Former Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said in a recent interview on ESPN that he stands by his claims of innocence regarding purposely taking performance-enhancing drugs. He says he was injected by a temammate, presumably Miguel Tejada, but with vitamin B-12 (or at least that's what he thought it was). Palmeiro says that he never took anything and you could see his production, from high school to college and the pros where he succeeded through hard work and did not cheat. If indeed he did test positive, he says that whatever he took, be it the B-12 injection or anything else, it must have been tainted and he knew nothing about it. Raffy also goes on to say that he hopes the so-called list of those who tested positive comes out as he wil be exonerated and had nothing to gain by taking performance enhancers at that point in his career.

And you know what? I believe him. Raffy has always been honest to the press, the fans and the public in general. He sat in front of the politicians and pointed his finger at them, saying, "I don't know how to be any clearer than this. I never took performance-enhancing drugs."  He now is vilified because of that, while others in question neither confirm nor deny their accusations. Only because Raffy flatly denied involvement is he now scorned by the entire baseball community and embarassingly, his former rabid fans of the Baltimore Orioles.

Now is the time to make amends with him. Every Oriole fan should pull out their Palmeiro jerseys, t-shirts and memorabilia and stand up to support the man that was adored by legions of Bird fans during his two tenures here in Baltimore. We should be ashamed of ourselves for the way we abandoned him in his time of need. His records and efforts as an Orioles should be acknowledged and applauded, publicly, by the fans and by the team as well. If us fans can start a swell of emotion to recall his time as a proud Baltimore Oriole who has accomplished what only a handful of major leaguers ever did, then perhaps the team wil get off their high horse and follow in suit.

Now is the time, Baltimore. Bring back Raffy and let's get the ball rolling to put him where he belongs - back in our hearts and the Baseball Hall of Fame!

NOTE: This story was originally posted just before the Arizona Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. I wrote it because I thought that Pat Tillman was the ultimate warrior, both on the field and in the military. With today being Memorial Day, I find it a fitting time to re-run it, despite the Cardinals loss, which would have made this an even better story had they emerged victorious. While not ever forgetting the ultimate sacrifices the men and women of the service have made for this country, I specifically want to remind everyone of the opportunity that Tillman left behind as a professinal football player as he went to fight for America's freedoms alongside of his brother and fellow soldiers.

So, remember, never forget, respect....Semper Fi!  (Bruce Raffel)

I'm virtually certain all of the Beatdown's readership remembers the former Arizona Cardinal and US Army Ranger, who gave up a multi-million dollar pro football contract to follow his older brother into the Rangers and was subsequently killed in action by "friendly fire" over in Afghanistan in 2004.

Tillman was a hard hitting safety on the Arizona Cardinals, on his way to a Pro Bowl career, when he decided to give it all up and join the fight to protect our freedoms after being deeply affected by the events of September 11, 2001. He was a fun loving square jawed guy with blond hair and hit opposing players like a linebacker, the position he played in college at Arizona State University.

He joined the Rangers in late 2002 with his brother Kevin, who gave up an opportunity to play professional baseball when enlisting as well. Together they were deployed initially to Iraq and then to Afghanistan where he was accidently shot by his fellow troops on April 22, 2004. The initial reports was that Tillman was killed while on patrol  and was heroically defending his fellow Rangers by putting himself in the line of fire. After a thorough investigation that is still not totally clear, clouded in dispute and full of questions, it was determined that he was shot by a fellow soldier in the confusion of a nearby detonation of an explosive device. There are also reports through the autopsy that some evidence points to the fact that he was hit at close range with three shots to the forehead, suggesting that Pat Tillman might have been murdered by a fellow Ranger. A huge investigation of the apparent cover up has followed and the exact nature of his death has brought his family  additional unnecessary grief in their horrible loss.

Either way, regardless of the exact circumstances surrounding his death, Pat Tillman should serve as inspiration of what America is all about. Football is a great game, but it is without a doubt a game. War is real and it took a hero like Pat Tillman to put it in better perspective for so many of us. I was moved to purchase a replica jersey of his, to which a portion of the funds go to charitable causes of him and his family. I will be wearing that #40 Arizona Cardinals jersey this Sunday while I root for many of his former teammates to attain what was his goal in professional football, but certainly not his main goal in life.

May God bless Pat Tillman and his family. GO CARDINALS!!!

This may be totally unrelated to anything on football or the Baltimore Ravens, but it does bear posting. If you have any sense of patriotism in you, you will be so impressed with what I saw yesterday up close on the Severn River near Annapolis, Maryland.

The US Navy's Blue Angels stunt flying team perfrom a 45 minute demonstration prior to tomorrow's Naval Academy Commencement Ceremonies. During this demo, they do everything from low level fly-by's to what looks to be a game of "chicken" where they turn sideways at the last second. The jets can go as fast as 1400 MPH, but usually do not exceed 700 MPH on this day. It is so fast that some of the photos and videos I took showed nothing as I missed the shot completely. The sound was deafening at times as they flew around 500 feet right above us. Check out the YouTube video I posted by clicking here.

Also, check out these photos that don't do the day justice, as there must have been thousand's of boats anchored all around us during this demonstration. If you ever get a chance to experience this in person, I highly recommend it.

While this may be a little off topic, football and Ravens-wise, it does bring to mind the question of whether a football athlete can be up there as one of, if not THE fittest athlete in the world.

At Raven Passing Camp this week, word is that while rookie first round pick Michael Oher is not as up to speed as the veterans on blocking assignments, he is one of the most physically fit players on the team, at 6'4" and 309 pounds. According to DE Trevor Pryce, he looks a little like the Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers, who is a physical specimen for a big guy.

On ESPN's First Take yesterday, host Dana Jacobson (yowser!) was leading the discussion as to who might be the world's most fittest athlete. There were three other guys on the panel, two of whom said Lebron James as they said he sprints up and down the court as well as anyone in the NBA and doing that in a 6'8" solid body requires great physical tools. One of the guys said Terrell Owens, and cited his interview doing situps, showing his six-pack abs in his driveway while suspended a few years ago as an example. Tennis star Rafael Nadal was also brought up, as he looks to be almost completely devoid of any fat on his athletic frame.

Now I don't want to be accused of writing a post on other men's bodies, but the discussion is one for thought. A few years ago, you'd have to have included seven time (?) Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong in the discussion and maybe even last year had eight Olympic gold medalist swimmer and Baltimore's own Michael Phelps at or near the top of that list.

However, while there could be a hockey player up there, but we rarely see their true physiques, there is no mention of a baseball player on that list, as we've seen a bunch of what appear to be overweight and out of shape players, especially pitchers in MLB. Then what football players other than TO could be considered among the world's fittest athletes?

Let the debate begin!

No, not only is this not a joke, it is really happening and better yet, is open to the public (need I mention the words, "Road Trip!?").

Yes, the Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders do indeed have their own Training Camp, where the squad goes to get away from it all and focus on preparing for their roles on the sidelines at all the Ravens home games and community events. This year's camp will be located at Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland and run from Friday, June 5th through Sunday June 7th. As previously stated, the public is welcome to attend and watch the practice sessions.

