I was a little late getting going this week, sort of like the Ravens in Cleveland on Monday night.

As we know, a win is a win. But that one was not particularly inspiring. At least the Ravens don’t have to face an undefeated team on a short week this Sunday.

As for our free tab of the week based on the prediction for Sunday’s game, you’re all paying. Because the house won. Or at least I came the closest on both sides to predicting the 16-0 win. I had 24-6, and so did Frederick McMurray (a drink chip your way).

We all assumed a Ravens’ beating for the Browns, but most of us overestimated the Raven’s offense. There were three customers who predicted shutouts; the closest was 27-0.

So, yeah, the Ravens won, but there were plenty of red flags from that game. Most alarming was the continuing number of yellow flags. There’s a fine line between aggressive and stupid.

Monday also marked the end of Steve Hauschka’s Ravens career. Missing a 36-yarder and having an extra point blocked was not the way he needed to rebound.

Now the Ravens are kicker shopping with a more than a week to go before Black Friday. Not a good sign for a team that still has playoff hopes.

Forget Monday-morning quarterbacking, the Hauschka decision should create some Wednesday-morning placekicking. It’s pretty obvious the Ravens should have stuck with fan favorite Matt Stover this season. His accuracy is definitely missed.

But how much? What I mean is how much different would this Ravens’ team be with Stover, who is now with Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts? Would it still be in “long playoff run, Super Bowl talk” discussion?

One school of thought is that Stover would have given them a win against Minnesota and possibly one against Cincinnati. The other way of thinking: Stover is a kicker. If your team is lamenting the loss of its kicker, it’s got bigger problems than missed field goals.

My opinion: Stover would help, for sure. But unless he can cover 6-foot-4 receivers, provide a pass rush and get to the line of scrimmage without a false start, I am not convinced Matt Stover is the difference between a playoff Ravens’ team and an also-ran.

Then again, I am a baseball guy by trade. School me, people. Learn me, football gurus.

Daily Think Special: How much has Matt Stover’s absence hurt the Ravens?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:47 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

Hey, Ravens fans, feeling better about your team this morning? No, I didn't think so.

Sure, a win is a win in the NFL. But this ugly 16-0 victory over the Browns on "Monday Night Football" didn't exactly allay any fears that the Ravens are nothing more than a .500 football team right now.

 The team got off to another slow start. The offense continued to look listless. Kicker Steve Hauschka looked very shaky, hooking a 36-yard field goal attempt and having an extra-point try blocked.

 He's a basket case right now. Don't be surprised if the Ravens give him his walking papers and sign another kicker, pronto, especially with the undefeated Indy Colts coming into town this weekend.

 The Ravens also suffered a couple of key injuries to Terrell Suggs (knee sprain) and Haruki Nakamura (broken ankle.)

 Hoo, boy.

 But for all the Ravens' problems right now, the one good thing you can say is: at least they're not the Browns.

Is that team a mess or what? The offense is a joke. Poor Brady Quinn was terrible at quarterback all night. He seemed WAY too amped up, throwing fastballs at his receivers from 10 yards away -- and inaccurate fastballs at that. If he's listed as the starter again next week, the Browns might as well not even show up for the game.

 No wonder Cleveland Browns Stadium was emptying by the middle of the third quarter and practically deserted by the time the game ended.

How much ugly football can Browns fans take?

 No wonder there's so much heavy-drinking in the Dawg Pound. You'd HAVE to be loaded to watch that team.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:52 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

It's not often that you see Ray Lewis in a wistful mood.

But the Ravens All-World middle linebacker seemed that way yesterday at the Castle when talking about Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis, who announced this week that he'll be retiring at the end of the season.

"You don't like to hear that," Ray Lewis said, "and hopefully he gets a different spark and changes his mind."

"I think he has plenty of football left. I think he should ride it out."

Ray and Jamal Lewis were Ravens teammates and good friends for six seasons, and both players played huge roles on the 2000 Super Bowl-winning team.

When Jamal Lewis landed with the Cleveland Browns, both men relished their fierce head-to-head confrontations over the next three seasons, smacking helmets for 60 minutes and exchanging hugs when it was all over. 

Now they match up again Monday night at Cleveland Browns Stadium for what could be the last time.

Lewis vs. Lewis. The express train vs. the immovable object.

"When it comes to football, it don't get more classic than that," said Ray Lewis of the rivalry.

Jamal Lewis also seemed to appreciate the significance of their final meeting, which came through loud and clear in Mike Preston's column in today's Baltimore Sun.

"Being able to go out playing my old team on "Monday Night Football," that will be a great one," he told Preston. "Being that I will be playing these guys for the last time, being able to suit up against Ray for the last time, it's a good thing.

"It will be a memorable moment."

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 10:57 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Let's say you're a young NFL kicker. And in the past few weeks you've missed two critical field goal attempts: one that cost your team one game and one that took all the momentum out of a possible fourth-quarter comeback in another game.

You feel horrible about it. You know your teammates don't have a lot of confidence in you. And now you hear the team is trying out other kickers.

Is this going to be the confidence-builder you need to get back in the groove?

Uh, probably not.

Why not just hold a gun to the guy's head the next time he lines up for a game-winner?

But that's life for young Steve Hauschka, who stood in front of his locker yesterday and said all the right things to the media.

 He said he knows he has to earn back the organization's confidence. He said he completely understood the decision to try out other kickers.

But left unspoken was this: if he misses another pressure kick, he's gone. That's life in the NFL.

 Some teams would cut you the minute you miss a second big field goal. Miss three and you'll be cleaning out your locker the next day.

I wouldn't want to be Steve Hauschka the next time the Ravens call on him to win a game or finish off a critical drive.

But I'm rooting for him, big-time.

He's a classy guy. He doesn't whine. He knows he's on the hot seat. And he knows that's the life of an NFL kicker.

There's always -- at least figuratively -- a gun at your head.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:34 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

OK, I think we can all admit this now.

The Bengals are a lot better than we thought. Even better than they looked last time around. There were only five bar patrons this weekend that predicted a Bengals win.

CB, Mike B., Steven and Rich all get a free drink chip for picking the right winner. And T.J. gets a free drink tab all week for his guess: 24-13 Bengals. It was the closest to the 17-7 outcome.

Here comes the tough part. I’m not really sure what to say here about Sunday’s loss. They simply looked like an overmatched team.

The Ravens have dropped to 4-4 and don’t have an easy road ahead. They have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, as well as the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

They do face a trifecta of bad teams – and must wins – against Cleveland, Detroit and Oakland.

So they need to win those, at least split with the Steelers and then win two of three against the Colts, Bears and Packers to get to 10-6.

It can be done. But the Bengals are in the driver’s seat and the Steelers are riding shotgun. So the Ravens have to excel in the second half to make it to the playoffs.

There’s definitely a lot of season left. But even the most optimistic Ravens fans have to be disappointed in the first half. The question is can they do enough to make the playoffs?

Or maybe the real question is what must they do on the field to make the playoffs?

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to have a successful second half?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (59)
        

Was that wild or what, seeing John Harbaugh wind-milling his arms and screaming for the crowd to make noise in the fourth quarter of the Ravens' 30-7 win over the Broncos Sunday?

I write about it in today's column in the Baltimore Sun. He's a pretty intense guy and it was wonderful to see. But the fact is, that was uncharacteristic behavior for the Ravens coach, whose laser-like focus is usually riveted on the game and little else.

On the other hand, Harbaugh's predecessor, Brian Billick, was a wild man when it came to cheerleading at Ravens home games. He did it all the time. And, brother, you haven't lived until you've seen a 6-foot-5, 50-something guy with thinning hair, dark shades and a black Ravens trench coat punching the heavens with his fists and imploring the M&T Bank Stadium crowd to get fired up.

Think "The Matrix" meets "The Replacements" and you have some idea of what it looked like.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:35 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Now that Ravens fans are a bit on the disgruntled side, there has been a whole lot of remorse getting tossed around the bar.

Usually we save that kind of second-guessing for old flames at 1 a.m. But I’ll indulge you all today.

The Ravens broke up their long-term relationships with several players/personnel last offseason.

The list of those hitting the road included linebacker Bart Scott, kicker Matt Stover, defensive back Jim Leonhard and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, among others.

Each name has been brought up in the last few days, with that “I never should have dumped him” tone.

You could argue the Ravens could use all of them back here. But which one do they miss the most? Is there someone else from the 2008 team that they need right now?

Sure, some left on their own accord, others the Ravens chose not to re-up. Point is, they aren’t here anymore.

It’s time to cry in your beer over spilled milk.

Daily Think Special: Which 2008 Raven does this year's team miss the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:44 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.

That was one heck of a game at the Metrodome Sunday. I know it didn’t end the way most of you wanted, but it couldn’t have been much more entertaining.

And Joe Flacco couldn’t have looked more like vintage Brett Favre if he had worn Wranglers and retired in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Ravens lost and have dropped three straight. What was a season of immense possibilities (3-0) is now one of confounding mediocrity (3-3).

Several of you picked the Vikings to win this one, but no one was real close to the 33-31 score. So I am giving the free bar tab this week to Space, who predicted a 24-23 Ravens’ loss. He wins because he knew this would be a nail-biter that would end poorly.

Steve Hauschka missed the game-winner, but he didn’t lose this game. The secondary did. It was a concern before the season started and it’s absolutely alarming now.

Sure, there are plenty of positives with this team. It has heart, and Joe Flacco, despite his inexperience and inconsistency, is often a pleasure to watch. That said, it may not matter if other teams can slice apart the Ravens’ pass defense.

That’s what I take from Sunday’s Ravens’ loss. Great game, but if the secondary doesn’t improve, the Ravens won’t get far in the postseason, if they make it at all.

Daily Think Special: What do you take away from Sunday’s Ravens loss?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:42 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

You’ve made it to another Prediction Friday.

We are serving double shots of Purple Moose (or Purple Jesus in some parts) in honor of the Ravens-Vikings game in Minnesota. So line up.

I am no longer predicting blowouts. I have learned my lesson.

I think the Ravens win, because I don’t think they’ll lose three in a row heading into the bye week. Pretty scientific, huh? And some of you thought I was just a baseball guy.

I look at it like this: If the Vikings defensive front can keep up its impressive season, get past the young offensive line and pressure Joe Flacco, there could be some serious trouble for the Ravens. It Flacco can get some time, though, the Ravens should put up points, especially if they can add a balanced running attack as well.

Adrian Peterson is going to get his, as will old man Favre. But I still like the Ravens in this one, 27-24, on a late touchdown pass to Derrick Mason (remember him?)

I’ll give Flacco the hero of the game tiebreaker for three TDs, including a Favre-esque, game-winning drive.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Vikings match-up.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

My guess is you are stunned.

I definitely was stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals’ last-minute upset of the Ravens Sunday. Part of that was because I wholly underestimated the Bengals, especially their defense.

I also didn’t see the Ravens’ defense folding during crunch time. OK, I’ll be honest. I didn’t even expect a crunch time on Sunday.

That folding, of course, had plenty to do with the Ravens committing penalties. You can blame the officiating all you want, but the bottom line is the Ravens have lost two straight, and the Bengals now have an advantage in the AFC North.

And I guess the Bengals are for real.

Four patrons – Sentient, Space, Christian and Larry – each had the Bengals, and all deserve an open tab today. Larry, with a 21-17 Bengals’ prediction, gets the tab for the week. Enjoy.

