SB Nation - Nigel Carr

Ravens To Fill Practice Squad Today

Bruce Raffel — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 14:00:55 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens, along with the rest of the league, can begin assembling their eight-man Practice Squad as of noon today. All players released as of 9pm Friday night will have cleared waivers by then and teams can either re-sign players they just cut or sift through the other 31 team's trash to find a guy they might want to stash for future possibilities.

The Ravens are rumored to desire to bring back a few of their recent cuts, with one name mentioned yesterday, linebacker Chavis Williams. There are those who were surprised to see safety Omar Brown and LB Nigel Carr released, so they could also be possibilities.

Details of who are eligible for the Practice Squad can be seen in a 2011 story from SB Nation. Players salaries while on the Practice Squad is $5,700 per week, or a tad under $100,000 a year. Nothing to sniff at, but certainly way below the NFL minimum salary of $390,000.

Taking A Shot At Ravens 53-Man Roster

Bruce Raffel — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:39:20 -0000

We will know soon enough who will be among the 53 players that will make up the Baltimore Ravens roster, but lets take a shot at it now, before they play their final preseason game tonight at the St. Louis Rams. Don't expect to see many, if any, of the starters, other than perhaps the kickers, their holders and snappers. However, the others will all be fighting for the few priceless roster spots available on this veteran-laden team.

By position, here are my locks for the 53-man roster, with the final position battles noted afterwards:

OFFENSE:

QB: Joe Flacco (Position Battle: Tyrod Taylor vs. Curtis Painter) - Total spots: 2

RB: Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce, Bobby Rainey (Bubble: Damien Berry) - Total spots: 3

FB: Vonta Leach - Total spots: 1

WR: Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, LaQuan Williams, Deonte Thompson (Bubble: Tandon Doss) - Total spots: 5

TE: Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta, Billy Bajema - Total spots: 3

OL: Matt Birk, Marshal Yanda, Bobbie Williams, Michael Oher, Bryant McKinnie, Kelechi Osemele, Gino Gradkowski (Bubble: Jah Reid, Ramon Harewood, Justin Boren, Tony Wragge) - Total spots: 8

(Click on the 'Jump' to read my shot at the defense and Special Teams)

DEFENSE:

DL: Haloti Ngata, Terrence Cody, Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Bryan Hall - Total spots: 6

LB: Ray Lewis, Jameel McClain, Paul Kruger, Albert McClellan, Courtney Upshaw, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Dannell Ellerbe, Sergio Kindle (Bubble: Chavis Williams, Nigel Carr - Total spots: 8

CB: Lardarius Webb, Jimmy Smith, Cary Williams, Corey Graham, Danny Gorrer, Asa Jackson (Bubble: Chykie Brown)- Total spots: 6

S: Ed Reed, Bernard Pollard, Christian Thompson, Omar Brown (Bubble: Sean Considine) - Total spots: 4

SPECIAL TEAMS:

PK: Justin Tucker

Punter: Sam Koch

LS: Morgan Cox

Total spots: 3

PUP LIST: Terrell Suggs, Tommy Streeter (Not counted against 53-man roster)

That's a current total of 49 spots, meaning there are still four more to be named. I could see one player added in the following positions: OL, DL, LB, CB. That would add up to the maximum of 53 players. Of course the last one or two spots would still be in jeopardy as the Ravens are sure to sift through the trash heap from the cuts around the rest of the league to perhaps add a player or two. The addition of Steeter to the PUP List is a prediction, not anything definitive.

Let the debate begin.

Undrafted Free Agents Define Ravens Braintrust

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:00:26 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens have always had an excellent reputation for making the most of their picks in the NFL Draft. So many times, they have found a Ray Lewis (1996: 26th pick), Ed Reed (2002: 24th pick) or Ray Rice (2008: 55th pick). They have also found gold in players drafted later in the draft such as OLB Adalius Thomas (2000: 6th round) or even after the draft has ended, as in the case of LB Bart Scott (2002: Undrafted FA).

It is here that the Ravens have shown they can outshine the rest of the league, finding those players that have been looked at, yet skipped over in the seven rounds and previous 253 players that were selected in 2012 by the 32 NFL teams. This year is proof positive, as there have been a group of players on the Ravens that were signed after the draft ended and have given every indication that they deserve a serious look at making the team's 53-man final roster.

