Ravens Mini Camp

**Stealthbirds80** · 05-08-2009, 12:20 PM

Well it's Friday folks and Ravens minicamp is under way. I am very curious to hear some first impressions on the rookies and undrafted players we picked up. I'm also hoping for no freak injuries to key players or any injuries for that matter. I am interested in the WR battles, as this is the first year in a while I can remember where we had some optimism at the position minus a superstar. Hopefully as I feel the player we are searching for is already on the team. I was listening to 105.7 and I heard that the first play was a fumbled snap between Flacco and Birk. LOL nice! Any thoughts about this mini camp weekend?

**bmorebirds_24** · 05-08-2009, 01:10 PM

I am not expecting much, just excited it started. I heard Suggs wasn't there and Willie Anderson wasn't practicing. Other then that I have not heard anything.

**Ravenswarrior19** · 05-08-2009, 03:03 PM

Pics up at the official site.
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Media/Photo_Landing.aspx

Few things from looking at the pics...
Landry no red jersey
Kelly Gregg no red jersey
Matt Birk looks nasty
Lardarius Webb is wearing Cmacs #21 (I thought McGahee picked that up?)
Troy Smith looks to be heavier (find the pic without the helmet on)

**52decleetzu** · 05-08-2009, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Ravenswarrior19

Pics up at the official site.
http://www.baltimoreravens.com/Media/Photo_Landing.aspx

Few things from looking at the pics...
Landry no red jersey
Kelly Gregg no red jersey
Matt Birk looks nasty
Lardarius Webb is wearing Cmacs #21 (I thought McGahee picked that up?)
Troy Smith looks to be heavier (find the pic without the helmet on)

HUGE!!!

**bmorebirds_24** · 05-08-2009, 04:06 PM

I have a little bit of an older topic and I am not sure if anyone had mentioned this on another thread...

But, it's about Suggs and the comments he made about the 3 linebackers taking a "hometown discount" to stay in baltimore. The reason i bring this up is because, there was NO Suggs in camp today. And, I am sure that means he is going to hold out come July.

If he was so willing to take a hometown discount how come he hasn't done it? Scott got his money and walked happily and gave us a chance to ante up. Ray tried anything to get out of here but Ozzie showed him who daddy is. Now, what the hell is the deal with Suggs? I know he hasn't signed his tenure yet and that is why he was not in camp. I had heard a thing or two that the Ravens offered him a very fair and very nice deal that Suggs turned down. I was wondering what he considers a hometown discount. I am not 100 percent on the details of the deal but, somewhere around 31 million guarenteed. I could be wrong but, I don't understand why he hasn't been a little more giving in accepting a more cap friendly deal, being he is such a stand up guy....

Thoughts????????

**psuasskicker** · 05-08-2009, 04:08 PM

His agent probably slapped him and said "STFU, I'll handle this, stop pissing money down the toilet."

- C -

**purplepoe** · 05-08-2009, 04:36 PM

The whole "hometown discount" comment was a little blurb that needs to be taken within context.

It was in an interview and not in negotiations. They was never gonna be a hometown discount and hearing the actual comment it's pretty obvious.

PP

**bmorebirds_24** · 05-08-2009, 04:56 PM

Yea I understand that it was just an interview. But the thing is it came right from the horses mouth (no pun intended there). I know it is a blah blah blah type of thing, just figured I would bring it up because he did say he was all for the doscount. But, I'm sure that went out the door.

**purplepoe** · 05-08-2009, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by bmorebirds_24

Yea I understand that it was just an interview. But the thing is it came right from the horses mouth (no pun intended there). I know it is a blah blah blah type of thing, just figured I would bring it up because he did say he was all for the doscount. But, I'm sure that went out the door.

Yea, it was just a shoot from the hip type comment that really had no merit IMO.

PP

**Stealthbirds80** · 05-08-2009, 05:22 PM

Who is # 81 Marcus Smith? It was the pic of him catching over Foxworth in front of Oz and Modell in the golfcart. It would be nice for him and DeWill also to step it up. Somethings I also noticed in the pics...

> Paul Kruger has a DE #99 and also looks pretty big standing next to Ngata in that one pic. I think he will be a beast. Note: He has a huge cranium.
> Landry looks like he will be laying lumber this year which was missed last year (Leonard just got in the way sometimes to count as a tackle) and should improve the interior pass defense. Especially with these small corners.
>DT McKinney appears to have increased in girth. No one is running through that.