For the rest of you, I am sure the first part of the week won’t be enjoyable. Rest assured, it won’t be a bowl of cherries for the Ravens, either.

My question is a little different today. Let’s forget about the two consecutive losses, and be forward thinking and try to build on Sunday's loss.

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to improve from here forward?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:09 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

The Ravens weren’t the only ones who had a rough Sunday.

Of the 40 or so prognosticators at the bar this week, only four had the Patriots winning. Plenty of confidence in the old Balmer team, and you have to respect that, I guess.

Didn’t work out though.

No one correctly predicted a 27-21 Pats win (Never More gets one drink chip for the right score, but the wrong winner).

The closest -- and therefore the winner of the free bar tab this week -- was JTK, who had New England to win, 27-17. Congrats, I suppose.

Since I have never lied to you before (at least that you know of), I have to come clean today. I didn’t watch much of the Ravens game, not enough to be analytical anyway. You see, I have this pesky day job watching another professional sports team in Baltimore.

Yes, there is one.

So I basically know what happened on Sunday in New England -- I know about Jared Gaither and Mark Clayton‘s drop and the referees' spots. But I don’t know the big picture stuff. Like, specifically, what ultimately cost them the game.

That’s where you come in. It’s time for you to be the analyst (you guys do it in here every week anyway). What did you think went wrong on Sunday?

Was it the game plan? Was it the execution of a particular facet? Or did they just run into a good team that was more desperate to win?

Daily Think Special: What went wrong for the Ravens on Sunday?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:27 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

We made it to Friday.

Grab a spot at the bar, snag a cold glass and while I pour give me your prediction for the Ravens-Patriots game this Sunday.

I have a special on the spiked purple Kool-Aid. Because I think the Ravens go into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and take this one.

I know, I am the guy that predicted a loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 2. But I am more of a believer now.

That’s not to say I think it will be easy. I’m by no means dismissing the Patriots.

I think Tom Brady will get his share of yards passing and a couple touchdowns. But their running game will be non-existent, and the Ravens’ secondary will come up big at the end.

My call: Ravens 24, Patriots 17.

Ed Reed gets his first touchdown of the season – late in the game – and serves as the hero of the day.

That’s how I see it. I want your thoughts on the fourth Prediction Friday of the season.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:50 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

I am officially south of the border now.

I’m not buying fireworks or anything, just home from Toronto.

Just in time for Prediction Friday.

I won’t be going against the patrons this week. Consider me happily in the majority.

I don’t see the Ravens having a letdown Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And partially that’s because I don’t think much of the Browns. (And as an Irish Catholic I am biologically obligated to support Brady Quinn in his endeavors.)

Really, even a Jonathan Ogden-sized letdown shouldn’t be enough for the Ravens to drop one at home to the Browns.

But it is the NFL, so I guess you can never say never.

Still, I’m predicting a 24-6 Ravens win. My hero of the game is Ed Reed, who snags two interceptions, and returns one for a touchdown.

Am I off? Did I jinx your beloved purple and black?

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Browns game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:18 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

You all were right. I was wrong. I am more than OK with that.

Your Baltimore Ravens are now 2-0 after a 31-26 win at San Diego.

Excellent win. Definitely not an easy one, though.

Most of you said the Ravens would be victorious. A lot of you predicted a blowout.

Both Jeff Orndorff and Ed SoPaFan had the Ravens winning 31-27 and Bob Dana was right there, too, with a 31-24 prediction.

Bob gets a free drink chip and Ed can enjoy a free tab today. But we’ll give the free (and fake) tab for the week to Jeff, who won the tiebreaker by saying Todd Heap would be the hero of the game.

He wasn’t. Willis McGahee deserves that title (with Ray Lewis delivering the biggest play of the game). But Heap caught a TD, and Ed didn’t list a tiebreaker.

So if you can’t follow the fake rules, Ed, you can’t fully reap the fake benefits. It’s probably not his fault, however. Those guys up in York County get confused easily.

Anyway, be thirsty, Jeff. You are a winner at Connolly’s.

Now, to Sunday’s victory. I must be honest, I had other responsibilities and couldn’t watch the Ravens’ game as intently as I would have liked. I saw most of it, but had to listen to some on the radio. So I am even more ill-equipped than normal in my not-so-expert analysis.

But here are three quick observations: 1. The offense really does look like it will be formidable this season. 2. The secondary concerns me even more than it did last week.
3. So long as the offense is for real, this team should win a bucketload of games, because the defense will improve.

I want to hear what you think. Let’s get a good discussion going today among the patrons while I fly to Toronto to watch those other birds of Baltimore.

Daily Think Special: What did you take from Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:25 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (82)
        

It’s Prediction Friday, people.

You know the drill.

I don’t want to bore you with a lot of useless prose. You don’t read it anyway on Prediction Friday.

It’s all business and dry martinis when it comes to pigskin prognostication.

So give me your prediction for Sunday’s Ravens game in San Diego. I want a score, a winner and who you think will be the game’s hero.

If you get it right, you’ll get lauded at this very site next week.

I am going with a hunch here people. Remember, don’t shoot the bartender. Or at least not until after closing time.

I think this is a knock-down drag-out with a few big plays mixed in.

My prediction: The Chargers win 20-17 with a last-second 51-yarder by Nate Kaeding. I’ll make Kaeding my star of the game, too, for that potential boot.

I know, I am wrong. How dare me.

So set me straight.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Chargers outcome and star of the game

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:48 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

OK, let’s be honest.

None of us saw that coming.

Thick 5, Steve and the ubiquitous Anonymous had the Ravens scoring 38 points in Sunday’s opener. No one had the Kansas City Chiefs scoring 24 in what was the second highest scoring game of the day (behind New Orleans thrashing Detroit).

The open bar tab this week goes to Dave, who at 33-14 was at least in the ballpark.

But it certainly wasn’t a blowout, like most of us expected. The opposite in fact. Heck, it was a tied game with three minutes to play.

Yet here is my lasting impression of Sunday’s Ravens’ 38-24 win over the Chiefs: I never thought the Ravens were going to lose. That’s not Monday morning quarterbacking or pure homerism.

And maybe it had something to do with how bad I thought the Chiefs were. But it never struck me that the Ravens would lose that one, even as the score was tied. I was taken aback that it was so close, but didn’t expect them to lose.

And that is a feeling that I didn’t have at the beginning of last season. So that’s what I’ll take from Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season: This team has confidence, and it spills over to the stands.

Here are a few other quick thoughts from Sunday’s Ravens game before I give you the floor. (Disclaimer: I have covered football in the past, but it has been years since I stepped into a NFL locker room. These observations have no insider-info linked to them. If you want true analysis, check out the Sun’s Ravens’ beat stuff, which is excellent.)

It’s nice to see the Ravens can air it out -- and will do so when necessary.

I don’t want to see them get into a shootout with a good NFL team.

Flacco’s no fluke.

Great to see Kelly Gregg back (and Todd Heap, too).

The big play could haunt the defense this year.

Daily Think Special: What’s your lasting thought about Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:51 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We’re cracking open the bubbly. And not the cheap stuff either.

This champagne comes all the way from French Lick, Indiana.

Only the best for my patrons.

We’re celebrating because you have made it to our first true, football Prediction Friday of the late summer.

If you are new around here, Prediction Friday is simple. It’s a fiesta and party all wrapped into one.

Basically, the deal is this: Each Friday we share our predictions for the upcoming Ravens game. The one who is closest to the score gets a free drink chip and the adoration of his barkeep and fellow patrons for a full week.

(Neither is worth anything, but this is a fake bar people. What do you expect?)

If you hit it straight on, it’s a free bar tab for a week and your name in Christmas lights over the sports mural on the front wall.

The tiebreaker – if we need one – is if you correctly select the hero of the game (decided at my discretion to give me a better chance of winning).

But since this is the very special week one, we have even more fun and games on tap (bad bar pun). I also need your prediction for the Ravens’ season record.

I’ll keep them and get back to you in January. Last year, almost no one had them over .500. My guess is that changes today. We'll have this run all weekend, and you can make your prediction up until kickoff.

OK, here is my entry: I say the Ravens win 23-6. Todd Heap catches two TDs for hero of the game.

And the Ravens go 11-5 in 2009.

Your turn.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner and score of Sunday’s Ravens-Chiefs game.

Bonus Think Special: Who will be the hero of the game?

Double Secret Think Special: Predict the Ravens’ record at regular season’s end.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

A few weeks ago, Ravens safety Ed Reed was talking to the media after practice when someone asked him about the white wrist band he was wearing just above his left hand. There was clearly writing on it. We were curious: What did it say? What did it mean?

"It says 'Once I Get The Ball You're At My Mercy,' " Reed with a bit of a shrug. "That's (Michael) Jordan. You know how Jordan was."

Reed is right, of course. I do know how Jordan was.

I know a lot about Michael Jordan, in fact. Even though I was never a big fan. I think Michael Leahy's "When Nothing Else Matters" is one of the best sports books written in the last 20 years, because it really captures Jordan's gifts as well as his flaws. I've seen his ESPN SportsCentury profile countless times. I've read about his kids, his divorce, his business ups and downs, and his bottomless appetite for competition.

But what I don't really know is how Ed Reed is.

Or who he is.

Of course, I know Ed Reed the football player. I know he's probably the most exciting defensive player of my lifetime. I know he has the hands of a wide receiver, the feet of a ballet dancer, and the football brain of Nobel Prize winner. I know he possesses the rarest and least talked about skill in sports: the innate sixth sense of anticipation.

He sees things unfolding before they ever happen. And when he gets the ball in his hands, the other team truly is at his mercy. No defensive player has ever been a greater threat to score than Ed Reed with the ball in his hands.

But as a person, he's a bit of a mystery. I can count on one hand the number of lengthy magazine profiles that have been written about him. I can't imagine anyone ever attempting to write a book about him. And though I don't know for certain, I suspect Reed likes it that way. 

Continue reading "Ravens safety Ed Reed: An Appreciation" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 7:37 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Derrick Mason retiring?

I'll believe it when I see it. I'll believe it when Mason is sitting behind a microphone at the Ravens' complex in Owings Mills, counting the reasons he doesn't want to catch footballs from Joe Flacco anymore. I'll believe it when the Ravens take the field at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 13 in the season opener, and somebody else is wearing Mason's 85.

Until then, I don't believe it.

Now, maybe Mason misses all of training camp. Maybe he doesn't get his normal Westminster reps with Flacco like last year. But whenever he shows up, he'll be ready to go and he'll be reliable as ever.

There's a lot to ponder in his statement on jocklife.com. Mason has been campaigning for a new contract almost since the end of last season. He may well deserve it, given what he means to the team and the offense. But it's clear the Ravens aren't going to give him what he wants.

Continue reading "Calling Mason's bluff" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 5:07 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

There’s always been a weird line that has existed since I became a full-fledged sportswriter in 1996.

Up to that point, I had been a big sports fan, which is, partially anyway, why I moved from news to sports when an opportunity arose.

But that move killed the fan in me. Really, it had to. I began dealing with professional athletes as part of my daily grind. Suddenly, I didn’t care who won; instead I looked for the best story angle. Ethically, I couldn’t treat one player differently than another. And I learned in many cases I didn’t want to. Those heroes of yesteryear weren’t the same as their public personas.

