Baltimore ~ Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said he’s on track to participate fully Monday after being limited the past two days since passing the conditioning test. Ngata was activated from the physically unable to perform list Friday. "I’m way excited to be able to be out there," Ngata said. "I’m excited to get back out there Monday." Ngata is getting over a hamstring injury sustained when he initially tried to take the conditioning test, a series of timed running intervals. "Yeah, it sucked. You’re running and you feel … Continue reading →

Thirteen players didn’t practice during the open practice at M&T Bank Stadium. That includes running back Bernard Pierce (hamstring), wide receivers Tandon Doss (hamstring), David Reed (ACL surgery) and Patrick Williams (undisclosed), tight end Dennis Pitta (broken right hand), center Matt Birk (back spasms), offensive lineman Jah Reid (strained right calf), cornerbacks Jimmy Smith (back) and Cary Williams, linebackers Josh Bynes (undisclosed), Terrell Suggs (partially torn Achilles tendon) and defensive end Arthur Jones (strained hip flexor). Birk said his back is beginning to loosen up. He’s missed the past six … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Joe Flacco zeroed in on his intended target, confident that he could rifle the football into the waiting hands of wide receiver Tandon Doss. The Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback was mistaken, though. Veteran cornerback Corey Graham anticipated the pass, instinctively bursting in front of Doss for the interception last week. And Graham punctuated the turnover by racing into the end zone, having a bit of fun by taunting Flacco as he pursued him in vain. It wasn’t an aberration for the Pro Bowl special-teams ace. It’s practically been … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk missed his fifth consecutive practice Friday due to back spasms, an ailment expected to keep him out until after the Baltimore Ravens’ first preseason game next week. Birk underwent surgery during the offseason to address varicose veins in his legs. Now, the 36-year-old is dealing with a back problem as the Ravens prepare for next Thursday’s preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. “Matt is resting,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He had some back spasms, too. It’s … Continue reading →

Cornerback Jimmy Smith missed practice due to a back injury suffered during an indoor practice Thursday afternoon. “Jimmy’s back locked up,” Harbaugh said. “It’s all muscular. It’s something that happened to him in college. It takes a couple of days usually for that to loosen up.” Defensive end Arthur Jones was out the past two practices with a hip flexor injury. He had a magnetic resonance imaging exam, which revealed no tear and that it’s only a strained muscle. “He had a hip flexor issue that he’s been fighting through … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Sergio Kindle kept spinning like a whirling dervish, haplessly turning his body in vain as he tried to elude the grasp of Baltimore Ravens rookie offensive tackle Kelechi Osemele. At every angle and turn, his charge was met by a powerful hand punch from Osemele reinforced by the torque and sound technique of a well-schooled 6-foot-5, 335-pounder. It was an exercise in frustration for Kindle during a pass-rushing drill Thursday afternoon akin to running into a mobile brick wall capable of mirroring his every step. Kindle never … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith crumpled to the ground in a heap Thursday afternoon, staying down for a while before leaving the indoor practice field to get examined. He didn’t return. Although there was no formal diagnosis of what happened to the former first-round draft pick. Smith might have suffered a back injury. "I don’t know," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said. "I didn’t find out afterwards. He just went down and grabbed his back. That’s all I saw. I don’t really know any extent of it." Smith … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Pernell McPhee isn’t chasing down quarterbacks just yet. That day isn’t far off, though, as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive end returned to practice for the first time since the spring when he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. The team limited his work to individual drills and running as he was activated from the physically unable to perform list Having McPhee back for the first time since May makes the competition with Arthur Jones at left defensive end more interesting, and it injects the defense with a stronger pass … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta underwent surgery Tuesday to repair his right hand after a magnetic resonance imaging exam confirmed a broken bone. Pitta is slated to be out for the next four to six weeks, a timetable that should allow him to return in time for the Ravens’ Sept. 10 season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. "Just kind of what we thought, as it turns out," coach John Harbaugh said. "We’ll be shooting for the first regular-season game. If it’s sooner than that, that would be … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Baltimore Ravens veteran offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie plans to report to training camp Monday after missing the first three days of practice for personal reasons, according to representatives of the former Pro Bowl blocker. McKinnie, 32, has been dealing with an apparent back problem and had his chiropractor contact team officials. The Ravens regard McKinnie’s situation as an unexcused absence, placing him on the reserve/did not report list. Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, McKinnie has been fined $30,000 per day. Veterans reported to camp … Continue reading →