In additon, the squad will be making an appearance on June 6th at Uno's Restaurant and the Honi Honi Bar. See the attached press release here for more information and vacation rentals if you are interested in attending the Training Camp or other times in beautiful Deep Creek Lake, MD.

Click here if you want to see more from the Ravens Cheerleaders photo shoot recently in the Bahamas. Trust me, it will be well worth your time!

Above is a photo taken at the Baltimore Ravens passing camp that began yesterday at their Owings Mills Training Facility, which you can see in the background. Looking closely at the players, I see recently signed QB John Beck (#7), but not too sure who most of the others are, although I believe that #39 is undrafted free agent FB, Jason Cook.

The Ravens passing camp this week is without a bunch of veteran starters, so some of the reserves got their chances to step up and get noticed. Ray Rice is healthy again and with the injuries to Willis McGahee and LeRon McClain adjusting to a "new" position at fulback, Rice took all the reps with both the first and second teams yesterday and looked real good.

With wide receivers Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams taking it easy, second year pro Marcus Smith ran with the first team and Kelley Washington, who signed his official contract yesterday, caught a 40 yard bomb from Troy Smith for a TD while running with the second team.

In related news, wide receiver Marcus Maxwell was released by the team. Now I guess we won't be getting confused about which "Marcus" we're talking about.

Defensively, with Ed Reed taking a breather, Haruki Nakamura took first team reps at safety and Jameel McClain filled in for Ray Lewis next to Tavares Gooden at linebacker.

Second year QB Joe Flacco loked crisp and accurate, even on the tough over the middle medium range passes that were his hardest to complete last season. Most of all, he reported feeling a sense of a better comfort level that he obviously never had before in spring or even summer camps. He's loose, talking with his receivers after the plays to make sure they are on the same page as him, and is obviously in charge of the huddle now.

All in all, looking good at this point and it will only get better as the injuries heal and the veterans become more involved in the practices.

Former Baltimore Orioles great, Brooks Robinson celebrated his 72nd birthday today, according to a story on the radio station I was listening to this afternoon, 100.7 FM.

They also said that Brooks announced at a speaking engagement last week that he's been battling prostrate cancer and has endured 39 treatments. Just like Brooksie, he's probably really uncomfortable but you'll never know it.

Best wishes to Brooks and thanks for all the great memories you gave us for 26 years, each with a single season contract, not these big bucks long term deals the kids are signing today.

We'll all pray for you, Brooks!

Click here for a video tribute from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

NOTE:  I also posted this over at the Orioles blog on SB Nation, Camden Chat.

Former Baltimore Orioles great, Brooks Robinson celebrated his 72nd birthday today, according to a story on the radio station I was listening to this afternoon, 100.7 FM.

They also said that Brooks announced at a speaking engagement last week that he's been battling prostrate cancer and has endured 39 treatments. Just like Brooksie, he's probably really uncomfortable but you'll never know it.

Best wishes to Brooks and thanks for all the great memories you gave us for 26 years, each with a single season contract, not these big bucks long term deals the kids are signing today.

We'll all pray for you, Brooks!

Click here for a video tribute from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be visiting the White House and meeting Steelers' fan, President Barack Obama, as reigning Super Bowl Champions have done for years as part of the tradition. However, one player who will not be joining them is Steelers linebacker and NFL Defensive MVP James Harrison.

Harrrison was interviewed the other day and had this to say about the visit:

"This is how I feel. If you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don't win the Super Bowl. As far as I'm concerned, he (Obama) would've invited Arizona if they had won," said Harrison.

Yes James, you are correct there, as the winning team in all the major professional and college sports get the photo op of attending and presenting the President with the ceremonial team jersey when they WIN the game.

When the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2006, Harrison did not attend the team's visit to the White House then as well. Perhaps it has nothing to do with what he said, and maybe he is just not a fan of politics. Maybe Harrison lost more than just his wind when he returned that interception for a TD at the end of the fiest half in this year's Super Bowl. Then again, perhaps he is just not as smart of a guy off the field as he appears to be when on it.

Click here to see the ESPN video on the story.

While there are a bunch of rivalries that you could look at over the years in the NFL, the current one between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers is the top one in the NFL right now, according to Vinne Iyer of the Sporting News. There has always been the Redskins-Cowboys, Giants-Eagles, Bear-Packers and Raiders-Chiefs, but none of them match the intensity of the two AFC North teams, as evidenced by their three epic battles this past season.

To read the entire article, click here.

Baltimore Beatdown took the high road for a change, and spent the day Saturday at Maryland's Pimlico Racecourse, home of the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. While this may be slightly off the football track, there is a football and even a Ravens connection to the story.

As a guest of my best friend since 7th grade (that's over 38 years ago if your doing the math!), Larry, his company Reasearch in Motion (RIM), which produces everyone's Blackberry phones, was the main sponsor of the Preakness. Therefore, they had a major suite alongside of the first turn at Pimlico, including food (crab cakes, salmon, etc.) and best of all, open bar all day long. They also had a private bet taker for the suite, as well as closed circuit television, air conditioning, and all-access passes for the Infield Village (no, not the "infield"). The rough side of the day, as you can see, was being force to dress up for the occasion, in slacks and sportcoats as required. Quite a huge change from the many times spent boozing it up in the infield and never actually seeing a race!

It was a rough day, betting wise. People around me would have been smart to find out who I was betting on and then just take the other horses. Cashing one winner all day, in an exacta that I ended up splitting with Larry, I was absolutely horrible in my handicapping. And no, I did not take the filly, Rachel Alexandra, who ended up slaying all the boys in the Preakness race!

So the connection to football and specifically the Ravens? The sponsor's box included a group from Under Amour, led by Chairman and CEO Kevin Plank. Kevin was the only one (other than his young son) in the suite wearing a nice sports jacket along with his Under Armour sneakers! One of the guests was none other than former Ravens QB coach and current UCLA Bruins head coach, Rick Neuheisel. Neuheisel was wearing his Bruins blue and gold, looking tanned and relaxed, away from the rigors of the PAC-10 and trying to always catch the USC Trojans.

In addition, for you Maryland Terrapin fans, another guest of Under Armour was the Terp's Mens basketball coach, Gary Wiliams, looking dapper in a suit and this time without all the sweat stained underarms you see when he's yelling and coaching on the sidelines of the basketball court!

There was also some other former athletes and one guy that I was introduced to was named Vince Washington, a former wide receiver for the Michigan Wolverines back in 1985-88. He actually started in front of future Heisman Trophy winner, Desmond Howard and caught passes from former Ravens QB, Jim Harbaugh, now coach of the Standford Cardinal and brother of current Ravens coach, John.

So there you have it. An incredible day at the races despite the lack of wagering success, plus a football and Ravens connection or two. Thanks to Blackberry and my good friend, Larry, it was a great day as you can see from the incredible view of the race in the photos below.

Friday, May 15th was Baltimore Ravens legendary linebacker Ray Lewis' 34th birthday. Sorry we missed it, but whether it be a birthday or a contract, better late than never, eh Ray?

