08/11 Notebook

Posted Aug 11, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Frank Walker lets both his mouth and his play do the talking.


There was a constant chatter in the Ravens’ secondary during Monday’s morning practice, but it seemed to be coming from only one voice.

Upon closer inspection, that voice came from cornerback Frank Walker.

During coverage drills between wideouts and defensive backs, Walker was the star, shadowing Matt Willis’ quick double-move before loudly yelling to no one in particular, “Were you serious when you called that stuff on me?”

Later, he broke up a pass attempt over the middle, went over to the sideline and spun his helmet on the ground in front of his laughing teammates.

After the session, head coach John Harbaugh offered two characteristics that Walker brought to Baltimore when he signed as an unrestricted free agent March 14.

“A competitor and a barrel of laughs,” Harbaugh said of the cornerback. “He’s a good football player. Frank Walker has had a tremendous camp.”

Fans can almost see the shiny metal braces glinting in the sun under Walker’s helmet. As one of the newest Ravens, he relishes the opportunities he’s been given.

With Chris McAlister sidelined due to a knee injury and Samari Rolle only recently rejoining the team, Walker is playing with the first-string and showcasing his hard-nosed style.

“Physical and brute,” Walker said when asked to classify himself. “Whatever type of guy you call it, I haul it. I’m never going to complain about the call. None of that. If a play’s made and it’s on me, it’s on me. It’s never on the defense.

“I’ve got broad shoulders.”

And, Walker has the ready-made catch phrases that speak to his playful personality, something that fits well into the Ravens’ high-energy cast of characters on defense, including McAlister, Bart Scott and Ray Lewis.

“This is probably the best move I could’ve ever made with Rex Ryan and all the guys in his crew,” noted Walker. “That’s a great crew. We have a K.I.L.L. philosophy – keep it likeable and learnable. That’s definitely working out for me.”

The 27-year-old entered the league with humble beginnings as an undrafted free agent out of Tuskegee in Alabama. Because of injuries to key first-teamers, Walker unexpectedly went on to start seven of 10 games he played with the New York Giants as a rookie, posting two interceptions and 32 tackles.

Since then, Walker hasn’t regularly cracked the starting lineup, instead focusing on special teams and contributing as a nickel and dime back. After four years in New York, Walker signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2007, where he posted 12 special teams tackles and remained a valuable reserve.

While he understands that the starting spots are all but wrapped up in Baltimore, especially with the offseason addition of Fabian Washington, Walker is happy to accept his role as a Raven – wherever that may be.

“This is definitely a fresh start,” Walker said. “Any new start is a fresh start. I’m not mad with the way anything went in Green Bay. I had a great deal out there. I played the nickel. I played the dime. I played wherever they needed me.

“It was a great thing for me, but I’m definitely loving it here.”

As Walker keeps his teammates laughing, they also appreciate what he can bring to the secondary.

“The guy talks trash all the time,” said wideout Derrick Mason, who is regarded as the mouthpiece of the offense. “What you’ve got to do with Frank is you’ve got to talk trash back, because if you talk trash back, you get him out of his game a little bit.

“But, he’s a good player. I like the way he plays. He talks a lot of trash and he backs it up, too. If you’re not mentally tough, he can turn the game quick. So I like to have him on my team.”

At Ravens’ camp, Walker always does his best to keep things exciting by playing hard and having fun.

It’s the only way he knows how to assimilate to his new home.

“Every time I [used to] cut the TV on, I’d see the Ravens’ defense,” Walker summed up. “I’d see enthusiasm. I’d see people happy, smiling, everybody running to the ball, everybody dapping each other up and making it a great thing.

“I figured, what place would I rather be? I had a couple of teams offer me the exact same thing the Ravens offered me. I would much rather be a Raven.”

Here are some more notes and observations from Monday’s practices, the second of which focused on special teams:


The Ravens are still banged up, but it looked worse than it really was Monday morning, as Harbaugh enacted the “Over 30 Club” rule. That meant linebacker Ray Lewis, kicker Matt Stover, cornerbacks Corey Ivy and Samari Rolle, wideout Derrick Mason and defensive end Trevor Pryce all sat out the session.

Still, there were others over 30 that are still injured, such as linebacker Gary Stills (knee), defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (knee), cornerback Chris McAlister (knee) and tight end Daniel Wilcox (foot).

