Scott Pioli, the Chiefs' new GM, solved the team's ongoing quarterback crisis by trading for Matt Cassel of the Patriots today..

The trade will have repercussions at the top of the draft because the Chiefs are no longer in the quarterback market, at least with the third pick. They now will have the option of picking either offensive tackle Jason Smith of Baylor or Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.

In the past two days, Pioli, a former personnel man in New England, has traded for two Patriots. Yesterday he acquired veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel, who will help bring a better attitude and work ethic to Kansas City. The Chiefs gave up their second round pick -- the 34th overall -- to get both players.

Cassel replaced injured Patriots QB Tom Brady on opening day last season -- against the Chiefs -- and had a very strong season, throwing for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also completed 63.4 percent of his throws.

The trade also shows confidence that Brady will be able to return next season, despite disquieting reports since he developed an infection in his surgically repaired knee. And because they had placed the franchise tag on Cassel, the Pats also have plenty of cap space to dip into the free agent market.

-- Ken Murray

Posted by Ken Murray at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Jets coach Rex Ryan stepped softly around his choice of Bart Scott over Ray Lewis last night when he participated in a conference call with New York reporters. He called Lewis the premier middle linebacker in the game, but said Scott fit the Jets better.

Scott is four years younger than Lewis, has better cover skills and has played 58 consecutive games. More important, he also will help Ryan deceive offenses.

The Jets will use inside backers David Harris and Scott together and either one can be the Mike linebacker. That creates a problem for the offense, which needs to identify the Mike before the play.

Ryan loves to wreak havoc with the offensive blocking schemes, and this move will enable him to do that. It also gives him a teacher of the system. The more Ravens he gets in, the better the transition will go.

The Jets have more help on the way. They've almost completed a deal for Eagles' cornerback Lito Sheppard, who will be at the Jets' complex for a physical today. Also visiting the Jets today is Ravens safety Jim Leonhard, who boosted his value significantly with his one season in the Ryan scheme last season.

Ryan appears to be putting his defense together quickly now. Offense will be the bigger question and take longer.

-- Ken Murray

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

The Ravens are making a smart move in looking at Pittsburgh offensive tackle Marvel Smith.

Smith was slowed by injuries last season, but he could improve play at the tackle position, an area the Ravens definitely need to upgrade during the off season.

One of the reasons the Ravens' passing game suffered last season was that they had to keep tight ends and running backs in to chip block on defensive ends and outside linebackers.

There were numerous times when the Ravens sent out only two receivers. You can't beat a quality team like Pittsburgh with such a vanilla passing game.

Posted by Mike Preston at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

I know the Ravens needed to upgrade at corner and Domonique Foxworth will help them, but he isn't worth the four-year, $27.2 million contract the Ravens gave him.

The Ravens should have gotten more bang for their buck, but they are in a pretty poor situation having cut former starting cornerback Chris McAlister, and Samari Rolle no longer wanting to play in Baltimore.

But Foxworth, though, has only started 25 of 60 career games. I hope he plays better in Baltimore than in Denver and Atlanta.

Posted by Mike Preston at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

I wonder what the Ravens were thinking yesterday when the Washington Redskins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a new contract worth $100 million, $41 million of it guaranteed.

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata had to be at home chuckling.

Ngata isn't in Haynesworth's class yet, especially as a pass rusher, but he might be in a year or two. He is going to ask for a lot of money when it comes to his next contract, and the Ravens can thank little Danny Snyder, owner of the Redskins.

Snyder hasn't learned yet that you can't buy a title, and there is this little thing called team chemistry that matters the most.

-Mike Preston

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Ravens recently met with the agent for cornerback Samari Rolle and asked him to take a pay cut from the $4.1 million he is expected to make this season.

Rolle declined to take the pay cut, and the Ravens put him on the trading block during the last week. The Ravens intitally wanted a third-round pick, but later decided to take anything they could get.

Now that the Ravens have agreed to a four-year deal with cornerback Domonique Foxworth, Rolle could be cut soon.

- Mike Preston

Posted by Ron Fritz at 3:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

Ravens inside linebacker Bart Scott is in New York, but continues to still negotiate with both the Ravens and Jets.

There is speculation that the Ravens have offered Scott a five-year contract worth $42 million, and Scott also wants assurances that he will become the center piece of the defense in Baltimore, much like Ray Lewis was during the last decade.

Jets head coach Rex Ryan, the Ravens' former defensive coordinator, keeps increasing the ante as the Ravens go up.

