OWINGS MILLS — Terrell Suggs’ partially torn Achilles tendon dictates that he’ll spend at least the next several months watching rookie Courtney Upshaw line up at outside linebacker. As far as the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year is concerned, though, the Ravens’ pass rush is in good hands with Upshaw. Based on Suggs’ initial glimpses of the Ravens’ top draft pick on the practice field, Upshaw is well-equipped for the rigors of the NFL. “From what I’ve seen on the film, he’s been playing pretty good," Suggs said. … Continue reading →

The crescendo of clapping had reached its peak, rhythmic noise surrounding John Harbaugh as he exhorted hundreds of football players to get even louder. And then the Baltimore Ravens coach changed gears, asking for no clapping after previously directing them into a numbered series of claps. While conducting the inaugural Ravens football camp at McDaniel College along with his coaching staff Saturday morning, Harbaugh was greeted by silence with no one falling for the break in the routine. "I was shocked," Harbaugh said later. "All these years of coaching and … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Bobbie Williams’ beefy left forearm is decorated with an authoritative message that contains about as much subtlety as when the heavyweight blocker delivers a powerful blow to a defensive lineman’s head and shoulders. His trademark tattoo reads, "Boss Man," a nickname the Baltimore Ravens’ projected new starting left offensive guard earned as an unusually precocious, rough-necked freshman at Arkansas. "That’s back when I was a young whippersnapper," Williams said. "It was kind of like freshman year kind of messing with some of the older guys, roughing them … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — An unsuspecting Rashard Mendenhall didn’t even have an instant to brace himself for the impact. Unblocked and ignored for some reason by the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata powerfully charged into the backfield and delivered a crushing hit to Mendenhall. Ngata engulfed the Steelers’ running back, forcing him to surrender the football for a forced fumble and fumble recovery during the Ravens’ 35-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to open last season. Two weeks later, Ngata adeptly scooped up a Sam … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Terrell Suggs remains convinced that he’ll run out of a tunnel, line up in a football stance and chase down quarterbacks sometime this season. However, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year retreated a bit from his initially optimistic stance that he would return to play by November from a partially torn Achilles tendon. “We’re just going to see where we land,” Suggs said Thursday following a mandatory minicamp at the Ravens’ training complex. “Maybe we were shooting too far. We’ll see. “When they did that … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Jah Reid was carted off the field with a strained calf during the final practice of a mandatory minicamp. Reid’s right leg was extended on the cart as he was driven off the field to the training room Thursday afternoon. Ravens coach John Harbaugh was in no mood to discuss Reid’s condition after practice. “Why are you even asking me,” Harbaugh said tersely. “Why? They are fine, everybody is fine.” Reid is a former third-round draft pick from Central Florida who lined up … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — As the Baltimore Ravens’ defense broke the huddle Tuesday afternoon, there was a noticeably leaner Ray Lewis lining up at his traditional middle linebacker spot. And there was an extremely conspicuous absence in the secondary as a famous bearded defensive star was nowhere to be found. Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed skipped the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp, a finable action under the NFL collective bargaining agreement for an unexcused absence. Reed can be fined up to $63,000 if he misses all three days of practices and an … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — The Baltimore Ravens made a judgment call in March when they picked up a $500,000 roster bonus to retain starting left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie. Months later, the Ravens made another decision involving McKinnie when they kept him off the practice field at a mandatory minicamp due to wanting him to focus on getting in better shape. "Bryant McKinnie is a guy that we held out for just conditioning purposes," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "We are going to probably continue to do that and try to … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason will officially retire as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. A press conference is scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m. at the Ravens’ training complex that will include Mason, general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh. The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was cut by the Ravens last summer and spent time with the New York Jets and Houston Texans. The Ravens discussed bringing Mason back after releasing him, but were unable to come to an agreement and he signed with … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Steve Bisciotti extinguished any lingering speculation regarding whether the Baltimore Ravens will dock or reduce All-Pro outside linebacker Terrell Suggs’ $4.9 million salary after he suffered a non-football injury. The Ravens’ majority owner was emphatic in stating the Ravens have no intentions of not paying Suggs his entire salary after the NFL Defensive Player of the Year sustained a torn Achilles tendon in late April. Suggs has repeatedly denied reports that got hurt playing basketball, insisting that he was injured during a conditioning drill. “I would be … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Jimmy Smith stood tall across from Torrey Smith, squaring his shoulders before backpedaling smoothly and flipping his hips to run stride for stride with the speedy wide receiver. Although Jimmy Smith didn’t always maintain tight coverage on the Baltimore Ravens’ top deep threat, he did a respectable job overall Wednesday during an organized team practice at team headquarters. One year into his NFL career, Jimmy Smith is displaying signs of progress following a solid rookie campaign where there were flashes of the potential the Ravens identified in … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Reacting to reports that Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said it’s irrelevant to the situation. "That’s not a conversation we’re even having," Harbaugh said. "It’s not relevant to anything that has to do with what we’re trying to accomplish. If it were, I guess we would think about it. The relevant conversation as far as Terrell Suggs is going to be rehab. "He’s going to be back here next week. He’s got a doctor’s appointment … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Tom Brady launched a bomb intended for Matthew Slater, a high arcing pass into the Baltimore Ravens’ end zone. During the AFC championship game last season, the New England Patriots’ star quarterback didn’t put enough air under the throw to escape the grasp of Ravens veteran strong safety Bernard Pollard. Pollard leapt into the air to deflect the football into the hands of cornerback Jimmy Smith for an interception. Although the Ravens suffered a 23-20 defeat at Gillette Stadium, the Ravens’ third-ranked defense limited Brady to 239 … Continue reading →