Running back Bobby Rainey, wide receiver Deonte Thompson, safety Omar Brown, linebacker Nigel Carr and placekicker Justin Tucker have all played well enough in various roles to garner attention from the team and earn themselves a spot on the Ravens.

(Read more on the Ravens undrafted players making a name for themselves after the 'Jump')

Rainey has done it all and proved his versatility in rushing, receiving and returning kicks. Thompson has shown that his speed is not the only skill he brings, as his hands have been almost as solid. Brown seems to find the ball in the air and on the ground. Carr plays with the ferocity and confidence of a veteran and Tucker has nailed virtually every kick from any distance.

Normally, there is the one undrafted player each season that surprises coaches and earns himself a roster spot and then occasionally that player rises to stardom and gets that big payday. The Baltimore Ravens might be looking at as many as five undrafted players making the roster and each one has the ability to be the next great undrafted player the team has developed over the years.

Ravens Training Camp: Monday Edition

Bruce Raffel — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:39:06 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens were back on the practice field at their Owings Mills Under Armour Performance Center after a day off since their M&T Bank Stadium practice in front of over 20,000 fans. It was nice to see WR Tandon Doss on the field for a change, as well as DT Haloti Ngata and OT Bryant McKinnie. Unfortunately, among the noticeable no-shows continue to be rookie OLB Courtney Upshaw, as well as CB Jimmy Smith and RB Anthony Allen.

In 11-on-11 drills, QB Joe Flacco lofted a sweet soft-touch pass to TE Ed Dickson behind a beaten Paul Kruger. Kruger has seemed to have locked up a starting spot and is solid moving forward and rushing the passer. However, whenever he back-peddles into pass coverage, he better have over-the-top help from a safety as he regularly is left in the receiver's wake.

A long Flacco-to-Torrey Smith completion draws cheers from the lucky fans in attendance. A later Flacco-to-Smith pass falls just beyond Torrey's outstretched arms, causing Joe to fall to the ground and roll onto his back in frustration of knowing he just missed his wide-open receiver.

(More news on Monday's Ravens Training Camp after the 'Jump')

Safety Bernard Pollard is rocking to the loud music being played to simulate playing in front of hostile enemy crowds. It's interesting to see him mouthing the words to Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train,' then continuing to rock to other hard rock songs including Led Zeppelin and then Earth, Wind & Fire.

It was heartening to see RB Ray Rice yell over to the family of a young, disabled boy whose family brought him down to the edge of the field where Rice shook his hand and played with him a bit. No question they all will remember that and obviously were huge fans of Ray's as evidenced by the entire family wearing #27 jerseys.

Towards the end of practice a bad snap resulted in a whistle and when the crowd of players broke up, DT Terrence Cody was lying motionless on the ground. A quiet hush came over the field until Cody jumped up, presented the recovered fumble and trotted off the field, obviously uninjured, with everyone letting out a huge sigh of relief.

As practice ended and the players headed towards the locker room, the age-old tradition of rookies carrying the should pads of the veterans was observed, as rookie LB Nigel Carr carried the pads of senior linebackers Ray Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Baltimore Beatdown Interview: Ravens Rookie LB Nigel Carr

Bruce Raffel — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:42:32 -0000

The highs and lows of an undrafted rookie can be best summed up in the trials and tribulations of Baltimore Ravens rookie linebacker Nigel Carr. The Alabama State product was disappointed by not hearing his name called during the 2012 NFL Draft but then a call from the Baltimore Ravens brought him to tears. Not only was he getting a chance to prove he could make it at the pro level, he was getting that opportunity to do it alongside of arguably the greatest linebacker in NFL history in Ray Lewis.

After Saturday's team practice at M&T Bank Stadium, I sat down next to him in the locker room for a few minutes to ask him about his pro experience so far.

Baltimore Beatdown (BB): So, how did it finally feel to step out on the Ravens playing field?

Nigel Carr (Carr): "Oh my gosh, it was awesome. I had goosebumps all over. It felt like I was in a real game, coming from a smaller school you know, excited by all the fans and all the purple, man, the whole environment. It just was a great experience."

(Read more of my interview with Nigel Carr after the 'Jump')

BB: Coaches are speaking pretty highly of you. How does a guy who goes undrafted do so well in Training Camp against pros who he's never faced before?