-- Mike Preston

Posted by Ron Fritz at 2:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

It's all but official that inside linebacker Bart Scott is bolting Baltimore for the Jets and Rex Ryan. He has been offered a five-year deal worth $40 million by the Jets, and they're expected to announce the agreement shortly.

That may present Ray Lewis with some leverage in his talks with the Ravens. He certainly doesn't appear to have it elsewhere. It does present a problem if Lewis ultimately leaves.

Scott going to the Jets is fairly ironic. There was a point early in the season when Ryan was defending his decision not to blitz Scott as much as in the past. Scott was not making any plays in the backfield, only at the line of scrimmage when he met a running back.

Ryan will likely build his defense around Scott in New York, and the linebacker should have the attention he craved -- but couldn't quite get -- here.

Posted by Ken Murray at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

The Browns never got much bang for their buck from drafting Kellen Winslow in 2004, unless you count his motorcycle escapade that wrecked his knee. Two regimes later, Cleveland has finally moved on, trading the underachieving tight end to the Buccaneers for some undisclosed draft picks today.

This signals a change in profile for the Browns under new coach Eric Mangini and GM George Kokinis. While Winslow still has great talent, he was never happy in Cleveland, and the Browns were never happy with him.

For the Ravens, it's good to have Winslow out of the division, although he never did much damage anyway.

Posted by Ken Murray at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

NFL Network reported this morning that free-agent cornerback Domonique Foxworth, a former third-round draft pick of the Broncos, is visiting the Ravens' complex today and could be a solution at cornerback.

Foxworth, 25, was born in Oxford, England, grew up in Catonsville and played at Western Tech High School and then Maryland. With the release of Chris McAlister, the Ravens have made cornerback one of their priorities this offseason.

Posted by Ken Murray at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Some things don't change. The Redskins are almost always the first team to sign a big-name free agent in February/March. They did it again in the early morning hours today, signing elite defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth to a staggering seven-year, $100 million contract.

Tennessee used its franchise tag to keep tight end Bo Scaife instead of Haynesworth, and it didn't take long for him to defect. NFL Network reported Haynesworth's contract could be worth as much as $115 million.

The Redskins also re-signed cornerback DeAngelo Hall to a six-year, $56 million contract that includes $22 million in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network.

Unlike many of the Redskins' previous high-profile signings, Haynesworth is not on the downside of his career. That alone makes this different.

Posted by Ken Murray at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

It appears that linebacker Bart Scott and center Jason Brown will make their first free-agent visits to the St. Louis Rams, according to multiple reports.

Scott could still return to the Ravens, but Brown probably is headed elsewhere.

It is believed that the Ravens had offered Scott a five-year deal.

"We were close, but close only counts in horseshoes," Scott told ESPN early this morning, only minutes after free agency started. "I wanted to give Baltimore an opportunity to get the job done. It just didn’t happen. We got to move on, hit free agency and see where it takes us."

Scott and Brown have the same agent.

After the Rams, one of Scott’s visits could be to the New York Jets, where former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is head coach.

But a league source said Scott’s top choice remains the Ravens. He’ll likely allow the Ravens to match any offer that he receives in free agency.

Meanwhile, Brown is expected to be pursued by the Rams, Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings.

-- Jamison Hensley

Posted by Ron Fritz at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Unless a deal is made in the 11th hour, it looks like Ravens linebacker Bart Scott will be visiting the Jets in New York soon, and center Jason Brown will be driving down the street to the Washington Redskins.

Scott could be joining former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan in New York. A person close to Scott was still hoping that the Ravens and Scott could reach a deal.

Posted by Mike Preston at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

The Ravens and linebacker Bart Scott appear to be only $400,000 to $700,000 apart as far as completing a new deal.

Scott, though, isn't sure if he is competing with Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis for a big contract.

Lewis, like Scott, will become a free agent tomorrow if he doesn't reach an agreement. The Ravens may be able to sign only one of the two, and might be pitting one against the other.

Posted by Mike Preston at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

It appears that linebacker Bart Scott and the Ravens are moving closer to possibly getting a deal done before the midnight deadline Friday for free agency. If the Ravens sign Scott, where does that leave Pro Bowl middle linebacker Ray Lewis?

That's interesting, because there is speculation that Scott could replace Lewis on the inside if the Ravens can't get a new deal done with Lewis. It would make sense because Scott is younger and runs better than Lewis. In the scheme a year ago, Scott was asked to do more than Lewis, like taking on lead blocks so Lewis could make tackles. Scott also covered tight ends and running backs in pass coverage a lot more the Lewis.