A true rooting interest is gone; however we can’t erase who we cheered for in the past.

I bring this up because the death of Steve McNair hit a chord with me. As I have written before, I grew up as a Baltimore Colts fan, but they were so bad when I was a pre-teen that every football fan in my elementary school had two teams – the Colts and another club that actually had a chance of winning. Back then, most of the kids in my school adopted the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers or Oakland Raiders.

Me? I’ve always trudged uphill. I chose the Houston Oilers, who at the time had the incomparable Earl Campbell. He was my first out-of-Baltimore sports hero.

When the Colts abandoned Baltimore, I stuck with the Oilers, making them my No. 1 team. And I suffered through some terrible squads before Warren Moon arrived. Then it was a bunch of heartbreaking losses. Still, I remained a fan.

And I remember watching the 1995 NFL draft, hoping the Oilers would take that huge Air McNair kid from Alcorn State.

By the time McNair began realizing his promise, the Oilers had moved to Tennessee, the Ravens had moved to Baltimore and I had moved on.

My true football fanaticism had evaporated as I had to do more and more NFL coverage. But I still followed McNair’s career. I was quietly pulling for him in the Super Bowl, and quietly pleased that he had become a Raven.

If Campbell were my first non-Baltimore sports hero, McNair was my last. It certainly wasn’t the same feeling, but it was something.

So, honestly, the McNair murder struck me a little harder than some other sports tragedies. I’m sure there are people who will remember McNair mostly for his death. But I’ll remember McNair the competitor, with the huge arm and the warrior mentality.

I am curious as to how he will be remembered here, since he once was a fierce rival and then became a respected veteran.

Daily Think Special: How will you remember Steve McNair?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)
        

The news that Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley broke yesterday, that the team was evaluating whether or not they'd be interested in Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, got me thinking about something I've wanted to ask die-hard fans for awhile:

At what point do you care about an athlete's off-the-field behavior?

Obviously, we all care at some point, no matter how talented said athlete is. Unless your priorities are completely out of whack, you're not going to support someone who beats their spouse or attempts to murder people in the offseason. But sports allegiances often force us into that weird gray area where, even though we might not want said professional athlete dating our sister or babysitting our kids, we're still OK with rooting for them as long as they suit up for the home team and get the job done.  

I've been a Lakers fan all my life, a fact that many of my friends feel is my greatest flaw as an individual. Magic Johnson was my guy growing up, the first professional athlete who filled me with awe and wonder, and because I grew up in Western Montana where the closest city with a professional franchise was a 9-hour drive to Seattle, the Lakers became my team.

This of course meant, many years later, being put in the uncomfortable position of rooting on Kobe Bryant while he was scheduled to go on trial for sexual assault.

Now, whatever you think about Kobe Bryant -- that he's a ball hog (debatable), that he ran Shaq out of town (false), that he once quit on his team when they were whining he shot too much (true, but I'm not sure I blame him), that he's a phony (I'll concede this one) -- he wasn't convicted of rape. Just like Ray Lewis wasn't convicted of murder, and Brandon Marshall hasn't been convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. (He goes on trial this summer.) But something happened in each case that makes everyone a little uncomfortable, and individually, we all have to decide at what point we're no longer OK with rooting on someone who acted outside society's standards and laws.  

I'm curious, though: Where is the line for you?

Continue reading "How much does the (alleged) bad behavior of athletes matter to you?" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:08 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

It would not be inaccurate to say the Ravens' history of quarterbacking misfortune turned decisively one day two years ago when Joe Flacco strode into K.C. Keeler's office and said he wanted to play baseball.

This is relevant because Flacco at the time was a junior quarterback at the University of Delaware, playing for Keeler, the coach, and spring practice was imminent. He was not quitting the football team, just investing himself in another sport.

Keeler didn't think twice.

"Do you realize you're going to be a draft choice in football?" he said to Flacco.

According to Keeler, Flacco said he didn't.

Just to make sure he didn't lose his quarterback to baseball, Keeler told his offensive coordinator to call Flacco's father and tell him that Joe would not be playing baseball. End of discussion.

Flacco went to spring football practice, where he wowed a number of NFL scouts with his arm, and then took the Blue Hens to the Division I-AA championship game. By late April, he was the Ravens' first-round draft pick and, well, you know the rest of the story.

It's a story that bears repeating because the Orioles just drafted Flacco's 22-year-old brother Mike, a power-hitting third baseman who slugged 14 homers and drove in 51 runs in 46 games at CCBC-Catonsville.

Who knows what might have happened had Joe gone over to baseball?

Continue reading "Flacco's moment of decision turned the Ravens' fate" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 6:06 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Bruce Feldman is the talented writer for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He's also the author of Meat Market, the 2007 book that serves as the most intensive examination of the college football recruiting process and the inner workings of a college football program that you can find. The program Feldman probed was the University of Mississippi's, which means he was around the team while Michael Oher, the Ravens first-round draft pick last weekend, was beginning to make a name for himself. You can check out Meat Market for yourself by clicking here.

Question: In Meat Market, it seems you were in the trenches for every twist and turn of the recruiting process at Ole Miss. Before I ask about Michael Oher, can you give us an idea of the access you had to the Ole Miss program, coaches and players?

Feldman: I was able to be a fly on the wall for an entire year. I sat in on every meeting, camps and even recruiting visits. I also did some traveling with the coaches and saw pretty much everything their staff sees. It was really incredible because so often you read about the recruiting process and you only got to see a fraction of the truth. I mean you look at the online recruiting profiles of these kids and they are touted to be 6-2 and weigh 230 pounds, run a 4.6 forty and have a 2.8 GPA. But in most cases that’s not the reality the staffs deal with. Maybe that kid comes to their camp and measures 5-11 ½ and weighs 215. He gets timed running a 4.98 and then when his transcript shows up he really has a 1.9 GPA. Then you’re not even sure if you can take him even if you think he’s a good enough prospect.

It also really blew me away to see just the level of evaluating they would do, from studying film to try and gauge little details as to whether a prospect could really play or not.

Question: I believe Michael was a sophomore when you were around. Did you have any early impressions of him? Sounds like he was a pretty raw talent.

Feldman: Yeah, I was there for almost two years, which were his sophomore and junior years. He was very, very raw. With the exception of Patrick Willis, almost the whole team was so green and probably shouldn’t have been starting in the SEC at that point of their careers. I mean physically they were a big team but they had so many guys who really didn’t know what they were doing. You would see Oher on the sidelines during games and he certainly looked the part. I know the staff tried to spoon-feed him info and it helped a lot that they lined up Andrew Wicker, who was their best lineman that season, right next to him so he made sure Oher knew what his assignment was before each snap. I do think there was quite a bit of hype about Oher early on and that had to have been so hard to cope with for him.

I mean athletically he’s very good, but I remember last winter when he was thinking of coming out early, some of these draft analysts were talking about how he’d run a 4.9 forty and was this and that and would be a top 10 pick. That’s crazy. When they timed him at Ole Miss when I was down there, he was a 5.45 guy, and while he’s gotten better and shed about 20 pounds, he still ran around a 5.3 at the combine this winter. And I know he’s had to work really hard in the weight room because he was very far behind in that regard and had struggled a lot as a run blocker.

Question: Despite going through three O-line coaches in four years, Oher played alongside some talented players. How much did it help to have guys like Andrew Wicker and John Jerry on the same line? Did Oher seem like the most dominant lineman while you were around?

Continue reading "Oher Q&A with ESPN's Bruce Feldman" »

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 10:15 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Each Tuesday in the Toy Department we bring you a Q&A with the reporters and writers who are in the field, chasing the news. This week The Baltimore Sun's Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley took time to answer some of our questions. Jamison has been covering the Ravens for The Sun since 2000. They've won just one Super Bowl during his tenure as beat writer. Coincidence?

Question: Given the vast amount of lies, smokescreens and subterfuge that usually clouds each team's draft, how surprised were you by Saturday's and Sunday's picks? Did you have many hints that their draft would unfold the way it did?

Hensley: Like most of the Ravens officials, I was surprised that Michael Oher would last into the 20s. He was rated by the Ravens as the fifth-best offensive player in the draft. This was just another year where a top talent fell down to them. Don’t get me wrong -- the Ravens are good. But they’ll even admit they’re lucky at times.

After the first round, I wasn’t surprised how the draft unfolded. I felt they would get a pass rusher (to be groomed behind Trevor Pryce), a cornerback (to add some youth to the secondary) and a tight end (Todd Heap and L.J. Smith are getting older). The only complaint -- no surprise -- is the fact that the Ravens didn’t get a wide receiver.

Question: When you look at the Ravens roster right now compared to the end of the last season, how does it compare? Better? Worse?

Hensley: On paper, I think the Ravens are somewhere in the middle. Michael Oher is an improvement over Willie Anderson at right tackle. Matt Birk is on the same level as Jason Brown at center. Chris Carr isn’t as flashy as Yamon Figurs as a returner, but he is tougher. I’m not sold on the Ravens’ biggest free-agent signing, cornerback Domonique Foxworth. It seems like they overpaid for him.

Continue reading "Ravens Q&A with the Sun's Jamison Hensley" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Every Monday we share with you a photograph that catches our eye. We provide a couple of possible captions, and you can try your hand at one or two of your own. Check out previous editions of Caption This by clicking here. And for more fun with photos, check out the Sun's Caption Call blog.

-- The Baltimore Ravens' scouts winced when they viewed film of Cedric Peerman. Full of mercy, they selected him in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. As a signing bonus, Ozzie Newsome offered Peerman a dozen bags of ice.

-- Former Virginia tailback Cedric Peerman was originally projected as a first-round pick. But at the NFL Combine, team GMs and scouts began to question his toughness when they spoke to him and discovered he talks a lot like Michael Jackson.

-- "I don't know why anyone's looking at me funny. You hear about the Ravens' second-round pick? That dude is missing more organs than I am."

-- In accordance with the NFL's new rookie orientation plan, all incoming rookies are given a temporary vasectomy before their first professional game.

-- New Maryland slogan: Fear the Snapping Turtle!

-- Asked about making the leap to the NFL, Cedric Peerman told reporters he was fairly certain the tough AFC North wouldn't be near as painful as the frisky ACC.

Posted by Rick Maese at 2:00 PM in Caption This, Ravens, Terps | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

First, let's point out that with the exception of NFL scouts and GMs, no one dislikes these day-after draft report cards more than the writers who have to do them. We all agree that to really judge a prospect or a draft class, you've got to wait about three years. But it's an easy way to package a lot of material, and fans eat them up. So fair is fair, and if the experts are going to grade each team's draft, shouldn't they also be graded?

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B-

I feel like reading Kiper Jr. and watching him on TV are two different experiences. On screen, he’s like Billy Mays after a case of Red Bull; on paper, it feels like he’s analyzing stock listings for a financial newsletter. Come on, Mel, give us some literary flourishes. Challenge yourself. Tell us that Hakeem Nicks is gonna blow up like Kirstie Alley eyeing the dessert tray. Tell us Darrius Heyward-Bey has the worst hands you’ve seen since Captain Hook.

Anyway, his grades were mostly on point, though he did seem too low on the Eagles (B-) and Broncos (C) and too high on the Chargers (C+), Redskins (C+) and Saints (C).

