Ozzie Newsome will likely determine when his run as Ravens general manager ends.

When it does, Newsome is looking to return to Alabama, where he grew up and played college football.

“At some point I’m coming back home," Newsome told the Tuscaloosa News during his ninth annual golf tournament there. "I’m coming home. And what I do when I get here, I don’t know. But I am coming home."

There has been speculation for years that Newsome would go back to become Alabama's athletic director. The Crimson Tide's current athletic director Mal Moore has come under scrutiny lately, which has caused some to wonder about Newsome's return.

"I always allow the information to help me make a decision,” Newsome said when asked about the athletic director job. “There is a lot of information that I would need to get before I could even entertain something like that.

"I probably get asked that question once a day. I always say, ‘I know the NFL. That's what I do.' "

Newsome, 53, is considered one of the top decision-makers in the NFL. He has been in charge of the Ravens' personnel moves since the team relocated to Baltimore in 1996 and was officially named general manager in 2002, becoming the first African-American to receive that title in the NFL.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Although it has been presumed that Terrell Suggs would play this season under the franchise tag, the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker said Friday that he is nearing a long-term deal with the Ravens.

The deadline to reach a new contract with franchise players is July 15. If no deal is struck, Suggs will play his second straight season under the tag, earning $10.2 million this year.

“I feel like we’re getting close,” Suggs told the team’s Web site. “Negotiations are going on with the Ravens. Fans can be optimistic that I’ll be [at training camp].”

It is believed that the Ravens have offered Suggs a contract that would make him among the highest-paid defensive players in the league. But there have been indications that Suggs is still leaning toward testing the free-agent market in March.

Because he has yet to sign his contract, he missed all of the offseason minicamps without any discipline from the team. He also would likely miss training camp like he did last year.

Suggs, 26, is considered one of the rising defensive stars in the NFL. He led the Ravens with eight sacks and finished third on the team with a career-best 102 tackles.

There has been speculation that Suggs is looking for a contract similar to the one given in 2007 to the Indianapolis Colts’ Dwight Freeney, whose six-year, $72 million deal made him the highest paid defender in league history at the time.

“I just hope we can get it done in time for training camp,” Suggs said.

When the Ravens used the tag on Suggs in February, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said, “You have to look at it as an opportunity for us to enter into a long-term deal.”

Suggs couldn't be reached for comment.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Ravens continue to make quick work of signing their draft picks, agreeing to a three-year deal with third-rounder Lardarius Webb.

The cornerback from Nicholls State received a signing bonus around $530,000.

"Lardarius was slowed some in the OTAs with a hamstring problem, but toward the end, when he was feeling better, he showed he belonged," coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "He’ll help us on special teams, including as a gunner, and he’ll contribute to our defense."

The Ravens' only unsigned draft picks are: offensive tackle Michael Oher (first round) and defensive end-linebacker Paul Kruger (second round).

Historically, the Ravens don't begin contract talks with their draft picks until after the July 4th holiday. But the team has struck deals with Webb, linebacker Jason Phillips (fifth round), tight end Davon Drew (fifth round) and running back Cedric Peerman (sixth round).

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Thirteen years of playing in the NFL – which includes regular-season and playoff games, offseason practices and training camp – may have taken a physical toll on Trevor Pryce, but the defensive end is still one of the more engaging personalities to talk to in the Ravens locker room.

Asked last week if mini-camps are a necessary evil, Pryce replied, “It is evil, but it is necessary. Let’s not say necessary evil. Let’s say evil necessary. But you have to do it. Especially for me personally, when I work out in Denver, no matter how hard you work out, you don’t sweat [because] there’s no humidity. So when I come out here, I put on a lot of clothes and try to run as much as I can to get some sweating in. but you enjoy it. They don’t make me do much. If they did make me do much, then I’d say, ‘This is optional. I’m going home.’ But since they take care of me and get me a play here, six plays there, and get off, then I’m ok.”