The season will be Ray's 14th in the NFL, of course all with your Baltimore Ravens. During this time, Ray has been selected to ten Pro Bowls and been named by the Associated Press as an All-Pro eight times. In both 2000 and 2003 he was named the league's Defensive MVP, only the sixth player to win it two times. He was the second linebacker in Super Bowl history to be named the game's MVP, but the first to earn it while on the winning team. Ironically, the only other linebacker to win the Super Bowl MVP award was the Dallas Cowboys' Chuck Howley, who won it on the losing end of Super Bowl V, when the Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Colts 16-13, on a last second FG by Jim O'Brian (remember that?).

Coming out of the University of Miami as a junior, Lewis was the runner up for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. The award that year was won by Kevin Hardy, who went on to be a standout linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but certainly not the career that Lewis had. Hardy was the second overall pick in the 1996 draft, with the first one being WR Keyshawn Johnson. Of course the Ravens took soon-to-be Hall of Famer LT Jonothan Ogden with their first pick in Ravens history and Ray was taken with the 26th selection. Other notable players taken ahead of Ray included Marvin Harrison, Eddie George, Willie Anderson and Lawrence Phillips. For a complete list of the 1996 NFL Draft, click here.

While Ray did not complete school at Miami, leaving as a junior, most people do not know that he ultimately received his undergraduate degree through the University of Maryland in 2004.

Ray has had a glorified NFL career and will enter the Hall of Fame one day as part of the discussion about who is the best linebacker in NFL history. Many pundits have said that Ray has slowed down and is awarded tackles and stats for just being in the vicinity of the play. To those who think he has lost a step after 13 pro seasons, consider this: In 2008 Ray had 117 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 9 passes deflected. He was named a starter in the Pro Bowl for the 10th time and 1st Team All Pro for the 6th time.

His career includes 1,636 tackles (1255 solo), 12 forced fumbles, 98 passes deflected, 88 tackles for losses, 33.5 sacks, 15 fumble recoveries, 28 interceptions, one safety and two TD's. Not bad for a guy on his last (toothpick) legs!

Despite his legal troubles in 2000 before the Ravens Super Bowl season, Lewis remains a player that not only do the fans look up to, but the other players in the league do as well. He has earned through consistent hard work, the respect and admiration of all of those who play alongside or even on the other side of the ball from and with him. When he ultimately decides to retire, he will be missed both on the field and in the locker room. Hopefully, he will stay on the team in some capacity, as he has so much to share with the players of today.

Happy Birthday Ray!

Offense makes highlights, but defense wins championships. The Pittsburgh Steelers saw that this past February and the Baltimore Ravens have always seemed to live by that mantra. So how did the defenses in the AFC North stack up in 2008 and does that answer a lot of the questions as to where the four teams finished even though that doesn't even address the offensive side of the ball? Let's take a look at some statistics and rankings from NFL.com to see what happened last season on the defensive side of each team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens finished ranked numbers one and two overall in yards per game allowed. The Cincinnati Bengals did better than their record indicated but the Cleveland Browns were just woeful on defense.

Yards per game allowed:

#1: Pittsburgh - 237

#2: Baltimore- 261

#12: Cincinnati- 325

#26: Cleveland- 356

The difference between the Steelers and Ravens is similar to the difference between the Bengals and Browns. However, when you see that Cleveland is allowing over a hundred more yards per game than the Steelers and almost that much than the Ravens, the gap is huge.

Points per game allowed:

#1: Pittsburgh- 13.9

#3: Baltimore- 15.2

#16: Cincinnati- 21.9

#18: Cleveland- 22.8

Once again, not a huge difference between the top two and the same with the bottom two. But overall, giving up a touchdown more per game by the Bengals and Browns is easily the difference between contending and pretending.

Turnover Differential:

#3: Baltimore- +13

#8: Cleveland- +5

#11: Pittsburgh- +4

#20: Cincinnati- -2

A surprising change of rankings that has the Browns better than the Steelers, which absolutely shocked me. Then again, there was a stretch of games where Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger threw something like eight interceptions in three games. The Ravens take the number one spot in the division mostly on the strength of safety Ed Reed and his league leading nine interceptions.

Finally, I looked at an obscure category that no one seems to mention, and that is the number of plays from the line of scrimmage allowed. Check out these telltale numbers.

Scrimmage Plays Allowed:

#3: Baltimore- 928

#11: Pittsburgh- 974

#21: Cleveland- 1,004

#23: Cincinnati- 1,013

This shows that the Bengals allowed the opposing teams to run 85 more plays than the Ravens, which is an average of five plays per game. That might not seem a lot to you, but remember that that is an average, and also comes out to be more than an extra offensive series a game for the opposition. How many games did the Bengals and Browns lose in the last minutes that an extra series or two by the opponents probably made the difference? Keeping the opponents' offense off the field is one of the biggest keys to the game in the NFL.

The Ravens have always had that bend-but-don't-break attitude. Feel free to try to move between the twenties, but just try to put it in the end zone against us. That's why I've always argued that the number one defensive statistic that truly matters is points per game. Ranking as the top few teams year in and out will always make the Ravens (and the Steelers) a competitive team deep into the season, one that most other NFL teams do not like to see on their schedules.

These statistics prove why Baltimore and ultimately Pittsburgh, deserved the final standings that they earned in 2008. Can they be repeated in 2009? The Ravens, Steelers and their fans certainly think and hope so. The Bengals and  Browns, along with their fans, certainly hope not.

According to the Baltimore Ravens, veteran right tackle Willie Anderson has been placed on the reserve/retired list this afternoon, it was announced by Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome.

This means one or two things. The Ravens needed the cap space to sign their rookies and perhaps another free agent or two (Kelley Washington?). Also, it now looks like Adam Terry and rookie Michael Oher will fight it out for the starting right tackle position. Oher may actually have the advantage over Adam, as Terry may be more valuable as a reserve based on his ability to play both right or left tackle. Even though Oher was a left tackle in college, learning one specific position willl be hard enough in the pros rather than having to count on covering both sides of the offensive line. However, don't be surprised if Terry starts the season at right tackle, although Oher is sure to take over before the season is too old.

Either way, it looks like Anderson was a one year stop gap measure for the Ravens. He played a valuable role for the one year, and was a welcome addition after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier last summer. He could have been an excellent mentor for the rookie Oher. On behalf of all Ravens fans we thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in his future.

Post Note: Anyone know what his retirement will cost against the '09 cap? I know he signed a three year, $11 million contract last August, but don't know what the signing bonus was, although is was probably around $3-4 million.

Not trying to stir things up with our AFC North division rivals, but I thought it might be a good time to touch base with the teams we will be facing off against twice per year. I've already posted a similar FanPost over at Cincy Jungle, and a Steeler fan started this off by doing the same over at Baltimore Beatdown.

So what I'm here for is not to bash you, or even praise you. However, I am curious as to how the Browns fans feel their team has transitioned to the new leadership in the clubhouse as well as on the field. New coach, open QB competition, trading of a key player, perhaps another, and a very interesting draft last month to say the least.