The list of Ravens not practicing reads: cornerback Fabian Washington (arm); linebackers Dan Cody (foot), Tavares Gooden (leg) and Robert McCune (leg); tackles Jared Gaither (ankle) and Adam Terry (ankle); tight end Todd Heap (calf); widoeut Demetrius Williams (leg); and defensive tackles J'Vonne Parker (undisclosed), Kelly Talavou (shoulder sprain) and Haloti Ngata (knee).

Contributing to he woes at offensive tackle, Mike Kracalik left practice early with head trainer Bill Tessendorf. Kracalik returned to the field in the afternoon session.
Baltimore’s quarterbacks made good use of the hard count, drawing the defense offsides four times. But, the offense wasn’t perfect, as it was flagged for a false start, too.
Running back Cory Ross took a few big hits, even though the practice was labeled as a “thud” session. Ross was popped into the ground by linebacker Bart Scott once, then Edgar Jones got in a shot, followed by Jarret Johnson.
Tight end Adam Bergen made several tough catches in traffic. The 6-foot-4, 267-pounder is making a name for himself at a position of need for the Ravens.
Quarterback Joe Flacco had a ball slip out of his hands when he was attempting a throw, which was tipped by safety Jim Leonhart and picked off by Derrick Martin.

But, the interception could have been a result of a wet ball. The side of the field Flacco was on seemed slick, as morning dew caused Troy Smith and Kyle Boller both to slip dropping back from center.

In case fans didn't see it, Maryland native – and self-professed Ravens fanatic – Michael Phelps name-dropped the purple and black yesterday after he won his second gold medal. When Phelps actually won his first gold, he tossed his bouquet into the stands to his sister, who then threw a special present down to Phelps.

The gift? It was a Ravens jersey emblazoned with Phelps on the back and 08 as the number, signed by the entire team.

Owner Steve Bisciotti made the entire episode happen after he heard that the Olympian was moving back to Maryland after the Bejing games, partly so he could follow his favorite squad.

When Phelps was interviewed by Andrea Kremer, the swimmer told a story of how everyone was asking to see “it” meaning the gold medal, but he pulled out his jersey thinking that’s what they wanted to see.

Good luck, Michael, from all of the Ravens.

For Tuesday: The Ravens will practice at 8:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Both sessions are full-squad practices. Linebackers, tight ends, running backs, safeties and kickers do not have to lift weights, which means they will be available for autographs. All other positions will have limited accessibility.

A previous version of this article reported that Derrick Mason intercepted Joe Flacco. It was actually Derrick Martin. BR.com regrets the error.

Reed Stands Out

Posted Aug 11, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Ed Reed is always easily noticed on the football field because of his skills. Now, he's got a red jersey that makes him stand out even more.


It’s never hard to miss Ed Reed on the field.

As one of the best safeties in the league, his superior skills make him jump off the film from any game.

But lately, Reed has been blending in - with the quarterbacks.

Due to a shoulder injury that kept him out of the first three weeks of training camp, Reed has been wearing a bright red No. 20 jersey, the same color Baltimore’s signal-callers have donned.

While it is supposed to deter players wearing the different shade from any and all contact during practice, Reed contends that hasn’t happened for him.

Of course, to the hard-hitting ballhawk, such contact isn’t necessarily a bad thing as he works to get back into football shape.

“I played quarterback in high school,” Reed said after Monday’s morning practice, recalling his days marshaling the Destrehan (La.) High School squad. “So if they need me to go over there with those guys I can.



“But [the jerseys are] just something to help the guys understand not to have any contact. And that hasn’t worked at all. I still have been getting bumped, still been hitting the ground, running through guys, which is a good thing, because you really get a feel of whether you can get hit or not. It’s usually a good feeling.”



According to Reed, the left shoulder ailment is the product of making most of his tackles on his left side and could require surgery when his playing days are over.

Fortunately for the Ravens, that probably won’t be for a long time.

In fact, head coach John Harbaugh thinks that he’ll have his All-Pro safety on the back end when the Ravens kick off their season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I’m not doubtful of that at all, based on what we’ve been told with the doctors,” Harbaugh said.

Reed is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl campaign, one that saw him lead the team with seven interceptions in addition to 45 tackles and 13 passes defensed. In case his importance to the club wasn’t stated plain enough, Reed also took a punt 63 yards for a touchdown in the 2007 opener Bengals when former return specialist B.J. Sams was knocked out of the game.

Such playmaking ability is a testament to how much the 2004 NFL Defensive Player of the Year can influence game-planning for opposing coaches.