This is exciting and sad on my part that I am giddy for mini-camp.

**Jeremiah W** · 05-08-2009, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Stealthbirds80

Who is # 81 Marcus Smith? It was the pic of him catching over Foxworth in front of Oz and Modell in the golfcart. It would be nice for him and DeWill also to step it up. Somethings I also noticed in the pics...

> Paul Kruger has a DE #99 and also looks pretty big standing next to Ngata in that one pic. I think he will be a beast. Note: He has a huge cranium.
> Landry looks like he will be laying lumber this year which was missed last year (Leonard just got in the way sometimes to count as a tackle) and should improve the interior pass defense. Especially with these small corners.
>DT McKinney appears to have increased in girth. No one is running through that.

This is exciting and sad on my part that I am giddy for mini-camp.

I agree with all of that, especially the last part. I can not believe I am so exited to see pictures of a non contact practice, not a game, not a hitting drill, a non contact practice.

99 does apear to be sort of huge as does Nagta and McKinney looks like he is bigger and wider than Casey Hampton.

That is a great looking still shot of Marcus Smith finding the ball in front of Oz. He got the message the presence of the street slappies was supposed to send it seems with that kind of effort.

If we get what got from the big guys last year and a little extra know how and pass protection, I can not see most teams even being able to slow the O down.

On the other side of the ball they have quietly reloaded the defense and seriously upgraded the speed, athletic ability and comp at CB over what we had last year, which was impressive when healthy.

After getting through what we did last year with all the crazy injury from start to finish, and super sick schedule, I can not see this team winning less games or losing to the Steelers. We did not have nearly all our weapons healthy and ready to go in any of the 3 games last year and still had very good chances to win, as well as about a dozen missed sack opportuninties. I think the Steelers lost as much in FA on D as we did and did less to replace it, and the O line should not be any better than last year. If we get at least a split with the Steelers I see the road to the SB going through Harm City and our playoff run lasting a whole lot longer than it has since the year 2000.

**baltimore_hokie** · 05-08-2009, 06:02 PM

notes from James Walker at ESPN who was at the castle today:

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/...amp-notes.html

"Here are some notes and observations:

Similar to last year, the Ravens are still running high-energy, up-tempo practices. Everything is fast: the players, the drills, even the way Baltimore gets in and out of its drills. There is little wasted motion in what this team does on the practice field, which is impressive (and fun) to watch. It's a method head coach John Harbaugh learned with the Philadelphia Eagles and he has carried it over to the Ravens. The increased efficiency and tempo served the team well in 2008.

Second-year player Tavares Gooden played with the first-team defense, and it looks like he will get the first chance to replace Bart Scott at inside linebacker. Gooden is coming off an injury-riddled rookie campaign but showed fluid movement and good quickness on the first day.

Not to gauge too much on one day, but of the tryout receivers I thought Kelley Washington stood out the most Friday. In a group consisting of Washington, Tab Perry and Jerry Porter, none of them did anything spectacular. But Washington's made a couple of plays and his effort level was consistently where it needed to be.

Another receiver, Marcus Smith, flashed some ability Friday. He beat starting cornerback Domonique Foxworth twice on a pair of beautiful deep balls thrown by starting quarterback Joe Flacco. On one catch, he outran the coverage, and on the second he out-jumped Foxworth. Flacco also connected with Smith several times in the afternoon session and seems to be developing good chemistry early with the second-year receiver.
Pro Bowl linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs was not present because he has yet to sign his franchise tender. You can read more about that here. Another absentee was receiver D.J. Hackett, who was expected to be one of the veteran tryouts but decided not to participate at the last minute.
Offensive linemen Willie Anderson (knee) and Ben Grubbs (ankle) did not participate because they were recovering from injuries. Anderson's injury opened the door for rookie first-round pick Michael Oher to work with the starters.

Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg made it through the first day of practices without any ill effects from microfracture knee surgery. He practiced some with the first team and said that he feels good about his recovery.
As far as the backup quarterback competition goes, Troy Smith is getting second-team reps while John Beck is playing with the third team. It's too early to tell who will take an early lead. Both players had good throws and bad throws Friday, but Beck looks like he is picking up Baltimore's offense very quickly. He ran a similar system with the Miami Dolphins when Cam Cameron was head coach. "

i think it's great to hear that about marcus smith, but that can't be good for our supposed stud starting CB that we brought in for big money...

good to hear about gregg too.