Cleveland totally underwhelmed most fans after expecting to contend for the AFC North title in 2008 after just missing the post season in 2007. Which team do you all expect to be on the field in 2009, the '07 or '08 versions? How do you think you will do in the division, much less the rest of your schedule? Who will win the QB battle and with or without Braylon Edwards, your wide receiver corp seems to be pretty stacked?

So let this Ravens fan know your feelings about your team, and I guess mine as well as the others within the division. This could be interesting. Thanks.

According to The Baltimore Sun's Ravens Insider, Sports Illustrated just ranked the owners in each sport. The great and proud news is that Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was named as the 5th best owner in the NFL.

The hilarious and embarassing news is that they also named Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos the worst owner in MLB. Ouch.

See the article here.

Before anyone gets too excited on my abilities to get the tough interviews, this is not one I can take credit for. I was contacted by Dan Tierney from IMG Performance Institute, where Fabian is rehabbing from offseason surgery in his home town of Bradenton, Florida. IMG Academies consider themselves the most renowned multi-sport training and education institution in the world. They understand how to mold and shape properly balanced and well rounded athletes through support from world-class training, education, facilities, coaches and athletes.

While at IMG, Fabian answered some interesting questions about his opportunity to play for the Ravens and about his little known incredible 40 yard dash time at the 2005 NFL Combine that moved him from a possible 2nd or 3rd round pick into the first round. Hmmm....does that sound strikingly familiar to the story about Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey's rise to be the Oakland Raiders first pick at #7 in last month's NFL Draft. Ironically, Oakland was also the team that grabbed Fabian with the 23rd selection of the first round in the 2005 NFL Draft.

To see the IMG interview with Fabian Washington, click here.

In case you haven't seen it yet, check out these photos of the Baltimore Ravens Training Facility in Owings Mills, Maryland. It is one of the many reasons that free agents who visit the team here to meet with officials about becoming a Raven usually end up signing contracts before they leave. It is like being on a cruise ship or at a resort. It has everything a player or coach needs to excel at their game and has already become legendary around the league and is known around here as the "Castle."

Ravens Training Facility

Before you all go postal on me, this is actually a serious post. A Steelers fan did a similar thing on our site, Baltimore Beatdown, and I thought it might be interesting to do the same on the other teams in our division, the AFC North.

What I'm wondering, is that are there similarities between the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals that give the Bengals fans hope that they will return to the playoff bound team a few years ago, or are they in a true rebuilding mode? For the Ravens, they went from a playoff team in 2006 with a 13-3 record to the bottom of the barrel in 2007 at 5-11. All along, my frustration was that we had so many injuries in so many critical positions, that 2007 was an aberration and not the reality fo the future. That proved correct, when the Ravens stayed pretty healthy and returned to the playoffs, narrowly missing a chance at a Super Bowl with our third loss to the hated Steelers last year.

So then, were the injuries that the Bengals had to deal with the main reason they plummeted to new lows in 2008? Can they rebound in 2009 to a playoff contender? What changes have been made to confirm the way you feel? While no Bengals fan myself, I hate to admit it but you all had a great, A+ draft last month. When I heard that the Ravens traded up in the first round of last month's draft, I was praying that they would grab USC's Rey Maualuga, even though a LB was not high on their board. He is a beast and would have been the next great Ravens MLB under Ray Lewis' wing. Then when I saw you guys snatched him, I was devastated as now we will have to see him twice a year on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Despite his Combine issues and that disturbing shirtless video, Andre' Smith will be a great source of confidence on Palmer's blind side. Chase Coffman is also a pure receiving tight end, perhaps in the mold of a Dallas Clark.

All in all, I'm pretty sure you can leave the AFC North's basement to the Cleveland Browns, but how much higher can you go? Just interested in hearing your opinions and feel free to post a similar FanPost over at our site.

Peace.

While it is not official just yet, the Baltimore Ravens were impressed enough with free agent wide receiver Kelley Washington to contact his agent to begin contract discussions. Mind you, the neighboring Washington Redskins have already made overtures to Kelley and Daniel Snyder usually gets whatever he wants, other than of course, a Super Bowl title.

However, Washington was by far the most impressive receiver of the free agent group that was brought in for the recently completed Ravens Mini Camp. That group included Jerry Porter, who reportedly looked old and lazy, as well as Tab Perry (unremarkable). DJ Hackett was also invited but choose instead to try out for the Houston Texans. Washington has the size, speed and hands to be a very serviceable receiver for the Raverns. At 6'3" and 215 pounds, he has the ability to be a big target over the middle, yet the speed to stretch the field. Most of his seven year career was spent as the third option in Cincinnati behind Chad Ochocinco and TJ Houshmandzadeh. However, he did sign with the New England Patriots in 2007, although in the two years with them he only caught one pass and was used almost exclusively on Special Teams (click to read more on Washington and see this video from NFL.com). For his career, Washington totaled 73 receptions for 896 yards, a 12.3 yards/catch average and nine TD's. Nothing to make you think that the Anquan Boldin discussions are absolutely over (although I think they are), but his size, ability and experience say this might be the final piece to our receiving corp's puzzle.

To me it looks like we have the skill sets that we need from our receivers. We have the sure handed posession guy (Mason), the sneaky fast solid guy (Clayton), the stretch the field fast guy (D. Williams) and now the man over the middle guy (Washington). Of course we also have the fresh young faces that have ability and potential, yet no experience (Marcus' Smith/Maxwell, Harper, Wheelwright, Riley, etc.), but the group is the antithesis (yes, I actually used that word!) of the saying, "the sum is worth more than the parts."

As veteran Derrick Mason ages and whatever tight end becomes more of an option in our passing game, I could easily see Clayton and Washington as the main two receivers, with either Demetrius Williams or Marcus Smith in the slot. Then we will have other options in reserve who combined with the first team, is certainly enough to grab the balls thrown to them by the ever learning Joe Flacco. Most of this group helped us on the way to earning a shot at the Super Bowl, coming one game and just a few minutes away from achieving that. Did they over achieve, as some are saying and was it a one year hyped up lucky season? Something in me says that this year's team is even better and if we stay healthy, there is no reason we can't be right in it until the end. This receiving corp just got a little bit better and if you listen to Flacco and the rest of the Ravens, that's all that we needed.

Ravens linebacker Tavares Gooden works against Jared Gaither during a drill at minicamp in Owings Mills on Friday.
(photo from Kyle Nosa/Staff Photo - Carroll County Times)

The Baltimore Ravens lost one of their outstanding linebackers, Bart Scott, to free agency and the New York Jets this off season. In previous seasons, they also lost important cogs of their defense at the same position. Players such as Jamie Sharper, Edgerton Hartwell, Adalius Thomas and now Bart Scott all came into the league as relative unknowns, but left the Ravens as wealthy free agent signings. None have lived up to the hype and success they enjoyed in Baltimore and many Ravens fans think they know the answer.

