Ravens News

"As quarterback Joe Flacco spent another day adjusting to NFL training camp with the Ravens, the league he used to play in held its preseason media day at the ESPN Zone and boasted about the competitiveness of its teams and how much a player like Flacco helps it get even stronger. "Joe Flacco sets the bar for us," said Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Tom Yeager. "Having him be a first-round draft choice out of our conference resonates with every kid on every team and with every recruit out there. Every kid thinks he can play in the NFL, and we can say, 'That dream is achievable at CAA schools.' " The CAA is a league in which a lot of its players, said Yeager, have been told, ..."

"Defensive end-linebacker Terrell Suggs was the Ravens' only unexcused absence after not attending the first team meeting of training camp last night. With Suggs not reporting, the Ravens used his roster spot to sign cornerback Anwar Phillips, who was released by the New Orleans Saints on Monday. The Ravens kept Suggs from becoming a free agent this offseason by using the franchise tag on the 2003 first-round pick. Suggs, 25, will earn $8.5million this season. Because he has not signed the tender and is therefore not under contract, Suggs can skip training camp without incurring any penalties or fines. It is unknown when Suggs plans to report to the Ravens."

"Poor Roger Goodell. No one promised him a rose garden, certainly not Paul Tagliabue, but he expected to at least have some idea where the trouble might come from. When Goodell was named as just the fourth NFL commissioner in six decades in August 2006, he certainly anticipated some wayward lads who now and then liked to have a little too much fun in saloons and on party boats. Sure, there were always going to be the sad cases of DUIs, weapons violations and the occasional drug bust. And there would always be a few front offices that would test him with some razzle-dazzle circumvention of the salary cap. But for the love of Vince Lombardi - Brett Favre? How could anyone - least of all ..."

"With veterans P.J. Daniels and Cory Ross and fellow rookie Ray Rice vying to back up starter Willis McGahee, Allen Patrick is aware of the logjam at running back. But the rookie doesn't have time to concern himself with his position on the depth chart. "I'm just trying to better myself in every aspect of the game," he said. "Everybody's pretty much in the same row right now. We've just got to come out and fight for our position, and the best man's going to win. I'm just out here trying to fight every day." Patrick, the team's second pick in the seventh round of April's draft, has had to endure an uphill climb to be able to compete with Rice and Daniels, both of whom have been working out ..."

"It took Tavares Gooden five years to find his best position at the University of Miami. It took him only 22 practices this summer to convince the Ravens he has a place in their future. "If he's willing to work, study and really digest this defense ... I think this is a guy who at some point will be a difference-maker on our defense," said Eric DeCosta, the team's director of college scouting. Gooden, 23, was a late bloomer at Miami, but he could turn out to be a third-round steal in the 2008 draft. It's not just his explosive burst, his ability to change direction and his aptitude in pass coverage that excite the Ravens. It's also his passion, intelligence and pedigree that hint of ..."

"Rookie running back Ray Rice has one immediate goal of making the Ravens' roster and a long-term one of moving his mother, Janet, out of a public housing complex in New Rochelle, N.Y. Within the next couple of weeks, what once seemed like mission impossible can become mission accomplished. "I am the oldest of a family of four from a single-parent home, so there was a lot of pressure on us, but my mother took a lot of it off. She handled it well," Rice said. "Now, I can take some of that pressure off her." Rice is almost a cinch to make the roster because he is a second-round draft pick, and few teams give up on rookies taken so high. But Rice is taking nothing for granted, especially when ..."

"Neither Kyle Boller nor rookie Joe Flacco stood out yesterday, but that's because Troy Smith stole the spotlight with a rocky start. Three of his five passes were intercepted, and his first snap during red-zone drills resulted in a botched snap between him and rookie guard Adam Kraus. Flacco did thread a post pass away from the diving reach of linebacker Jameel McClain to wide receiver Patrick Carter."

"Trevor Pryce said he feels good, and he proved it yesterday at Ravens training camp.The defensive end looked trim and didn't seem to be carrying extra weight on his 6-foot-5, 286-pound frame. After practicing with mostly rookies in the morning at McDaniel College in Westminster, Pryce ran sprints on an empty football field, finishing the last one by backpedaling the entire way."

