Frank Walker, Corey Ivy, David Pittman and Ronnie Prude will get a lot of work tonight because half of the team's cornerbacks are not expected to play against the Atlanta Falcons.

Chris McAlister (swollen right knee), Samari Rolle (undisclosed), Fabian Washington (hamstring) and Derrick Martin (right shoulder) are sidelined. Also, free safety Ed Reed (shoulder) will not play.

Others not scheduled to play include linebackers Ray Lewis (undisclosed) and rookie Tavares Gooden (concussion), defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery), running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery) and rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith (separated right shoulder).

Walker and Ivy will start at cornerback, Nick Greisen replaces Lewis, and Justin Bannan will fill in for Gregg. Rookie Tom Zbikowski is penciled in to start in place of Reed, but Jim Leonhard was introduced out of the tunnel with the starting defense.

On offense, rookie Joe Flacco gets his second consecutive start, and rookie Ray Rice replaces McGahee.

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Ravens got a break because quarterback Kyle Boller doesn't need surgery on his right throwing shoulder, and could return this season. The problem is that if the Ravens don't get better offensive linemen soon, they could be shuffling quarterbacks all season.

Regardless of whether the Ravens' quarterback is Boller, Troy Smith or rookie Joe Flacco, none of them will be able to continue to take the pounding they've received in the preseason for 16 games.

Hopefully, both offensive tackles Jared Gaither and Adam Terry will develop, but if they don't, the Ravens might as well keep a permanent residence at Union Memorial.

***

Just as Brian Billick's fate was tied to Boller, so will general manager Ozzie Newsome's fate be tied to Flacco. This is the one position where the Ravens have failed to find a quality performer in the draft, and it really shows in the AFC, which is more of a quarterback-driven conference than the NFC.

***

It was a great pickup by the Ravens to sign defensive end Marques Douglas. Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan has always liked Douglas, but it's interesting that Tampa Bay gave up on him quickly. Word is that Douglas doesn't like to come to training camp in shape. That might change now that he is back in Baltimore with some of his old buddies.

***

Word has it that the Ravens will pick up a quarterback off the waiver wire for tomorrow night's final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Posted by Mike Preston at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

Keep an eye on the shoulder injury with Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller.

When asked late yesterday afternoon if Boller's injury might be season ending, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said that was unconfirmed and he would know more by Friday morning.

Asked if he had started shopping around for another quarterback to replace Boller, Newsome said no, and that he wouldn't do anything until he got the report on Boller.

Regardless, the injury sounds serious enough to make the Ravens use a lot of caution.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

Cornerback Chris McAlister and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata have taken part in practice, but it appears both starters have been limited by the coaching and medical staffs.

McAlister, who has not played this preseason due to a knee injury, participated in individual drills, but when the first defense took the field, Frank Walker took McAlister's spot opposite Samari Rolle.

Ngata, who has been hampered by a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, has also been limited. Today, he was used as a running back for the scout team.

“The coaches have already been holding me out," Ngata said. "I tried to put myself in, but they’re still being cautious about my injury and making sure that I am 100 percent.”

Other observations:

• Players who did not practice during the portion of today's session open to the media included: cornerbacks Fabian Washington (hamstring) and Derrick Martin (right shoulder); quarterbacks Kyle Boller (right shoulder) and Troy Smith (illness); free safety Ed Reed (shoulder); running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery); defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery); and rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith (separated right shoulder).

Boller wore sweatpants and a cap as he watched rookie Joe Flacco take all of the reps.

• Rookie linebacker Tavares Gooden (concussion) returned to practice after sitting out yesterday's session.

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Third-year receiver Demetrius Williams has been activated off the team's physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which must be a relief to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and whichever quarterback becomes the starter.

At 6 feet 2, 197 pounds, Williams has the size and speed to be the offense's best deep threat. Williams missed seven games last season due to a high ankle sprain, but averaged a team-best 18 yards per catch (396 yards on 22 receptions) and scored twice, including a 77-yarder.

“I don’t want to miss any games like last year," Williams said after practice this afternoon. "Right now, it’s coming [along] day by day. Getting out there and getting an opportunity to see how it feels. These last few days, I’ve been out there practicing and doing a lot better and feeling good. Just hope that it continues.”

Williams said he has tried to accelerate his return from a lower left leg injury, but understands that his long-term health is more significant.

“You want to be in there to make the plays and get the quarterback’s relationship," he said. "But at the same time, you don’t want to go out there and do something to yourself that is detrimental. So I’m definitely taking it and being smart this time.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

And people accuse me of being negative ...

There are quite a few fans around town complaining about the Ravens and pointing fingers. It's quite funny, especially since the Ravens have only played three preseason games. Realistically, what did you expect in 2008?

The Ravens have a new head coach and basically a new coaching staff. They're installing a new offense and several of their best defensive players are still good, but past their prime. This year, and maybe next, will be for reloading the roster and trying to get back to the top of the AFC North.

I don't expect the Ravens to get to the playoffs this season. In fact, it will be hard for them to have a winning record, especially with so many young players on offense. But to judge them on this season is totally absurd, especially after the way the Ravens fell apart last season.

It's probably going to be a long season in Baltimore, but all teams go through a similar cycle.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

The Ravens put defensive lineman Dwan Edwards on injured reserve today, and that will hurt. You can never have enough defensive linemen and Edwards was one of the top backups behind starters Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg.

Edwards is not a starter, but he is the perfect stopgap-type player who can fill in for a few games. Defensive linemen take a lot of punishment during the season, so you need a lot of them. Gregg has already shown some wear on his body and starting end Trevor Pryce missed most of last season with several injuries. The absence of Edwards will hurt.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

With quarterbacks Kyle Boller (shoulder) and Troy Smith (illness) sidelined by their respective ailments, rookie Joe Flacco appeared to throw all the passes during the portion of practice open to the media this afternoon.

Boller was on the field, but he seemed to touch his right shoulder a couple times.

In a related note, wide receiver Demetrius Williams, who is still on the physically unable to perform list with a lower left leg injury, took part in individual drills and appeared to run and cut with little difficulty.

Other observations:

* Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, who did not play in the Ravens' 24-10 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Saturday night, was not at today's practice. No reason has been given for his absence.

Others who did not make it to the practice field during the portion of practice open to the media included: defensive tackles Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Kelly Talavou (dislocated right shoulder); cornerbacks Fabian Washington (hamstring) and Derrick Martin (right shoulder); running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery); rookie linebacker Tavares Gooden (concussion).

* Players who watched practice from the sideline included: free safety Ed Reed (shoulder); linebacker Terrence Melton (right hand); and rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith (separated right shoulder).

Smith said his shoulder will likely keep him out of Thursday's final preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

We'll get to who wasn't at practice today in a later entry, but perhaps the most significant development was the return of offensive tackle Jared Gaither. The heir apparent to Hall of Fame-bound left tackle Jonathan Ogden, Gaither had not practiced since injuring his right ankle on July 26 in training camp.

Gaither joined the offensive linemen on the field today. The offense practiced on the field furthest from the media, but it appeared that Gaither had not usurped Chad Slaughter from the left tackle position with the first offense.

"Jared’s going to practice today, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does and how he feels after practice," coach John Harbaugh said prior to practice.

Asked about the timetable for Gaither's appearance in a game, Harbaugh replied, "If there’s no setbacks, he should be ready for opening day."

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

OK, let's be realistic here. The Ravens' quarterback competition is between two players -- Troy Smith and Kyle Boller. Rookie Joe Flacco is only in the picture if both aren't healthy for the season opener. People started getting a little giddy Saturday night after Flacco started in place of Smith and Boller, but he didn't play well enough to get back into the picture.

Actually, he showed again why he isn't ready to start a game. He is still struggling processing the speed of the NFL game, and he'll struggle even more when the regular season starts. Right now, most NFL teams aren't showing a lot, or at least not all of their packages. Veteran players also hold back because its the preseason, not the regular season. But on Sept. 7 the intensity gets turned up a notch. Flacco isn't ready for that.

To imply that he was back in the picture for No. 1 was pure speculation.

***

Right offensive tackle Adam Terry did a decent job against the St. Louis Rams Saturday night, especially since he was sidelined for about three weeks with a sprained ankle. Let's just hope he can continue to improve.

***

I checked with a number of team officials today who said Smith was really, really sick before the start of Saturday night's game. The same officials said several other players had similar symptoms in previous weeks. Some bounced back in a few days. Others rebounded in about a week.

***

Coach John Harbaugh said cornerback Derrick Martin will not play against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Ravens need him. Martin has played well up until this point, while backup cornerbacks Corey Ivy and Frank Walker have gotten picked on.

***

The Ravens heavy jumbo package of fullback Le'Ron McClain running behind fullback Lorenzo Neal was impressive. I'd like to see more of that this season.

***

Harbaugh likes to hide information on injured players. I think he picked that trick up from an old friend, New England's Bill Belichick. Harabugh is also good friends with former Ravens special teams coach Scott O'Brien, now with the Denver Broncos.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

I'm hearing through the grapevine that Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis will be dancing this season when the defense is introduced during pre-game introductions.

Wow. Can't wait. I haven't been this excited since Michael Jackson came out with the "Thriller" album. As a matter of fact, Ray-Ray might be more entertaining than some of the games.

Bring it on, Ray-Ray.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

Even with the sun shining, the Ravens practiced indoors today but they had a purpose.

To get ready for the loud dome in St. Louis, coach John Harbaugh had crowd noise piped into the indoor field house for practice. The Ravens’ previous coach, Brian Billick, decided against this during his nine seasons with the team because he believed it wore the players down mentally during practice.