Playing next to the legendary Ray Lewis makes your job a lot easier. Teams gameplan away from the fierce middle linebacker and are always looking to see where he is on the field. Despite that, Ray is always around the ball, and that opens holes and lanes for the other linebackers to fly through and put up great stats. However, once they all seem to go for the big bucks and land on other teams as the defensive leader, they alweays seem to fade into mediocrity or obscurity.

So who's next on the list to become the best linebacker most people outside of Baltimore have never heard of? Why, it's second year pro and former 3rd round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, out of the University of Miami, Tavares Gooden. Gooden was hurt most of last year and rarely got on the field, but was originally drafted as a possible future replacement for the surefire Hall of Famer, Ray Lewis. Both are from the "U" and Gooden has worked out with Ray for years, as he has been taken under the wing of the NFL great. A member of the infamous "7th Floor Crew," Gooden has even taken part in a rude, crude and lewd rap video, that perhaps one of the other readers might post, but I won't even go there.

Gooden is built to be an outside linebacker but could easily add the pounds to move inside if needed in the future. Right now, he is on the fast track to take over for Bart Scott on Ray's left side, and is making huge strides since his injuries of last year. He hasn't lost a step in speed, despite putting on extra weight for the upcoming season. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, faster than many receivers, so he should be able to cover the tight ends and running backs in pass assignments. Even though he's raised his weight from 235 pounds to 247 on his 6'1" frame, he hasn't lost a step.

Gooden isn't being given the starting gig by any reason, and other LB's such as Jameel McClain are not ready to step aside for him. McClain played a lot in specialty situations and actually recorded two safeties in the short but impressive opportunities he received. In addition, there is Antwan Barnes, Prescott Burgess, Brendon Ayanbadejo and rookies Jason Phillips, Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe that will figure into the competition until the starter is finally named prior to the first regular season game.

Expect Gooden to be at or near the top of that list. Think about it, will Ray Lewis let a kid from his alma mater fail? Somethin in me says that just won't be permitted to happen.

See Aaron Wilson's column on the Ravens Mini Camp and Tavares Gooden's progress by clicking here.

NOTE:  This story was orignally posted last May 2008. It shows what a difference a year makes. Can you imagine what you would have thought if I had said that I thought Flacco would start the season at QB and we'd make it all the way to the AFC Championship Game!? You'd have had me commited to a mental asylum. Now we all go to see Flacco take us to the Super Bowl in that asylum called M&T Bank Stadium.

So for all you mother's out there, Happy Mother's Day. This post is to allow me to spend time with the wife, rather than typing away any longer on this keyboard. Enjoy!

It appears that coach John Harbaugh will just let the three QB's fight it out during training camp and the last man standing will be the starter on Opening Day 2008. Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco all have good reasons why they should be lined up under center on September 7th, when the Ravens open the 2008 season hosting the Cincinnati Bengals.

Boller's argument is that he's certainly the most experienced of the group. Smith's resume is pretty short but shows potential. Flacco, of course, is the newest member of the group and obviously the future face of this franchise. So what's a rookie head coach to do?

I realize that Flacco will probably be taking snaps with the first team before the season is over. But to start him on Day One might be like throwing him to the lions. Sure, Peyton Manning did the same and paid his dues, but we're talking about Peyton "friggin" Manning! Without someone like Jon Ogden protecting his blind side, Flacco could spend most of his rookie season flat on his back, suffering from whiplash and waking up at night ducking and flinching. Why subject him to this sort of punishment, when he can look pretty on the sidelines in his baseball cap, carrying a clipboard, watching Boller take the abuse and learn by just doing the opposite of whatever Kyle does? Of course, it seems that none of the national media, when discussing the Ravens' dilemma, ever seem to even mention Troy Smith as part of the equation. At the end of last season, Smith seemed to have the players confidence, and certainly the support of the local fans. He at the very least, deserves an honest and fair shot at the job.

If by some chance, Flacco spends most, if not all of the season on the sidelines, it's only because the other guy(s) are getting the job done and quite frankly, all anyone should want is this team to win, be it with Boller, Smith or Flacco. Every team needs three QB's, with one main starter, a respectable backup and the young, third stringer who is there in the event of a catastrophe. My feeling is that either Boller or Smith should win the starting job outright, with Flacco taking over as the backup. If Boller loses the job to Smith, then he should be released, as it would be the final statement that he is just not an NFL quarterback after five unproductive and disappointing years in the league. Smith is young, was only a fifth round draft pick and will not cost the Ravens much to keep him on, be it as the temporary starter or long term as the backup. Flacco will learn as much on the sidelines as he would running for his life, confused from the incredible skills and team speed that he has never experienced in Division 1-AA (or I'm sorry, I meant College Football Sub-Division!).

This looks like a plan to me. I've emailed the Ravens, requesting an interview with new coach John Harbaugh and although I realize how little respect us bloggers receive, I'm hoping that my resume as a fan and season ticket holder convince them to give me some face time with him, perhaps a few other players and at least a tour of the Castle. Keep tuned...

From a variety of sources, here is a little bit about who stood out during the Ravens first full squad mini-camp, which started Friday (yesterday):

Of course, Terrell Suggs hs yet to sign his Franchise Tag, so he was a no-show, whithout any issues. It was nice to see Ray Lewis in camp, and new right tackle, Michael Oher, who ran with the first team, said how surreal it was to look up and see Ray-Ray on the other side of the line of scrimmage. With Willie Anderson and Adam Terry nursing injuries, Oher read up on some plays the night before and played fine, despite betting beat on a swim move from veteran Trevor Pryce.

The wideouts were depleted by the injury bug. Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton sat out and Demetrius Williams wore a red jersey, signalling everyone not to touch him. However, despite his limp when he walked, he seemed to run fine. Marcus' Smith & Maxwell each made nice catches. Of the free agents recently brought in, Kelley Washington seemed to distance himself a bit, making a nice catch. While Jerry Porter made some grabs, they say he looked lazy in running his routes. Tab Perry did nothing to talk about, although he appears to be in great shape.

Quarterback-wise, it was reported that John Beck threw tight and accurate spirals and looked real good.

Tavares Gooden ran with the first team defense at inside LB next to Ray and they said he ran real quick, especially side to side, not showing any effects from his list of injuries he suffered last season.

Not much else to report, as most of this was based on what I read over at the Carroll County Times and the Baltimore Sun. Feel free to click over and check out their full articles if you wish. Just giving credit where it is due. SB Nation is working on getting us all credentialed, which would be huge, but I don't think anything will happen anytime soon. If so, who wants to be my photographer?

Following in the footsteps of a legend isn't easy for anyone, much less an undrafted rookie. Florida State University placekicker, Graham Gano, was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent shortly after the final pick in the 2009 NFL Draft was announced. Gano, who was considered the best kicking prospect in the draft class, was signed by Baltimore to compete with reserve placekicker Steve Hauschka, after long time veteran Matt Stover was told he would not be re-signed by the team. Stover, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history, was an original Raven brought to Baltimore when the team moved from Cleveland to start anew for the 1996 season. While Stover had been able to make most of his kicks as recently as last season, his leg strength had obviously diminished to the extent that kicks over 40 yards were becoming nail biters. The team kept two kickers active most Sundays, which handicaps the rest of the roster when you need one to try the longer field goals and kickoffs, which Stover had problems with.