Lewis apparently irritated owner Steve Bisciotti recently with his comments at the Pro Bowl about possibly playing for the New York Jets or Dallas Cowboys. Bisciotti and Lewis are friends, and Bisciotti even fired head coach Brian Billick partially because Lewis failed to support Billick.

Bisciotti has had nothing but kind words about Lewis publicly with regard to negotiations, saying the team would outbid other teams and would not put the franchise tag on Lewis. But Bisciotti was disappointed that Lewis didn't show loyalty to the franchise at the Pro Bowl.

Posted by Mike Preston at 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (122)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Just because DeMarcus Ware is quoted as saying Ray Lewis wants very badly to go to Dallas to play with the Cowboys, it's not necessarily the most accurate perspective on the Ravens' free-agent linebacker.

It is highly probable Lewis talked to Ware about joining him in Dallas. He may have expressed great enthusiasm. But Lewis doesn't have to grovel for a job, doesn't have to chase after the next highest-paid defensive player in the NFL to secure an audience with Jerry Jones or the Cowboys. If Ray wanted to talk to them, he could, starting Friday.

Since Lewis only speaks to NFL Network about his plans, we are left to speculate about his motives. Obviously, to get the best contract, he's got to create some bidding. That requires some interest outside Baltimore. Talking about the Cowboys and Jets is the prudent thing to do.

But here's where all that breaks down for me: The Cowboys aren't going to pay him a huge signing bonus when they have to get Ware extended, and neither are the Jets. In either case, Bart Scott could be bought for less and last longer.

Asked about the bottom line on a Lewis deal this week, GM Ozzie Newsome said economics are always the biggest factor. And if Lewis wants the best payday he can get in the NFL right now, that's with the Ravens. He's worth more to them than anyone else.

I believe Lewis knows this. The Cowboys know this, as do the Jets. The Ravens do, too. That's why Newsome is optimistic about keeping Lewis. Unless Lewis really is so enamored with wearing the Cowboys' star on his helmet, it's unlikely he'll take a lesser deal.

As owner Steve Bisciotti said a while ago, the Ravens are willing to pay Lewis more than any other team. Lewis can bank on that.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (46)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey ran the fastest 40-yard dash among wide receivers and running backs at the scouting combine today, perhaps securing a place in the first round of April's NFL draft.

Considered a marginal first round pick with second-round grades, Heyward-Bey seized the moment in Lucas Oil Stadium with a 4.30 time in the 40. He not only ran well, but performed well in his position drills.

Clearly, a month in Phoenix helped the Silver Spring native make the most of the combine experience. Heyward-Bey, who is coming out as a junior, was headed back to Phoenix tonight to resume training. He'll have a pro day in College Park next month, but won't run another 40, according to his agent, Ben Dogra. "He's already shown how fast he is," Dogra said tonight.

At 6-feet-3 and 210 pounds, Heyward-Bey could be a top 15 pick if he continues to improve in the areas that concern NFL scouts -- his route-running and his receiving skills. Heyward-Bey didn't start playing football until ninth grade at McDonogh.

"He got a chance to showcase the skills he wasn't able to showcase at Maryland," Dogra said.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Darius Butler came out of southern Florida, but didn't get recruited by any of the top state schools. He wound up at UConn, where he had a very good career as a cornerback, part-time receiver and kick returner.

He is projected to go no later than early in the second round. Baltimore would be an interesting destination because his cousin is Willis McGahee, whom he talks with about once a week.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock says Butler has the best feet and change of direction in the draft. He goes 5-10, 183, and scouts say he isn't the most physical corner. But he has skills that may be close to elite, and the ability to play big receivers because of his vertical jump, which is close to 44 inches.

He also said he talked to the Ravens at the Senior Bowl, and has an interview set up with them tomorrow.

"I know the market out there," Butler said."I know they cut Chris McAlister."

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree made a brief appearance at the media work room this morning to respond to the news of a slight stress fracture in his left foot.

He said the fracture was an old injury, one that will need surgery. But he said he won't have the operation until after he runs the 40-yard dash for scouts at his pro day in March. That would likely protect his draft position, barring a breakdown or a poor time.

Crabtree has been targeted for the Seahawks with the fourth pick in the draft, but he is regarded as the best athlete coming out. Obviously, a foot problem will make teams wary, but if he runs well in March and has a successful surgery, he will still be a high pick.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- If the transcript is accurate and Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware is to be believed, Ray Lewis has been plotting his escape from Baltimore for awhile. In an interview with the Cowboys' official web site, Ware said he has talked often with Lewis about becoming teammates in Dallas.