“It’s better than going out there Saturday and getting the crowd noise and being shocked with it,” Harbaugh said. “We had a few issues that we improved on.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

I'm glad the Ravens have the luxury of moving outside linebacker Edgar Jones to tight end, but it will retard the process of developing him at his natural position. Jones is very athletic and reminds some team officials of former Ravens outside linebacker Adalius Thomas. Jones has played well in camp and has a great burst off the ball. He was just getting used to playing linebacker, and dropping into pass coverage. Moving him to tight end shows the Ravens have little faith in the players behind starting tight end Todd Heap, though I still like Adam Bergen, the third-year player out of Lehigh.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Quarterback Kyle Boller will rebound from head coach John Harbaugh's decision to start Troy Smith Saturday night against the Rams, but it will be difficult.

Boller has gone through this before, but he always had his former coach, Brian Billick, in his corner. It's different now with Harbaugh. It kind of reminds me of Boller's rookie season when he replaced Chris Redman as the starting quarterback. Redman outplayed Boller in training camp, but Boller was Billick's guy and Billick went with him.

Boller has outperformed Smith, but Harbaugh knows that Smith may have a higher upside. Smith is also a favorite of general manager Ozzie Newsome. Plus, everyone knows both Boller and Smith are just holding down the job for the eventual starter, Joe Flacco.

Boller, though, is a strong competitor. His body language yesterday showed he was not happy with the announcement, but Boller has always had a fire. He showed that last week when he got smashed in the Vikings game. He always bounces back, but this one might take some time.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (65)
        

Coach John Harbaugh made what we learned yesterday official before the start of practice this afternoon: Edgar Jones will switch from linebacker to tight end.

Jones, who played tight end and defensive end at Rayville High in Louisiana, was used sparingly as a tight end during organized team activities, but Harbaugh said the coaching staff wanted to revive the experiment.

"Yeah, it's alive and well," Harbaugh said. "We want to give him a week or two in there and see how he does. He's played well at linebacker. He knows the linebacker position. We feel like we can move him back [to linebacker] at any time, and he'll be just fine for us. ... But we want to see if he can help us at tight end."

Look for more on the Jones switch in tomorrow's paper. Here are observations from today's practice:

* Defensive end Trevor Pryce and defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams returned to the field. Pryce was not present during the portion of yesterday's practice open to the media, and Williams was absent from practice yesterday and Monday.

* Cornerback Derrick Martin (right shoulder) watched practice from the sideline.

* Right guard Marshal Yanda joined Jason Brown and Chris Chester in snapping the football to the quarterbacks. Is another switch in the works?

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh named second-year player Troy Smith his starting quarterback for Saturday night's game against the St. Louis Rams. Harbaugh's explanation was simple and very logical. He said the Ravens were already aware of what veteran Kyle Boller could do at the position, and the coaching staff wanted to see more of Smith.

Good choice. Boller has been fairly steady throughout training camp and the preseason, and everyone is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. We also know something about Smith, but really haven't seen enough. Smith didn't get the chance to throw a lot last week against the Minnesota Vikings because the Ravens ran the ball so well. Like many of us, it seems that Harbaugh has come to the conclusion that throughout the season we're probably going to see both quarterbacks, because there will be a lot of ups and downs between the two of them.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

While offensive tackle Adam Terry has returned to practice after spraining his surgically repaired left ankle, offensive tackle Jared Gaither's progress has been slower.

Gaither, who has not practiced since injuring his right ankle on July 26, said he was unsure when he would be able to suit up for the Ravens. “Whenever I’m healthy, that’s when I’m going to show back up," he said. "I don’t know if it’s going to be for these last two preseason games or for [Sept.] 7th [the date of the regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals]. But I do know that when I’m truly healthy, I will be back on the field.”

The Ravens have compensated for Gaither's absence by primarily using Chad Slaughter at left tackle with Mike Kracalik also getting a few reps on the left side. The youthful but inexperienced offensive line could use a boost from Gaither's return, but the tackle said he is not pressing the issue.

“I’ve been pushing myself the whole time," he said. "There’s added pressure anyway with a new playbook, a new system, just a whole new philosophy. So I don’t want to put any pressure on myself or my ankle.”

Gaither admitted that it has been frustrating watching from the sidelines and not being able to contribute. But he said he's taking it in stride.

"Everything happens for a reason," he said. "God is going to take care of me, and I’m just in His hands right now. When I’m ready, I’ll know, and everyone else will know.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

With Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle practicing for the second consecutive day, it appears that the Ravens might have their starting cornerbacks play in the same game for the first time since Dec. 3, when the Ravens lost to the New England Patriots.

Coach John Harbaugh sounded hopeful that McAlister (swollen right knee) and Rolle (left leg) might be able to suit up against the St. Louis Rams Saturday night.

“I would say yes, but I wouldn’t want to put a definite on it right now," Harbaugh said. "I’ve got to see how they hold up in practice.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Looks like that Edgar Jones experiment has been revived once again.

It appears that Jones, a second-year linebacker, is being converted into a tight end. Jones, a tight end and defensive end at Rayville High in Louisiana, was used as a tight end sparingly during minicamps and organized team activities.

Jones, who wore No. 91 as a linebacker, has switched to No. 46.

Other observations:

* Defensive end Trevor Pryce was not present during the portion of practice open to the media. There had been no injury reported for Pryce. Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery) and cornerback Derrick Martin (right shoulder) made an appearance, but were not dressed to practice.

* It didn't take long for offensive tackle Adam Terry to regain his status as a starter. Terry, who sprained his surgically repaired ankle on July 29, lined up at right tackle, joining center Jason Brown, guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda and left tackle Chad Slaughter on the first offensive line.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh backed off his recent statements that safety Ed Reed would be ready for the regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, and you knew that would happen. You could see Reed grimace in practice when someone bumped into his shoulder, and he has trouble at times outstretching both arms.

The injury is a little more serious than most people initially thought. The healing process could take some time. In fact, it could take a lot of time.

***

Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis isn't going to be happy if he doesn't get a new contract from the Ravens. Lewis gave up his radio show this year because he didn't want to cause any problems with Harbaugh in his first year, and he wanted everything to run smoothly.

Poor Ray-Ray. No new contract yet, and we still don't know if he is going to be allowed to dance during the pre-game introductions.

***

Starting right offensive tackle Adam Terry might play Saturday night against the St. Louis Rams. Terry missed most of training camp with a severely sprained ankle, and he began practicing against yesterday. If I was Harbaugh, I'd hold Terry out of game action for at least another week.

He had surgery on the ankle during the offseason, and it's apparent it's not healthy, and probably won't be completely healed for the entire season. The Ravens need to rest Terry as much as possible.

***

Harbaugh said he didn't know when injured running back Willis McGahee would return, and that McGahee might possibly miss the entire preseason. Somehow that doesn't surprise me, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens cut him before the season is over.

McGahee has angered a lot of Ravens officials over at the Castle with his poor work ethic. He doesn't know his plays so I don't see him playing much in the first regular-season game.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

The Ravens don't want anybody to read anything into it, but middle linebacker Ray Lewis did sit on the bench while his teammates were being introduced Saturday night for the second preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. There were other times during the game when he sat alone on the bench while the rest of the defense was huddled up on the sideline. The last time these kind of things happened Lewis was irked at management because he didn't get a new contract.

Lewis is in the final year of his current deal.

So with that said, I won't read anything into it. Not one bit. Nothing.

Maybe Ray was on the sideline waiting to get his ankle taped, or plotting his next pre-game dance. Maybe he was trying to scope out the landscape and the logistics in case he wants to make his intro dropping out of a helicopter.

But let's not read anything into this. Maybe he just wanted to be alone.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

The biggest problem for Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco is the speed of the NFL game. He isn't processing the game fast enough. In the last two weeks, he has been hesitant about throwing the ball because he is slow in making the reads. It's tough on quarterbacks coming from Notre Dame or Michigan, because the speed of the game has increased one level. For Flacco, the speed of the game has increased two levels. Flacco became more comfortable as the game went on Saturday night, but it's going to take him some time to adjust to the NFL tempo. If he is processing preseason games slowly, imagine what it's going to be like for him when the regular season starts.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

A couple of additions to the article written by my Sun colleague Jamison Hensley:

* Even with the return of offensive tackle Adam Terry from a sprained left ankle, the first offensive line remained status quo with Chad Slaughter and Mike Kracalik at left and right tackles, Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda at left and right guards and Jason Brown at center. Offensive tackle Jared Gaither (right ankle) was not present during the portion of practice open to the media.

* Cornerback Derrick Martin was the most notable absence from practice this morning. Martin, who returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night, injured his shoulder during that game. Defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams and wide receiver Kerry Reed -- both of whom played against the Vikings -- also were not out at practice.

* Defensive tackles Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder), running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery) and linebacker Dan Cody (right foot) also did not practice.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

The list of players not expected to play in tonight's Ravens preseason home opener against the Minnesota Vikings has been released, and what's notable is who's starting.

Cornerback Fabian Washington will start in place of Samari Rolle with Frank Walker filling in for Chris McAlister (right knee). Washington, who recorded two interceptions in the Ravens' 16-15 win against the New England Patriots last Thursday, had been limited to individual drills since that exhibition due to what coach John Harbaugh called "neck spasms."

Despite suffering a left leg injury, Rolle has not been ruled out of tonight's game. In addition to McAlister, the following Ravens are expected to be sidelined: tight ends Todd Heap (right calf), Daniel Wilcox (toe) and Aaron Walker (left knee); offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle); defensive tackles Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder); linebackers Terrell Suggs (unexcused absence) and Dan Cody (right foot); wide receivers Demetrius Williams (physically unable to perform list) and rookie Patrick Carter (dislocated shoulder); free safety Ed Reed (undisclosed); running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery); and cornerback David Pittman (undisclosed).

