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

With officials attending today's morning practice session, the Ravens tried to simulate a real-game atmosphere during training camp. The officials monitored the play clock, counseled players on how to avoid illegal formation calls, and threw their yellow flags.

Because many head coaches have pre-existing relationships with various officials, it will be interesting to see how John Harbaugh's relationship develops with the referees. In some circles, the Ravens have developed a reputation as a wild and reckless crew, and some players believe that the officials are hostile toward the team.

Harbaugh was asked about his relationship with the referees, and he painted himself as a "nice guy." Responding to a follow-up question from team spokesman Kevin Byrne, Harbaugh did admit that there were a few occasions when -- during his time as the special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles -- he earned the wrath of head coach Andy Reid for berating officials.

“On the rare occasion, Andy has grabbed me and told me to shut up," Harbaugh said. "And not in such nice terms.”

Asked about his demeanor on the sidelines, Harbaugh said, “I want to get along with everybody. I really want to get along with the officials. That’s my goal -- to have a good relationship with the officials throughout the day. I think the great thing about the officials in the NFL -- in all seriousness -- is that they really do want to communicate. [Vice President of Officiating] Mike Pereira does a great job with those group of guys. They talk to head coaches, they talk to defensive backs coaches, they talk to special teams coordinators. They really do communicate with you. And as long as you’re respectful, you know they’ve got a job to do, and they do a really good job. They really do talk to you. It’s not really adversarial very often. Sometimes it gets frustrating and I think they understand that, too.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The intensity and pace of this Ravens training camp is much greater than it has been in the past. In the first practice Saturday morning, tight end Todd Heap got into a fight with outside linebacker Jarret Johnson.

Todd Heap? He never fights anyone. But yet, here he was going toe-to-toe with Johnson, one of his best friends on the team. It gets better. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata rushes over and pushes Heap, and then Heap starts punching Ngata. This wasn't the type of stuff where Heap was waiting for someone to step in and break up the fight. This was like Ali-Frazier, Leonard-Duran and Hagler-Hearns.

Wow. I can't wait for the next practice.

*********

New head coach John Harbaugh said it was going to be an open competition, and it really has been. All three quarterbacks -- Joe Flacco, Troy Smith and Kyle Boller -- have taken equal repetitions with the first team. Right now, there doesn't seem to be a difference among the three except that Flacco will occasionally put a ball in a window where the others can't.

**********

Running back Ray Rice, the Ravens second-round pick from Rutgers, is a tough little dude and he always seems to find a way out of trouble. He took a handoff to the left during practice, appeared to be bottled up by four players, but then spun right and beat everybody around the corner for a 40-yard touchdown. It's early in training camp, but I like this kid.

Some other players who have made favorable impressions are right tackle Adam Terry, left guard Ben Grubbs (great initial pop) and cornerback Derrick Martin. Martin has been getting some good jumps on passes thrown his way, and he has shown good closing speed.

**********

The catch of the morning belonged to second-year wide receiver Matt Willis while hauling in a mid-range pass from Flacco across the middle. I swear Willis had glue on his fingers because this pass was on his fingernails, but he still hauled it in.

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

After a physical morning workout that included two live segments of full contact, it was interesting to see four of the Ravens' biggest stars stay late signing autographs for the estimated crowd of 6,625.

Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee and Derrick Mason were the last four players off the field following the morning workout and autograph session. Reed, nursing an unspecified injury, worked on his own, but did not participate in team drills.

Lewis, McGahee and Mason not only accomodated the fans, they also gave interviews to the media.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Ravens will initiate a new weight lifting schedule starting Monday, one that will take certain position players out of autograph and interview responsibilities during training camp.

The new program will have players in different weight groups going directly from the practice field at McDaniel College to the weight room, stopping neither to accommodate reporters or fans.