Ware said Lewis approached him after the Ravens' game in Dallas in December and every day at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, asking for Jerry Jones' phone number and Ware's help in getting to Texas.

Ware said he believed Lewis was "genuine" in his interest to join the Cowboys.

"He's a leader," Ware told the Web site. "I think it would be great for him to come here. I wouldn't have a problem with it."

Ware, the NFL's sack leader this season with 20, is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He's expected to land the biggest contract in Cowboys' history and become the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL if negotiations go well.

Lewis will become a free agent for the first time in his 13-year career on Friday. Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens' general manager, said yesterday that he was optimistic he could keep Lewis.

From the Ware transcript, it appears Lewis is infatuated with playing for the Cowboys, and wearing the blue star on their helmet. It's unlikely he will receive the same contract offer from the Cowboys that he will from the Ravens. Newsome said he thought the decision would come down to money.

We'll see.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- For all the emphasis the NFL places on performance and game tape of college players, it is undeniable that the combine carries a heavy responsibility for the guys coming out each year. There are winners and losers here, there are players who make a lot of money and others who lose a fortune.

Massive left tackle Andre Smith of Alabama is among the biggest losers so far. He bailed on the combine on Saturday without telling anyone. His agent took the bullet and the blame for him. But what Smith did could wind up costing him big-time on April 25. He had been projected a top 10 pick in the draft, one of the three best offensive tackles.

He still may get there. But it's a lot harder now. Smith will have a chance to perform at Alabama's pro day in March. He will be to knock scouts over with his attitude, conditioning and speed. Still, he can't erase the fact he pulled an erratic stunt at the combine. He waffled on whether he would work out here or not, and then, without explanation, he left. His statement later was shaky at best. He already has weight issues. Now he has character issues. Not good.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree appears to be another loser, although not of his doing. The stress fracture in his left foot will probably cost him draft position. His decision is whether to have surgery now or surgery later. He told NFL Network he will run in March and then have the needed surgery. If he runs reasonably well, he protects his draft position. It's a gamble. You hope he doesn't hurt the foot worse. If he comes up lame, who's going to invest a high first-round pick on him?

These are business decisions in Indianapolis. Smith made a poor one. Crabtree is trying not to make a poor one. Time will tell.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco already has one of his offseason priorities set out for him. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron wants Flacco to develop more strength in his lower body to help when he has to move around in the pocket.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told reporters that the increased strength will help Flacco "slide one way and still deliver the ball. ... It's a highly technical thing. [Joe] improved in so many things over the year. You can see how he played in the first Tennessee game and then the second Tennessee game. So we just don't know where that ceiling is. But we do know if we can add some other pieces for him, he will become a much better player."

Those pieces would include a playmaking receiver and possibly a tight end. There are several prospects at the combine, and many of them will still be available in the second round.

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford said the solid performances by Flacco and the Falcons' Matt Ryan give him confidence that a first-year quarterback can come into the NFL and have an impact. Both Flacco and Ryan left as seniors, however, and Stafford is leaving as a junior.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said today he was optimistic "at this point" about getting new contracts with linebackers Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs, and center Jason Brown.

Speaking at the scouting combine, Newsome said he was in active negotiations with all four. He placed the franchise tag on Suggs last week for the second straight year.

Free agent safety Jim Leonhard and kicker Matt Stover are another story, however. Newsome said that Leonhard will have to compete for a job if he comes back to Baltimore, whereas signing with another team would automatically make him a starter. The clear indication was that the Ravens don't expect to sign him, and that they are comfortable with the expected return of Dawan Landry from a neck injury this season.

As for Stover, Newsome sounded like the Ravens were ready to part with the only kicker they've had in their 13 years.

"He's probably looking and we're looking, too," Newsome said of Stover. "That's probably the best way to say it."

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Once upon a time, college players showed up here fresh off campus with their flaws showing. They did the work, answered the NFL's questions and let the chips fall where they would.

Now, the scouting combine is another world. Players no longer arrive from campus, they come from an elite training facility where they spent the past month maximizing their measurements and physical skills. They have agents and advisers who direct their every move, if not their every thought. They have been coached to be a robot, programmed like a computer.

The result is manufactured speed, canned answers and lots of self-promotion.

Please, give it a rest, guys. You're all starting to sound the same.