"Troy Smith struggled. Kyle Boller played it safe. And Joe Flacco fell somewhere in the middle.All three quarterbacks took different first steps as the Ravens began training camp today, but each took the same approach after practice.One by one, Smith, Boller and Flacco spoke to reporters, essentially saying the exact lines:They want to be friends. They want to help each other learn the offense. And they just want to help the team win."

"Ravens coach John Harbaugh declined to divulge which quarterback will take the first snaps of training camp today, but Joe Flacco has set his sights on who will be the starter at the end of it.Flacco, the team's first-round draft pick, said only moments after signing a five-year contract that could earn him up to $30million, including $8.75million guaranteed, that he's ready to begin the quarterback battle."I'm going to go out there and act like I am [the starter], just like everybody else should do," Flacco said yesterday in the lobby of the team hotel. "I'm going to go out there and prove to the coaches, myself and my teammates that I can play. And at the end of training camp, ..."

"If you wandered into the Ravens' training camp headquarters yesterday afternoon and witnessed the news conference to make official the signing of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, it would have been hard not to come to the same conclusion that I did:Flacco is the man.(Well, maybe not The Man. This team still has some major stars who wouldn't take kindly to a rookie from a Football Championship Subdivision school already being mentioned as a possible The Man candidate, but Flacco clearly was The Guy at the center of everything yesterday as the Ravens began reporting to the Best Western Westminster Catering and Conference Center Hotel.(Pardon this brief detour in my stream of ..."

"The Ravens rookies are in, but defensive end-linebacker Terrell Suggs might not be.On a day when first-round choice and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco officially signed his five-year, $30 million contract, general manager Ozzie Newsome happily announced today that the team had signed the six remaining rookie draft picks.But he was somewhat terse when he was asked about the odds of Suggs showing up at training camp in Westminster on Wednesday when veterans are scheduled to report."We're only talking about Joe and the draft choices today," Newsome said."

"Ray Lewis has always been considered the face of the Ravens franchise, and now he might officially get that designation. Lewis is in the final year of his contract, and there was speculation he might get a two-year extension before the start of the 2008 season. But that isn't likely to happen. The Ravens and Lewis are far apart at this point and the Ravens have told Lewis he might become the team's designated franchise player if they can't get a new deal done. The franchise tag is usually used for younger players who are in their peaks and searching for their first or second big contract, not a player like Lewis who is about to enter his 13th season. If the Ravens use the tag on ..."

"As the Ravens begin training camp this week, much of the focus has been on the change from the supposed country club under Brian Billick to the tight ship being instituted by new coach John Harbaugh, complete with bed checks and fewer days off.Maybe this is what the Ravens need. Mr. Flip isn't sure. Did the Ravens lose last year because they had too many days off in training camp?Look at it this way: If Steve McNair hadn't suddenly become an old quarterback during the 2007 season, would anyone be talking about the "soft" treatment players got in Westminster?Mr. Flip has to believe players take their year-round conditioning fairly seriously. Do they still need a harsh training camp ..."

"They are at different stages of their NFL careers, with varying levels of success. Yet as Trevor Pryce, Demetrius Williams and Nick Greisen approach the start of training camp for the Ravens this week at McDaniel College in Westminster, they do so with one common thought - proving themselves all over again."You have to take the mentality that you have to make the team," Pryce said during one of the team's minicamps this spring in Owings Mills. "Then you let the chips fall where they may."Said Greisen: "Either you're fighting to get a starting spot, or if you get a starting spot you're fighting to keep it. You can never be too content with anything that you've done.""

"Teams in the Browns' AFC North Division inherited four of the eight toughest schedules in 2008, based on last year's records. That's why several experts are predicting a 9-7 record could win the division. The flip side is it's doubtful the second-place team could earn a wild-card berth. The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers head into training camp as the team to beat. The Browns would rank ahead if not for their 0-9 record against their archrivals the past four years. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals both have high hopes, but fell behind the Browns last season. Here's a look at the Browns' rivals as camps open this week."

"•John Harbaugh's first training camp: Questions will surround Harbaugh because he has been neither a head coach nor a coordinator. This is the time when he'll need to place his stamp on the team with a no-nonsense style. It will be interesting to see how the players respond going from "Club Billick" to "Camp Harbaugh." The veterans will have to adjust to more hitting at practice and bed checks at the team hotel.•Quarterback competition: This will be the most scrutinized subject over the 23days of training camp. Is Troy Smith showing the same poise? Is Kyle Boller learning from mistakes? Is Joe Flacco looking like he can start right away? The Ravens might not know the answers when ..."