Kiper gave the Ravens a B, saying: “First-round selection Michael Oher gives this team great flexibility on the offensive line because he can play right or left tackle for the Ravens. Second-round pick Paul Kruger has the ability to play immediately in this league and may push for ample playing time. Also, Lardarius Webb is a little light at around 180 pounds, but with the help of an experienced safety to support him, he can definitely play cornerback in this league. I love the fifth-round selection of inside linebacker Jason Phillips. He's going to fit in very well with this talented group of linebackers.”

Clifton Brown, Sporting News: D+

Brown is a sharp tack when it comes to the NFL, but he was docked serious points for misspelling “quarterback” and relying a bit too heavily on short sentences. He also gave two teams worse grades than the Oakland Raiders -- the Chargers and Steelers both got slapped with Fs, while the Raiders took home a D- -- which is unacceptable. I’m not sure where that poor Pittsburgh grade comes from, but I doubt many Ravens fans will complain.

He gave the Ravens a C-. While Brown liked the Oher pick, he pointed out that, “Paul Kruger will not make anyone forget Bart Scott, and GM Ozzie Newsome will need late-round hits to make this draft sizzle.

Peter King, Sports Illustrated: F+

Continue reading "Grading the NFL Draft graders" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 12:35 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Michael Lewis is the best-selling author of Moneyball, and while that's one of the most important baseball books I've ever read, his 2006 follow-up The Blind Side strikes markedly different chords. That's largely because of Michael Oher, who was a central character and whose backstory could draw tears from a stone. So when the Ravens selected Oher with the 23rd pick in the first round of Saturday's draft, I knew we had to hear from Lewis. I used a couple bits in my column Sunday, but here's some more of his comments, interesting stuff that ranges from Oher to Ole Miss coaches to Todd McShay to a very interesting plan for Jonathan Ogden:

It’s so seldom that things work out the way they’re supposed to work that I’m a little shocked. It’s interesting to me because it’s so hard to look at a 16-year-old kid and say he’s a first-round NFL draft pick and that Tom Lemming did that when he was 16, it’s unbelievable. You know, baseball scouts look at 22-year-old college students and whiff completely. I’m really impressed that someone was able to see that in him so early.

And I’m impressed by him. It would have been so easy for him to give himself an excuse to fail and to not listen to people, to rebel. It would’ve been so easy for him to give himself an out. He worked very hard to get to where he is.

In fact, the one thing that slightly disturbed me about this whole process is, I watched these guys who supposedly project the draft and actually have no idea what will happen, these guys on ESPN. Todd McShay went on the TV and said he was one of the three greatest character risks of the draft. This kid has unbelievable character. I say that as someone who has occasionally been on the wrong side of him. I’ve seen that he’s sensitive and occasionally a little fragile. But to get where he is from where he was, is an unbelievable act of courage and determination and willpower and all the things you need to succeed in anything in life. For people not to see that – even if they didn’t have this book to read – for people not to see that is appalling.

I think what happened was, I think the Ravens were unbelievable lucky that he fell to 23 in the draft. Several things happened. The Raiders having these brain seizures when they drafted. Al Davis, I think, is single-handedly responsible for him falling a bunch of places.

I think that had Michael had a more stable college coaching environment – had he played with the same coaches for four years in a successful football program – I think he’d be a top-5 pick. But what happened was, the scouting types in the NFL went for some data on him, some anecdotal stuff on him, and they called all these fired Ole Miss coaches who were kind of bitter and disgruntled, and they reflected more on them than they did Michael.

I just watched this kid for so closely for so long. I could tell you that he’s not a perfect human being, but he’s just a really solid kid. It’s incredible to me that he got this little bit of a rap. I think you’re going to be delighted. The Ravens have such a great track record in the draft.

I was secretly hoping the Ravens would reel Jonathan Ogden back in. Jonathan Ogden has a role in The Blind Side. I don’t remember what chapters he’s in. I spent time with him, though; I wrote about him. I’m hoping they can reel him back in to tutor Michael because I’d bet he’d be the perfect coach. And he’s the only one bigger than Michael, so maybe Michael would listen to him.

It seems like he’s in a really solid place. I don’t know how many of these teams I’ve spent time with – maybe four or five of them – and Baltimore is a really good organization. I think he’s in a good place.

 Click below to read how Lewis' concluded Oher's story in The Blind Side.

Continue reading "Michael Lewis on Michael Oher" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 11:00 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Special to The Baltimore Sun: Contact Ricig at michaelricigliano@gmail.com. 

Posted by Rick Maese at 8:40 AM in Mike Ricigliano's View, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

To better understand the Ravens' first-round draft pick, Michael Oher, a 309-pound offensive lineman from Ole Miss, we turn to those who understand him best. 

Hugh Freeze was Oher’s football coach at Briarcrest Christian School, where Oher helped his team win two state titles. Freeze followed Oher to Ole Miss in 2005 and spent two seasons as an assistant under head coach Ed Orgeron. Freeze is currently the head coach at Lambuth University in Tennessee.

Art Kehoe coached at the University of Miami for 25 years before joining Ole Miss as the offensive line coach in 2006. He was Oher’s position coach for Oher’s sophomore and junior seasons.

Freeze: I was sitting in my office the first day he came to campus. Big Tony Henderson brought him. Big Tony and I had known each other for years; he helped me with some other kids. He’d brought his son and also brought Michael along, introduced me to him that day. It was the first day he was on the Briarcrest campus. He was just a shy, meek soul. He wouldn't even raise his head to look you in the eyes to talk with you. He's come miles since then. He’s just a joy to be around.

Kehoe: He was probably better known as a basketball prospect coming out of high school. The city of Memphis has really good basketball, and he was the No. 2 player in the whole city his senior year. Even though Briarcrest is a small school, they won a state title with him.

Freeze: As far as being a first round draft pick, I’d say his junior year at Ole Miss that started seeming possible. I’ve had a lot of kids go Division 1 football, but I’d never coached a first-rounder. It was obvious to me going into the spring of his senior season that he’d be a big-time college football player. But the National Football League is the best of the best, the elite. So I wasn’t sure at that point that you could just look him and know. But I’d say around his junior year of his college career at Ole Miss, we started hearing that a lot more.

Kehoe: If the Tuohys and Hugh Freeze and the people at Briarcrest weren’t around, who knows what road he would’ve taken. What those people did for him is so overwhelming. I’m going to enjoy watching him. I called him yesterday and told him, ‘I’m so proud of you, good luck to you, and I wish you nothing but great things,’ because he’s a good kid. Don’t be surprised: He may have a little trouble like most rookies do starting off, but I think his learning curve is really accelerating.

Freeze: He’s had so little in his life. He’s just such a humble and appreciative young man. I loved the comments he made right after he was picked. He really has a concern that he doesn’t want to let down the people who show some type of trust in him. The last thing he wants to do is let the people down. He’ll fight his heart out to prove that Baltimore is right in picking him.

Continue reading "Oher's coaches explain their former pupil" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Apparently, the Cardinals have come to terms with the fact that they won't be getting a first- and a third-round pick for Anquan Boldin. Word has spread that their demand has lowered -- a second-round pick and other considerations in exchange for Boldin.

It's clear that the Cards are going to move the wide receiver, and as it concerns the Ravens, my stance hasn't change: Get him. 

Can't you picture Yoda Newsome in his office, talking with Cards' GM Rod Graves:

"Todd Heap you will take. Anquan Boldin you will give."

And patient Ozzie has been. I don't know if they'll end up with Boldin (the Titans, Jets,  Eagles and Giants all seem like players in the hunt), but the Ravens want him. And they made it clear that the previous asking-price was too high.

Well, it's lower now. Which makes it seem like the ball is in the Ravens' court.

Props and thanks to Bryan Shultz, a Baltimorean trapped in Seattle, for passing along the photoshop...

Posted by Rick Maese at 3:58 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Brian Robiskie from Ohio State, of course.

Here is Faulk's bullet-proof explanation:

"We have a great opportunity here. Our young quarterback stepped up big time. But we're lacking something. We're lacking a play-maker at receiver. Our defense, we did lose some guys. But guys always step in. At receiver, there's a bunch of guys, but I think about the team we compete with the most -- the Steelers -- and who gives us fits. So I think we're going to that school and getting Brian Robiskie. He's not a blazer, but he can do all the things you need a receiver to do."

Nevermind that Robiskie is more likely to be a second-rounder or that Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kenny Britt and Hakeem Nicks were all still on the board (as was tight end Brandon Pettigrew). The rest of NFL.com's experts didn't seem to agree with Faulk either. Here's their banter:

Charles Davis: "Wow."

Marshall Faulk: "I like him to be a reliable receiver who will be where he needs to be and help the QB."

Brian Billick: "Him over a guy like Kenny Britt? He is more stable."

Marshall Faulk: "I went with the reliable route runner who will catch the ball. He won't have off-the-field problems. He's stable."

Mike Mayock: "I think you have to take a step back and remember how Ozzie Newsome drafts. He's less specific toward needs and more toward the best player on his board. I think the best player on his board will be Brandon Pettigrew if he gets to that point."

Marshall Faulk: "That may be true. But if you watched them play, they didn't have that guy. If you're going to have a quarterback like Flacco, get him a guy he can depend on. That's what you want to do. You want to provide him with weapons."

Mike Mayock: "I agree with everything you've said, but here's the hole: Ozzie Newsome will take the highest-rated player on his board. At No. 26, they won't take a player rated lower than 26. If Robiskie is rated 32, or 29, they will not take him. They will not go and reach for a specific player."

Brian Billick: "But they will drop back They only have six picks in the draft. They're in a prime spot to trade back."

Mike Mayock: "They would trade back, and that's what they could do to get Robiskie. I don't think at No. 26 they would take him. But they could get him and multiple picks."

Rich Eisen: "That's why they call it a 'mock draft' and not a 'Mayock draft' right?"

Elsewhere in the NFL.com mock draft, Aaron Curry went No. 1, Mark Sanchez was picked ahead of Matthew Stafford, Stafford went at the 10 spot to SanFran, Pettigrew fell to No. 28 and Heyward-Bey to 29. Also, Aaron Maybin was the 30th overall pick.

Posted by Rick Maese at 12:41 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

There's nothing quite as ridiculous as mock drafts, so this week, the Toy Department has decided to make a mockery of mock drafts by conducting our own three-part draft. But instead of limiting the pool to players who have actually entered the draft, we've placed no such limits on anything. The people do not even have to be real. They just have to be able to help the franchise in some way.

In case you missed them, you can catch Part 1 here, or Part 2 here.  

21. Philadelphia Eagles

Selection: Santa Claus, toymaker; deliverer of good cheer

Analysis: It's about time Philly and jolly old Saint Nick put their long-running feud to rest. Sure, maybe a handful of Eagles fans did boo Santa Claus at some point, besmirching the entire city's character for years to come, but it's time for bygones to be bygones, right? Think of all the good that could occur if this relationship was mended. Santa could unload a bunch of unread Rush Limbaugh books on Donovan McNabb  as a way to break the ice, and then hand out his real presents, like a membership to the Ham of the Month club for coach Andy Reid and a first-aid kit for Brian Westbrook.