Monday’s first session is for the big men, the offensive and defensive linemen. Then it’ll be the linebackers, tight ends, running backs, safeties and kickers in another session. And finally, the quarterbacks, wide receivers and cornerbacks.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Ravens drew an estimated 6,625 fans to their first full-squad practice of training camp. It marked the team's second-largest crowd for a non-scrimmage.

The Ravens' camp attendance record is 6,900, which was set on Aug. 10, 2006.

Last year, the Ravens drew 3,008 fans to the first practice.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

You give the Ravens a break because it's only Day 1, but they have a lot of work ahead of them. The young offensive line has some talent, but no clue where they are going. How often does an NFL team not return one offensive lineman to their starting position from the previous year?

It will take the Ravens four or five games into the season before the offensive line develops some timing and cohesiveness. It's good that new coach John Harbaugh has the Ravens hitting more in training camp because it will get his young team up to speed more quickly. But there is no substitute for actual game conditions.

There were four fumbles in the morning practice before I stopped counting, three of them by quarterbacks. Why is quarterback Troy Smith fumbling like Jeff Blake and Tony Banks? It's been disturbing so far, and he has only been on the practice field for three days.

And yes, as usual, Kyle Boller fumbled a snap.

In two of the three previous seasons, recently retired offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden was late arriving to training camp, but he was in Westminster this morning for the first practice.

Ogden took the time to work with some of the younger tackles like Jared Gaither and Oniel Cousins. Gaither has been starting in Ogden's old spot on the left side.

"When I played, I always swore that after I retired I would come back on the first day of the next training camp with a martini in my hand, and a smile on my face," Ogden said. "If I was sipping a martini, that might have been too much. But I do have a smile on my face."

As for Gaither and Cousins, both need to improve their technique. Both stand up too high, and both are too stiff and mechanical.

One of the team's main goals this season was to stay healthy, especially in the defensive backfield. But for the very first practice, the Ravens were without starting cornerbacks Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and safety Ed Reed. The Ravens had to start Frank Walker and Corey Ivy, their No. 4 and No. 5 cornerbacks.

Rolle was absent because of a death in the family while McAlister and Reed were on the sideline because of injuries. This was not a good omen.

The first fight of training camp belonged to rookie offensive tackle Joe Reitz and outside linebacker Jarret Johnson. Reitz showed some confidence by going after Johnson, but he better watch his back at night. That's when a lot of the vets will get even.

After several off season minicamps and a couple of practices, rookie safety Haruki Nakamura (Cincinnati) looks a lot better and smoother than fellow rookie Tom Zbikowski, a third-round pick out of Notre Dame.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

The running back group was hit with a couple of injuries to backups.

P.J. Daniels went down about an hour into practice and walked off the field grimacing in pain. He did not return.

Cory Ross then injured his left arm and had it wrapped in ice for the remainder of practice.

At the end of practice, fullback Justin Green left the field with cramps.

A team spokesman said the Ravens won't comment on injuries until they have to provide an official injury report.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It was almost easier to count the players who didn’t suit up for the first full-team training camp practice than the ones who actually did.

The Ravens placed safety Ed Reed (undisclosed), receiver Demetrius Williams (lower left leg), tight end Daniel Wilcox (offseason toe surgery) and cornerback David Pittman (undisclosed) on the physically unable to perform list.

The team also designated cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Fabian Washington and fullback Le’Ron McClain on the non-football injury list.

If these players remain on the lists at the start of the regular season, they will have to miss the first six games.

The other players absent were defensive end-linebacker Terrell Suggs (protesting franchise tag) and cornerback Samari Rolle (father’s death).

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

The Ravens added defensive back Anwar Phillips of Penn State to their roster today, in what may be a concession that linebacker Terrell Suggs won't report today with the veterans. Phillips was on the practice field with the team for the afternoon workout at McDaniel College.

Suggs was due in camp for a 7 p.m. team meeting. If he fails to show, Phillips would fill Suggs' roster spot. If Suggs shows, another player would have to be cut.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Ravens were one of several teams to talk with the Green Bay Packers about trading for superstar quarterback Brett Favre, but the team apparently had no interest, according to general manager Ozzie Newsome.