Jokes aside, Pryce, who turns 34 on Aug. 3, looks to be in great shape and still has the agility and strength that has helped him collect 79 sacks in his career. The Ravens have drafted young pass rushers like Antwan Barnes, Paul Kruger and Prescott Burgess to book-end the talent they have in Terrell Suggs, but Pryce continues to run with the first defensive unit opposite Suggs.

“Trevor is an elite defensive player in this league,” coach John Harbaugh said. “At one time, I think he was the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL – he’s that kind of a talent guy. Plus, Trevor knows how to stay in great shape. Trevor does a lot of training here, but he does a lot of training on his own. He’s the kind of guy that runs basketball gassers with weight packs on his back. Nobody’s in better shape than Trevor. He’ll come in here for 48 hours, as he says, then he’ll get out of here. But when you see it, you see the work he’s done. We expect Trevor to be an elite defensive lineman.”

After posting a career-best 13 sacks in 2006, Pryce registered just two sacks in five games in 2007 due to a broken wrist and a torn pectoral muscle and 4½ sacks in 16 contests last season. Pryce said he wasn't disappointed with his personal performance last year.

“I didn’t have a lot of sacks, but I had the same amount of pressures,” he said. “I guess I didn’t get lucky enough. … As a pass rusher, I thought I played pretty well. I can’t control sacks. I can control pressuring the quarterback, but a lot of other things have to happen for me to get a sack.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

At his youth football camp Thursday, disgruntled Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall declined to answer questions about his status with the team or a possible to trade to another one.

The Ravens, who have not engaged in trade talks for Marshall, have been linked to him.

“I think we saw this past year as far as change, as for changes in our front office. Coach (Mike) Shanahan being here 13 years. Gone! I think that’s part of life. You know it’s just change,” Marshall said.

“You can control what you can control and what you can’t control you don’t worry about. So I’m here to show my wisdom, to give wisdom and get a feel for the kids.”

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

The Ravens signed undrafted rookie linebacker Tony Fein, the one player added from a 10-player tryout. Fein, 27, spent 2 1/2 years in the army before recording 136 tackles in 24 games for Mississippi.

The team released three undrafted rookies: quarterback Drew Willy, linebacker-defensive end Luis Vasquez and defensive back David Jones.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Ravens signed their third draft pick, linebacker Jason Phillips, to a three-year contract. No terms were available for the fifth-round pick.

Phillips joins tight end Davon Drew and running back Cedric Peerman as signed draft picks.

The Ravens cut defensive back Anwar Phillips and cornerback David Jones.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Even though Tuesday’s practice was billed as a rookies-only event, there were a few veterans sprinkled in the mix. Offensive linemen Joe Reitz and Bryan Mattison, cornerback Anwar Phillips and wide receiver Justin Harper took a generous number of reps.

Although Reitz, Mattison and Harper are technically second-year players, their first seasons went unaccredited with all three spending time on either the practice squad or injured reserve. So the opportunity to get extra snaps and tutoring was appealing.

“The whole thought was, ‘Well, do I have to be out here?’ but then I looked at it and thought about it and was like, ‘They didn’t say anything to me about being here, so I’m going to be here,’ ” said Harper, a Virginia Tech product drafted in the seventh round last year. “So I looked at it like, ‘Hey, being a rookie last year and not getting to play, I still feel like a rookie.’ So until I get some games under my belt, I’m still a rookie.”

Reitz said he jumped at the chance to refine his technique under the watchful eyes of offensive line coach John Matsko and assistant offensive line coach Andy Moeller without having to elbow his way past his other linemates.

“It’s a chance to come in and get more individual attention because during full teams and stuff, the coaches are coaching everybody,” Reitz said. “But instead of 15 O-linemen, there are now five. So you really get that individual attention. Our O-line coaches are given a lot of time for us to ask questions and really get everything cleared up before you go to training camp:’

Phillips acknowledged considering staying home rather than attending Tuesday’s practice.