22. Minnesota Vikings

Selection: Doc Brown, scientist

Analysis: This one is simple. The Vikings hook up with Doc Brown and his flux capacitor and go back in time and trade a couple draft picks for Jay Cutler. Or, if they prefer, they can go even farther back in time and simply draft a real quarterback. Seriously, you have the best running back the NFL has seen in 10 years and you want to waste the best parts of his career with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as your quarterback? The team is lucky Rep. Michelle Bachman hasn't tried to have owner Zygi Wilf deported yet. Instead of organizing boat orgies, the Vikings should look inside Brad Childress' garage to see if he has an old DeLorean they can get up to 88 mph. It probably also wouldn't hurt to use the flux capacitor to go back in time and figure out a way to properly count votes for the U.S. Senate election either, now that I think about it. (Seriously, how long does Minnesota plan to go with just one vote in the U.S. Senate? Obama's second term?) Even Al Franken and Rush Limbaugh can agree that asking Adrian Peterson to play with Sage Rosenfels is a criminal offense.

23. New England Patriots

Selection: David Addington, lawyer, treasonous criminal, rule-bender

Continue reading "Making a Mockery of Mock Drafts, Part 3" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:40 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The NFL Network talks with Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta, who pull back the curtain and try to explain what the draft process is like behind the scenes.

[Update: The embed function fizzled on this video. But you can still click here to watch the whole thing.]

Posted by Rick Maese at 1:00 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Every Thursday we present two Sun sportswriters squaring off in a video feature called Faceoff. This week, Childs Walker and Ken Murray discuss everything that's on the line the next few days for the Ravens -- from the possible Anquan Boldin trade to this weekend's NFL Draft.

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:15 AM in Faceoff, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

For all the grief we give Brian Billick about enjoying the sound of his own voice, he's always been pretty good at providing a chuckle or two, even if it's at his own expense. Preparing for this weekend's NFL Draft, the coach-turned-NFL Network analyst took part in an online chat yesterday for NFL.com. Just three questions into the chat, it temporarily veered off track. Blame Ben in Corona.

Ben, Corona: When you were coaching, were you cognizant of saying things that would land on a Coors Light commercial? And if possible, can I get a "Let's wedge it?"

Brian Billick, NFL Network: I wasn't at the time! But if I had, I would have said more stupid things. Those beer commercials pay pretty well. LET'S WEDGE IT!

Billick spent much of the chat dishing out the safe and the vague. (Though to one fan who asked about rookie quarterbacks, Billick did say, "There would be those who question your judgment in asking me a QB question.") When asked about Anquan Boldin and the Ravens, here's what Billick had to say:

First off I have to confess to my admiration to Anquan Boldin. He would make a huge difference for the Ravens and give Joe Flacco the presence he needs to take that next step in his development. Unfortunately, I don't think the Ravens will be willing to give the Cardinals the price for Anquan Boldin. If it indeed takes a first- and third-round pick to secure the deal. I doubt Ozzie Newsome would pay that high of a price.

Just for fun, after the jump, let's take a look at a couple of those Coors Light commercials starring Brian Billick. 

Continue reading "Billick wishes he said 'more stupid things'" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 11:15 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Well, now my head is just starting to hurt.

Earlier this week, I passed along a link from Fox Sports in which John Czarnecki reviewed each team's draft since 2003 and handed out grades. He gave the Ravens a C-. Only two teams in the NFL received a worse score (Jacksonville and Detroit were both slapped with Ds.  Yes, the Ravens were just slightly better than Detroit. The Detroit Lions.)

So armed with Czarnecki's bullet-proof synopsis, you surely spent the past couple of days stewing, wondering why Ozzie & Co. haven't investing in a Drafting for Dummies book or something. And then along comes John Clayton to confuse us all.

Even though the Fox report made it clear that the Ravens took the short bus to drafting school, Clayton files a report that anoints Ozzie Newsome as the top draft evaluator in the league -- ahead of his counterparts with the Colts and the Patriots and even the Lions.

Here's a snippet from the Clayton piece:

As a player, he was known as the Wizard of Oz, a Hall of Fame tight end who was hard to stop. As a drafter, he's a master of finding the right players. Newsome built one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, starting with middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

Normally, Newsome drafts players from major colleges, but, in typical Newsome fashion, he went against his profile to find the right quarterback for the Ravens. Last year, he took Joe Flacco out of Delaware. The Ravens won 11 games, and Flacco appears to be the quarterback who can challenge Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers.

These are two veteran writers -- both among the elite group of Pro Football Hall of Fame voters -- who somehow see the world in wildly different colors. I feel like I'm flipping back and forth between MSNBC and Fox News on Inauguration Day.

I won't tell you which report to trust. But I will point out that in our little poll to right of your screen, which asks fans what they think the Ravens should do in this weekend's draft, as of this morning, nearly one in three respondents has selected, "Whatever Ozzie Newsome wants." 

Photo: Getty

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:00 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Eric DeCosta joined the Ravens in 1996 as a scout and was named director of college scouting in 2003. After the drafting of Joe Flacco and a successful 2008 season, DeCosta was promoted to director of player personnel in January. As he does every April, DeCosta will play a critical role this weekend as the Ravens try to improve their team with just six picks in the NFL Draft. 

Question: What is this time of year like for you?

DeCosta: It’s exciting. We spend nine months getting ready for one weekend. A lot of work goes into it. It can be tedious at times but as we get closer, you start to see the possibilities of bringing six young guys into Baltimore, it’s exciting. You can put your fingerprints on the team but it’s very much a collaborative effort. It’s really exciting. … I’m not sleeping as well as I’d like, waking up in middle of night thinking about all possibilities.

Question: You grew up playing football. I’m not sure there are many kids who dream of being an NFL exec or a draft guru. Was there a moment where you just fell in love with this process?

DeCosta: I grew up in Boston, but I was a Cowboys fan. My earliest memory of football was the 1978 Super Bowl, Cowboys-Broncos. One of things as I kid I was interested in – even at 7 – was the draft. The Cowboys with Gil Brandt started a lot of trends in scouting and using computers. They were ahead of the curve. They scouted players all over the country, scouted guys playing different sports. They were just creative. I was always really interested in that. So as a result I would follow the draft pretty religiously. My dad and I would spend a lot of time studying everything we could. It was something that always appealed to me as a kid, the process of building a team.

Question: You could’ve grown up to be Mel Kiper.

DeCosta: I always wanted to work for a team. I’m a competitive person. Mel and I, our jobs are real similar in a lot of ways, but I like the competitiveness, being around a team, feeling what it’s like to win at the end of the day. It’s such a great high. I know how much work Mel puts into it – a tremendous amount – but I don’t know if I could that, do all that work, and not get the feeling of a win.

Question: You got the new title. Have your day-to-day responsibilities changed at all, or has the draft just occupied every second of your day?

Continue reading "Q&A with Ravens' Eric DeCosta" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Few things in sports are quite as ridiculous as NFL mock drafts. People who have no idea what they're talking about update them twice a day based on hunches and rumors, and they're still about as accurate as Mel Kiper's. (Which is to say ... not very accurate.) With that in mind, we are attempting to bring you the least informative mock draft ever. Instead of trying to guess which players various NFL teams might select, we're going to conduct a three-part mock draft based on who they should select, people who could most help the franchise. And instead of limiting the pool to players who have actually entered the draft, we've placed no such limits on anything. The people do not even have to be real.

In case you missed our Part 1, you can catch it here. And Part 3 is right here.

11. Buffalo Bills

Selection: Dr. Jennifer Melfi, psychiatrist; unwitting accomplice

Analysis: There is a lot of evidence to suggest that one of David Chase's main points in The Sopranos was that therapy is complete b.s., and that essentially we are who we are by the time we reach adulthood thanks to the choices we've made, and try as we might, there is really no altering that. (Chase chose Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" for a specific reason in the minutes before Tony -- SPOILER ALERT! -- offed his nephew Christopher after a car crash. The child is grown; the dream is gone. I have become comfortably numb. Tony had become numb to who he really was. It's why he screams "I get it!" at the end of the episode "Kennedy and Heidi," in the desert. At least that's my take.) All that said, it would be nice after failing to rehabilitate Tony Soprano if Dr. Melfi could get another shot at the impossible with Terrell Owens, who is kind of like Tony in some respects in that he's prone to violent mood swings, he seems to have occasional panic attacks, he gets a little upset when he's not the center of attention, and he occasionally belittles others just for his own entertainment. You know he's going to have some kind of meltdown during the dreary days of winter and end up putting out a hit on his quarterback, whomever he may be. It might take a few weeks to get Melfi up to speed on football, considering she once thought RICO was a cousin of Tony's, but hopefully she'll help T.O. direct his power and his anger toward those who deserve it in no time.

12. Denver Broncos

Continue reading "Making a Mockery of Mock Drafts, Part 2" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:30 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Internet video has surfaced of Ray Lewis on the program Sport Science. (Hat tip to Shutdown Corner who posted this earlier today.)

Here's what the Sun's Ray Frager reported last month when the episode was originally broadcast: 

If Ray Lewis knocks at your door, better let him in. That's the lesson to be learned from the next edition of Sport Science (airing Sunday at 11 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet).

The program uses lots of high-tech equipment to film and measure actions of athletes in scientific fashion. In this case, Sport Science decided to compare the Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker with a battering ram. Each would be used to break down a thick, locked door.

Lewis filmed the show -- now in its second season -- in July in Los Angeles. He didn't get paid and stayed out on the field for six hours, said John Brenkus, creator and host of the series.

(The co-creator and co-executive producer is Mickey Stern, a Baltimore native.)

"It's literally a program that people do for free," he said. "By Season 2, everyone in the sports community had seen Sport Science. ... The sell just gets easier as the show goes on." 

I'll admit to not having seen the show before receiving a preview DVD, but, as my 12-year-old self would have said, it's pretty neat -- measurements of force, super slow motion from all angles.

But what about the risk of injury? (I checked with the Ravens, and a spokesman said the team had no idea Lewis did this.)

"The athletes are in such incredible shape, and we take every precaution," Brenkus said. "Where you get hurt is when you're not actually going full speed."

 

Posted by Rick Maese at 1:15 PM in Must-see Web TV, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Each Tuesday in the Toy Department we bring you a Q&A with the reporters and writers who are in the field, chasing the news. This week The Baltimore Sun's NFL reporter Ken Murray took time to answer some of our questions. Murray had two stints as Colts beat writer, with The News American in 1981 and The Evening Sun in 1983. He also covered the Baltimore CFL team in 1994 and the Ravens in 2000, and has predominantly covered the NFL during his 25 years at The Sun.

Continue reading "Draft Q&A with The Sun's Ken Murray" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 11:45 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Both Scott Garceau, from 105.7 The Fan, and WNST's Drew Forrester are citing unnamed Ravens' team sources today saying the salary cap will likely preclude the Ravens from participating in the Anquan Boldin sweepstakes. This appears to be the exact opposite of what unnamed sources have told the Sun's Jamison Hensley and ESPN's John Clayton -- unless you want to think the Ravens weren't aware there was a salary cap last week but suddenly remembered this giant hurdle today.

Know what that sounds like to me? Grist for the draft-week mill. Teams that want to create cap space figure out ways. If the Ravens want Boldin bad enough, they make it happen, even if that requires some tough decisions. A lot of what you hear this week will be posturing, leaked snippets intended to move the needle and play a role in negotiations. Time will tell.

