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)