"Just as it did back in the days of Johnny U. and the old Colts, Westminster is starting to feel like home for Ray Lewis and Co. This will be the 13th summer for the Ravens, compared with 21 years for their pro football predecessors. Here are a few ideas for those planning on making the purple-and-black pilgrimage to McDaniel College."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"The Ravens signed fourth-round draft choices wide receiver Marcus Smith and offensive tackle David Hale to three-year contracts. Smith, selected 106th overall out of New Mexico, earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors his senior season. His $1.5 million deal includes a $369,000 signing bonus. Hale, from Weber State and the 133rd overall pick, agreed to a $1.4 million contract with a $294,000 signing bonus. The Ravens also placed tight ends Scott Kuhn and Quinn Sypniewski on injured reserve."

"Like they've done every year in their existence, the Ravens will travel this week to Westminster to report for training camp.Yet the road ahead is an unfamiliar one.This year's training camp marks the start of a new era for the Ravens, one defined by change. Change at head coach, change at quarterback, change on the offensive line and a change in attitude about preparing for the season.Brian Billick's camp - aka "Club Billick" - was light on hitting and allowed players more freedom than anywhere else in the NFL. Coach John Harbaugh is expected to bring a more old-school approach, which will require players to buckle up the chin strap on the field and stay together off it."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"When the Ravens' offense and defense clash in training camp next week at McDaniel College, football won't be the only game in play.When an offense built by Cam Cameron and a defense molded by Rex Ryan tangle, the result is a battle of wills."It's like an ultimate chess match," said Ryan, the team's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. "He'll move a piece, we'll move one and vice versa. You're always going back and forth, and it's a great challenge for us every day in practice, and I'm sure he feels the same way. It's been great.""

"The Ravens signed 2008 fourth-round draft choice Marcus Smith, a wide receiver, to a three-year contract this afternoon, general manager Ozzie Newsome announced.Smith, selected 106th overall out of New Mexico, earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors his senior season. Starting 25 of 49 games, he totaled 153 catches for 2,073 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career. Smith also served as a kickoff return specialist, compiling 1,353 yards on 68 returns in four seasons. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder finished his career with 3,749 all-purpose yards."

"With Joe Flacco ready to sign his contract, the Ravens' focus now shifts to getting the rest of their draft class into training camp on time.The Ravens have three days to reach agreements with eight draft picks before the team reports to camp Monday.A team official confirmed that the Ravens are hopeful that they will have all their rookies signed before coach John Harbaugh's first team meeting at Westminster.Outside of first-round picks, the Ravens haven't had a rookie miss a training camp practice since 2002, when defensive end Anthony Weaver was a one-day holdout."

"The Ravens agreed to a five-year deal with quarterback Joe Flacco tonight, a league source said.It is believed that Flacco's deal could be worth $30 million, including $8.75 million in guaranteed money.Flacco, the 18th overall pick in this year's draft, becomes the fourth player in this year's first round to agree to a deal.He will report to training camp Monday, when he will compete with Kyle Boller and Troy Smith for the starting quarterback job. Flacco impressed the coaching staff with his ability to pick up the offense during offseason camps."

"If the Ravens want to sign defensive end-linebacker Terrell Suggs to a new contract, they'll have to wait until the end of the season to do so. The Ravens were unable to reach an extension with Suggs before today's deadline. Under NFL rules, teams had until 4 p.m. today to reach an extension with franchise-tag players. General manager Ozzie Newsome said there is "no question" that the Ravens will look to strike a new deal at the end of the season. Suggs would become a free agent in March if the Ravens don't sign him or use the franchise tag again."

"The Ravens are unlikely to show interest in acquiring retired Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre , a team source said. The team is set to hold an open competition among Troy Smith, Kyle Boller and Joe Flacco in training camp. One obstacle facing the Ravens if they were to acquire Favre is salary cap space. The Ravens need to sign most of their draft picks, including No.1 pick Flacco, and they are working on a new contract for Terrell Suggs."

"The Ravens will meet with the agent for first-round quarterback Joe Flacco over the next two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) as the sides try to reach a deal before training camp begins July 22.Flacco, the 18th overall pick, will compete against Troy Smith and Kyle Boller for the starting quarterback job. He will increase his chances of starting the season opener if he can avoid a holdout."