All the top prospects have a similar pitch now:

I'll be in training camp on time.

I have good character and a great attitude.

I'm a hard worker and a good teammate always trying to get better.

I believe I'm the best player at my position.

These cliched responses have gotten the NFL's attention. Jeff Fisher, coach of the Tennessee Titans, said that it's now incumbent on the scouts and executives to find new questions and new ways to gather information, and thereby avoid the carefully crafted answers.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NFL ran the last of the offensive prospects through the media center here today. Tomorrow the real business starts: Agility drills, 40-yard sprints, vertical jumps for the offensive linemen and tight ends.

What to make of the media impression? Not a lot. Jason Smith of Baylor looked like the real deal and should be the first tackle off the board, ahead of Virginia's Eugene Monroe and Alabama's Andre Smith. Brandon Pettigrew of Oklahoma State looked every inch a top 15 pick at tight end.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford of Georgia played his role well and said he hoped to prove he was worthy of the No. 1 pick. But, oh, by the way, he's not throwing here. Running back LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh gets my vote as player of the combine. He showed up to fulfill his media obligations even though he has a bad cold and was obviously feeling ill. That won't happen once he hits the NFL, I bet.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree, considered by some the best athlete in the draft, acted like he had something to hide. He wasn't at ease at all facing the media. And we didn't even ask the tough questions. Darrius Heyward-Bey was straight-forward addressing the knock on his hands and came off better for it.

I'll give line of the day to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin of Missouri: "I'm a very special young man and a gentleman to everybody."

That's the combine.

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- NFL executives need the results of medical exams here to know that a player they draft is healthy. They need to talk with a player to get a sense of his personality, to see how he relates. But more than anything, the scouts who flock here each year come to see speed.

And it's always a disappointment when someone doesn't choose to run in the timed 40-yard sprints, like Michael Crabtree, the Texas Tech receiver who might be the best athlete in the draft.

Crabtree knows how important the 40 is to his image and his draft position. So he's chosen not to run here to given his high ankle sprain more time to heal. He hurt it during a game against Baylor and aggravated it in the Cotton Bowl game. He said he's only started running in the last four or five weeks.

Crabtree knows that a reasonable 40 time will make him the first wide-out off the board, perhaps a top four pick or better. And he knows a poor 40 will be hard to overlook, all the comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald notwithstanding.

Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina is another receiver for whom the 40 time will loom large. A good time -- in the low 4.4's -- could vault him into the first round. A time of 4.5 or worse would almost certainly drop him into the second round. And it's not just the honor of going in the first round; you're talking about losing a lot of money going in the second. Nicks said he'll run here, and that makes the scouts happy.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 3:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- In every way but one, Rex Ryan looked like he always does. He had a glean in his eye, a smile on his face and looked like he may have just come from a workout in his black windbreaker. Except that the emblem on the shirt wasn't the Ravens, but the Jets.

A head coach for not quite a month, the Jets' new boss met the national media at the NFL scouting combine and quickly showed he's not anyone's fool. Asked about his interest in free-agent-to-be Ray Lewis, he declined, saying he didn't want to forfeit any draft picks over a tampering charge. (Lewis doesn't officially become a free agent until Feb. 27).

When a second question came up about safety Jim Leonhard, whose contract with the Ravens also is up, Ryan had the perfect response: "Let me hit the rewind button: I'd like to keep our draft picks."

We'll find out his real intentions soon enough, but Ryan wasn't showing his cards today.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- It's impossible not to notice the crumbling remains of the RCA Dome while passing through downtown here. When I walked from my hotel down Capitol Avenue this morning to the Colts' gleaming new home, Lucas Oil Stadium, there were only portions of the old stadium left.

Mostly, it was twisted metal, iron cable, slabs of broken concrete. And dust. All of it will be gone before long.

Which made me think of Marvin Harrison, the Colts' Hall of Fame receiver winding down his career. There are daily reports here that the Colts will release Harrison shortly and save salary cap space. I have the suspicion Harrison's career is in the same boat as the rubble that was RCA Dome: broken down pieces of former greatness.

Much has been made of his unwillingness to go across the middle, and ESPN likes to show the clip of him ducking to avoid contact near the goal line, then fumbling. It won't get better. Now that Harrison has also lost a step, he can't always get free on the outside either.

Time to go, Marvin.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tight end Brandon Pettigrew could have left Oklahoma State after his junior year, and would have been a first-day draft choice. He hung around, though, and should reap the reward this April.

