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is probably the number one concern for the club. While the interior line is young and stout with guards Ben Grubbs and Marshall Yanda together with Jason Brown at center, the tackle situation could be problematic. Adam Terry is probably out for a couple of weeks as he works through the tenderness of a surgically repaired ankle and accompanying scar tissue. Jared Gaither has a high ankle sprain and club officials are concerned about the reps that the young, promising tackle will miss. Mike Kracalik is at best a dependable back-up and Oniel Cousins is young and raw. Newcomer Chad Slaughter has only 7 starts over 6 seasons in the NFL. Chris Chester (C/G), the team’s second round pick in 2006, has been a huge disappointment for the Ravens. Although he possesses good quickness and speed for the position, Chester isn’t very physical and plays slower than he should given his measurables.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens have much fewer concerns. The defensive tackle position is loaded with Trevor Pryce, Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata. Some inside the organization think that Ngata is not only the team’s best defender but also one of the best in the league. Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards are competent backups giving the Ravens the luxury of a nice rotation at the position. Back to Ngata for a second, the team would be wise to extend his deal before his current contract expires.
Speaking of contracts, Terrell Suggs continues to enjoy his summer off. Don’t expect Suggs to report any sooner than the week leading into the third preseason game. The Ravens break camp on August 15. The guess here is that he’ll show up sometime after the Ravens host the Vikings on August 16. Word is that Suggs wants to be the highest paid defender in football. That suggests that he’s the best and there are some within the organization that don’t think he’s even the best defender on the Ravens squad.
Ray Lewis wants a new dealbut don’t expect one before the future Hall of Famer officially becomes a free agent in March. The sides were very far apart during discussions before camp opened. There is probably not a huge market for a linebacker who will be 34 in ’09, particularly not one who is seeking a significant 8 digit signing bonus. Look for the team to let Lewis test the market and then ask for the right to match anything offered. The club hopes that Lewis will be a career-long Raven but at the same time they want to avoid bidding against themselves.
One linebacker who probably won’t be a career-long Raven is Bart Scott. Rookie Tavares Gooden has been compared to Scott and is expected to succeed the ’06 Pro Bowler in 2009. Since his infamous sack of Ben Roethlisberger in 2006, Scott has only 4 sacks to his credit covering 22 games. Look for the Ravens to go with their less expensive younger linebackers next season to fill the expected future void left by Scott…Dan Cody seems to be a cursed player and cannot stay healthy. Cody has shown flashes of a very competent pass rusher but the flashes are interrupted all too often by bad legs. He’s now dealing with a foot injury. Some Ravens’ insiders think that anything from Cody this season would be a pleasant surprise but at the same time none are holding their breath. And that’s really a shame for a player who has been so committed to returning to the field despite the mental anguish triggered by four injury-marred years.
In 2007 the Ravens’ secondarywas ravaged by injuries. This offseason the club created depth in the defensive backfield to prevent a reoccurrence. Don’t be surprised if the Ravens keep 5 safeties on their 53 man roster. Besides incumbents Ed Reed and Dawan Landry, rookies Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski have been impressive, particularly Nakamura who has made several interceptions. Head coach John Harbaugh said that “the ball finds Haruki and that’s a good quality if you’re a safety.” The coaches like free agent acquisition Jim Leonhard as well.
At corner the team traded for Fabian Washington and some expect him to move ahead of Samari Rolle on the depth chart and into a starting position. He won't start the opener however, when the Ravens host the Bengals on September 7. The league has suspended Washington for that game stemming from a violation of the NFL's conduct policy.
Chris McAlister is working his way back into shape after a late season knee injury. Newcomer Frank Walker has struggled some in camp at corner but the coaches seem to like him as a nickel. Corey Ivy has outplayed Walker so far and so has Derrick Martin. Disappointing former third round pick David Pittman and Ronnie Prude are long shots to make the team. Pittman can’t stay healthy and has been labeled by some as soft while Prude uses his hands too much beyond 5 yards.
Incumbent and ageless Matt Stoverreturns as the team’s dependable kicker. The roster is probably too deep to include a kickoff specialist despite Stover’s inadequacies in that department. Return specialist Yamon Figurs has improved his game as a receiver. Adding that to his strong finish in ’07 makes him a near lock to be among the final 53. Figurs has added some muscle and was once a very good gunner on punt teams at Kansas State. Sam Koch and Matt Katula are the team’s other specialists.
Edgar, Allen and Poe were once proud Ravens mascots. Looks like “The Turk” paid a visit to Edgar and Allen. They have been cut from the mascot squad and replaced by live flying Ravens, Rise and Conquer (much to the chagrin of PETA). Poe has changed his number from 103 to 0.
Tony Lombardi covers the Baltimore Ravens for Profootball24x7.com
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