[Update: Jamison has a new report of his own, citing an unnamed team source, saying a trade is "unlikely," unless the Cardinals lower their demands. It seems to confirm what I was alluding to. By going the anonymous-source route, the Ravens are sending word to the Cardinals and the rest of the league that a first- and third-round pick is too steep of an asking price. It might not have seemed especially steep a week ago -- remember Roy Williams brought a first-, third- and a sixth-round pick last year -- but the market for Boldin doesn't seem to be as big as originally thought. If the Ravens stay in the Boldin hunt, you can bet they do not want to give up any more than they have to.

If you're a Peter King disciple, here's what he said in this morning's column: "I think the Cardinals have to get serious about trading Anquan Boldin. He's not going to be happy there, and he's not going to bring back a first-round pick PLUS something else."] 

I did want to pass something along that originally appeared last week on Foxsports.com. John Czarnecki is an editorial consultant for FOX NFL Sunday and one of 44 selectors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He went through each team's drafts since 2003 and handed out grades. He gave the Ravens a C-, which is worse than teams like the Redskins (B), the 49ers (C), the Steelers (A), the Patriots (A+), and the Cowboys (A).

Here's what Czarnecki had to say about the Ravens:

"For all the praise given to GM Ozzie Newsome, his drafts have produced few stars in recent years. Yes, quarterback Joe Flacco might become one, but the only Pro Bowler in the last six drafts is pass rusher Terrell Suggs from 2003. Yes, there are some decent starters in guard Ben Grubbs and fullback Le'Ron McClain. But they busted out with quarterback Kyle Boller and first-round receiver Mark Clayton in 2005. Running back Ray Rice was a solid choice last season and nine rookies did make the final 53-man roster in 2008."

If you missed it, the New York Times didn't hand out grades but did write a complimentary story over the weekend on the Ravens' draft process and history.

Posted by Rick Maese at 4:20 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

We'll have a lot of draft talk here in the Toy Department this week, including Q&As, video debate, the continuation of KVV's mockery of mock drafts.

But let's get it started with a poll question. We'll keep this stashed over there in the right-hand margin of your screen all week.

Already, there's a lot of good things floating around. David Steele thinks you gotta pay Terrell Suggs before you open the vault to Anquan Boldin. ProFootball24x7 wonders whether the Ravens have cap space to get Boldin, Eric DeCosta's wife, Lacie, has Darrius Heyward-Bey in her mock draft, and Ken Murray has updated his mock draft.

 Plus, the Eagles could still be involved in the Boldin sweepstakes. It's guaranteed to be a fun week.

Posted by Rick Maese at 11:00 AM in Burning Question, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Special to The Baltimore Sun: Contact Ricig at michaelricigliano@gmail.com. 

Click here for previous cartoons.

Posted by Rick Maese at 9:55 AM in Mike Ricigliano's View, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I like Darrius Heyward-Bey a lot. As a person, he's just about everything a reporter could ask for. He's a smart, funny guy who is a great quote, mainly because he isn't afraid to tell you what he thinks. It's no secret that wide receivers have become the Beyonces and the J-Los of the NFL. Most of the good ones are divas who need constant pampering, or else they'll throw tantrums, but Heyward-Bey doesn't fit that mold. He's a great kid. I want to see him succeed in the NFL, and fulfill the ridiculous potential he has because he possesses the rare combination of size (6 feet 3) and speed (4.3 in the 40).

But if I were Ozzie Newsome, I'd let someone else take that risk. Because even though Maryland had quarterback issues throughout Heyward-Bey's career, which helps explain his underwhelming production, it's way too easy to fall in love with wide receivers prior to the draft. Wide receivers are like race horses. When they're young, everyone has their theories, but no one really has any idea which ones will be good, and which ones will be a waste. I went to a horse auction a few years ago after the Preakness and watched an entire room full of trainers throw around thousands of dollars on horses just hoping to find one good one in 10. It was a good primer for this year's draft. 

The success rate of wideouts drafted in the first round in the last 10 years is pitiful. And Heyward-Bey is no different. There are a lot of Ravens fans, as well as NFL GMs, mesmerized right now by his physical tools, but when it comes to the first round, you're more likely to get burned by potential than you are pleasantly surprised by it. Wide receivers are the hardest position in the NFL to evaluate, there is no way the Ravens should take that gamble, even on someone with character like Heyward-Bey, despite the continued lobbying of Maryland fans. (Frankly, they should know better than anyone that Heyward-Bey can drive you mad with his inconsistency.) 

Windows aren't open very long in the NFL. After getting to the AFC championship game last year, the team would be better off signing a proven player (Torry Holt?) or trading for a potential star (Anquan Boldin) than they would playing the lottery of picking a wideout in the first round, hoping he'll emerge three years from now. Because that's the best-case scenario: three years before the pick even begins to pay off, if at all.

There were no wide receivers drafted in the first round last year, but let's look at wide receivers drafted in the first round over the 10-year period from 1999, the year before the Ravens won the Super Bowl, to 2008. The results (below) should scare you.

Even when you find a player who is productive, there is a decent chance he'll be a headcase. And finding a star at the bottom of the first round? You're about as likely to find one in the second or third round. You just end up paying your misses a lot less money. With as well as the Ravens evaluate defensive talent, they should just continue to draft defenders and trade them for proven receivers. Because look how easy it is to miss on wideouts.

Continue reading "Why the Ravens should pass on drafting a wide receiver in 1st round" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 10:00 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

If the Ravens are seriously pursuing Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Anquan Boldin, the competition may have just thinned out a bit. Maybe a lot.

Reportedly, the Philadelphia Eagles -- who were also thought to be in the hunt for Boldin -- have agreed to trade a first-round pick to Buffalo for the Bills' two-time Pro Bowl left offensive tackle, Jason Peters. Obviously, the Cards want a first-round pick for Boldin and a little extra.

If that Eagles-Bills trade goes through (there are reports that Philadelphia wants Peters to agree to a contract extension), it probably eliminates the Eagles from any more big moves leading up to the draft. Philadelphia had two first-round picks (No. 21 and No. 28) and 12 choices overall.  The Eagles gave up the No. 28 and two other picks (a fourth-rounder this year and sixth in 2010) for Peters. 

Meanwhile, the Ravens have the No. 26 overall. Certainly, the Eagles could still try to trump a Baltimore offer with their No. 21 but it also would seem unlikely that the Eagles would give up another first-rounder in a trade, not to mention the payroll strain of coming up with fresh bonus money for both Peters and Boldin.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:30 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I'm not sure what popular sentiment is about this Anquan Boldin news, but it seems pretty simple to me: If they Ravens have a chance, they must pull the trigger on the trade.

I like Boldin better than any receiver in this draft. The Ravens need a receiver. Ergo, you gotta jump on this trade. The Ravens know that to maximize Joe Flacco's potential, they've got to add another receiver into the mix, and the draft options available to them at 26 are just too risky.

I spoke with Eric DeCosta, the Ravens director of player personnel, this week about a variety of subjects (this interview will be posted here in the Toy Department next week) and one thing we touched on is just how difficult it is to draft receivers. I mean, look at the Ravens' recent draft history. They chase after a receiver almost every year. How's that working out? Here's how:

2008: 4th round, Marcus Smith, New Mexico; 7th round, Justin Harper, Virginia Tech

2007: 3rd round, Yamon Figurs, Kansas State

2006: 4th round, Demetrius Williams, Oregon

2005: 1st round, Mark Clayton, Oklahoma

2004: 3rd round, Devard Darling, Washington State; 6th round, Clarence Moore, Northern Arizona; 6th round, Derek Abney, Kentucky

2002: 4th round, Ron Johnson, Minnesota; 6th round, Javin Hunter, Notre Dame

You know the Ravens are hungry for a receiver. They haven't made it a secret. They've been using Joe Flacco during workouts with potential WR draft picks. How often do you hear of that happening?

DaCosta says the easiest positions to evaluate are offensive linemen, safeties and running backs. The toughest are quarterbacks and wide receivers. So why roll the draft dice again on a receiver? Give whatever it takes to nab the proven commodity. Dealing away a first- and a third-round pick -- the Cards' reporting asking price -- might be too high for the Giants, but not the Ravens.

With Boldin, they have a sure-thing -- a guy who makes their quarterback better, their offense better and their team better.

So, yes, you give up the first-round pick and you give up the third. And if the Cardinals want some Ray Lewis autographs footballs or some Steve Bisciotti investment tips, you throw that in, too. (The Arizona Republic suggests the Ravens would have to throw in 2010 picks. And Mike Preston says a first and third is too much to give up.)

It might not make for an exciting draft weekend for Ravens fans. But it'd sure inject some excitement into the next couple of seasons. 

Photo: Associated Press

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:37 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

In their offseason of critical reinforcements, the Ravens could be about to strike again. If GM Ozzie Newsome can pry Anquan Boldin loose from the Cardinals, as he is attempting to do, the Ravens will have upgraded their passing game in a major way.

Boldin is the best of the veteran wide receivers on the trade market right now, a market that includes Cleveland's Braylon Edwards and perhaps Cincinnati's Chad (nee Johnson) Ocho Cinco. At 6 feet 1 and 217 pounds, Boldin is a physical, punishing receiver who gets yards after the catch.

He isn't the speed merchant who will stretch the field for Joe Flacco, except when he turns the 10-yard slant into a 70-yard touchdown. But he is a threat anywhere on the field, and he would have a big-time effect on the offense, especially in the red zone. Last season in Arizona, Boldin had 11 touchdowns -- and 89 catches -- in 12 games.

Entering his seventh season, the 28-year-old Boldin has been nagged by injuries. He has missed the equivalent of one full season -- 16 games -- in six years.

According to Sun reporter Jamison Hensley, who broke the story, the Ravens are willing to pay first- and third-round picks for Boldin. Then they'll have to re-do his contract; that, after all, is the reason he's forcing his way out of Arizona.

And there will be competition. Several teams have receiver as a priority in this month's college draft. The Eagles, with picks 21 and 28, have the ammunition to make a deal for Boldin. The Giants, sitting at 29, are already reportedly talking to the Browns about Edwards.

The Cardinals are likely to dangle Boldin all next week, raising the ante with each conversation. Newsome can hang with the big boys in those talks, though. The question is how far he's willing to go. Getting Boldin would allow Newsome to truly grab the best available player, satisfying the team's biggest need.

Posted by Ken Murray at 4:55 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (79)
        

Few things in sports are quite as ridiculous as NFL mock drafts. People with only limited knowledge of what they're talking about fill them out like they're NCAA tournament pools, and NFL teams constantly leak false information to confuse teams about who they're interested in. 

Yet every year we're inundated with them. It's always funny to see some clueless pundit write that the Ravens might be "reaching a bit here, but they'll select (blank) based on need" when anyone in Baltimore over the age of 9 can tell you the Ravens' one rule is to select the best player available, and not reach for anyone. (Kyle Boller excluded, of course. Curse you, Billick!) I've seen message boards have near meltdowns based on mock drafts that look like they were thrown together by some college sophomore in between bong hits. "Darrius Heyward-Bey to the Raiders at No. 7!!! Al Davis still loves guys who can go deep! Book it!"