“That’s always an option, but another day you can work is always a good day,” he said. “It’s another chance to get better and work on stuff. I actually learn more details about coverages, and that helps. Some of this may be all new to me, but I’m getting better. It’s another day that maybe guys who are in the same position as me don’t have. It’s another day for me to broadcast my talents.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Cedric Peerman, a sixth-round pick, signed a three-year, $1.2 million deal with the Ravens that included a $78,000 signing bonus.

Peerman, a running back out of Virginia, joins tight end Davon Drew as the Ravens' signed draft picks. The Ravens report to training camp in late July.

The unsigned draft picks are: offensive tackle Michael Oher (first round); defensive end Paul Kruger (second round); cornerback Lardarius Webb (third round); and linebacker Jason Phillips (fifth round).

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

In his first comments since requesting a trade from the Denver Broncos, Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall wrote on his Web site:

"Clearing the Air…"
"To whom it may concern. Life is filled with change, and where I am in my life now change is probably best. It’s hard leaving an organization ran by one of the best owners in all of sports, and someone who’s been there for me through my ups and downs. The hardest thing was hearing Mr. B (owner Pat Bowlen) wish me luck in the future, but we both came to the conclusion that this is probably the best thing for me to grow on and off the field.

"I thank the Denver fans who embraced my emotion and play on the field and showing me love every time I step outside my door."

Ravens officials are looking into Marshall's background before initiating any trade talks with the Broncos.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Tommy Breaux did not try to minimize the quantum leap he is attempting to make. Asked about trying to jump from Towson University to the NFL, Breaux, with eyes wide, said: "It's like going from high school to the NBA."

It was an appropriate analogy because Breaux, who grew up in Randallstown, was a two-sport athlete at Towson, and the other sport was basketball.

Breaux will finish up a three-day tryout camp with the Ravens on Wednesday. A hair under 6-foot-7, his size and athleticism also got him tryouts with the Redskins and Giants in May. Neither team offered a contract.

Breaux went to Blinn (Tex.) Junior College after high school, then to Towson to play both football and basketball. He averaged 5.9 points and blocked 66 shots in the 2006-07 basketball season, starting 22 of 31 games for coach Pat Kennedy.

He decided his prospects were better in football than basketball and he committed to the Tigers' football team last season. He missed three games with a finger injury, but grabbed five touchdowns in his last four games, when he had 21 catches for 320 yards. For the season, he had 35 catches for 514 yards and six TDs.

In Tuesday's workout, the Ravens sent Breaux on deep routes several times, and threw fade routes at least twice.

"I feel I improved from [Monday]," Breaux said. "Cam [offensive coordinator Cam Cameron] said I was starting to look like a football player."

The Ravens also invited three other free agent receivers in for tryouts this week. They were Will Buchanon, who has been with the Raiders, Chiefs and Panthers; Kenneth Harris of Georgia; and Chris Vaughn of Louisville.

Coach John Harbaugh was non-committal on the free agents after Tuesday's workout. "We're going to look at this tape, and once we get three days of tape, we'll take a look and see if any of those guys can make us better. If they can, we'll make a change."

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Contrary to a radio report a week ago that Marshal Yanda might miss the season after two surgeries on his right knee, the Ravens' third-year offensive lineman says he still expects to play this year and hasn't suffered any setbacks.

Yanda tore the anterior cruciate, medial and posterior collateral ligaments in his right knee in Week 6 last season at Indianapolis. He needed separate operations to repair the damage, the second on Jan. 12 for his ACL.

Although he wasn't cleared to practice in any of the team's offseason workouts, Yanda has resumed lifting and running and said his knee feels solid. An eight-month projection for Yanda's return from the second surgery would put him on schedule for mid-August. Unless he has a setback, he expects to meet that timetable.

After Tuesday's rookie camp workout, Yanda said his "worst-case scenario" is having to go on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list when the Ravens make final cuts in September. Then, he would be inactive for a minimum of six games.

"That'd be if I have a setback, which I don't plan on happening," he said.