On defense, Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards will start in place of Gregg and Haloti Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament); Antwan Barnes will fill in for Suggs; and Jim Leonhard will replace Reed.

On offense, Chad Slaughter and Mike Kracalik will start at left and right tackles, respectively; rookie Ray Rice will fill in for McGahee; and Adam Bergen will replace Heap.

The only injury of note for the Vikings is former Maryland free safety Madieu Williams, who is out for as many as six weeks with a neck injury. Rookie Tyrell Johnson will start in place of Williams.

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Four players who practiced in the morning -- linebacker Ray Lewis, wide receiver Derrick Mason, defensive end Trevor Pryce and cornerback Frank Walker -- did not participate this afternoon. Mason injured his right knee in the morning, while Walker was walking around the team hotel with a wrap on his right knee.

Cornerbacks Fabian Washington (neck spasms) and Derrick Martin (head) practiced in the afternoon after being limited to individual drills in the morning.

Other observations:

• The team announced an attendance of 85,073 to visit training camp. That's the fourth-largest overall attendance at camp behind 111,492 in 2001, 90,370 in 2002 and 86,872 in 2005, and those years included at least one scrimmage.

• Minority owner Art Modell made his first appearance at training camp this afternoon.

• Contrary to coach John Harbaugh's declaration, there was a brief moment of hazing after practice. Centers Jason Brown and Chris Chester taped up rookie offensive linemen Oniel Cousins and David Hale in the middle of the field.

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Jake Nichols got the invitation of his life this afternoon.

Nichols, an incoming freshman kicker for the McDaniel football team, was invited by Matt Stover to join him for a private tutorial on one of the practice fields at McDaniel College in Westminster. For more than 30 minutes, Stover shared his wisdom with Nichols, an All-State kicker from Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick.

"It was a lot of fun," Nichols said after booting several left-footed kicks. "He's a great coach. He knows what he's doing, obviously. He's been doing this for a ton of years."

Nichols said the most important lesson he gained was Stover's advice to ease up on the throttle during his kicks.

"He said you have to go in softer. You can't go in hard, you can't go in to kill it," Nichols said. "You've got to go in and use your momentum and square your shoulders up to the ball."

Nichols said he planned to call his family and friends to inform them of his time with Stover, a 19-year NFL veteran who enters the season as the second-most accurate kicker in league history.

"He's a real nice guy," Nichols said. "He let me come out here [when] he doesn't even know me. I'm very grateful for that."

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Several players went above and beyond after the conclusion of this morning's practice. Many of them spent several minutes signing autographs for fans perched along the sides of the practice field at McDaniel College in Westminster.

Fullback Le'Ron McClain made one young fan happy by giving the boy his skullcap. Linebacker Jarret Johnson retrieved cleats and gloves from the locker room and distributed them to young fans, nearly causing a mob scene in the process.

However, quarterback Troy Smith may have topped everyone. First, he granted one fan's request by giving him his Ravens cap. Then Smith asked wide receiver Darnerien McCants to grab three sets of cleats from his locker.

When McCants returned with the shoes, Smith took the cleats to several teammates, asking them to sign the shoes. Then Smith passed out all six cleats to young fans clamoring for them. It was a great gesture on the part of an athlete who is a hero to many.

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Some closing thoughts as training camp comes to an end:

* None of the quarterbacks separated himself from the others in training camp, but if the Ravens had to choose a quarterback from what happened in camp, Kyle Boller clearly was the winner. A lot of the players prefer Troy Smith, but Boller was more consistent and made less mistakes.

* Willis McGahee is still the starting halfback, but rookie Ray Rice made a name for himself, and I still like Cory Ross. He is small, but he is always going forward and always gaining yards.

* Not much can be said about the Ravens' receivers. Veteran Derrick Mason is still the best of the bunch and Mark Clayton was inconsistent, which he shouldn't be in his fourth season. I'm just wondering when third-year receiver Demetrius Williams is going to step on the field again. Will he ever become the vertical threat the Ravens desperately need? Keep an eye on rookie receiver Justin Harper. He's not bad, and neither is tight end Adam Bergen.

* The Ravens have no depth in the middle of their offensive line. Third-year player Chris Chester, the top backup at both the guard and center positions, hasn't lived up to expectations, and he might have been cut by now if he wasn't a former draft pick.

* You've got to love the Ravens' young linebackers. That's quite an impressive group with Prescott Burgess, Edgar Jones, Antwan Barnes, Jameel McClain and Tavares Gooden.

* With Ed Reed still slowed by a shoulder injury, it was good that the Ravens selected a pair of safeties in the draft. Rookie Tom Zbikowski is tough in the box, and fellow rookie Haruki Nakumura has a nose for the ball. He's a tough kid.

* Brendon Ayanbadejo wanted out of Chicago because he wanted more playing time on the regular defense and now I can see why. He's athletic and relentless in pursuit. He's another one of those "tweener" linebackers that will have success with the Ravens.

* New head coach John Harbaugh has made strides with the team. I thought there would be more complaining about the physical training camp, but three players that spoke in defense of Harbaugh were Trevor Pryce, Ray Lewis and Jason Brown. Those three players are well respected on the Ravens.

* I like the pace of the Ravens' offense coming out of training camp. Little things were emphasized like breaking the huddle, getting to the line of scrimmage and knowing the proper down and distance.

* Rookie quarterback Joe Flacco got an education in training camp. He is not going to see a lot of things in the NFL that defensive coordinator Rex Ryan didn't throw at him in the past three weeks.

* Veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal is not only a big asset on the field, but off it as well. The Ravens didn't have anyone to teach the young running backs about having a strong work ethic, but they have the right player in place with Neal.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (60)
        

Often I've been asked why the Ravens have so much success drafting defensive players and not as much with offensive players. I can't speak for the Ravens because I haven't been in the draft room when they make their picks. But if you went from team to team in the NFL, you'd probably see similar results.

Defense allows players to use more of their raw talents. If you're a pass rushing specialists or a good cornerback, few things can happen that will not allow your raw talent to be exposed.

Offense requires more timing and cohesiveness. You can be a great receiver, but unless you have a good quarterback, you're limited. You can be a great quarterback, but if you have a poor offensive line, you're going to struggle. Simply put, it's easier to destroy on defense than it is to create on offense.

That's why the Ravens have a slew of young linebackers, but they've struggled on the offensive side of the ball, where they haven't pieced together a good, strong offense since they first moved here from Cleveland in the mid 1990's.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Even on the last day of training camp open to the media and public, injuries continue to be a major theme. The biggest news involved wide receiver Derrick Mason, who sat out the latter half of practice with a right knee injury. In response to a query about his health, Mason, whose right knee was iced and wrapped, later said, "I'm fine."

Mason was injured while running a route with quarterback Troy Smith guiding the offense. Mason found an open area in front of cornerback Corey Ivy and spun back to Smith. But Mason appeared to land awkwardly and stayed on the turf for at least a minute after the conclusion of the play. With the help of a trainer, Mason limped off the practice field. A few minutes later, he appeared to be putting pressure on the knee and watched from the sideline.

Safety Ed Reed did not practice due to an undisclosed condition not involving the shoulder that initially kept him on the physically unable to perform list. Asked about Reed, Harbaugh said, “Ed had some issue right before practice that came up last night that he was in the training room. I don’t have the details on it yet.”

Cornerbacks Chris McAlister (right knee), Samari Rolle (left leg), Fabian Washington (neck spasms), Derrick Martin (head) and David Pittman (undisclosed) took part in individual drills, but that was the extent of their participation.

In a move to add depth to that position, the team re-signed Anwar Phillips, whom the Ravens waived on Aug. 1 to sign running back Alex Haynes. In addition to Phillips, the healthy cornerbacks included Ivy, Frank Walker and Ronnie Prude.

The list of players who did not practice this morning included: offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle); defensive tackles Kelly Gregg (arthroscopic knee surgery) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder); linebackers Dan Cody (right foot) and rookie Tavares Gooden (hip); running back Willis McGahee (arthroscopic knee surgery); and tight end Todd Heap (right calf).

Defensive end Trevor Pryce doubled over in pain early in practice and had his left wrist -- the one he fractured last season -- re-taped. Fullback Lorenzo Neal had both ankles taped, and guard Adrien Clarke's left calf was wrapped.

Other observations:

* Kyle Boller and rookie Joe Flacco played solidly this morning. Boller tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith on a deep post pattern, and Boller even completed a pass to Smith despite getting hit by either linebacker Antwan Barnes or defensive tackle Justin Bannan. Boller's only mistake was a leaping interception by Ivy.

During a drill where each quarterback was given three snaps to get a first down, only Flacco succeeded. In fact, with Flacco under center, the offense churned out five first downs against the first defense, putting Matt Stover in position to successfully kick a 42-yard field goal.

Troy Smith avoided any interceptions, but had two passes deflected at the line of scrimmage and would have been sacked twice.

* Stover went 5-of-5 on field goals, converting attempts of 20, 34, 42, 47 and 51 yards.

* Offensive line coach John Matsko didn't get lost in the good feelings associated with the end of training camp. When linebacker Ray Lewis blitzed Boller up the middle, Matsko bellowed at center Jason Brown, "Wake up, Jason!"

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Brendon Ayanbadejo was signed in the offseason as a special teams ace, imported to improve an area of vulnerability. But after his performance against the New England Patriots (eight tackles, pass deflection on the Patriots' 2-point pass to win the game) has earned him a harder look at linebacker.