Graham Gano converted 24 of 26 field goal attempts in 2008 for the Seminoles, including five of seven from 50+ yards. Gano did not miss from inside 49 yards in 2008. He missed the first two games of the season with a torn meniscus suffered in pre-season but it obviously didn't affect the rest of his season and surely won't his pro career as well. Baltimore Beatdown was able to catch up with Graham before this weekend's initial Rookie Camp. Here is my interview with him:

Rexx:  You were signed to compete with current Ravens kicker, Steve Hauschka, to replace the veteran Matt Stover. How will it feel to try to replace one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history?

Graham:  Matt Stover has made a great name for himself in the NFL and he was somebody that I have looked up to since I began to kick footballs as a ninth grader in high school. He has one of the best field goal percentages of all time and his consistency has set the bar high for kickers all over the nation. To come in and have the opportunity to fill his void will definitely be a challenge, but an honor as well.

Rexx:  What do you expect to be the biggest challenges and differences between the college and pro games?

Graham:  I think that the biggest challenge will be having a longer season in the NFL. I feel that kicking field goals, kicking off, and punting this past season helped prepare me. I feel so honored and blessed to be given this opportunity. My work
ethic is something I take pride in, and I plan on making that a mainstay in my career. My conditioning and preparation is something I continue to do and will work very hard at to make sure I am the absolute best I can be.

Rexx:  You won the Lou Groza Award, given to college football's top placekicker and was considered to be the best kicking prospect entering the 2009 NFL Draft. What pressure does that bring with it?

Graham:  I am very grateful for that award and with it I feel comes a responsibility to live up to that honor by preparing myself to be at my best. I also realize that you are only as good as your NEXT field goal, or extra point or kick off. I am humbled by the task in front of me and honestly, it's important to me to keep my focus on the kicks in front of me rather than the ones in the rear view mirror.

Rexx:  What goes through your mind when you line up for a key field goal and how
does it feel to see a game winning kick go through the uprights?

Ghaham:  I visualize the ball going through the uprights before I even step on the field. When I am out there everything around me is a blur and I am only focused on the snap, hold, and kick. I train in practice as if it were a game so that when the opportunity arises, I have been there before.

Rexx:  Ravens fans might not know that you also handled the punting chores for
FSU and were actually named the best punter in the ACC by the Sporting News.
Although the Ravens have one of the league's top punters in Sam Koch, do you
feel that you could handle both the placekicking and punting in the NFL?

Graham:  In Baltimore my focus will be on kicking field goals and kicking off. If there was any reason that I would need to step in to punt, I feel confident that I would be able to help out. All in all I will do whatever is best for the team whether it is kicking or punting.

Rexx:  Have you seen the Ravens legendary Training Facilities, also known around here as the "Castle?"

Graham:  I haven't been able to visit the facilities yet but I am very excited to get up there and see them all. The Ravens organization is reputed to have top notch facilities and I feel very fortunate to be in a position to compete for a job and be able to utilize them. The "Castle" has a very cool name to it. I am excited to
check it out.

Rexx:  Do you have a nickname that you can share with us?

Graham:  I have a ton of nicknames but the one that sticks out to me the most would have to be Graham Cracker.

Rexx:  What little known fact should we know about you?

Graham:  I was born in Dundee, Scotland. My Dad was in the U.S. Navy for 30 years and was stationed in Scotland where he met my mum.

Rexx:  What talent, unrelated to football, do you possess?

Graham:  I play Call of Duty 4 on XBox360 a lot and I'm pretty good at it! As of late, I have been grilling non stop and really enjoy it.  My girlfriend (Brittany) is excited about this since she doesn't have to cook as much as usual.

Rexx:  Tell us a little about your family - brothers, sisters, any pets?

Graham:  I have four brothers and one sister. (Daniel, Josh, Stewart, Allan, and Elaine) They are all older than me and are spread across the world. Daniel lives in Arkansas, Josh in Oklahoma, Stewart in Pensacola, Allan in Kentucky, and Elaine in Scotland. My mum and dad both live in Pensacola, Florida where I spent most of my life. Brittany and I have a Maltese-poodle mix dog named Chipper. He is about to be three years old, and just because he's a Malti-poo doesn't mean that he's not a manly dog. He has more chest hair than most men I know! HaHa. I am very fortunate to have a loving and supportive family. Without them I would not be the man that I am today.

Rexx: Thank you and Go Ravens!!!

Credit for the photos of Graham with his Lou Groza Award and his family appear courtesy of www.GrahamGano.com.

See highlights from Graham's FSU career here.

Check out their site for more photos and information about him.

Without including the draft picks and free agent signings over the next five years, here is a comparison of what I think the Baltimore Ravens starting lineup will look like in 2014, compared to 2009. This should spur some decent debate, so I'll throw out my picks and you tear me down in your comments. However, bring it with backup, not just reason-less disagreement!

Position                2009                               2014                                                   

OFFENSE:

QB                         Joe Flacco                     Flacco

RB                         Willis McGahee            Rice

FB                          LeRon McClain            McClain

TE                          Todd Heap                    Davon Drew

WR                        Derrick Mason               Marcus Smith

WR                        Mark Clayton                  Clayton

RT                         Willie Anderson             Michael Oher

RG                        Marshall Yanda              Yanda

C                           Matt Birk                           Chris Chester

LG                        Ben Grubbs                     Grubbs

LT                         Jared Gaither                  Gaither

DEFENSE:

DL                        Trevor Pryce                      Paul Kruger

DL                        Haloti Ngata                      Ngata

DL                        Kelly Gregg                        Brandon McKinney

LB                        Ray Lewis                          Jason Phillips

LB                        Terrell Suggs                    Suggs

LB                        Jarret Johnson                 Jameel McClain

LB                        Tavares Gooden              Gooden

CB                       Fabian Washington         Washington

CB                       Domonique Foxworth      Foxworth

S                          Ed Reed                             Haruki Nakamura

S                          Dawan Landry                   Landry

P                          Sam Koch                          Koch

K                         Graham Gano                    Gano

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know there's no way this is anything like what it will end up five years from now, but the foundation continues to be laid down by Harbaugh, Newsome and Bisciotti. Looks like the defense will still be in the league's top ten even without Ray, although perhaps not the top one or two, but who knows? The offense should be clicking under the veteran Flacco by then. However, it looks like we may still be without that one big name wide receiver unless one of these guys earns that title over the next few years or so.

So just trying to have fun, and take up some space. Let me know your comments and remember, this is without gaining or losing any free agents and forgetting about the studs that Ozzie and his team will draft us in the near future.

Those of you who have been part of this blog for a while might remember the interview I did with Baltimore Ravens safety Haruki Nakamura around a year ago on May 23, 2008. 'Ruki was a recently drafted rookie out of the University of Cincinnati as the Ravens 6th round draft pick. Now he is a "grizzled" 2nd year player, having been a part of the NFL's #2 ranked defense. After a year of professional football, we went back to him and asked him a whole new set of questions related to his first NFL season. Check it out:

Rexx: Now that you've been in the NFL for a full season, what was the one thing that you weren't prepared for?