ABERDEEN — Ray Rice rejoined his teammates on Sunday, clowning around and flashing his trademark smile. The Baltimore Ravens’ Pro Bowl running back and unsigned franchise player wasn’t on a football field, though. Instead, the venue was the Lardarius Webb third annual charity softball game at Ripken Stadium where Rice had a lot of fun from the pitcher’s mound and running the bases. It marked one of the few times Rice had been around many of his teammates since last season because he’s working out on his own due to … Continue reading →

ABERDEEN — Hours before chasing down fly balls and legging out base hits, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb was greeted by a welcome sight. As Webb pulled up to Ripken Stadium, he drove past a line of people backed up around the corner to attend his third annual charity softball game. "When I saw the line, my heart dropped," Webb said. "I feel special. It’s amazing. We have great fans." The home of the Aberdeen IronBirds was practically filled to its capacity of 6,300 with fans taking in the sights … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — A quest for consistency hasn’t ended for the Baltimore Ravens’ offense, proving to be an elusive trait under the direction of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Although the offense displayed signs of emerging as a formidable unit last season, there were also a string of ineffectual games that contributed to the defending AFC North champions not claiming the top seed in the AFC. "It’s just execution," Cameron said. "I think you heard us say that a lot last year. I think there were stretches where we were able … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Michael McAdoo tore his Achilles tendon Thursday during an organized team activity practice and underwent successful surgery Friday to repair the damage. Given the timing and severity of the injury, McAdoo is expected to miss the entire NFL season. McAdoo is a 6-foot-7, 245-pound pass rusher from the University of North Carolina. He declared for the NFL supplemental draft last year following a string of eligibility issues, but went undrafted. The Ravens signed him after the supplemental draft and he spent his rookie … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Jerry Rosburg is convinced that Jacoby Jones’ skills merit returning both punts and kickoffs. The Baltimore Ravens are hoping for a hefty return on their investment of a two-year, $7 million contract in the former Houston Texans kick returner and wide receiver. As the Ravens’ special-teams coordinator, Rosburg caught his first glimpse of Jones’ rare acceleration during the past couple of organized team activities as he watched the speedster catch punts from Sam Koch. "He’s really fast," Rosburg said. "I knew that before, but I’d never seen … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — It will be nearly a month into the regular season before defensive lineman Ryan McBean can make his official debut with the Baltimore Ravens. And when the Ravens square off with the Cleveland Browns after McBean serves a three-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, the former Denver Broncos starter could provide a boost to the front seven.   During an organized team activity, McBean displayed strength, athleticism and an ability to penetrate the backfield. He appears to be off to a good start … Continue reading →

OWINGS MILLS — Dean Pees doesn’t have the heft, stature or swagger of Rex Ryan, or the animated, fiery style of Chuck Pagano. The Baltimore Ravens’ latest defensive coordinator doesn’t lack the voice of his predecessors, though, bellowing out instructions with plenty of volume and authority. "You can probably tell my voice carries out there on the field quite a bit," Pees said Wednesday following an organized team activity practice at team headquarters. "I don’t really need signals. I could probably yell it in." Known for his cerebral approach and … Continue reading →