"If Brett Favre comes to the Ravens, it will be the same scenario here as in Green Bay, just with crabs instead of cheese. And the biggest crab will be Favre, who won't want to step aside for Joe Flacco next year any more than he wants to step aside for Aaron Rodgers this year.The only - only - way it can work is if both sides follow these guidelines precisely:Favre has to agree to play here for exactly one season. The Ravens must avoid, at all costs, any chance that he pulls his annual offseason diva act here. Their top priority has to be to hand the reins to Flacco on their timetable, not Favre's."

"Trading for Brett Favre is absolutely the wrong move for the Ravens. They don't need another iconic figure who is bigger than the team. They don't need another former Most Valuable Player whose best games are only on ESPN Classic. They don't need this legendary headache.Can Favre still play? Sure he can, even though he'll be 39 in October. He can still escape the pass rush, although he's not nearly as nimble as he once was. He can still throw the deep ball and the laser pass, but remember, he threw 62 interceptions the past three seasons."

"The Ravens are unlikely to show interest in acquiring Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, a team source said.The team is set to hold an open competition among Troy Smith, Kyle Boller and Joe Flacco in training camp.Two seasons ago, the Ravens went the veteran quarterback route, trading a fourth-round pick for Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair. He went 13-3 in his first season before injuries ruined his second one."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"Naturally, with the Baltimore Ravens' training camp scheduled to kick off next Tuesday and Joe Flacco still unsigned, the quarterback is under plenty of scrutiny in the Crabtown. The Ravens traded up in the first round tothe former University of Delaware standwith the 18th overall pick. He is viewed as the franchise's future quarterback but could wind up starting when the season opens in September. His competition is perennial underachiever Kyle Boller and former Heisman winner Troy Smith, the front-runner for the job despite a résumé of just 76 NFL passes thrown."

"News item: Quarterback Trent Dilfer, who helped the Ravens win the Super Bowl in the 2000 season, recently said he was retiring after 13 seasons in the NFL.My take: This comes as no great surprise. Dilfer's arm announced its retirement about four years ago.Bonus take: All kidding aside, there isn't a Ravens fan worth his or her purple face paint who isn't a Dilfer fan. My favorite moment was that playoff record 96-yard touchdown pass to Shannon Sharpe in the AFC championship game against the Oakland Raiders. Farewell and good luck."

"Last month, when he officially retired from the NFL, Jonathan Ogden pledged his loyalty to his adopted hometown, proclaiming, "I'm a Baltimore Raven for life."Unbeknownst to the other assembled onlookers at the Castle in Owings Mills that day, Ogden's younger brother and former Ravens teammate, Marques, had already made his own commitment to Baltimore. Starting in summer 2006, Ogden had been studying the construction business in the hopes of starting his own commercial company.However, he had more in mind than just creating a post-career livelihood, he said recently. "My goal for all of this is to rebuild Baltimore," he said, "for the people here, with the people here.""

"So former Ravens quarterback Trent Dilfer announced his retirement yesterday. And we're supposed to believe him?Maybe he'll stay true to his word. For that matter, Brett Favre might do the same. But I have my doubts.Favre would quiet the speculation about his possible return this season if he'd stop texting Packers general manager Ted Thompson. He's like a teenage girl.I'm waiting for Thompson to text back, "ROFLMAO," and then make plans to take in a movie. And rip on what the other GMs are wearing."

"There must be some logic to the Favre fantasy, because the Ravens have been mentioned by some national publications and Web sites as a potential alternative if the Packers tell him to stay retired. They lost Steve McNair to retirement and are faced with some difficult choices as they prepare to open training camp. Favre, theoretically, would give them an elite short-term quarterback and serve as a perfect mentor for QB-in-waiting Joe Flacco. No question, Favre would upgrade the position and improve the Ravens' marginal postseason prospects, and he certainly would raise excitement about the coming season to a new level."

"Quarterback Trent Dilfer, who played the last of his 13 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers last year, announced Wednesday he is retiring from football. The former Fresno State player who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens said a recent injury to his Achilles helped make up his mind. "I was going to retire anyway. This just gives clarity to the situation," he told reporters on a conference call promoting the 19th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship that begins Friday at Lake Tahoe."