Haruki: The one thing I wasn't prepared for was the 23 games that I had to play. You hear a lot about how long the season is but, 4 pre-season, 16 regular season games, and 3 playoff games was a lot more than I expected.

Rexx: What was the toughest thing to adjust to in the difference between the college and professional games?

Haruki: The toughest thing I had to adjust to was the knowledge of the game. I was known to be a very smart player while playing in college, but as you enter the NFL, you learn to be much more efficient with your decision making and reads, and things of that sort.

Rexx: Who on the team has become your closest friend?

Haruki: I would have to say Zibby (safety Tom Zbikowski) became my closest friend. We're all really close as a team but he and I seemed to bond very easily.

Rexx: What's it like to suit up and play with Ray Lewis?

Haruki: Suiting up is great, but I'm also two lockers down from him, so my experience so far as a Raven has truly been what being a Raven is all about. I have learned many things from him and Ed.

Rexx: Who on the team has give you the most advice and what was the best single piece that anyone gave you?

Haruki: There have been some great moments when guys have come up to me and give me great advice. But I would probably have to say Ray. He said, "I like how you fly to the ball, you make a living being around it, you'll be in this league for a long time."

Rexx: How did your body hold up over the course of the long NFL season, much less the incredible stretch of continuous games that the Ravens played?

Haruki: Haha, man I had more bumps and bruises that I think I ever had, but nothing new other than that. It's football, that's how the game works.

Rexx: How would you like to see your role expand this season?

Haruki: As far as my role goes next year, I'll do whatever the coaches need me to do. If they want me to have a bigger role on defense and special teams next year, I will do whatever I need to do to not let them down.

Rexx: How was life on the road and what were the distractions that were hard to avoid?

Haruki: I really didn't have any distractions. I usually would just relax in the hotel or go grab some dinner.

Rexx: How tough was it to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers three times in such close games, especially in the AFC Championship Game?

Haruki: It's extremely tough. They are our rivals. We have a better understanding of what it takes to get to a Super Bowl next year.

Rexx: How cool is it to go to the "Castle" in Owings Mills and work out in one of the nicest Training Facilities in the NFL?

Haruki: Where else would you want to train? It definitely makes going to work so much easier. It looks like your dream mansion on MTV Cribs.

With the reported signing of former Miami Dolphins QB John Beck, does this spell the end of Ravens QB Troy Smith's time in Baltimore? Smith has been a backup to both former Ravens and now St. Louis Ram Kyle Boller, and recently as backup to current starter Joe Flacco. Smith had a chance to start in 2007 and was thought to have the edge in starting in 2008, but the combination of illness and Flacco's amazing progress relegated him to the backup position once again. He did get in a bunch of games, and even threw a nice pass that Flacco caught on the run in the Oakland game. However, most of his appearances were in the Ravens "Suggs Package" and many ended with a frustrating timeout or basic run/handoff.

Now that the Ravens have brought in Beck, this does not bode well for Smith's future as a Raven, or at least 2nd string status. Beck was a project and favorite of former Dolphins head coach and now Ravens offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, and should be given every opportunity to unseat Smith as second string QB. Beck was a high draft choice and thought to be the future QB of the Dolphins. However, the signing of free agent Chad Pennington last year, plus the drafting of former Michigan QB Chad Henne, much less this year's draft pick of former West Virginia QB, Pat White, all sealed Beck's demise in Miami. 

Smith, a former Heisman Trophy winner at THE Ohio State University, was an afterthought as a 5th round draft pick by the Ravens in 2007. Despite his small stature and questionable NFL QB tools, Smith intrigued the Ravens and especially their fans, as he brought a sense of excitement to the field every time he stepped on it. At the same time, he never really had a chance to prove if he was able to overcome his so-called height issues and has been a valuable backup and "secret weapon" since Cameron became offensive coordinator.

This figured to continue and even expand in 2009 prior to the announcement of the Beck signing. While Beck possesses better pure passing skills, Smith brings a versatile option to the reserve QB role that Beck cannot compare with. Perhaps there will be room for both of them on the 53 man roster. Putting one of them on the Practice Squad would surely make them very attractive and easily accessible to any team that wanted to pluck them from our roster (Cleveland?). 

The signing of undrafted free agent QB Drew Willy of Buffalo also puts another kink in the chain of events. Willy is a fine young QB, and even ESPN's Mel Kiper projected him to be the "next Tom Brady." There's no way the Ravens keep four QB' on their roster and the fact that Smith is a free agent after this season could very well mean that the Ravens have no intention of paying him the bucks he might want just to be a secret weapon and backup QB. A lot of other teams might just be interested in seeing what variables he could be to their offense (Cleveland?). Baltimore already knows but might not be willing in paying him what it might take to retain his services beyond 2009. 

This could get interesting. Stay tuned.

The Baltimore Ravens have had a busy 2009, from the beginning of the new year through last weekend's draft, all the undrafted free agents and Rookie Camps. We certainly know that they are not finished bringing in players for filling out their roster, but here is who they've brought in, other than this past weekend's draft and undrafted free agent signings:

WR: Justin Harper, Ernie Wheelwright, Edward Williams (who?)

TE: Isaac Smolko (look out, Todd Heap!), LJ Smith

RB: Matt Lawrence (who?)

G: Brian Johnson (who?)

OT: Joe Reitz, Tre Stallings (yawn)

DE: Brian Mattison (D-Coordinator's son?)

CB: Anwar Phillips, Domonique Foxworth, Chris Carr, Samari Rolle (All solid)

C: Matt Birk (yea!)

LB: Ray Lewis (double-yea!)

QB: Todd Bouman (Todd, better keep an eye out for rookie Drew Willy!)

So, while the Ravens have been pretty busy this off season, here's what some other teams around the league have done in the past few days:

Dolphins: Released QB John Beck (guess that experiment never panned out).

Steelers: Sign QB's Kevin McCabe & Matt Reilly (along w/ Charlie Batch, Pittsburgh better pray hard that Big Ben stays healthy!). Pittsburgh also signed long snapper Mark Estermeyer to replace the recently released Jared Rekofsky. Rekofsky was in a motorcycle accident recently and since he's no Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers had little patience for his stupidity!

Cardinals: Released Edgerrin James (had a great career and will probably find a home shortly).

Broncos: Signed former Ravens LB Nick Greisen (we wish him luck!).

Bengals: Sign WR Quan Cosby, Texas Longhorns (sorry, no relation to the Jello Pudding man, Bill!).

BREAKING NEWS!!! The Detroit Lions sign Boldin! Wait....oh....nevermind...they signed Demir Boldin (any relation to Anquan?).