Yanda almost certainly will go on the PUP list at the start of training camp next month, but as long as he isn't on the list at the final cutdown, he need not miss those six games.

He said his best-case scenario is to come off the PUP in mid- to late-August, as anticipated, and get ready for the season opener on Sept. 13.

There's also the possibility he'll miss a week or two at the start of the season while he works his knee back into playing shape.

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The first fracas of the Ravens offseason before the media erupted today during a rookie camp when second-round pick Paul Kruger got involved with an offensive lineman. The scuffle lasted about 20 seconds with teammates pulling apart the participants and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron ordering players to “break it up.”

Afterwards, Kruger said he could not remember which offensive lineman set him off. “We kind of got tangled up and started to throw down,” the defensive end/outside linebacker said. “… That can happen at any time, I guess.”

What’s surprising to me is that the Ravens waited this long to avoid fisticuffs. Last year, then-rookie offensive tackle Oniel Cousins was involved in scraps with former Ravens Dan Cody and Amon Gordon in a span of two months.

Second-year wide receiver Justin Harper pointed out that rookies might be feeling pressed to separate themselves from the crowd with their coaches.

“The Ravens are physical, and that’s what guys want to show out there,” he said. “You’ve got linemen scrapping out there and you’ve got Kruger who was a second-round pick. He’s going to get out there and bust tail, too, and show the defensive coaches what he’s got.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

It has been rumored that the Ravens are interested in trading for disgruntled Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Without citing a source, Pro Football Talk reported that “rumors are flying in some circles that Marshall could land in Baltimore.”

Wide receiver has been considered a weak area for the Ravens, who had trade talks for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin two months ago. According to the Associated Press, Marshall has requested a trade and walked out of a Friday meeting with Broncos owner Pat Bowlen with several boxes of belongings. The Pro Bowl wide receiver didn’t speak with reporters as he drove out of the team’s parking lot.

The Ravens balked at trading first- and third-round picks for Boldin two months ago because that would be too steep to give up for a wide receiver who turns 29 during the season. Marshall is younger (25) and is a bigger target (6 feet 4, 230 pounds) than Boldin.

In his past two seasons, Marshall has caught over 100 passes and surpassed 1,200 yards receiving.

But there is baggage with Marshall. He faces a trial later this summer on two misdemeanor battery charges stemming from an altercation with his former girlfriend. The result of the case could subject Marshall to punishment under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Nicknamed “the Beast,” Marshall was a fourth-round pick out of Central Florida in 2006.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)
        

Rookie cornerback Kevin “K.J.” Gerard would seem to have an uphill battle to climb to cement a spot with the Ravens, but he helped himself out Tuesday by hauling in two interceptions during Tuesday’s passing camp.

The undrafted free agent out of Northern Arizona is adept at using his 6-foot-1, 187-pound frame to reach high for the football, but he still has a lot to absorb, according to coach John Harbaugh.

“He’s learning where to line up still, so he’s not always in the right spacing,” he said of Gerard. “He’s not always in the right spot. But [defensive backs coach] Mark [Carrier] is doing a great job of bringing him along that way. And he has a natural nose for the ball. He can catch it. You know that he’s making a bunch of plays when the offensive coaches start inquiring about taking a look at him at wide receiver. He’s done a good job.”

Second-year safety Tom Zbikowski also had a good outing, picking off two passes of his own.

And the Ravens worked on a few gadget plays. There was the hook-and-ladder with running back Ray Rice being the recipient of the lateral from a wide receiver, a double reverse involving Rice and wide receiver Kelley Washington, a double reverse and a lateral back to quarterback Joe Flacco, and a pass from John Beck to fellow quarterback Drew Willy.

Posted by Edward Lee at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Fabian Washington showed up for Tuesday’s passing camp without one accessory: a red jersey.

The cornerback had worn a red, non-contact jersey since undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason, but he shed the outerwear and appeared to play with little hesitation.

The shoulder is not 100 percent healthy yet, but Washington said he decided to lose the jersey as more of a symbolic gesture.