Before and after every practice since the game, Ayanbadejo and Jameel McClain have spent time with linebackers coach Greg Mattison and coaching intern Brad Jackson, learning the defenses. Ayanbadejo was sent into the game in New England after two injuries, even though he hadn't gotten any reps during the week. Mattison had to shout out Ayanbadejo's assignments on each play after he entered the game.

"I told both of them after that game, we're going to learn those defenses," Mattison said today.
"I'm not going to spoon feed you anymore."

Ayanbadejo and McClain figure to get substantial snaps on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings. They aren't going to challenge any starters, but they might show well enough to give the team more depth at the position.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Not bitter about joining the Ravens, but the newly signed free agent fullback sounded slightly perturbed that no one called him when the San Diego Chargers released him in February after returning from his fourth Pro Bowl.

“I’m going to play with a chip on my shoulder," Neal said after today's morning practice. "You get angry when you’ve been at the top of your game, when you’re rated the No. 1 fullback and then free agency comes, and I kind of felt like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Because of my age, I got left out of the reindeer games. Because you’re 37, teams are saying, ‘OK, but your age.’ Teams discriminate against you because of your age, not because of what you can do. So I think that was the toughest part, sitting out and knowing that you’re still in great shape, knowing that you still can run, knowing that you can still compete. Just because of a number and your age, people say, ‘OK, I don’t know if this guy can last. I don’t know if this guy can play.’ Those people that are out there that doubted me, I’m back, and I’m coming for everybody that doubted me.”

The Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a couple of the teams interested in Neal over the last couple weeks, but Neal said he chose the Ravens because general manager Ozzie Newsome was the first one to contact him prior to the team's preseason opener against the New England Patriots last Thursday night and make a promise to bring him in.

“Anytime a guy does that and says that, that’s integrity," said Neal, adding that -- like the Ravens -- the Buccaneers offered him a one-year deal Sunday. "… I could run around and try to get into a bidding war, but it’s about saying, ‘Hey, you know what? Stand up for what’s right and do what you believe. Follow your heart.’ This is a great organization. I think they’re committed to wanting to win, and I want to win. That’s what it’s about.”

Neal is well aware of the strength of the Ravens' defense and is happy that he won't have to compete against the likes of linebacker Ray Lewis, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and safety Ed Reed. But Neal said his goal is to help re-make the offense.

“We know offense entertains, but defense wins games, and this defense has won a lot of games. But our offense – trust me – we want to score a lot of points," Neal said. "We don’t want to have our defense [give up just] 10 points. That’s unfair. So I think you’ll see this offense score some points and we’re going to surprise some people.”

Neal, who is wearing No. 42, would like to get his old No. 41. The only problem is that number currently belongs to cornerback Frank Walker. “I’ve probably got to spend some money to get my old number back,” Neal said with a smile.

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Ravens quarterback Troy Smith had his best day of the week. He opened the team practice with three straight long bombs that were perfectly placed, but two were dropped by wide receiver Mark Clatyon. Hopefully, Smith has rebounded and will play well against the Minnesota Vikings. One team official said today that Smith was a "gamer." I've heard a lot about these "gamer" players all week. "Gamer" seems to be a buzzword for lazy players who don't want to practice hard.

Willis McGahee is a "gamer". Le'Ron McClain is a "gamer," and now Smith is a "gamer." Enough. How about finding some players who want to work and prepare hard to play in a game? I'm sure that at $2 or $3 million a year John Harbaugh can find some practice players who play hard in games.

***

If cornerback Ronnie Prude gets cut, he can mark this moment down as the day the decision was made. Late in the practice, quarterback Kyle Boller rolled to his right. Not only did he pat the ball down once, not twice, but three times. Then he lofted a 40-yard pass to the back of the end zone that had more hang time than a Sam Koch punt.

Not only did Prude fail to knock the pass down, but he allowed receiver Justin Harper to make the catch in the back of the end zone while Prude was playing with a ball under his jersey.

Prude won't get cut this week because the Ravens are low on healthy corners, but he might be standing in the unemployment line by the end of the next week.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Let me begin by offering a mea culpa to a note I wrote yesterday. Contrary to what I wrote, linebacker Prescott Burgess and running back P.J. Daniels have not been released from the team. In fact, they are are still members of the Ravens at this moment.

The confusion lies in the injury-waiver process. According to a team spokesman, the Ravens placed Burgess (broken left wrist) and Daniels (separated shoulder) on the injury-waiver list, which -- for one day -- allowed the other 31 teams in the league to put in a waiver claim for either player.

Since no team claimed Burgess and Daniels, the rights of both players were returned to the Ravens, who promptly placed the pair on injured reserve. Thus, Burgess and Daniels are still with the Ravens. Again, my apologies.

Onto this morning's observations:

* After a stretch of poor practices, Troy Smith appeared to be vastly improved. His first two passes during full-team exercises were bombs that had "touchdown" written all over them if wide receiver Mark Clayton had caught the balls. Smith's only miscue was a well-played pump fake that ended up in the arms of cornerback Ronnie Prude.

Kyle Boller avoided trouble for the most part, opting to throw to receivers on quick slants or outs toward the sidelines. He capped the session with a 40-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Justin Harper. Harper's reception might not have been one had Prude, who -- for some unknown reason -- had tucked a football in the front of his jersey, been able to extend himself and knock down the pass. Rookie Joe Flacco had a nondescript outing.

* Officials flagged the offense three times for false starts and the defense three times for offsides. One official bore the brunt of a profanity-laced tirade from cornerback Corey Ivy, who disputed the official's call of pass interference when Ivy's and wide receiver Kerry Reed's legs got tangled up.

* Not sure if this is an indication of what the offensive line will look like on Saturday night against the Minnesota Vikings, but the first unit consisted of Jason Brown at center, Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda at guard and Chad Slaughter and Mike Kracalik at tackle.

* With Matt Stover watching from the sideline, rookie kicker Piotr Czech connected on all five of his field goals, hitting from 20, 34, 42, 48 and 52 yards.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata took one step further in his rehabilitation, lining up in seven-on-seven drills during practice this morning.

Ngata, who had not practiced since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on July 27, said he probably wouldn’t be able to play against the Minnesota Vikings in the Ravens' home preseason opener Saturday night, but is hopeful that he can participate fully in practice either tomorrow or Friday.

“I’m basically just trying to get the rust off,” Ngata said. “I’m getting back to that trust factor with [the knee]. I’m trusting it more. Going laterally with it, I’m not scared, but I’m just being careful with it. I definitely don’t want to strain it again.”

Ngata said he has strained to push through the limitations imposed by his knee and the training staff, but understands that the long-term health of his knee is the first priority.

"I definitely don’t want to strain it again," he said. "It’s just trusting the knee more. It’s definitely strong. I can feel it getting stronger. It’s just a matter of time.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Adam Bergen, a third-year tight end out of Lehigh, has been filling in for the injured Todd Heap. Bergen has been playing well, and don't be surprised if he makes the roster. He has impressed some of the coaches.

"Not bad," said Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. "Where is he from, Lehigh or something? He has a chance. Since Day 1, he has been catching balls. I don't know if it's speed or whatever, he's got a knack for getting open and catching the football. And he's a decent blocker. He has a chance of making this team."

Posted by Mike Preston at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

It was a little like old home week today at McDaniel College, where former Ravens linebacker Cornell Brown showed up to watch practice, and another former Raven, Brad Jackson, continued
to work with the team's linebackers as a coaching intern.

Jackson spent four seasons with the Ravens as a prominent special teamer and reserve linebacker, including the Super Bowl season in 2000. Since retiring, he's gone on to work as an analyst for Comcast Sports and had his own radio show.

Last year, Jackson was a coaching intern under Tony Dungy with the Indianapolis Colts, and this year joined the Ravens in that capacity. Because he is played in the league, is smart and can communicate well, he would make a nice addition to someone's coaching staff.

He said he's interested in coaching with the idea of becoming a head coach, but said any offer would have to be the right fit. He was recruited to the University of Cincinnati by Ravens coach John Harbaugh, interestingly enough.

Because he and his family live in Baltimore, this would be a good fit for Jackson. Beside his media obligations, he also owns a company called Carchex, located in Hunt Valley, which supplies certain needs for car owners.

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Cornerback Samari Rolle was holding his hamstring in the first half of the morning practice today, and by the end had an ice bag taped to it. The Ravens' secondary fell apart with injuries last season, and there is nothing to say it won't happen again in 2008.

What? Rolle didn't even make it through a week of practice. Cornerback Chris McAlister never made it through a week without his knee swelling, forcing him to miss time. Ravens coach John Harbaugh says safety Ed Reed should be ready for the opener, but Reed isn't so sure. Whenever Reed has been injured in the past, he always told you if he could play or not. There was no guessing. After his meeting with the media yesterday, I walked away feeling his neck injury was more serious than the Ravens first believed. I also think Harbaugh was trying to be optimistic, but I think the back end of the Ravens' defense is in trouble.

The team upgraded by adding cornerbacks Fabian Washington and Frank Walker, but they aren't better than Rolle or McAlister. And if Reed is patrolling center field, it helps cut down on the possibility of big plays regardless of who it starting at the corner positions.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Wide receiver and return specialist Yamon Figurs had been missing from training camp since Sunday with no word of his whereabouts. Today, coach John Harbaugh cleared the air by revealing that Figurs was celebrating the birth of his child (gender undisclosed).

Harbaugh also said that cornerback Fabian Washington, who hasn't played since recording two interceptions against the New England Patriots on Thursday night, is dealing with what Harbaugh called "neck spasms." Although Washington's return is unclear, Harbaugh said he expects Figurs to be available to play on Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings.