Carr: "It's just hunger man, being a humble man. Really God blessing me with favor of being able to pick things up, and as of right now I feel I still have a long way to go until I'm able to play on a consistent good level. I still have to work, to get better at situational football, knowing situations and calls, different personnel. It's just a work in progress."

BB: The Ravens have a history of taking undrafted free agent linebackers and making them into NFL stars. There's Bart Scott, Jameel McClain on this team and of course Dannell Ellerbe. Do you think you have what it takes to be a starter on this team?

Carr: "No question. I mean, as of right now I know I'm not going to be a starter. My way on this team will be Special Teams, but down the line no question. That's what we play for. We play to be great, you don't just play to make the team. I'd be down on myself if I said I wouldn't be able to start on this level. It's all about getting better every year, year in and year out, working hard and staying humble."

BB: What was it like sitting home and getting that phone call from the Baltimore Ravens, knowing that you were going to be looking at your right or your left and seeing #52 there?

Carr: "It was a depressing time for me because I really wasn't getting no calls. Everybody said they had a draft-able grade but they didn't want to take a chance. But when the Ravens called, it was just a blessing and I cried, you know what I'm saying. I mean my mom was happy, the mother of my child was happy, and we knew it was an opportunity. Being around Ray, being around a guy so great, you see the work he's put in on and off he field. It's just learning from him, learning from a guy like Jameel and Dannell and Ed, on how they be professionals. I'm just going to pick it up."

Ravens Stadium Practice Overwhelming Success

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 14:00:17 -0000

The Baltimore Ravens held their first of three open practices at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium yesterday and it has to be termed an overwhelming success. Over 20,000 fans braved the heat just to grab seats and watch the 90 players go through individual, position and team drills for three hours on a Saturday evening.

Head coach John Harbaugh echoed the player's sentiments, saying how great it was to practice in front of so many people rather than a few hundred at their isolated Owing Mills' Under Armour Performance Center. The players I spoke to in the locker room after practice were all so impressed with the size of the crowd, with even one saying it was more fans that they had played in front of in their college games.

The view from the Press Box was great, the air conditioning not taken for granted, nor was the free food and clean bathrooms.Just prior to the end of the practice, the Ravens PR Department brought the media onto the field, where we watched the players gravitate to the stands to sign autographs for appreciative fans.

Coach Harbaugh took questions from the media a midfield, but made it a special point to thank the 1,500 members of the armed forces who showed up on Military Appreciation Day. Over the next few days, I will post photos of the afternoon as well as the one-on-one interviews I had with rookie RB Bobby Rainey and Rookie LB Nigel Carr.

Which Undrafted Free Agent Will Make The Ravens Roster?

lastcallbmore — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:00:23 -0000

Once again the Baltimore Ravens seem to have struck gold with some of their undrafted free agent signings. In fact More so this season than in past years. The Ravens have several young standouts in camp that, for some reason or another, went undrafted.

The first name that seems to be on every ones lips is wide receiver Deonte Thompson. He has wowed onlookers and coaches alike with his blazing speed and circus catches in OTA's and training camp. Thompson was limited at Florida due to an early injury and frequent coaching changes that always left him behind. Coming into the 2009 season he was slated as the teams number one receiver but a hamstring injury sidelined him, giving way for Riley Cooper to shine as the teams number one target. He is now showing the Ravens why he was once so highly touted. With Cam Cameron's pension for going deep and Flacco's rocket arm the Ravens would love to add as many vertical threats as they can.

Another player who has been turning some heads is rookie inside linebacker Nigel Carr. Carr played his college ball at Florida state. Head coach John Harbaugh has been quoted as saying "He hits everything he sees." Carr could play his way onto the roster and someday be a viable option to start at one of the inside linebacker positions once Ray Lewis retires.

Offensive tackle Jack Cornell has also been a pleasant surprise. He has had several reps with the first team offense and seems to be holding his own. The 6'6", 320 lbs. product of Illinois could also play his way onto the roster on a team badly in need of offensive line depth, especially at the tackle position.Cornell was as solid as you can get through out his collegiate career. If he can continue that in the NFL, he could be a huge steal for Baltimore.