With that in mind, we're going to attempt to bring you the least informative mock draft ever. Instead of trying to guess which players various NFL teams might select, we're going to conduct a mock draft based on who they should select, people who could most help the franchise. And instead of limiting the pool to players who have actually entered the draft, we're going to place no such limits on anything. The people do not even have to be real. Because there is no way we'd expect you to read something this long in a single sitting -- unless your job is really boring, and even then you're probably reading Bill Simmons first -- we're presenting this mock draft in three parts leading up to the draft.

Let's get started with Part 1. (And when you finish, Part 2 can be found here and Part 3 is right here.)

1. Detroit Lions

Selection: Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots; semi-truck

Analysis: The auto industry's decline has obviously hurt Detroit in a major way, so instead of spending ridiculous amounts of money on an unproven, guaranteed bust like Matt Stafford (seriously? You want to pick a guy No. 1 who wasn't even that good in college?), the Lions should instead go ahead and select Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots in the Transformers franchise. This pick works on several levels, the first being that they're going to need a reliable semi-truck, whether it's carting around a fanbase's broken spirit, or hauling Daunte Culpepper's limp body off the field if when he gets hurt. It would also almost certainly mean Megan Fox would be hanging around Lions' games, which even if you have to put up with Shia LaBeouf, is worth it. (Look at this picture. It's as if it was snapped in Highland Park!) Of course, knowing the Lions, they'll just trade her for an injury-prone, marijuana-addicted wide receiver, but still, it would breathe some life into this miserable franchise.  

2. St. Louis Rams

Selection: Winston Wolfe, problem solver, Pulp Fiction

Analysis: Let's get down to brass tacks, gentlemen. The clock is ticking on Steven Jackson's career and this franchise is a total mess, almost like there are little pieces of brain, blood and skull everywhere. What the Rams need is for someone to come in there and absolutely clean house. If that includes putting Marc Bulger's body in the trunk of a car and taking it to Monster Joe's Truck and Tow, so be it. And if Jackson needs to get sprayed with a garden hose to finally clense the stink of Mike Martz off him, that can also be arranged. Mr. Wolfe thinks fast, he talks fast, and he's going to need Kyle Boller to act fast if the Rams are going to get out of this. So pretty please, with sugar on top, tell your fanbase to chill out, because you're sending the Wolfe, who will be arriving directly.  

Continue reading "Let's make a mockery of mock drafts, shall we? " »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 9:30 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Each week here at the Toy Department, two Baltimore Sun staffers will engage in a segment we like to call The Conversation, where they'll swap e-mails with one another and debate something that is in the news. Today, Kevin Van Valkenburg and Rick Maese discuss the Ravens' 2009 schedule, which was released yesterday.

KVV,

Whew, I feel good this morning. I'd been growing my annual NFL Schedule Beard since the Super Bowl ended, and I was finally able to shave last night, content in knowledge that there will indeed be football games beginning in September. I'm not quite sure when the release of the NFL schedule became a national holiday, but as long as Major League Baseball doesn't adopt its own prime time unveiling show -- including analysis of every team's 162 games -- I think we're OK.

Well, I look over the Ravens schedule and one thing immediately comes to mind: AFC North championship. There's a couple of reasons for this. First, there's the Columnist Code. I'm not supposed to talk about this out loud, but most of my breed's founding fathers don't know what the Internet is anyway, so let me explain. The Columnist Code was written in 1779 by Woodicus Paige (with forward by Michaelangelo Lupica), and it clearly states that a columnist must declare the hometown team as the preseason favorite as early as possible. This is important for a couple of reasons. If the team does well, the columnist can then declare to fans "I-told-you-so," an important staple for the sportswriter. And if the team struggles, the writer can then blame the coach and players for underachieving. So you see, it's win-win.

But even if there wasn't a Columnist Code, I'd still place the bar high for the Ravens. Put simply, this is the best possible schedule; much better than the hand they've been dealt in recent years. I mean, this team was in the AFC championship game and not only will they play the league's 28th-toughest schedule, but it unfolds quite favorably. Maybe the league felt bad about the Ravens missing their bye week last season. Whatever it was, they laid a yellow-brick road of sorts to the postseason for the Ravens. Ray Lewis, Joe Flacco, Toto & Co. just need to stay on the right path.

Only 151 days until Week 1,

Maese 

Continue reading "The Conversation: Discussing the Ravens schedule" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 6:00 AM in Ravens, The Conversation, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

This is Ozzie Newsome's season, the time of year when the Ravens GM weaves a path of intrigue into the NFL draft. No one likes this time of year more. Very few have been as efficient at plumbing the depths of college talent for as long as he has, going on his 14th year in Baltimore.

More than that, he has a knack for deftly reinforcing the Ravens' roster. This offseason alone, Newsome brought in free agents Domonique Foxworth, Matt Birk, Chris Carr and L.J. Smith, canceling the loss of Jason Brown and, to an extent, Jim Leonhard (Carr will return kicks).

Some have even suggested that this is potentially Ozzie's finest moment. (Baltimore Beat Down said just that earlier this week.)

I disagree. Let me explain...

Continue reading "Ozzie maneuvers for a big finish" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:45 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Every Thursday we'll present two Sun sportswriters squaring off in a video feature called Faceoff. This week, Rick Maese and Ken Murray discuss what positions the Ravens need to address in this month's NFL Draft.

Posted by Rick Maese at 11:45 AM in Faceoff, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

A great Yahoo story went up this afternoon on the devious techniques used by NFL executives trying to research their draft prospects. To learn as much as possible, some team officials have been creating fake Facebook accounts that feature photos of attractive young women. They then make "friend" requests with potential draft picks, baiting them with the fake photo to gain access to the players' profiles, photographs and whatever else the player has included on his private Facebook page.

The story quotes anonymous team personnel sources admitting to the practice, so we don't know exactly who's doing the Facebook trolling. But for the sake of visualization, can you imagine Ozzie Newsome posing on the Internet as a hot coed? Or Bill Polian taking on the identity of a 20-something in a short skirt?

Sorry for that.

As funny and surprising as the piece might sound, the tale is actually as old as the Internet itself. Tell me you haven't been fooled by some old guy in a chat room, pretending to be something he's not.

In that way, you now have more in common with your favorite football star than you thought.

[After the jump, find out what Raven linebacker Tavares Gooden has to do with all this.]

Continue reading "Football players fooled by Facebook fakers" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 5:00 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

It wasn't just the fact that Samari Rolle wanted out of Baltimore that made Monday's signing of the veteran cornerback a curious transaction. The timing also was odd. Didn't Rolle want to test the free-agent market after asking for his release? Didn't he want to wait out a better offer?

No and no. That much was apparent with news of the four-year deal.

What made this really eye-catching was that GM Ozzie Newsome had already stocked his roster with a sufficient number of cornerbacks. Domonique Foxworth didn't come cheaply, and while Chris Carr did, he filled two specific needs -- nickel corner and return man. Bingo. Foxworth, Fabian Washington and Carr were ready to roll. So were the Ravens, at least in the secondary.

So why the interest in Rolle? In the NFL, you can never have enough cornerbacks. Think back to two seasons ago, when the Ravens dragged a man off the street to play (he even started a game) and were ravaged in the secondary on a weekly basis. Think back to last year when Chris McAlister was gimpy all through training camp -- and ultimately went on injured reserve -- and when Rolle missed time with assorted injuries, including neck surgery in October.

Here's the good news: Samari can still play. When he got on the field last year, he was superb. At 32, his experience makes up for anything he's lost in speed. Do you want him taking on 235-pound running backs in space? No, but you don't want that with Washington, either. Rolle has shown signs of wearing down, but he is still a good cover corner. And in the NFL, you can't have too many of those.

Injuries happen all the time, and whether Rolle is the starting right corner or the nickel back or a reserve, the Ravens have a better secondary with him on the roster. Rolle didn't say it, but like Ray Lewis, his highest value was here in Baltimore with the system he already knows and a coaching staff that knows him.

Sometimes the Ravens are good, and sometimes they're lucky. Getting Samari back was pretty lucky.

Photo: Doug Kapustin / Sun

Posted by Ken Murray at 1:45 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Having failed to live up to franchise-quarterback expectations in Baltimore, Kyle Boller has a second chance to fulfill the promise he hinted at coming out of California in 2003. His new work address is St. Louis, his new team the Rams and his new job is backup to Marc Bulger on a very young, rebuilding team. Boller, 27, signed a one-year contract with the Rams on Sunday, and now we'll find out the rest of the story.

During six seasons with the Ravens, Boller was either terrible, overmatched, undercoached or overhyped. He probably lost the confidence of his teammates before he lost the faith of the fans. It didn't take long, and by the time the Ravens' new coaching regime rolled in last year, Boller seemed pretty much an afterthought. He spent his final season in Baltimore on injured reserve with a shoulder injury that happened when he was left to fend for himself in a preseason game against the Vikings.

The bottom line shows 53 games, 42 starts, 45 touchdown passes and 44 interceptions. Not good enough for the 19th pick of the first round in 2003. Why did Boller fail? There are many theories, but one of the most insightful comes to us from former Ravens teammate, and now Rams center, Jason Brown. This is what Brown told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at last weekend's Rams' minicamp:

Continue reading "Kyle Boller: the lost years" »

Posted by Ken Murray at 2:00 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (67)
        

Leadership is one of the media's favorite buzz words. You hear it tossed around a lot when people talk about older players, especially when they can't perform the way they once did. It's usually a justification for why they maintain Alpha Dog status on the team, or a salary no longer in proportion with their ability. "He's a great leader, so you have to have him on your team," we're often told. "He does things behind the scenes that people never hear about. He makes other people better."

I've been thinking a lot about this since the Ravens re-signed Ray Lewis, and as we get closer to the start of the 2009 baseball season, with the Yankees creeping increasingly closer to the inevitable day when they are forced to admit Derek Jeter can no longer be allowed to give away runs in the field because his defense is so subpar.

Even more than what Jeter means to the Yankees, Ray Lewis is the Baltimore Ravens. The franchise says it plans to build a statue of Lewis to stand next to John Unitas' statue when he's done playing, and considering the football demons that No. 52 helped this city exorcise by bringing it a Super Bowl, it will be well deserved. But don't focus on Lewis' legacy for a second. Focus on the current NFL linebacker, the one who will be 34 years old before next season. Is he worth $22 million over the next three years?

As a player, probably not. That's an uncomfortable truth that's hard for some people to admit because it sounds like heresy. But there is a reason he didn't get so much as a sniff in free agency before re-upping with the Ravens this year. He doesn't cover the same kind of ground anymore. Part of the reason is that he's heavier. He bulked up this past season, hoping it would help him stay healthy, and for the first time since 2005, he was able to play essentially a full season (in 2005, he played 15 games). But he's blockable. He still shoots gaps and makes big plays, but he also gets caught in traffic a fair amount, and he can't run down plays from behind they way he used to.

Despite being voted to the Pro Bowl yet again -- an honor that is about reputation more than performance -- he averaged fewer tackles per game (7.31) than any full season of his career. (In 2004, he averaged 9.8 tackles per game.) If you don't believe me, watch this video (after the jump) that highlights several plays Lewis just missed in the Ravens' December loss to Pittsburgh. (I apologize in advance for the Will Smith backing track.) Eventually, even the maximum amount of film study can't compensate for age.

Continue reading "Do we overrate leadership in athletes like Ray Lewis because we can't define it?" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 6:00 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

Poll question:  Who should the Ravens select with the 26th pick in the NFL draft?