In other injury news, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was in full pads and uniform for the first time since spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on July 27. Ngata was limited to individual drills.

Offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), cornerbacks Chris McAlister (swollen right knee), David Pittman (undisclosed) and Washington (neck spasms), tight ends Todd Heap (right calf) and Aaron Walker (left knee), linebacker Robert McCune (right leg) and rookie wide receiver Patrick Carter (dislocated shoulder) watched practice from the sidelines.

Players who were absent included linebackers Gary Stills (knee), Dan Cody (right foot) and rookie Tavares Gooden (hip), defensive tackles Kelly Gregg (knee surgery) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder) and running back Willis McGahee (knee surgery).

In addition to the signing of four-time Pro Bowl fullback Lorenzo Neal, the team also added former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Keith Heinrich. To make room for Heinrich, tight end Lee Vickers was released.

The Ravens were available to sign Neal without releasing a player because the team had severed ties with three players and added only two yesterday.

Two of those players who were placed on injured reserve yesterday -- linebacker Prescott Burgess (broken left wrist) and running back P.J. Daniels (separated shoulder) -- were injury-waived, which means they are no longer members of the team.

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I like the addition of Lorenzo Neal. He has been one of the game's best fullbacks during the last decade, and he's a warrior. I'm not sure how much he has left, but he always seems to play well. He is aggressive at the point of attack and also can be a factor catching a quick pass out of the backfield.

The Ravens are going to need a quality fullback because they are going to have to pound the ball to win games. They can't rely on any of their quarterbacks. Also, if Le'Ron McClain gets into shape, the Ravens might be able to wear teams down with McClain running behind Neal. It's a gamble, but one worth taking. For 2008, the Ravens' formula for success won't change from previous seasons because they are limited as far as offensive talent, and they have a young offensive line.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

The players have been excused from practice this afternoon and meetings in the evening, and they can thank Matt Stover for the sweet freedom.

Coach John Harbaugh told the players he would give them the afternoon and night off if Stover converted a 48-yard field goal during the morning session. With several of his teammates whispering "Stover, Stover," the 40-year-old kicker nailed the 48-yarder.

“John knows how to put pressure on a guy,” said Stover, who was mobbed by his teammates after the kick. “You’ve got to be able to put yourself in those situations as a kicker. There’s nothing that can replicate that other than a game, and that’s as close as you can get. In fact, I think that was worse than kicking a game-winner because you don’t want to let your guys down.”

Stover said he was issued a similar challenge by Bill Belichick when both were with the Cleveland Browns.

"But he would back me up to, like, 60 yards," Stover said. "He would make it really almost impossible for me to make. Did you see the defense? They weren’t rushing very hard, were they? I knew I had all kinds of time. … It’s fun to be able to be a part of that.”

Other observations:

* Kyle Boller got off to a good start, connecting on eight of his first nine passes during full-team drills. But he gave it all back during a one-minute drill when safety Jim Leonhard stepped in front of a Boller pass intended for wide receiver Matt Willis on a slant pattern and took off down the left sidelines.

Troy Smith was worse. He threw a low pass to wide receiver Derrick Mason behind the line of scrimmage, and when Mason couldn't corral the throw, cornerback Corey Ivy pounced on the loose ball. During the one-minute drill, Smith fired a deep post pass to rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith, but free safety Ed Reed made the interception and returned it 40 yards into the end zone. Smith did make amends later by connecting with rookie wide receiver Justin Harper for a touchdown.

Rookie Joe Flacco fared better. Under Flacco, the offense marched down the field during the one-minute drill and scored when he found Mason at the 5-yard line and Mason scampered into the end zone.

* Tempers flared again, but there were no all-out brawls. After a run by Alex Haynes, left guard Ben Grubbs and linebacker Jarret Johnson got into a shoving match. On the ensuing play, Smith and Ivy took shots at each other.

* Stover made three of four field goals, converting attempts of 31, 41 and 48. His 53-yarder slipped wide right. Rookie Piotr Czech was good from 31, 41 and 53 yards, but his 48-yarder caromed off the right upright.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh says running back Willis McGahee will be ready for the season opener against the Bengals, but how effective will he be?

McGahee reported to training camp out of shape, and this morning reportedly had arthroscopic knee surgery. That means he is going to be inactive for a couple of weeks.

McGahee might dress, and play on a limited basis, but I can't see him at full tilt. I hope rookie Ray Rice is ready, and if I were the Ravens, I'd be looking for another running back as well.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

It has to be disappointing for the Ravens to put second-year player Prescott Burgess (wrist fracture) on injured reserve. He worked extremely hard during the offseason and has played well in training camp. He has excellent potential, especially considering he's 6-3 and 240 pounds. As a rookie, Burgess got off to a good start playing in the first eight games a year ago and collecting seven special teams tackles. But he missed the last eight after being placed on IR with a hip injury.

The Ravens have a lot of good young linebackers, but they need playing time. The team might need some of these young guys next season with Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott being in the final years of their contracts.

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Matt Stover might have some competition from an unlikely source.

For the second consecutive day, punter Sam Koch kicked field goals during practice. With Stover and rookie Piotr Czech given the day off, Koch connected on attempts of 20, 28, 35 and 42 yards.

“I used to do it in high school and messed around with it in college just to keep that skill there in case there ever was an emergency,” Koch said. “It was fun.”

Koch said Stover and Czech have also tried their hands at punting, but it's unclear whether job security is an issue for Koch.

Other observations:

* The quarterbacks struggled again with Kyle Boller appearing to make fewer mistakes than both Troy Smith and rookie Joe Flacco. Had he not been wearing a red, non-contact jersey, Smith would have been sacked by linebacker Edgar Jones and defensive tackle Lorenzo Williams and was nearly intercepted twice.

Flacco wasn't sacked, but he committed the lone giveaway. Stepping up into the pocket, Flacco lost control of the football as his arm was moving forward. Safety Jim Leonhard bobbled the ball before cornerback Derrick Martin hauled in the fumble/interception.

Boller was almost picked off by Martin and still locks onto his receivers, but he avoided the sacks and giveaways that Smith and Flacco couldn't.

* Smith made the play of the day when he pump-faked a short pass to wide receiver Mark Clayton, enticing cornerback David Pittman to jump the route. Clayton continued down the field and hauled in a long completion. On the ensuing play, Smith and center Jason Brown botched the exchange before Smith recovered the loose ball.

* As good as the defense was, the unit's aggressiveness drew some trouble. Officials flagged the defense for four offside penalties. The offense didn't get away unscathed, committing one false start.

* Defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament), Kelly Gregg (left knee) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder), linebackers Dan Cody (right foot), Robert McCune (undisclosed) and rookie Tavares Gooden (undisclosed), cornerbacks Chris McAlister (right knee) and Fabian Washington (undisclosed), offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), tight ends Todd Heap (right calf) and Aaron Walker (left knee) and wide receiver Yamon Figurs (undisclosed) did not practice.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Since Ravens nose guard Kelly Gregg recently had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and coach John Harbaugh said today that running back Willis McGahee is undergoing the procedure on his left knee, I asked cornerback Chris McAlister if he'd soon be on the list. It makes sense because McAlister could get the surgery, and if there wasn't a problem, he could be ready for the season opener. McAlister has missed the last two days of practice and is wearing a brace on his left knee.

"What, are you crazy?' asked McAlister. "Nope, I've never been under the knife, and I'm not going under the knife."

A simple no would have sufficed. But with C-Mac, nothing is ever simple. But I admit, I do like asking him questions because you never know what answer you're going to get.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Watching Ravens quarterback Troy Smith perform the last two days has been difficult. He looks bad. The entire offense has looked lethargic as well, but you hope that the quarterback can make a play or two to get things going. Nothing. Granted, the offensive line has performed poorly, and the running backs won't pick up blitzes. But even when Smith has time to throw, he has been inaccurate. Maybe it's just a dry spell Smith is going through, or maybe he has lost confidence in his offensive line. But if he plays this poorly Saturday night against the Vikings, then it will be no contest as to which quarterback will start the regular-season opener. One day it would be fun to go to practice and watch an offense that can light up a defense.

Posted by Mike Preston at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Plenty of special-teams hijinks from this afternoon's practice. The first involved coach John Harbaugh taking part in kickoff coverage, which is nothing new considering Harbaugh's background as the former special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

But as Harbaugh raced downfield, he was greeted by linebacker Antwan Barnes and rookie safety Haruki Nakamura, both of whom proceeded to drive Harbaugh back about 20 yards. At one point, someone bellowed to Barnes and Nakamura, "Watch it!" After the play ended, the crowd gave Harbaugh a warm round of applause.

On the ensuing kickoff, quarterbacks Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and rookie Joe Flacco ran as members of the coverage team. A kickoff later, assistant coaches from the Navy football team participated.

Finally, tight ends coach Wade Harman actually dove at kick returner Cory Ross. Harman missed Ross by several inches.

Other observations:

* Linebacker Gary Stills, wide receiver Darnerien McCants and tight end Aaron Walker -- all of whom practiced in the morning -- did not participate in the afternoon session. The reasons for their non-participation were undisclosed.

* Cornerback Samari Rolle and linebacker Nick Greisen celebrated their birthdays today. A large cake was brought out to the field for Rolle, who turned 32, and Greisen, 29.

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

At first, I understood Oniel Cousins. He was a rookie offensive lineman trying to make the team. So when he got in an occasional fight in practice, I thought he was trying to do it to impress the coaches. But now I'm wondering if the guy has some type of issue. Cousins got in another fight this morning with outside linebacker Antwan Barnes. This was serious stuff. So serious, in fact, that as teammates broke up the fight, Barnes kicked Cousins in the rear end. He had a better foot than Matt Stover.