Also Running back Bobby Rainey has drawn comparisons to Ravens All Pro Ray Rice. Rainey has had several big runs in camp so far and catches the ball out of the backfield with ease. He is about the same size as Rice and could be a precious commodity if Rice were to go down because the Ravens would still be able to use him in similar ways. They would hopefully be able to keep the same plays in order with Rainey on the field.

Poll

Which undrafted player do you think has the best chance of making the 53 man roster?

Nigel Carr

71 votes

Bobby rainey

45 votes

Deonte Thompson

164 votes

Jack Cornell

99 votes

379 votes | Poll has closed

Who Will Be this Years Training Camp Stud?

lastcallbmore — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:00:26 -0000

Every year, it seems, there is a player or players that are much better than people expected for the Baltimore Ravens come training camp. Last season it was Pernel McPhee and LaQuan Williams. Well maybe there was a few people that expect things would turn out the way they have for these youngsters. That would be the people in the Ravens front office that selected them and those in the scouting department that found them.

There will always be players like Sergio Kindle that were sure fire play makers that some way or another fall flat on their face in the pros So it's guys like McPhee that was drafted in the fifth round that make up for those types of losses that every team faces.It's not every team that drafts like the Ravens though. This is one off the reasons the Ravens have stayed competitive for so long. especially considering they barely ever make a huge splash in the free agent market that messed up their salary cap for years.

There are some teams that have to do that. Sometimes it is they just flat out don't draft well and sometimes it's because they don't have any draft picks because they have traded them all away over the previous years. You can't be like the Yankees in the NFL. You can't just buy a team. You only have so much money to play with and getting young players that can play well at the NFL level. Guys that can play under their rookie contracts for years are so valuable because then you have the freedom to choose who you spend your money on and you're not at the whim of who may be a free agent that year. Just because they may have been a great player for another team doesn't mean they will play at the same level for their new team. Especially right away, when the teams that signed them to these huge contracts need them to play at their best.

This, again, is why the Ravens are a good team from top to bottom. They have the right veterans that have built in roles on the team and the young talent coming in is NFL ready and they have an actual team to be a part of. Not just some mismatch of guys trying to call themselves a team. So players that can play like McPhee, Williams and Lardarius Webb get to show their best and grow into their positions because those around them expect nothing less. Greatness is the norm.

So, any way, back to the subject at hand. The Ravens have several young talented players in camp this season. Some are projected to make the starting line up like second round pick, Courtney Upshaw. Upshaw came from a dominant NFL style defense in college and he thrived as both a run stuffer and a pass rusher. There are those who say his pass rushing abilities won't stack up well but it's all just speculation. He has the size and ability. In the Ravens system he could thrive in either role because, unlike in college, everyone around him will be doing their jobs as well as or better than he is.

There are others like Bernard Pierce, Kelechi Osemele and Gino Gradkowski that will be in a fight from day one. In Pierce's case he is the favorite to grab the number two running back position. However with the recent offensive line signings made by the Ravens, Osemele and Gradkowski look to be more long shots to crack the starting line up then the previous two players. An outstanding performance in training camp or the preseason could get them the jobs they are fighting for.

Then there is the last group. A giant squad of vet minimum free agents, undrafted free agent rookies and late round draft picks that training camp is the most important for The players that have been drafted have the upper hand simply because they already have the coaches attention and the team has already shown interest in them for what they did at the collegiate level. Guys like Asa Jackson, Christian Thompson and Tommy Streeter will be 3 examined very closely by the coaching staff for the next few weeks and months if they're lucky. One of these guys could turn out to be a diamond in the rough like Lardarius Webb or Torrey Smith last season.

The last group is the undrafted free agents. There are so many in this group that it is really hard to stand out. Once the veterans get to camp they have very limited time one on one with coaches to try and impress them. Two players in this group that may get some special attention are linebacker Nigel Carr and wide receiver Deonte Thompson. Both majorly stood out in team OTA's and both play a position in which the Ravens are in need.

This is an exciting time for players and coaches alike but the ending will be bitter sweet as the majority of the new young players in camp will be headed elsewhere before the season starts. Some will catch on with other teams and some will end up on the practice squad only to await another training camp battle next year. For some however, this could be the last time they step onto a professional NFL football field.

There are those few though. Those guys that got overlooked by most other teams for one reason or another. These guys come out of relative obscurity and set the world on fire. The Ravens are good at finding these guys and I can't wait to see who they are this year!