Once a year, reporters gather in Owings Mills to discuss the NFL draft with Ravens officials. It's the reporters' goal to trick team officials into offering some insight. And it's the Ravens' goal to trick the reporters into thinking every word out of their mouths is profound insight.

In short, it's great theater.

Typically, the Ravens say they go after the best player available, regardless of position, that they might trade their first-round pick and that there are several players they like. It typically takes an hour to explain this.

"There's a lot of good players out there," Eric DeCosta, the Ravens' director of player personnel, said yesterday. "We probably have five or seven players that we think have a realistic chance to get at 26 who can come in and contribute Year One."

Because we can't trust the Ravens to divulge those names with a straight face and because we can't wait until Draft Day to find out who will be joining the team, let's turn to the outside analysts. 

In the next three weeks, there will be plenty more debating and projecting here at the Toy Department, but for today, let's take a look at what some of the experts think the Ravens will do with their first-round pick. As you'll see, the analysts do their projections based on need, which is why you'll see a lot of wide receivers, cornerbacks and linebackers on this list.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper: LB Rey Maualuga, USC

Maualuga is capable of becoming a quality "Mike" linebacker in the NFL but needs to use his hands better to ward off blocks and must be more consistent from week to week.

Davis hasn't won over many scouts with his footwork or his attention to detail. Still, he's a talented cover corner with playmaking instincts. The Ravens certainly could use his services, should he slip this far.

 Yahoo and National Football Post: Davis, Illinois

Even with the addition of CB Domonique Foxworth, the Ravens still need to add a more physical presence to the cornerback position. Davis is one of the draft’s most athletic cornerbacks but is considered a boom or bust pick.

USA Today’s Sean Leahy: CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco: WR Percy Harvin, Florida

They need to get a deep threat for Joe Flacco. Harvin has the speed, but will need to learn how to run routes.

NFL.com’s Charles Davis: LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State

SI’s Don Banks: WR Hakeem Nicks, UNC

With the Ravens signing Domonique Foxworth in free agency as the potential replacement for Chris McAlister, they can turn their first-round attention to finding receiver Derrick Mason's eventual replacement. Nicks doesn't have the speed of the other first-round receivers, but he's got a polished, NFL-ready game.

Scout.com’s Chris Steuber: LB Clay Matthews, USC

CBS Sports’ Clark Judge: WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland

The Ravens find their next receiver 45 minutes down I-95. I could see them going for a corner back here, too, with Wake Forest's Alphonso Smith a possibility, but they need a weapon for Joe Flacco more.

NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan: Heyward-Bey, Maryland

Continue reading "Looking ahead to the Ravens' draft" »

Posted by Rick Maese at 6:00 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

That's what Kelly Gregg would be if he got his wish to fight UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.

I'm not knocking Gregg--a massive, quick, tough guy with a legit big-time wrestling background. If he applied the same determination to an MMA career that he did to his improbable rise in the NFL, he might become an outstanding fighter.

But it's time to stop thinking of the UFC as a novelty sport that simulates bar fights on pay-per-view. Top fighters, such as Lesnar, spend all day every day training at boxing, takedown defense, jiu jitsu and wrestling. The sport has become sophisticated enough that if a guy is weak in any of those areas, he will be exposed. It's not an activity for dilletantes.

It's funny that this story is coming up in relation to Lesnar, who learned that he could not parlay his awesome size, strength and speed into an instant NFL career with the Vikings. He hadn't put in hundreds of hours of work in college or NFL rookie camps, so he simply did not have the technique to compete against professionals. Even in MMA, where his background as an NCAA wrestling champ gave him a leg up, Lesnar had to train for two solid years to compete at a world-class level.

It's the same basic lesson Michael Jordan learned in baseball. The guys who do this stuff for a living have worked incredibly hard to get there.

So no, I do not think Kelly Gregg would fare well in a fight with Lesnar and his lunchbox-sized fists. What do you guys think?

Posted by Childs Walker at 12:10 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

In some alternate reality, Brian Billick is still the Ravens head coach and the team went through three quarterbacks last year without finding a long-term solution. (Oddly, also in this bizarro reality: Steelers fans eat salads, Americans drive on the left-hand side of the road and Chinese food is best served smothered in melted cheese.)

So if Joe Flacco never set foot in Owings Mills, if John Harbaugh, Cam Cameron and Hue Jackson never took up office space in The Castle, the big question Ravens fans would be debating these next several months would be: What about Michael Vick?

According to today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Vick is planning on returning to the NFL as soon as possible. He has no choice: Vick needs to make mad cash to pay his debts. I don't think those Payday Loans shops will front you money unless you have a job. (According to the AJC story, Vick's planning on earning $10 million a year when he returns to the league. And in unrelated news, I'm planning on taking Scarlett Johansson out for caramels this weekend.)

So let's dip a pretend foot into this pretend reality: Would Vick be worth the risk?

It's a tough question to answer. As the Ravens proved in the real universe last year, the real solution lies with drafting a young quarterback that can stabilize the franchise for years to come. But if that wasn't a draft-day option, I'd have no problem with a team like the Ravens taking a run on a guy like Vick down the road (again, in our alternate reality).

Vick will likely be a free man this summer and he'll likely apply for reinstatement to the NFL before 2010. By then, he'll still be an exciting player. Vick was only 26 when he played his last game; he'd be 30 years old at the start of the 2010 season. Plenty of quarterbacks have posted some of their most successful seasons at age 30 and beyond.

Though the Falcons steadily declined Vick's last couple of seasons, you don't want to attribute that entirely to Vick. His passing yards, in fact, slightly rose over his final three seasons, as did his number of touchdown passes. And don't forget that in 2006 -- the last season before Bad Newz Kennel was boarded up -- Vick rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

He'll make some team better. It's just a matter of a general manager taking a chance and a fan base offering forgiveness.

I'm in the camp that believes sitting in a prison cell is paying one's debt to society. It doesn't mean you have to like him -- you don't have to hire him to babysit your children or walk your miniature schnauzer around the block -- but the NFL need not punish him harsher than the court.

So the question to you: Would you have been willing to cheer Vick in a Ravens jersey?

Photo: Associated Press

Posted by Rick Maese at 2:02 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made some news Thursday at the owners' meeting in Dana Point, Calif., saying he'd be in favor of expanding the regular season to 17 or 18 games over the next few years. Under the proposal, which the NFLPA would have to sign off on, every team would get an extra home game, and they would also play another game at a neutral site. I can't imagine why the NFLPA would agree to this, since it would almost certainly shorten the careers of some of its membership, but I assume the few extra dollars dangled in their faces might at least make them consider the proposal.

It's just one more example, though, of the way the NFL (and its fans) view the players as meat to be thrown into the grinder, the wear and tear on their bodies be dammed. We don't like to talk about it, because it falls under the category of not wanting to see how sausage is made, but the life of an NFL player isn't particularly glamorous for 95 percent of those doing it. Yes, they get paid millions of dollars, but that's because billions of dollars are pumped into the game by advertisers who want to sell you beer or erectile dysfunction medication. The idea that players are paid well enough to deal with it -- and that they should simply shut up and ignore the fact they're almost guaranteed to have serious health issues after they retire as a result of the game's violence -- is insulting. They're the ones providing the entertainment. They should be the ones compensated.

The suggestion that these games would just be replacing preseason games already on the schedule is a joke. We all know that most of the people playing in those games won't even be on the roster two weeks after the final whistle. The toll on the starters -- especially positions that regularly require violent collisions -- would be far, far greater than in preseason games.

If the NFLPA does go ahead with Goodell's proposal, they ought to, at the very least, ask for this concession: If we want to take steroids or human growth hormone to stay healthy, or smoke marijuana for medicinal reasons to deal with the pain, let us.  

You might laugh, but that's the only way to make this proposal work. It's ridiculous to pretend that drugs aren't already a major part of life in the NFL. Teams could literally not field a full roster each week without painkillers, legal or otherwise. Marijuana isn't just a recreational drug for a lot of NFL players, it's the only way they can get out of bed on Monday mornings. And it's much less addictive than a painkiller like Vicodin, which is legal.

Continue reading "If the NFL wants to expand its schedule, it should be honest and allow steroids and weed" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 9:34 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

[UPDATE: Be sure to vote in our related poll right here.]

According to Pittsburgh newspapers, at the NFL owners meetings, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked who should be favored to win the division next season. He picked the Ravens.

"You have to like Baltimore. They won 11 games last year with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. They have a good football team. They have a great defense, they have a quarterback who proved he's their quarterback of the future, he's a guy on the rise. You have to respect that."

His track record as a sports prognosticator isn't too hot. For what it's worth, Tomlin's pick to win the AFC North before last season: the Cleveland Browns.

(Another AFC North coach hasn't swallowed quite as much purple Kool-Aid as Tomlin. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis picked the Steelers: "They're world champions, they're division champions, so they've got to be the team to beat and Baltimore's probably a close second.")

 Photo: AP

Posted by Rick Maese at 1:20 PM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

By far, my favorite answer in Jamison Hensley's Q&A with Steve Bisciotti was in response to a question about Ray Lewis. The Ravens' owner was asked whether he was disappointed with the way his star linebacker handled himself during the offseason. Bisciotti said, "No. It humored me." And in response to a follow-up, he said, in part: "I was just amused."

Humored? Amused? What odd characterizations. And I know it must've reminded you of Goodfellas, too? Can you imagine how the conversation between the owner and linebacker must've went down?

Steve Bisciotti: Ya know, Ray, you're a pistol, you're really funny. You're really funny.

Ray Lewis: What do you mean I'm funny?

SB: You're amusing, you know. Jets… Cowboys… it's funny, you're a funny guy.

RL: What do you mean? You mean the way I talk? What’s the bottom line here?

SB: It's just, you know, you're just funny -- it's amusing the way you tell the story, the way you thought every team was gonna open their vault doors for you. It’s humorous.

RL: Let me understand this… I'm funny how? I mean, funny like I'm a clown? Am I like Chad Johnson? Or Kenny Mayne? Do I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to amuse you? How am I funny?

SB: Geez. Calm down. Just humorous, Ray. That’s all I’m saying. I was just amused.

OK, I'll stop there. But you gotta admit -- Bisciotti's answer to that question was a bit, um, humorous.

Other great tidbits in there on Suggs and Mason and Stover. I'm also glad Jamison asked Bisciotti about the Ravens raising ticket prices. The Ravens have rationalized the price hike in a convincing way. Still, with the economy what it is, it would've been a nice gesture to skip this year's scheduled increase.

One interesting thing: While Bisciotti said the Ravens would be competitive "and then some" during an uncapped 2010 season, he also acknowledged that he's worried about selling sponsorships and suites during these tough economic times. Let's hope they figure out something before then, in order to avoid another ticket price hike (which, it should be noted, the franchise has been doing every two years).

I'm thinking of fundraiser possibilities. Could the offensive line sponsor a bake sale? Maybe the Ravens Marching Band should start playing birthday parties? Or perhaps a charity car wash by the Ravens cheerleaders? Yeah, that last one might have some potential.

Photos: Warner Bros.; Getty

Posted by Rick Maese at 10:08 AM in Ravens | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Special to The Baltimore Sun: Contact Ricig at michaelricigliano@gmail.com

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 10:00 AM in Mike Ricigliano's View, Ravens, Terps | Permalink | Comments (4)