He hit it square and center.

It usually never gets to that point where one player attacks another in private areas, but I think Cousins needs to calm down. Take a pill and chill out, big boy. It seems like he gets into a fight every day. If you want to make the team, go pancake some defensive end in the end zone. Or how about blocking some of those blitzing linebackers you seem to miss every day? That will get your coaches' attention more than stirring up another fight in practice.

The best part of the fight, though, was outside linebacker Jarret Johnson jumping onto the pile and then getting his helmet knocked off. Johnson didn't try to break it up, but he leaped on the pile.

"Nothing crazy, I was just trying to have some fun," Johnson said. "My helmet was on, but it got knocked off when I went airborne. I was like, oh, oh, you're in trouble on the way down."

Posted by Mike Preston at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

For the second straight practice after Thursday night's game against the Patriots, the defense dominated the offense. It was ugly at times. Part of the reason is that the Ravens' offensive players are still in transition. A lot of them are still soft while the defensive players just play hard all the time, regardless of whether it's a game or practice. New coach John Harbaugh has tried to instill this in his offensive players, and he still has a ways to go.

Another problem for the offense is that the Ravens bring so much defensive pressure, especially with blitzes. The Ravens seem to be on that edge where the pressure is counterproductive to the offense because the offensive players can't get their work in. There are a lot of times when the quarterbacks are hit or harassed, and it ruins the timing on pass patterns.

Of course, the Ravens need to learn how to block these blitzes as well, but when is enough, enough?

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Ravens endured another brief scare this morning when left offensive tackle Chad Slaughter went down with what appeared to be a right knee injury during full-team drills.

After staying on the turf for several minutes, Slaughter gingerly got back on his feet and limped off the field. He began to put more weight on his right leg and returned to drills a few minutes later.

Had Slaughter gone down for an extended time, the first offensive line likely would have featured Mike Kracalik at left tackle and Oniel Cousins at right tackle. The backups would have been rookies Isaiah Wiggins and David Hale at left and right tackles, respectively.

Speaking of Cousins, the rookie ran at right tackle with the first offense. Cousins said it's unclear whether he will remain at that position when the Ravens take on the Minnesota Vikings in the team's preseason home opener on Saturday night. But that's his approach for now. “Coach has this mentality that everybody on the offensive line is a starter," Cousins said. "So that’s how you’ve got to prepare yourself and be ready to go.”

Other observations:

* The defense overwhelmed the quarterbacks and offensive line seemingly at the whim of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Troy Smith was sacked four times, rookie Joe Flacco twice and Kyle Boller once -- and those are conservative numbers. When the quarterbacks did have time to throw, they either overthrew the receivers or had the passes knocked down by the secondary.

At one point, the offense under Smith was ordered by coach John Harbaugh to run a third-and-long situation three times to get Matt Stover and Piotr Czech a chance to kick field goals. To help facilitate matters, cornerback Corey Ivy yelled out, "Defense! Everybody lay down!"

* During one-on-one blocking drills, the blitzing linebackers and defensive backs pushed around the running backs and tight ends. The only offensive player who fared well was fullback Justin Green, who got the best of linebacker Bart Scott two times.

* In a slight surprise, punter Sam Koch opened the field-goal drill by converting attempts of 20 and 35 yards. Koch returned to his usual holder's position for Stover and Czech. Stover went 2-of-3, but Czech missed all four of his attempts.

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Not sure if there was an underlying cause, but the performance of the offense clearly put the coaching staff in a foul mood this morning.

While offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was imploring the players to get better, offensive line coach John Matsko was getting on the case of rookie lineman David Hale. Said Matsko to Hale: "We need you to be a physical [expletive] today."

During full-team drills, the offense began to spin its wheels in the mud, drawing the ire of Cameron, Matsko and coach John Harbaugh. When linebacker Bart Scott broke up a Troy Smith pass to tight end Adam Bergen, Cameron bellowed, "Come on, Adam! Make the catch!"

When someone on the offensive line failed to open a bigger hole for rookie running back Ray Rice, Matsko yelled, "O-Line, we've got to cover! Let's go!" And when the drills seemed to end on a Smith incompletion intended for running back Cory Ross, Harbaugh called the first offense back onto the field. “The ones [first offense] back on the field. The offense decided not to come to practice today!” Harbaugh said, his voice rising. “We’re going to get this right.”

Other observations:

* Quarterbacks Troy Smith and rookie Joe Flacco split most of the reps during full-team drills today, and both faltered badly. Smith was intercepted three times (by linebacker Ray Lewis, free safety Ed Reed and strong safety Dawan Landry) in his first eight pass attempts, and cornerback Samari Rolle nearly squeezed in another one. The defense sniffed out a Flacco flea-flicker, and Flacco would have been sacked by linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo and defensive tackle Salomon Solano. Kyle Boller took a few snaps and connected on short passes, while misfiring on his deep throws.

* In addition to the combined sack by Ayanbadejo and Solano, linebackers Jarret Johnson and Antwan Barnes and defensive end Trevor Pryce would have sacked Smith. The offense was also called for false start three times.

* Defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament), Kelly Gregg (left knee) and Kelly Talavou (sprained shoulder), linebackers Dan Cody (right foot), Prescott Burgess (broken left wrist), Robert McCune (undisclosed) and rookie Tavares Gooden (undisclosed), cornerbacks Chris McAlister (right knee) and Fabian Washington (undisclosed), running backs Willis McGahee (left knee) and P.J. Daniels (shoulder), offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle) and tight end Todd Heap (right calf) did not practice.

* Wide receiver Matt Willis and rookie running back Allen Patrick botched an exchange on a reverse, allowing defensive tackle Justin Bannan to pounce on the fumble. When Willis and Patrick repeated the play with no problems, fans derisively cheered.

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Jared Gaither's ascent to become Jonathan Ogden's successor at left tackle for the Ravens continues to have its share of bumps.

Gaither, who was picked up in the supplemental draft after losing his eligibility at Maryland as a sophomore, was penciled in as the starter when Ogden officially announced his retirement in June. When Gaither and Adam Terry both sustained injuries early in training camp, the Ravens scrambled to sign Oakland Raiders castoff Chad Slaughter.

Slaughter did reasonably well in his first start against the New England Patriots, his first live action since getting cut in training camp by the Raiders last year. Terry seems to be closer to getting back than Gaither, a player who has tested the patience of the new coaching staff at times with his lack of maturity.

It surfaced again today during the team's morning workout at McDaniel College.

The offensive line was already doing position drills, with Terry watching nearby, when Gaither walked out onto the field. He tried to say something to offensive line coach John Matsko, but the veteran assistant didn't want to hear any excuses, pointing out that Terry had been there earlier than Gaither to receive treatment, thus being able to get on the practice field with the team.

Matsko declined to comment after practice about the exchange. Gaither is still clearly in the Ravens plans as soon as he's healthy, but if Slaughter continues to get his conditioning back after sitting out last season, the seven-year veteran could likely be the team's starting left tackle for the first game of the regular season against Cincinnati.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Here are some observations from the Ravens' 16-15 win over the New England Patriots in the preseason opener.

Three things I liked:

* The Ravens had a nice pace on offense. They were in and out of the huddle quickly. For a first preseason game, they seemed as if they knew the offense as far as alignment. The passing game was fairly crisp.

* The Ravens dominated on special teams. They converted all three field-goal attempts. Sam Koch averaged 51.3 yards on four punts. Yamon Figurs returned a punt 52 yards.

* The Ravens showed good depth on defense. They were missing a lot of starters, but the backups stepped up.

Three things I didn't like:

* The Ravens didn't establish a running game. Rookie Ray Rice had two chances for long runs but failed to hit the holes. The offensive linemen need to hold their blocks longer.

* The Ravens' quarterback play was erratic. Starter Kyle Boller played well but had two turnovers. Troy Smith made some excellent throws but is still inaccurate.

* The Ravens gave up too many rushing yards. At times they seemed to overpursue.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Preseason games are usually boring, but if you have to pick two to watch, always watch the first one and the third. The first one allows you to get a peek at any new wrinkles in the offense or defense. In the case of the Ravens, they have a new offensive coordinator in Cam Cameron, so it will be fun and interesting to see what kind of system he runs.

Also, you get a chance to take a look at some of the rookies. Some young guys to keep an eye on are running back Ray Rice, who might eventually end up pushing Willis McGahee out of town. Yes, he has shown that kind of potential in training camp.

As expected, rookie linebacker Tavares Gooden has shown a lot of explosion and passion, but the sleeper is fellow rookie linebacker Jameel McClain, a free agent out of Syracuse. Safety Haruki Nakamura was outstanding in offseason minicamps, and has been just as impressive in training camp.

Of course, keep an eye on offensive tackle Chad Slaughter. I don't know how many reps he can take because he is obviously out of shape, but the big man has quickness and explosion. A lot of attention will be focused on the offensive line, especially in the middle, where guards Marshal Yanda, Ben Grubbs and center Jason Brown are back in their natural positions.

I don't anticipate defensive coordinator Rex Ryan using a lot of his starters. He has more proven guys on that side of the ball, but we get a chance to see if those new corners, Fabian Washington and Frank Walker, can cover. Washington has been solid in training camp, but Walker has been getting torched a lot.

The third game is the true barometer because most coaches like to work their starters three quarters before giving them the fourth preseason game off in preparation of the season opener.

Posted by Mike Preston at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

More than 6,200 fans attended the Ravens' morning practice today, pushing the training camp total attendance for 14 dates to 56,195. An estimated crowd of 6,150 was at McDaniel College on Monday, too. The camp high was 6,925 on July 25 for the first veterans' workout.