So many people are shaking their collective heads in frustration, disbelief and anger over why the Baltimore Ravens used their first round pick, and traded to move up, no less, to select offensive tackle Michael Oher, rather than the big name wide receiver that appeared to be their biggest need. Even ESPN's Mel Kiper, who also thought we needed a wideout, thought we were trading up to select CB Vontae Davis, as he said that as good as Oher is, he takes plays off and can be beat. However, regardless of how little stock I personally put in grading drafts, Kiper gave the Ravens a "B" for their draft efforts, but mostly due to his opinions of our later round picks, such as second round DE Paul Kruger, 3rd round CB LaDarius Webb and fifth round LB Jason Phillips.

However, we all hold Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome in such high esteem that we are waiting to see how this pick pans out and then can all go back to the naysayers and say that yeah, we were always on this bandwagon of Ozzie's. So what was behind Newsome's thought process? If I may go into the miniaturization machine, I will take a trip deep inside the "Wizard of Oz's" medula oblongata and show you the "truth."

In the 2008 regular season, Ravens QB Joe Flacco was sacked 32 times, with 14 of them coming in three games, the first Pittsburgh game (5), Indy (4) & Dallas (5). That left 18 sacks in the remaining 13 games, not a bad total for those games. In the postseason, Flacco was not sacked at all in the Miami and Tennessee games, but was sacked three times in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh.

Overall, Flacco was sacked ten times by the Steelers defense in the three games we played them. The Ravens rushed for 267 yards in those three games, for a measely 3.14 yards/carry. Those sacks were not coverage sacks, so you can't blame the receivers for not getting open. No, those sacks were based on missed blocking assignments, the collapsing pocket and people just plain getting beaten. Another year of experience for Grubbs and Gaither will make a huge difference. Getting Yanda back at RG and having the veteran presence of Birk at center are both big upgrades (sorry, Chris Chester and Jason Brown). Having Wilie Anderson and shortly thereafter Michael Oher at RT over the previous combo of Anderson and Adam Terry is another large step as well.

If the Ravens cut those sacks in half against Pittsburgh due to the upgraded o-line and increase their yards per carry to 4.0, that should translate to a win in 2009 and might have made the difference in all three close contests this past year. However, Ozzie is not harping on the past, he is using that experience to build for the future. That is what he did with his great football mind by selecting Michael Oher to make the difference against the Steelers, not the rest of the league. The Ravens were already good enough to beat the rest of the league, just not Pittsburgh. Now we will be in 2009.

Flacco's passing stats were acceptable for a rookie QB, and many might even say they were good. But a TD-INT total of 14-12 is only average, as was his QB rating of 80.3. At the same time, despite the wins at Miami and Tennessee, his TD-INT totals in the playoffs was 1-3, with a 50.8 rating.

You see, looking at the season as a whole, you can say that he was pretty well prtected and threw the ball well, and maybe just needed that one big play receiver to put us over the top. You could even be right, as who knows what types of coverage that receiver might have dictated to our opponents' defenses, as opposed to stacking the box, blitzing on every play and challenging us to beat them through the air.

However, as we all know it starts and ends within the trenches. Defensively, we don't even have to go there, as we usually won that battle and the few times we didn't we lost those games. Our left side of the offensive line is set for years with Grubbs and Gaither. The center position was filled by a great veteran All Pro and we wil address that position's future at a later date. The right side of the line is in a state of flux. RG Marshall Yanda was lost for most of last year and hopefully will be fine, as he is a solid component there. His replacement, Chris Chester, played well although he is best suited as a versatile fill in at guard and center and needs to be available to fill in when and where needed and not stuck in one position all season. Willie anderson had a good comeback but we all know his age and the future. Adam Terry has pretty much proved that wherever he plays, he will be the weak link on the line. that is where Michael Oher comes in. His education begins behind Willie Anderson, and we should expect his learning curve to be great and quick. With the veteran Birk calling the offensive line blocking signals, he will be flanked by one of the youngest, most physical and best offensive lines in the NFL in 2009 and beyond. What was a weakness of this team goinginto 2008 will be an absolute strength going into 2009.

Now foir the sharpness of Ozzie's cerebellum. Oher wasn't selected for the purposes of beating the Browns and Bengals of the Ravens schedule. He was picked for the postseason, and specifically to beat the Steelers.

Although the team won't officially release the names of the undrafted free agents the team has signed for a few days, here is a look at the guys who appear to have been signed by the team for now. Other than the placekicker mentioned in an earlier post, Graham Gano of Florida state, there appear to be a few others that seem to have more than a decent chance to make the squad in 2009. A brief description of each one follows.

Dannell Ellerbe, LB (Georgia) 6'1", 236 lbs.

Ellerbe struggled in 2008 with a sprained knee and a torn chest muscle prevented him from testing at the NFL Combine. However, he is an undersized but athletic and aggressive LB that was originally projected to be a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick going into the 2008 season. See his YouTube video here.

Will Johnson, DE (Michigan) 6'4", 281 lbs.

Johnson was not drafted in this draft, but impressed the scouts and onlookers as he put up an astounding 47 reps of 225 pounds at the team's Pro Day, breaking the all time NFL Combine record held by former Wolverine Jake Long, who put up 42 reps last year.

Jason Cook, FB (Mississippi) 5'11", 244 lbs.

Cook, a team captain for the Rebels, was primarily a blocking back and should have a good chance of being the lead blocker for the Ravens trio of RB's this season.

Eron Riley, WR (Duke) 6'3", 206 lbs.

Riley is a tall receiver who ran a 4.34 40 yard dash and had 22 TD's and over 2400 receiving yards in his college career. He totaled 61 receptions for 693 yards and 8 TD's in 2008. He also has a 40" vertical and made 2nd team All-ACC honors. Similar, if not better stats against similar competition as Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Raiders top pick in the NFL Draft. Here is a clip from Riley's YouTube video.

Isaiah Williams, WR (Maryland) 6'2", 205 lbs.

While runing a 4.43 40 yard dash and a 41" vertical, Williams was relatively unimpressive with only 10 receptions for 124 yards and one TD in 2008. He appears to be a long shot to make the team.

Cameron Goldberg, OT (Duke) 6'5", 286 lbs.

(photo courtesy of Duke Photography)

Goldberg was a 2 year starter at LT, and is a local product from Lutherville, MD. (NOTE: While offered a contract w/ the Ravens, Goldberg decided to sign w/ the KC Chiefs instead.)

Drew Willy, QB (Buffalo) 6'3", 215 lbs.

Willy is an interesting sleeper pick for a team that seems pretty well set at QB. He is the University of Buffalo's all time passing leader and led them to their first winning season in Division I-A, with 3304 yards, 25 TD's and only 6 interceptions.

Greg Ryan, OT (W. Kentucky) 6'4", 304 lbs.

Ryan is a three year starter, including all 12 games in 2008, who played in multiple positions on the offensive line, which could prove versatile to the Ravens.

 Willie VanDeSteeg, DE (Minnesota) 6'4", 256 lbs.

VanDeSteeg, the Golden Gophers team captain, is Minnesota's all time leader in tackles-for-losses, with 44.5 and 4th in sacks with 21.5, including 10.5 in 2008. As a 1st team All Big 10 selection, his size may make him ideal for a hybrid position.