When Pettigrew had his moment in the combine media spotlight yesterday, he made the most of that, too. At 6-feet-5 and 263 pounds, with long arms and an athletic build, he looked -- and acted -- like a first-round pick. He was at ease in the media interview, as if he belonged.

Pettigrew is the most complete tight end in the draft, a solid blocker and a good short-to-intermediate receiver. Looking at him, it seemed unlikely he could fall to the Ravens' 26th pick. But he has some baggage -- he was arrested for assaulting a police officer early last year -- and that could cost him positioning in the first round.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- By the time a college player arrives here for the scouting combine, he has been tutored in how to handle nagging questions, whether about injuries, legal issues or suspect performance. Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith had the routine down pretty good when he met with the media today in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Despite some reports his weight has soared to 380 this past season, Smith said he doesn't have a weight problem and he's at 332 right now. The report of 380, he suggested, was grossly exaggerated.

"I've never been that high," he said. "The highest I've been was 345."

On the matter of premature association with an agent, for which Alabama suspended him from their bowl game, Smith said there was no association. "It had nothing to do with an agent, it was just a bad decision," he said, electing not to clarify.

Smith, one of the top three tackles in the draft and a high first-round projection, carries a red flag for his weight and the suspension. Teams will be checking him closely. Still, Mel Kiper's ESPN mock draft has Smith going second to St. Louis. Mike Mayock of NFL Network ranks Smith as the third tackle behind Baylor's Jason Smith and Virginia's Eugene Monroe.

Andre Smith said he hadn't made up his mind whether to work out for scouts here or wait for his pro day in March. "I want to give the best performance I possibly can," he explained. And, he admitted, he has some work to do before he's there.

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

INDIANAPOLIS -- Baltimore draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. looks at Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford and sees a little of Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. Big arm, can make all the throws, but a little inconsistent.

"He's inconsistent like Cutler was at Vanderbilt and still is with the Denver Broncos," Kiper said. "The inconsistency sometimes doesn't leave you. It was there with Cutler and is still there. Stafford had it at Georgia and if he still has that inconsistency in the NFL, he'll be an up-and-down quarterback," Kiper said.

In a recent teleconference, the ESPN draft analyst said that Stafford is worthy of the No. 1 pick, but will have some things to prove before the April draft.

"He's got to show everybody ... he's not just a thrower, but a pitcher," Kiper said. "Can he take a little off, be more precise, finesse some throws. That's something he needs to show in workouts."

Stafford won't be showing it during the scouting combine in Indianapolis. It's been reported he won't participate here, saving his workout for Georgia's pro day.

Kiper said quarterback Mark Sanchez likely would've been the first pick in 2010 if he had stayed at Southern Cal for another year. Instead, the NFL must project Sanchez off one season as a starter.

"Stafford's not quite as instinctive as Sanchez, but Sanchez doesn't have the arm that Stafford does," Kiper said. "Both have qualities that you like, and they have something that bothers you a bit."

Veteran NFL and Ravens writer Ken Murray is covering the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis for The Baltimore Sun. He will keep you updated on developments daily.

Posted by Ken Murray at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Now that Chris McAlister has been let go by the Ravens, is fellow cornerback Samari Rolle next?

The Ravens want to get younger in the offseason, and Rolle wants out. Because of his age, it was hard on his body to work through coach John Harbaugh's long practices, especially late in the season.

Rolle is still under contract with the Ravens, but his agent is expected to meet with general manager Ozzie Newsome later this week at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. The Ravens will probably ask Rolle to take a pay cut, and he will probably ask them for his release.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (64)
        

During the AFC championship game, I posted a blog entry about Ray Lewis possibly signing with Dallas during the offseason.

Of course, some people thought I was making it up. But Monday, Dallas Morning News beat writer Calvin Watkins, a former Sun employee, confirmed on Fox Sports 1370 AM that Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens had told him Lewis called Owens last summer, and wanted the receiver to speak with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Watkins also said that he believed that Deion Sanders was also involved in the Cowboys' recruiting of Lewis.

Audio of the entire interview with Watkins will be available shortly on fox1370.com.

Posted by Mike Preston at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
        

There has been a lot of bantering and posturing between the Ravens and Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ray Lewis, whose contract is about to expire allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

But the two sides aren't expected to enter serious negotiations until somewhere between Feb 18-24, dates for the annual NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Lewis' agent will be there as will Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, and that's when the two sides can hammer out a deal, if they agree to one.

There haven't been any serious negotiations between the two sides.

Posted by Mike Preston at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)