Newsome confirmed the two teams had spoken, but there wasn't much conversation between the two sides. Newsome, during his 13 years in Baltimore, has been reluctant to trade draft picks for established players.

"This time of the year I get a lot of calls about potential trades," Newsome said.

Soon after news broke that Favre wanted to come out of retirement and play again several weeks ago, there was speculation that the Ravens would be one of several teams interested in Favre. But from the beginning, the Ravens showed little interest.

Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

If signing footballs, jerseys and other football-related memorabilia has somehow slipped the minds of the players, there's a not-so-delicate reminder posted on the front door of the team's hotel, the Best Western in Westminster.

"Autographs after practice!!!" reads the 8-by-11 sheet of paper on the door. "Honor our great FANS WHO COME TO SEE YOU all throughout camp."

The final line says, "Don't make your teammates do it alone."

And a billboard update: on Monday, the board outside of the hotel read, "Welcome Coach Harbaugh." This morning, "Welcome Ravens" was on the billboard. It is not yet known whether the change was requested by John Harbaugh.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

No one can accuse offensive coordinator Cam Cameron of not caring. The 47-year-old is constantly monitoring his offense and encouraging, cajoling and imploring the players to run his schemes correctly.

This morning, Cameron made his players repeat a certain formation, saying loudly, "We're going to be here all morning until we get this right." A minute later, he replaced Ernie Wheelwright and demonstrated how he wanted the rookie wide receiver to go in motion from the right to the left side of the offensive line.

Perhaps the more comical bit of the day involved running back Allen Patrick mistakenly barreling into a stack of trash cans during a blocking drill. The drill involved the running backs fending off an imaginary pass rusher, which was the goalpost.

Patrick threw his right shoulder into the goalpost, but slipped off the padding and into the trash cans. Afterwards, Patrick said, "I think it got scared of me a little bit."

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It's going to take a while for people to get used to John Harbaugh as the Ravens head coach.

After his first training camp practice, Harbaugh was stopped by security at the team hotel because he didn't have his pass. He eventually convinced them that he was supposed to be there.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Sorry, it's only rookies practicing, so there is nothing really to get excited about yet. It's basically young players learning their plays so there will be less foul ups when the veterans report.

But here's some early observations:

* Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco needs to throw the ball out of bounds when the play breaks down and he gets out of the pocket. This isn't Delaware. Players in this league have great closing speed, and the Ravens don't want to see their quarterback of the future holding the ball more than he needs to, not at this point in his career.

* I haven't seen rookie running back Ray Rice return a punt in live action yet, but I already feel just as comfortable with him handling the ball as I did last year with receiver Yamon Figurs.

* Rookie Joe Reitz is a free agent offensive tackle out of Western Michigan. He is a long shot to make the team, but he has pretty good feet for a man of his size (6-7, 270 pounds). He might be a sleeper.

* The rookies have been in camp only two days, and rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins has been involved in several shoving incidents. I want to see what happens when he has to line up against Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg and Justin Bannan.

* The Ravens have been fortunate to have some of the league's best offensive line coaches in Kirk Ferentz and Jim Colletto, and they have another good one in John Matsko. He is a strong teacher, and he stays on the linemen. What he says ain't always pretty, but he always gets their attention.

Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Trevor Pryce is no longer the only Pro Bowl player in Ravens training camp.

Tight end Todd Heap reported on Tuesday night around 10 p.m. He ran off to the side at the beginning of Wednesday's practice before going back inside.

While Heap didn't practice, he did work out in offseason minicamps. He missed a majority of last season with a hamstring injury.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Montreal Alouettes are five weeks into the 2008 Canadian Football League season, but general manager Jim Popp was in Baltimore today watching Ravens' rookies go through their first training camp practices.