After Thursday's game at New England, the Ravens have Friday off and return to practice on Saturday with 8:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. practices. The afternoon practice is for special teams.

The team has two practices each day from Friday through Aug. 14, the last day fans may attend. The Ravens close camp on Friday, Aug. 15, and host the Minnesota Vikings the next day at M&T Bank Stadium.

Posted by Ken Murray at 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Ravens coach John Harbaugh today named Kyle Boller the starting quarterback for the preseason opener against the New England Patriots, and I'm not surprised. Neither Boller, Troy Smith or top draft pick Joe Flacco have separated themselves during training camp. All three have been inconsistent and erratic, but also have had their moments.

The decision by Harabugh to start Boller is a good one. Boller is the elder statesman and has the most experience. He deserves the opportunity to either win the job or lose it. Also, because he is the oldest of the trio, it probably would have damaged his psyche more than the others if he wasn't the starter. It's way to early to kill motivation for any of these players. The Ravens basically have two preseason games to find a starter, and they should have the No. 1 choice in place by the third game to get most of the repetitions.

I don't read anything into Boller being the starter Thursday night just as if Harbaugh had named Smith the starter. So far, Harbaugh has been true to his word. This has been an open competition at quarterback.

-Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (52)
        

The moment you saw the Ravens walk onto the field at McDaniel College for today's morning workout without pads, you knew the tone of the practice was going to be a lot different.

There was a lot of teaching and not any hitting.

Is that why the word "fundamentals" starts with fun?

The spirited workout was likely the result of the dwindling number of healthy bodies going into Thursday's opening preseason game against the New England Patriots in Foxboro, Mass.

It wasn't quite a walk-through, something the Ravens will do in private Wednesday in Westminster.

It was more like a run-through.

Here are some observations:

While quarterback Kyle Boller was named the starter by John Harbaugh after practice, he still looks a bit shaky out there. There were a couple of times when offensive coordinator Cam Cameron pulled him over after Boller missed his target by more than five yards.

(An aside for those Ravens fans who think that Boller can't hit the broad side of a barn. At one point in the practice, Boller threw a 30-yard pass directed at a barn adjacent to the field. He missed, leading one of my Sun colleagues to say, "And the barn was open.")

Cameron also wasn't too happy when rookie quarterback Joe Flacco got a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage and should have had another one knocked down later on, but it went through the hands of defensive lineman Lorenzo Williams. Quarterback Troy Smith, again, showed more than the others, including a 60-yard touchdown pass that wide receiver Kerry Reed tipped in the air away from cornerback David Pittman.

Another observation: Running back Ray Rice continues to be one of the stars of this camp. With Willis McGahee sitting out because of knee problems, the rookie from Rutgers continues to impress with his durability and stamina -- something Ravens fans are starting to notice in comparison to McGahee -- as well as his play-making ability.

Rice will start against the Patriots, something worth watching the more McGahee sits out.

Posted by Don Markus at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

This morning's practice was punctuated by a Matt Stover field goal that bounced up a short bank at McDaniel College and into the back of Derrick Mason's Maserati. The kick was just a 20-yarder and Stover made it with ease. But when Mason saw the the ball hit, he moved to the sideline and feigned anger.

"Hey, Stover, [if] my car's messed up, you're paying for it," Mason yelled.

One of the ball boys missed a chance to catch the ball at the bank; he went over to Mason and apologized for the miss.

"Don't worry about it," Mason told him. "[Stover] has enough money."

The car was not damaged.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Cornerback Samari Rolle did not practice this afternoon -- as initially predicted by coach John Harbaugh -- but ran on his own on an empty practice field at McDaniel College.

Players who took part in the morning session but did not practice this afternoon were cornerbacks Chris McAlister (swollen right knee), Fabian Washington (undisclosed) and David Pittman (undisclosed) and linebackers Bart Scott (left thigh) and Gary Stills (undisclosed).

Linebacker Edgar Jones returned to practice from an undisclosed injury. Offensive tackle Joe Reitz also participated despite a wrapped left shoulder.

Celebrity alert: Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon visited practice.

Posted by Edward Lee at 4:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

So, where in the world is Ravens left offensive tackle Jared Gaither?

He went down three or four days into training camp with an ankle sprain, and we haven't seen much of him since. Was this a severe ankle sprain, or a high ankle sprain or what? Team officials have said it wasn't a serious injury, but if it wasn't, they should have been able to tape him up and put him back on the field.

***

I really enjoy watching offensive line coach John Matsko. He is a stickler for detail. If the Ravens break the huddle wrong or are slow coming out of it, he makes them go back and do it again, just like we used to do in rec ball and high school. If the Ravens run a trap play, and the guard puts his shoulder on the wrong side when making a block, he makes the team do it over again.

Despite what some people think, it's never one play that causes a team to lose. It the 15 to 20 little things that aren't executed properly that make the difference.

***

I think cornerback Derrick Martin is getting paid by Derrick Mason. Because every time Martin seems to line up against Mason, he blows him up for touchdowns. Mason scored twice on him in the morning session, once on a long pass, and the other on a short pass inside the red zone.

***

Fullback Justin Green was in the coaches' doghouse earlier in training camp. He appeared sluggish and out of shape. But Green has rebounded well, and today delivered a crushing blow on safety Haruki Nakamura that led to a 40-yard touchdown run around the left corner.

Green is supposedly out of the doghouse, but on a short leash.

- Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Besides the return of cornerback Samari Rolle, another newsworthy sign was the appearance of defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins moving around without the aid of braces on their right knees.

Ngata, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his knee, took part in individual drills and did not practice this morning, but Cousins participated fully with seemingly little difficulty. Defensive tackle Justin Bannan (undisclosed) also practiced for the first time in several days.

Cornerback Chris McAlister missed the latter half of the morning session with his right knee iced and wrapped, but he did not appear to be in terrible pain while walking off the field after practice.

Those who did not practice included offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), running backs Willis McGahee (left knee) and P.J. Daniels (cramps), tight ends Todd Heap (right calf) and Aaron Walker (left knee), linebackers Edgar Jones (undisclosed) and Dan Cody (right foot), defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (left knee) and wide receiver Patrick Carter (dislocated left shoulder).

Other observations:

* The offense was guilty of three penalties – false starts on right offensive tackle Mike Kracalik and wide receiver Mark Clayton and pass interference on rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith. The defense, on the other hand, went flag-free.

* The defense also would have registered three sacks except that the quarterbacks are wearing their non-contact red jerseys. Linebacker Jarret Johnson got to Troy Smith, defensive tackle Kelly Talavou would have wrapped up Kyle Boller, and Johnson and defensive tackle Dwan Edwards combined to surround Smith.

* Rookie Joe Flacco was the only quarterback to throw for a touchdown during a red-zone drill. Flacco lobbed a floater to wide receiver Derrick Mason, who leaped over cornerback Derrick Martin in the rear left portion of the end zone.

* Safety Jim Leonhard nearly intercepted Flacco, and linebacker Robert McCune dropped an errant pass from Boller. Afterwards, both Leonhard and McCune dropped to the turf and punched out 10 push-ups each.

Posted by Edward Lee at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

For the first time this season, the Ravens looked decent on offense and some things appeared to be coming together. All three quarterbacks need to improve on accuracy, but the Ravens hit quite a few timing patterns. I was impressed with the running game. By the end of practice, it looked like the offense was starting to gel. The key seems to be communication on the offensive line. When they aren't talking and pointing out blocking assignments, they struggle. But the more they communicated at the line of scrimmage, the more success the entire offense had.

******

Starting cornerback Chris McAlister only made it through the first half of practice before he stopped and had ice packs put on his swollen knee. According to McAlister, it was the coaching staff's idea. Clearly, though, McAlister's right knee was bigger and much puffier than than his left knee. McAlister said he could have continued to practice, but it was a coach's decision to sit him down. I have a feeling we're going to be paying a lot of attention to that knee again this season.

****

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata didn't practice this morning because of a sprained knee, but he looked fine. Ngata did a lot of stretching and running in place during practice. He wore a knee brace Sunday, but only had a small wrap around his knee this morning.

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

A couple of notes from players on their day off yesterday:

Rookie wide receiver Marcus Smith said he took a four-hour nap after yesterday's morning practice. He woke up at 7 p.m. to eat dinner, study the playbook, and watch a little television before going to bed at 10 p.m. and not waking up until 10 a.m. today. “I definitely got in my extra rest that I’ve been missing for the last week-and-a-half," he said.

Linebacker Jarret Johnson went home and watched a movie to relax. "It's always nice to go home and recharge the batteries."

Posted by Edward Lee at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

That day off from practice didn't seem to help Kyle Boller and -- to a lesser degree -- Troy Smith that much this afternoon. Full-team drills started with rookie linebacker Jameel McClain getting past left offensive tackle Chad Slaughter for what would have been a quick and easy sack of Boller.

On the ensuing play, Smith badly overthrew wide receiver Mark Clayton, and the ball was nearly intercepted by rookie safety Haruki Nakamura, who promptly banged out 10 push-ups on the sidelines. The very next play, Boller's pass to tight end Adam Bergen was picked off by cornerback David Pittman, who took the football 40 yards to the end zone.

The quarterbacks settled down and seemingly rediscovered their rhythm, but the beginning wasn't pretty.

Other observations:

• Clayton (sprained right shoulder), fullback Justin Green (left knee) and running back Cory Ross (undisclosed) returned to practice, but tight end Todd Heap (right calf) and running back Willis McGahee (left knee) were two of the most notable absences.

Offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), linebackers Edgar Jones (concussion and right leg) and Dan Cody (right foot) and defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (left knee) were also absent from practice.