“That was just something I decided to do because the red jersey doesn’t really protect you,” he said. “They’re still going hard, and I’m still going hard. So I just decided to take it off. At some point, I’m going to have to test out this shoulder, and I decided to do it today.”

Washington, who turned 26 on Tuesday, seems to have established himself as the team’s No. 1 cornerback after turning in a solid season last year while starters Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle battled injuries and a lack of productivity.

But the one area of Washington’s game that he intends to concentrate on is interceptions.
Despite leading the Ravens with a career-high 19 passes defensed, he collected just one interception.

“I’m definitely going to improve on interceptions this year,” Washington said resolutely. “I dropped entirely too many balls last year. If I had just caught half of them, I would’ve been decent. I’ve got a lot more stuff to work on.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

Quinn Sypniewski showed up for the first time since undergoing surgery on his left knee last month, and the tight end did not have a timetable for his return.

“Right now, it’s all kind of up in the air,” he said. “Just depends on how well everything takes and settles. I’m just waiting to see. I’m going back to the doctor every three weeks to get new x-rays and new images and see how everything is fitting back together. I definitely expect to play this season. Whether or not I do the entire camp or a little bit of camp, it just depends on how fast I can move along. Whenever Tess [trainer Bill Tessendorf] says I’m good to go and my doctor says I’m good to go, I’m going to be back out there.”

Sypniewski said he underwent a procedure to re-graft the bones in his left knee. That’s the same knee in which he tore a ligament during mini-camps more than a year ago and sidelined him for the entire 2009 season.

Sypniewski, who is using crutches, said his doctor has told him that he can begin moving his knee Tuesday and work his way off crutches for the next two weeks. But after that, the process is murkier.

“It’s just frustration for this to take so long,” he said. “I got my surgeries, got everything done with, and I was back and good to go. It’s just been one long process where I thought everything was going to be good to go and then I found out that it wasn’t, and they had to go back in and clean it up again. … As soon as everything is good to go, I’ll be back out there.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Ravens wrapped up today’s passing camp with a little fun for the players and coach.

Behind the team’s training facility in Owings Mills, the organization set up barbecue grills, a volleyball net hovering over white sand, and a fishing tournament in a drainage pond behind the indoor field house.

The fish were large mouth and small mouth bass, striped bass and catfish. It was catch and release, and folks like defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and cornerback Evan Oglesby were already fishing about 30 minutes after practice had ended.

Several players said it was difficult to concentrate on practice once the smell of barbecue wafted over the practice fields.

“I’m tired, I’m hungry, and you can smell the barbecue,” cornerback Fabian Washington said. “I definitely couldn’t wait to get off the field.”

“I kept seeing the smoke coming up from the grill,” rookie defensive end/outside linebacker Paul Kruger said. “We were getting excited about having a nice little lunch.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

It’s difficult to gauge a player’s effectiveness during an Organized Team Activity because, well, it’s an OTA and not training camp or the regular season. But cornerback Anwar Phillips had a pretty good day during Tuesday’s passing camp.

Phillips hauled in an interception when a Joe Flacco pass bounced off wide receiver Marcus Smith’s hands, deflected away a Troy Smith pass to wide receiver Justin Harper, and broke up Smith’s pass to wide receiver Ernie Wheelwright.

“I’ve had a couple rough weeks in the beginning,” Phillips said. “I just have to start doing things and go back to doing what I was doing before I got here. Just have to focus on the defense and realize what I’m asked to do and just got out there and just play.”

Phillips’ future with the Ravens is unclear. With Fabian Washington, Domonique Foxworth, Samari Rolle, Frank Walker, Chris Carr and rookie third-round pick Lardarius Webb appearing to have cemented the first six cornerback spots, it would seem that Phillips is competing with Derrick Martin and Evan Oglesby for what might be one or two spots on the team.

After signing with the Ravens at the beginning of training camp last summer, Phillips was cut and re-signed by the organization four different times. Phillips said he has grown accustomed to the sport’s yo-yo nature.

