Steve Spagnuolo, former head coach of the St. Louis Rams (2009-11), has joined the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff, it was announced today by head coach John Harbaugh. Spagnuolo’s full-time position with the team is senior defensive assistant. “Steve had a number of opportunities in the league right now, and we’re excited he picked the Ravens,” Harbaugh said. “He comes to a staff that we believe is very strong, and he makes us even better. His wealth of NFL coaching experience speaks for itself, and he’ll help us across the board. … Continue reading →

I’ll admit that I’m very happy the Ravens resigned Bryant McKinnie. I didn’t want Kelechi Osemele to play left tackle, as I think he can be a Pro Bowl-caliber left guard, and I think we can all agree that Michael Oher can’t handle it. They weren’t going to be able to trade up and get one of the elite left tackle prospects in the draft so they didn’t have a lot of other options. Branden Albert would have been a great fit but the price was way too rich for … Continue reading →

In the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected Harvard fullback/tight end Kyle Juszczyk. Playing in the Ivy League, Juszczyk was a rather unknown commodity while in college, but when he arrived to the Senior Bowl in January, he immediately became the top fullback in this year’s draft after displaying his impressive, versatile set of skills. He’s technically a fullback, but that’s as far from his job description as can be. He’s the traditional offensive weapon. No, not in the terms of Tavon Austin or Percy … Continue reading →

After a 48 hour tour that took free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie from coast to coast in search of a new job, it appears that the anchor of the Ravens offensive line isn’t going anywhere. On Tuesday, McKinnie commuted 15 minutes from his Miami home for a workout with the Dolphins. Without a contract offer in hand, McKinnie traveled across the country to another tropical paradise and worked out for the San Diego Chargers. After undergoing a physical with the Chargers, many believed that the free agency tour was … Continue reading →

When the 2013 NFL Draft ended on Saturday evening, the Baltimore Ravens quickly scattered to sign their targeted undrafted free agents. One of their targets was Ole Miss basketball player Murphy Holloway. The 6’7, 250 pound forward signed a deal with the Ravens on Saturday despite the fact he hasn’t played football since his sophomore year of high school. He was planning to enter the NBA, however concerns about his fit in the league led some to believe that his immense athleticism could lead to him having success in the … Continue reading →

I have to admit with the success of the Ravens over the last five years, it has become tough at times to find many chinks in the armor in terms of how the organization has structured its roster. Player performances and coach’s decisions are always scrutinized and analyzed during the season but the proof is in the pudding – over the last few years Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta and the entire staff have put together rosters to compete for Super Bowls. It speaks of a well-rounded team in all three … Continue reading →

Terrell Suggs proved many wrong when he returned to the Ravens line-up in Week 7 of the 2012 season despite partially tearing his Achilles tendon. Most thought he would be lost for the season yet 6 months after suffering the injury he sacked Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in his 2012 debut. The seemingly early return was criticized by many and labeled too risky. So called medical experts thought the Ravens all-time sack leader might suffer further damage to his Achilles and miss even more significant playing time. Fortunately for … Continue reading →

After my first trip into the Ravens locker room, I had already came to grips with the fact that I was never blessed with the athletic ability to play football professionally. At 6’0″, 195 pounds, I’m bigger than a few NFL players, but the best shot I ever had at receiving a scholorship in college would have came from playing the wimpiest of all the macho football player positions  - placekicker. The best way to classify NFL players up close and personal is to call them “superhuman man-beasts.” While Major … Continue reading →

Perhaps the biggest steal of the 2013 NFL Draft was the selection of Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown by the Baltimore Ravens. Brown, easily a first-round prospect, slipped to the second round and right into the arms of the Ravens, who desperately needed an improvement at the inside linebacker position. The team signed Rolando McClain to a one-year deal to help fill the voids left by Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe, but his days in Baltimore could already be numbered after yet another arrest. Even with the uncertainty of McClain’s … Continue reading →

A friend of mine just passed away the other day at 39 years old. He was healthy and full of life and dropped dead of a massive heart attack. For all of our great plans in LIFE we truly don’t have any real control over our destiny. More often than not we are so BUSY trying to accomplish things that we never take the time to stop and appreciate what we have. One night on January 13th 1990 I got a phone call from my dad around 10pm at night. … Continue reading →

In the NFL, if speed kills, then slow leads to a fast death. With so many offenses showing read-option looks and spread formations while becoming more pass-happy overall, inside linebackers have to be able to cover a lot of ground. Although brute force is still needed in certain situations, the days of thumpers being able to stay on the field without being exposed are dwindling. Last year, the Ravens paid the price for not having enough athleticism on the field. Being able to defend stretch runs, iso patterns against tight … Continue reading →

The NFL Draft is over. So much work, and then — poof — it’s over. Below are some thoughts about the Ravens and the overall draft. It’s my “top 10″ of sorts. 1. The three-day format (first round on Thursday, second and third rounds on Friday and rounds 4-7 on Saturday) was scary when it first came out. Now I am over it and think three days is fine, but you either start the draft earlier on Thursday — say, at 7 p.m. — or move the event to a … Continue reading →

Towson wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard was all smiles when his phone rang and it was the Ravens on the other end. After going undrafted, the 6’2″ 215 lb Maryland native (Owings Mills) was ecstatic when the Ravens wanted to add him to their roster. “It was a dream come true. I was born and raised in Baltimore and to play for my hometown I felt nothing but great feelings inside. I look forward to working my butt off every day to show them I deserve to be a part of … Continue reading →

Now that the draft has come and gone, former Raven and current free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie is expected to find himself a new employer shortly. NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington reports that McKinnie is on his way to Miami to visit the Dolphins today. For the past few weeks, the Dolphins have been trying to work out a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for their eft tackle, Glen Burnie’s own Brandon Albert. With the two sides unable to agree on compensation, they did not strike a deal this … Continue reading →

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and the rest of his front office evaluators – including Eric DeCosta, Joe Hortiz and head coach John Harbaugh – have essentially turned the draft into child’s play. As the majority of fans become uninterested in later rounds of the draft, for Ozzie & Co. they’re almost so good at it that it becomes like stealing candy from a baby. It’ll take three years to gain a good grasp on just how well the Ravens drafted this past weekend, but that doesn’t mean that the … Continue reading →

In case you missed the introduction to “April Madness: Ozzie’s greatest late-round picks and undrafted signings,” click here. Click here for part 2. Before I get into Boh’s and my selections, we’d like to point out a few things we took into consideration when picking winners: 1. The Recent Success Bias – guys who have performed really well within the past year or two may trigger an exaggerated opinion of their career as a whole. 2. The Super Bowl Run Hero Bias – this really only applies to a few guys, … Continue reading →