Practicing on a limited basis or on their own were: Defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament) and Justin Bannan (undisclosed), tight ends Daniel Wilcox (toe) and Aaron Walker (left knee), safety Ed Reed (shoulder), wide receiver Demetrius Williams (lower left leg) and rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins (right knee).

• Funniest moment of practice occurred with the linebackers taking part in an interceptions drill with position coach Greg Mattison. Players who dropped the football had to complete 20 push-ups. Nick Greisen, Jarret Johnson and Gary Stills each punched out push-ups.

I may have misheard the next part, but I thought Mattison pledged to do 80 push-ups if Greisen caught the next pass with one hand. Mattison looked like Brett Favre as he zipped the pass to Greisen's left. Mattison then hurled another football towards Greisen's right, and the linebacker got his hand on the ball before it fell to the turf.

Posted by Edward Lee at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Much has been made about preseason NFL games and about their true value. John Harbaugh got it right today when he talked about playing the Patriots on Thursday.

"We've got a lot of work to do between now and the game," he said, "but we consider the game to be another practice. ... It's an exhibition game. It's a practice game, so to speak."

Harbaugh was speaking more to the point that the Ravens won't have fresh legs against the Patriots. They'll be heavy-legged and weary from the grind of two-a-days. Good chance they'll lose by a lot. But that's not to say some good won't come out of it. The most value in preseason games is for the young players trying to make a mark. They get most of the reps, and when one shows up well, he gets a harder look in practice and during the following week.

Could the NFL do without practice games dressed up like regular season games (as expensive, as well)? Certainly. But the league needs those "practices" against other teams to show who can make the jump from Saturday to Sunday football, and who can't.

Watch the young guys. That's the game. Or practice.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

With Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams sidelined, the Ravens have had to dig deeper into their receiving corps.

In Saturday's morning practice, Yamon Figurs ran with Derrick Mason with the first-team offense, and Marcus Smith came in as the No. 3 receiver.

Clayton (sprained shoulder) and Williams (lower leg injury) are both expected to return (and Clayton wants to play in the preseason opener), but it's interesting to see the Ravens' current pecking order.

Figurs had trouble last season just catching punts and kickoffs, so it could be a risk putting him at receiver. But Figurs, who is the fastest player on the team, showed more reliable hands in today's practice.

Smith, a rookie fourth-round pick, has been one of the more pleasant surprises of what could be a strong draft class.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Breaking sharply from what had been the norm over the past several days, all three Ravens quarterbacks had good outings during this morning's practice at McDaniel College in Westminster.

Kyle Boller had some zip on his passes and made some throws that in the past would have resulted in interceptions. His best pass occurred during a 7-on-7 drill with wide receivers Matt Willis and rookie Marcus Smith running similar post patterns, but Willis' route was a few yards deeper. Boller slung the ball over Smith and cornerback Corey Ivy to a wide-open Willis, who would have added substantial yardage downfield.

Troy Smith showed off his arm strength with sideline throws, and his ability to scamper out of collapsing pockets and turn losses into modest gains can only help the patchwork offensive line. On one play, Smith bounced to his right to get out of the pocket before turning upfield.

Rookie Joe Flacco can get the ball to his receivers. Sometimes the receivers don't secure the passes, but Flacco seems to have faith that his teammates will be in the right spots. On one play, he launched a pass before Smith made his move on a deep post pattern, and the football hit Smith in stride.

Other observations:

* Sure, they are teammates, but it seems at times that the offensive and defensive players don't like each other. Linebacker Antwan Barnes shoved right guard Marshal Yanda twice after a play, fullback Le'Ron McClain and cornerback David Pittman traded barbs, and safety Ed Reed kept trying to goad wide receiver Derrick Mason into a verbal exchange. Maybe this 24-hour respite from camp will do wonders for the soul.

* Rookie running back Ray Rice continues to impress with his hard-nosed running style and ability to cut back across the grain for holes. Rice appeared to have his own cheering section as several fans dressed in Rutgers scarlet red T-shirts populated the area behind the end zone of one practice field and screamed, "Ray!" every time the running back touched the ball.

* Linebacker Ray Lewis's heart must have heaved a sigh of relief with the sight of defensive tackle Haloti Ngata jogging on the adjacent practice field. With Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament), Kelly Gregg (left knee) and Justin Bannan (undisclosed) not practicing, Dwan Edwards was at times joined by Kelly Talavou and Lorenzo Williams in the trenches.

* Safety Dawan Landry pulled off a spectacular interception by leaping over 6-foot-5 rookie wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright to pick off Smith, but cornerback Corey Ivy registered the most acrobatic takeaway. Wheelwright could not control a Boller pass, and the ball bounced to Ivy, who juggled it three times before securing the interception.

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The biggest injury news of this morning's practice didn't involve who watched from the sidelines, but who was confined to the sidelines.

Tight end Todd Heap did not take part in the latter half of practice due to a right calf injury. Heap, who had his calf wrapped, walked off the field with just a few minutes left in practice.

Due to Heap's limited status, Adam Bergen took most of the reps at tight end with the first offense. The 6-foot-4, 267-pound Bergen, who was waived by the Arizona Cardinals this past offseason, seems to have leapfrogged Lee Vickers, who played in eight games and started two last season for the Ravens.

In other injury news, defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (sprained right medial collateral ligament) and Justin Bannan (undisclosed), wide receivers Mark Clayton (sprained right shoulder), Demetrius Williams (lower left leg) and Patrick Carter (dislocated left shoulder), safety Ed Reed (shoulder), tight end Daniel Wilcox (toe), fullback Justin Green (left knee), running back Cory Ross (undisclosed) and rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins (sprained right knee) either watched practice or participated in individual drills.

The absences included offensive tackles Adam Terry (sprained left ankle) and Jared Gaither (right ankle), running backs Willis McGahee (left knee) and P.J. Daniels (cramps), defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (left knee) and linebacker Dan Cody (right foot).

Posted by Edward Lee at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Special teams coaches share a common bond, but a past history of friendship helped bring Jerry Rosburg to the Ravens as special teams coordinator under John Harbaugh.

Rosburg coached in Michigan (Northern Michigan University) in the 1980s and at Western Michigan after John had coached there. Then the two coaches worked together at the University of Cincinnati for five years in the early 1990s.

“Our families became close [at Cincinnati] and our wives are close,” Rosburg said after special teams practice today. “This is a special situation for me working with John.”

Rosburg elevated the Cleveland Browns’ special teams to the upper tier from 2001-06 and spent last year in Atlanta before joining the Ravens. Under Rosburg, Browns’ kicker Phil Dawson hit 27 of 29 field goals (2005) and later made 27 consecutive kicks (2003-04).

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

There was a disturbing trend in Friday's morning practice, when Ravens returners repeatedly dropped punts.

Ray Rice, who returned kickoffs more than punts at Rutgers, let two punts go through his hands. Yamon Figurs, the Ravens' return specialist last season, let one go through his grasp.

After 10 days of full-team practices, it seems like the concentration is lacking at times. The Ravens can't afford miscues like that on special teams.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

The Ravens signed running back Alex Haynes and released cornerback Anwar Phillips.

With three running backs hurt (Willis McGahee, P.J. Daniels and Cory Ross), the Ravens needed to add some depth for training camp. Haynes, who was at Ravens training camp a few years ago, played last season for the Carolina Panthers. He had three yards on three carries.

Phillips was recently signed after being released from the New Orleans Saints.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

A year ago, hardly anyone would have noticed if Troy Smith missed the first hour-plus of practice.

Today, more than a few fans were heard asking, "Where's Troy?"

It turns out the second-year quarterback was taking a drug test and had trouble providing a urine sample, according to Ravens coach John Harbaugh in his post-practice news conference.

It was interesting to see how the dynamics shifted in Smith's absence. Kyle Boller, provided the opportunity to get more repetitions and perhaps separate himself from his main competition for the starting job, had the kind of workout that sums up his career in Baltimore -- bad luck and bad decisions.

Boller had one pass picked off by Ray Lewis after the ball sailed through tight end Todd Heap's hands, was pressured into simulated sacks on successive plays and then was intercepted again by Lewis in the end zone during a red-zone drill. He also had a couple of other passes nearly intercepted after underthrowing off his back foot.

Joe Flacco wasn't much better, though for the second time in three days he made his best play with his feet -- a naked bootleg run around left end. The rookie quarterback from Delaware managed to avoid getting sacked today, and got rid of the ball a couple of times, throwing to open spaces rather than the guys in the other white jerseys.

Smith returned for the last half hour to 45 minutes, and looked sharp in both the 7-on-7 drills as well as the one live 11-on-11 drill.

If the Ravens are going to use the no-huddle, as they did today for the first time this week, Smith is their man. Given the situation with the offensive line, and the fact that Smith seems to think better on his feet than Boller when the pocket or the play break down, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State should have the edge.

The defense looked pretty sharp in practice.

Aside from Lewis and cornerback Chris McAlister, whose interception of a Flacco pass would have been a touchdown in a regular game, the most impressive player on defense was rookie safety Haruki Nakamura. On successive plays in a red-zone drill, Nakamura batted away passes to Heap in one-one-one coverage.

There were no new injuries to report after the morning session. The Ravens did make one roster move earlier today when they cut Anwar Phillips, a second-year cornerback out of Penn State and the only defensive back with less than three years experience. To fill his roster spot, the Ravens signed Alex Haynes, who was with the Ravens in training camp in 2005 and spent the last three years shuttling between the practice squad and the 53-man roster of the Carolina Panthers. Haynes, a running back by trade, also plays special teams.

Posted by Don Markus at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)