Popp is in the middle of a scouting trip through the NFL, looking for future CFL stars, while renewing some old friendships. Popp was the general manager for the Baltimore Stallions' Grey Cup teams in 1994 (lost) and 1995 (won). He moved with the team to Montreal, where they became the Alouettes, in 1996 after the Browns came to Baltimore.

Popp's scouting mission coincides with a Sept. 7 window when every CFL team can add five players to the roster. This, of course, is after the NFL makes its final cuts. Popp is looking for more help down the road than immediate reinforcements, however.

"I'm looking at every position for 2009," he said. "We may get just one guy who will help us this year, but most of the five will be developmental players for 2009. I'm always scouting one or two years ahead."

Popp, whose wife is from Baltimore, had plans to meet with Mike Gathagan, former Stallions' PR man and now PR director at the Pimlico and Laurel race tracks, at the Orioles-Blue Jays' game.

Popp had already visited the Washington Redskins and was headed next to Long Island to see the New York Jets.

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

This should serve as a sign of the times. On the first day of training camp at McDaniel College, with fans in attendance, new coach John Harbaugh got lost in the shuffle. Sort of.

Here's what happened: Early in the afternoon workout, some fans couldn't locate Harbaugh on the practice field and asked a security guard for help. Try as he might, the security guard misidentified Harbaugh, pointing to one of the assistant coaches with a similar build.

Sun photographer Gene Sweeney overheard the conversation and directed both the security guard and the fans to Harbaugh, who, incidentally, prefers blending in rather than standing out.

At least the fans weren't asking for Brian Billick.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

* Quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, linebacker Dan Cody, running back P.J. Daniels, fullback Jake Nordin and offensive tackle Mike Kracalik are sporting what coach John Harbaugh called “arm and hammer” patches on the left shoulders of their jerseys. The patches signify participation in at least 85 percent of the team’s offseason workouts.

* Jared Gaither is at training camp, but the projected starter at left offensive tackle did not practice.

* Because there are no cornerbacks at camp (rookie safeties Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski are the only defensive backs), defensive end Trevor Pryce and secondary coach Chuck Pagano lined up at cornerback during 7-on-7 drills.

* During a drill involving being attached to a goalpost via a gigantic rubber band, Daniels was snapped back and onto his rear end. Undeterred, Daniels popped back up and finished the drill.

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Samari Rolle will miss the first few days of training camp to attend his father’s funeral, a Ravens spokesman said.

Rolle’s father died of a heart attack last week, according to the spokesman.

Rolle, a starting cornerback, is scheduled to return to the team after the funeral service Saturday. Veterans are expected to report to training camp Wednesday.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Veterans don't report until later in the week, but I already have my top five tough Ravens heading into the first practice of the season. When you play football, you want to play with guys you want to be in a foxhole with, or guys you want standing beside you in the alley at night in case a brawl breaks out.

I'd fight anybody with this group.

No. 1 on my list is nose tackle Haloti Ngata. He has muscles on top of his bulk. He looks like his skin is on too tight. Ngata is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but if you cross him, good night, baby. A pro wrestling career might be in line when he retires.

"Haloti is 10-0 in fights in the NFL," said Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle. They say Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis wakes up each morning and slaps himself a high five because Ngata is on his team.

No. 2 is defensive tackle Kelly Gregg. He is another nice guy, very easy-going, but Gregg is as strong as two oxes. He might be the strongest Raven. Gregg has a wrestling background, and uses his leverage on the field. Doesn't he look like he swallowed a suit case?

Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson is No. 3. He trys to play that good-old-laid-back-country-boy role, but his teammates say he is as lethal as Chuck Norris. He has a switch in his head, and it goes off every Sunday afternoon.

Offensive tackle Marshal Yanda is No. 4, but could easily be No. 1. Word has it -- and there is truth to it -- that teammates bet Yanda last season that he couldn't handle getting hit by a taser gun. Not only did Yanda handle it once for three seconds, but two more times afterwards before finally collecting $1,500 from some of his teammates.