“That’s the NFL,” he said. “Every day, you’ve got to work because you don’t know when it’s your last. Be grateful every day for the chance to get up and the opportunity to play. You just hope that your play gets you to the next day and the next day and the end of the season.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Don’t tell the coaching staff that these offseason camps are meaningless. On Tuesday’s passing camp, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and wide receivers coach Jim Hostler took different avenues in impressing upon the players the importance of these practices.

When running back Willis McGahee and tight end Edgar Jones dropped back-to-back passes during a seven-on-seven drill inside the 10-yard line, Cameron quietly yet firmly told several players within earshot, “Those two plays are plays we’ve got to score.”

About 50 yards on the other side of the field, Hostler ripped into rookie wide receiver Eron Riley for running a route incorrectly. “How many times do we have to go over that?” Hostler yelled at Riley.

It's clear that the coaches are expecting execution. I shudder to think what’s going to happen if these mistakes occur during training camp when the heat and humidity shorten coaches’ and players’ fuses even more?

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

One of the more unusual moments of Tuesday’s passing camp occurred when coach John Harbaugh capped a field-goal kicking drill by instructing second-year player Steven Hauschka and rookie Graham Gano to each attempt a 48-yarder.

As if that wasn’t hard enough, Harbaugh allowed their teammates to do everything in their power to distract the kickers. Cornerback Evan Oglesby was especially vocal in getting in Hauschka’s ears, while offensive tackle Jared Gaither and fullback Le’Ron McClain did their best to rattle Gano.

The end result? Both Hauschka and Gano converted the 48-yarders.

“In practice [at N.C. State] I’ve had guys pulling my shorts down and stuff like that, but this was a new one on the pro level,” Hauschka said. “They did a pretty good simulation of what a kick in a game would be like. It’s good to see that my form can withstand the pressure.”

Said Gano: “Honestly, you’re so focused in on what you have to do. But you definitely don’t have a guy walking in front of you during a field goal, which is a little different. But that’s where the focus comes into it, the mental conditioning.”

Harbaugh smiled when asked about the drill.

“So far, we know those guys can make pressure kicks in practice,” he said. “We laugh about that, but that’s a good first step because all we’ve had is practice. I don’t know if it could have been any tougher than it was out there. Guys were walking around, throwing hats at them, walking across the kicking line. Both of those guys came through, so they’ve both done a nice job. It’s going to be an interesting competition.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

The Ravens won't see another team until their first preseason game.

Team officials said the Ravens aren't scheduled to scrimmage another team during training camp. In previous seasons, the Ravens have gone against the Washington Redskins. But the Ravens didn't have a scrimmage last year.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata participated in his first voluntary minicamp Wednesday after completing his spring classes at the University of Utah.

Ngata still needs a few more credits to complete a sociology degree at the University of Utah. He was selected in the first round in 2006 after entering the draft as a junior.

The three-year starter attended the Ravens' mandatory minicamp in early May but missed the past two voluntary camps. During the mandatory minicamp, Ngata said he kept himself in shape with a trainer.

Posted by Jamison Hensley at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

The Ravens avoided what appeared to be a serous injury when tight end Edgar Jones’ left knee collided with the helmet of cornerback Evan Oglesby during a passing drill of today’s passing camp at the Ravens’ training facility in Owings Mills.

Jones ran a short out route and tried to haul in a pass from quarterback Troy Smith. Jones’ left knee banged into the helmet of Oglesby, who slipped and had already fallen to the turf just moments before the collision.

Jones lay on the ground for what seemed to be several excruciating minutes before getting up and walking around on his own power. Several plays later, Jones, who was signed as a rookie linebacker in 2007, lined up as a defensive end and rushed the passer with no hesitation.

“I just knew it hurt,” Jones said, adding that he knew he hadn’t fractured his kneecap or torn an anterior cruciate ligament on the play. “I’ve never been hit in the knee before with a helmet, but it is what it is. I’m alright.”

Posted by Edward Lee at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)