"Javon Walker was robbed and beaten for $3,000 in cash and $100,000 worth of jewelry. Phillip Buchanon was pistol-whipped, stripped naked and robbed in his own home. Intruders stole everything from the TV to the SUV. Dunta Robinson was bound with duct tape and robbed at gunpoint in his home, too. And eight days after Sean Taylor's home was burglarized, his house was again broken into and he was fatally shot by intruders.The list is much longer and the trend no doubt alarming. A source of envy and a target for crime, football players are at serious risk.The NFL's new crop of muscles and invincibility is probably hearing the horror stories. The rookies - including the Ravens' 10 ..."

"A Ravens spokesman told The Sun yesterday that cornerback Derrick Martin told team officials he was detained at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport over the weekend on charges of possessing marijuana.A citation will be mailed to Martin, who will have the option to appear in court July 15 or simply pay the $100 fine. A spokesman for the Cleveland Police Department said the police detained a man named Derrick Martin and will cite him for alleged drug possession - what the spokesman described as a "minor misdemeanor" with a maximum fine of $100."

"After nearly every drill at Ravens passing camp this month, outside linebacker Antwan Barnes sought counsel from a trusted source. But it wasn't position coach Mike Pettine or assistant head coach-defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.It was tight end Todd Heap.Heap is the Ravens' all-time leader in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. Barnes, entering his second year as a pro, said he has learned a lot in his one-on-one encounters with the two-time Pro Bowl veteran this offseason."

"There will likely be a time when Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will have to sidestep blitzing linebacker James Farrior and make a tough throw past safety Troy Polamalu. But before the team's high-profile rookie could think about playing the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers , he first had to win a more important game - the one inside his head. Since being drafted 18th overall two months ago, Flacco has been given a crash course on quarterbacking, one that has provided him with the foundation to compete for the Ravens' starting job. He has had to digest chunks of a playbook that is two inches thick. He has had to dissect coverages while playing against one of the NFL ..."

"A lot of the Ravens' veterans are a little nervous these days. They have a new coach with a different style, and such distinguished players like quarterback Steve McNair and offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden have recently retired. The Ravens have capable replacements for McNair, and some "project" type players who might fill in for Ogden. And they just might have a hotshot, rookie kicker named Piotr Czech out of Wagner College who'll push veteran Matt Stover in training camp."

"With the conclusion of the rookie minicamp yesterday, the Ravens won't return to practice until July 22 for quarterbacks, rookies and injured veterans and July 25 for the remaining veterans. But that doesn't mean that the players are allowed to slide on their responsibility of staying in shape and absorbing the playbooks, according to coach John Harbaugh."

"They've touched up his makeup and straightened his suit, and now someone's rolling a lint brush all over Mike Flynn. His shoulders are so broad, and the brush is like a John Deere tractor over a large field.A voice in the control room tells Flynn to take a deep breath and treat the camera like someone in his living room. Flynn, the bulky center recently released after 10 seasons with the Ravens, says he's "99.9999 percent" sure that he's played his last football game, which is part of the reason he's sitting here in a South Jersey studio on Day One of the NFL's Broadcast Boot Camp. The four-day crash course, which is in its second year, is designed to help players make the ..."

"Ray Rice has some of the same expectations going into his rookie year with the Ravens that he had going into his freshman year at Rutgers. He is hoping to help a rebuilding team find its way back to respectability. He is hoping to be a contributing player, not an immediate star."The biggest difference is that the Ravens have won a Super Bowl, and Rutgers came from where they hadn't won much," Rice said during a three-day rookie and free-agent camp that concluded yesterday in Owings Mills."Willis [McGahee] is established, sort of the way Brian [Leonard] was established. I can come in and contribute, just like I contributed my freshman year. I'm not going to say, 'I'm going to take ..."

"Joe Flacco is slowly getting used to all of the changes that come with making the jump to the NFL, particularly as a quarterback who also is a high-profile first-round pick. "It's obviously different than being in college, when you're the starting quarterback and you know everything that's going on," the Baltimore Ravens rookie said. "When you're the rookie and not familiar with running the offense, you try and go out there and act like you are.""

"On a night when Miguel Tejada returned to Camden Yards, the Houston Astros got a firsthand look at the resilience the Orioles have showed all season.His team trailing by a run, Mora ripped a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning off Astros closer Jose Valverde, the big hit in the Orioles' 6-5 victory before an announced 21,535 last night at Camden Yards."