Poll

Who will be this year's training camp Surprise?

Courtney Upshaw

53 votes

Bernard Pierce

34 votes

Kelechi Osemele

15 votes

Gino Gradkowski

13 votes

Christian Thompson

12 votes

Asa Jackson

26 votes

Tommy Streeter

37 votes

Deonte Thompson

86 votes

Nigel Carr

28 votes

304 votes | Poll has closed

Ravens News Around The Web

Bruce Raffel — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:00:18 -0000

With a lot of news on the Baltimore Ravens the past week, here are links to what other outlets are reporting around the World Wide Web:

Report: Witness says Suggs hurt playing hoops | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Gym director in Arizona tells ESPN that Ravens star was hurt during hoops tournament in April.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t care how Suggs was injured, just wants LB on the field - The Washington Post
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he doesn’t care how Terell Suggs injured his Achilles tendon, he just wants the All-Pro linebacker on the field.

Baltimore Ravens owner: Injured Terrell Suggs will get full salary – USATODAY.com
LB insists Achilles' injury happened in conditioning drill, but witnesses say he was hurt playing basketball. Steve Bisciotti doesn't care.

(Click on the 'Jump' to see more links to Ravens stories around the web)

Ravens: Huge crowd, many teammates turn out for Webb's charity softball game - Carroll County Times: Ravens

ABERDEEN — Hours before chasing down fly balls and legging out base hits, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb was greeted by a welcome sight.

Joe Flacco, Ravens Still Aren't Close To Longterm Contract - SBNation.com

Flacco is attending the Ravens voluntary practices while looking for a new deal. The two sides are not close on a new contract however, according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.

Ravens: Backup QB plan - NFL Nation Blog - ESPN

Assessing the Baltimore Ravens' backup quarterback situation if Joe Flacco is injured and misses time.

Baltimore Ravens | News | Tyrod Taylor Growing 'Everywhere'

The Ravens’ backup quarterback doesn’t feel any change with Curtis Painter over his shoulder.

Bobbie Williams headed to Ravens | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

When the Bengals drafted Kevin Zeitler, everyone figured that meant the end of Bobbie Williams’ Cincinnati tenure. Friday, that became official.

NFL Draft Recap: Baltimore Ravens | The DraftDay Blog

To continue the trend, today we look at the Baltimore Ravens and the team’s newest player acquisitions. Which rookies will impact your daily fantasy football stats? Let’s take a look.

Baltimore Ravens DC Dean Pees aims to be different in workout approach -NFL News | bettor.com
Baltimore Ravens’ new defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, has said that his playbook will be different from his predecessor, Chuck Pagano’s who has deserted Ravens to join the Indianapolis Colts as head coach.

Baltimore Ravens | News | Out To Prove He's A Changed Man

Nigel Carr was charged with five felonies on July 26, 2010: two counts of burglary, one count of property damage, theft of a credit card and fraud. But Carr has begun to write his success story in Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens 2012 Schedule Analysis | AthlonSports.com
The first three weeks of the 2012 season will be difficult for the Ravens to say the least.

Ex-Raven Jamal Lewis bankruptcy hearing postponed - BusinessWeek

A bankruptcy court hearing in Atlanta for former Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis has been delayed.

Daniel McMillian Highlights (Linebacker Recruit of Jacksonville First Coast)

Bud Elliott — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:42:46 -0000

Daniel McMillian is one of the top linebackers in the state of Florida. And he is just a rising junior for First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida State, Florida, and Miami have all reportedly offered him. We've said that 2012 is a poor year for linebackers in the state. If there are more kids like McMillan, 2013 is going to be a lot better.

Daniel McMillian shows impressive burst in the clips. His change of direction is solid. If, hypothetically, he were able to sign now, he would likely receive a four-star rating. At 6'2" and 210 pounds, he is physically impressive for a rising junior.

First Coast High School has been a fertile recruiting ground for Florida State recently, as Jermaine Thomas, Avis Commack, Nigel Carr, Derrick Mitchell, and Eric Beverly all signed with FSU in the last few cycles. This year, FSU is pursuing receiver Chris Black from First Coast, though he did not grow up an FSU fan and is far from a lock.

McMillian is certainly one to keep an eye on next year.

What are your thoughts on the film?