"You got to have those kind of crazy people on your team," said Rolle. "Yanda is nuts."

Defensive tackle Justin Bannan and center Jason Brown are tied at No. 5. Bannan has a strong tolerance for pain. Ooops. Forget that. They say Bannan doesn't even feel pain.

Before last season, Brown was the only offensive lineman on the Ravens in the last couple of seasons that would fight his defensive teammates in practice. Of course, he would get triple teammed by Ngata, Bannan and Gregg, but at least he didn't back down.

And now, Yanda has his back. For all of those who wondered why there were several fights in practice during the offseason, now you know why. The Ravens have quite a feisty group.

-- Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Troy Smith took the first snaps in the Ravens' red-zone drills but didn't impress.

In six plays, he was 1-for-5 passing with three interceptions and a fumbled snap. One of the interceptions was made by secondary coach Chuck Pagano, who was filling in as a defensive back.

Kyle Boller was 4-for-4 in the same drill but threw all short passes. Joe Flacco was 1-for-3, but his one completion was a tough pass over the middle to Patrick Carter.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

The Ravens made their first transaction of training camp before the first practice began. The team signed journeyman tight end Aaron Walker and cut fourth-string quarterback Brad Roach.

Walker, a fifth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2003, has 25 career catches in three NFL seasons with the 49ers and St. Louis Rams. Considered a blocking specialist, Walker suffered a season-ending shoulder injury with the Rams last season.

Roach was an undrafted quarterback from Catawba. That leaves the Ravens with Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco at quarterback.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Injured veterans were encouraged -- but not required -- to report to training camp today, but a number of players who spent time on injured reserve last season checked in at the team hotel, the Best Western in Westminster.

Linebackers Dan Cody and Prescott Burgess, running back P.J. Daniels, defensive end Trevor Pryce and wide receiver Demetrius Williams showed up. Offensive tackle Mike Kracalik, who was not on the IR last season, also reported.

The laugh of the day came during coach John Harbaugh's briefing when he casually mentioned mowing his own lawn. Gary Mihoces of USA Today then asked Harbaugh if he mowed his own lawn. Harbaugh said no and then proceeded to clarify his statement.

“I have always cut my own lawn because I thought a guy should cut his own grass, right? That’s how it should be in life," the coach said. "But it always happens that when you come to training camp, my wife had to go out and find somebody to cut the grass during training camp and through September. So this year, basically when we moved, she gave the lawnmower away. To one of our neighbors.”

After drawing laughs from the media corps, Harbaugh leaned into the microphone before him and said, “Sorry, honey.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Ray Lewis has always been considered the face of the Ravens franchise, and now he might officially get that designation. Lewis is in the final year of his contract, and there was speculation he might get a two-year extension before the start of the 2008 season.

But that isn't likely to happen. The Ravens and Lewis are far apart at this point and the Ravens have told Lewis he might become the team's designated franchise player if they can't get a new deal done.

The franchise tag is usually used for younger players who are in their peaks and searching for their first or second big contract, not a player like Lewis who is about to enter his 13th season.

If the Ravens use the tag on Lewis, they will have to pay him the average salary of the top five players at his position in the league, which isn't a bad deal because Lewis is still one of the best.

But Lewis won't be happy with that designation, or not getting a hefty signing bonus. He wants one more big payday. I assume that if the Ravens can't eventually reach an agreement with Lewis, he'll become a free agent despite the threat of tagging him.

But at least for now, it's fun watching the posturing going on between the two sides. This might be more entertaining than some of the games.

- Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

The first Ravens player to report to training camp?

Rookie safety Haruki Nakamura, who checked in at the team's hotel, the Best Western in Westminster, at 9:15 this morning. Nakamura called travel manager Joan Sieracki at 6 a.m. to see if he could use the hot tub because he couldn't sleep.

The billboard outside of the hotel reads, "Welcome Coach Harbaugh."

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)