“Having coached a secondary, you have a good idea of the picture you look for back there,” said Harbaugh, who headed the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary last season. “Ed is good enough to change the picture just a little bit.



“In other words, he doesn’t have to be quite as deep or quite as wide or quite as tight as another guy would and still be in position to make the play. You see why he’s made so many plays over the years, kind of by baiting quarterbacks a little bit. He’s got a real knack for that.”

Reed thinks he’s only getting better. One month before his 30th birthday, he’ll be the first to admit that he feels his age more so than when he was selected 24th overall by the Ravens in the 2002 draft.

But, the experience Reed’s gained entering his seventh season outweighs what little speed he may have lost - if any.

“I think the experience is there,” Reed admitted. “I think as we get older the quickness and all that kind of slows down. I think I’m a lot better than I was earlier in my career mentally, but the quickness and everything is still up to par.”

Reed keeps himself sharp with a strict film-study regimen. He is relentless when it comes to studying his opponent, noting tendencies of certain players - whether that’s offensive linemen, wideouts, quarterbacks or running backs - for the smallest of competitive advantages.

It is a skill Reed said began in high school, but was really reinforced at “The U” under then-defensive coordinator Randy Shannon and then-secondary coach Chuck Pagano, who is currently the Ravens’ secondary coach.

Reed took that insatiable appetite for knowledge to the NFL, where it’s obviously paid great dividends.

“This is a full-time job, so if you want to be great, if you want to be good at it, even as you get older in your career, the film study is what separates you from the guys who don’t do that stuff,” Reed explained.

Now, the Ravens are looking for Reed to help tutor some new blood in the defensive backfield. Baltimore brought in veterans Fabian Washington and Frank Walker at cornerback, while spending two draft picks on safeties Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura.

The Ravens also signed rugged Jim Leonhard, a free agent safety from the Buffalo Bills that has impressed lately.

“I think since I’ve been here, this has probably been the best secondary we’ve had, just talent-wise,” Reed said. “Fabian and Frank are great additions. They bring two different games. Frank is going to talk with you and bump you and get at you, and Fabian is not going to let you get past him.



“I love those [rookies] - they’re playmakers,” he continued about Zbikowski and Nakamura. “We’ve got playmakers. We’ve got guys who are just instinctive about football, know the game and play the game. That’s what you like.”



If the young talents decide to take a page from Reed’s classroom work, the entire unit could develop into one of the best in the league.



All Reed needs to do to fully display what he can do on the gridiron is lose that red jersey.



Then he might assimilate better with the rest of the team.

National Opinion: Jason Cole

Posted Aug 11, 2008

By Mike Duffy



BR.com checks in with Jason Cole of Yahoo!Sports for his thoughts on the Ravens and the AFC North.


Training camp has only a few days remaining, and with so many interesting storylines regarding Baltimore football, the Ravens have already welcomed many national football writers.



BR.com caught up with Jason Cole of Yahoo!Sports after he attended two days of practice this week.

BR.com: Jason, after speaking with some players and coaches and watching a few practices, what are your thoughts on any concerns the Ravens might have?



Jason Cole: “Well, obviously there are injuries. Everybody knows that. [Jared] Gaither, to me, is the key. You’re not just talking about the fact that he’s hurt, but you’re talking about a guy who needs to learn the position. He didn’t play a lot in college. There are still questions about his work ethic, and all of that stuff isn’t going to go away until you prove it. Everything you hear about him is good, and that’s fine. But, you hope that he understands the big picture at some point. This is a kid that has $100 million sitting in front of him for his career. If you think about it, that’s literally true. What is a left tackle worth in this league - just a decent one? Maybe $8 million a year once he hits free agency? You hope he understands all those things. He’s got all the talent to do it.”

BR.com: How will the left tackle affect the Ravens’ quarterback situation?

JC: “Well, it definitely will affect the quarterback. Is that going to be Kyle Boller or Troy Smith to start the season? I get the feeling that it’s not going to be [Joe] Flacco right away, because they wouldn’t want to put them in an unfair situation. That’s a good thing, by the way. We’ll see how that works itself out.”

BR.com: Anything else that caught your eye?



JC: “Another concern, and this has been the same one for me for years, is the wide receiver position. I like [Mark] Clayton individually. I like [Derrick] Mason as a great third-down guy. But, there’s no big-play threat. Until you have that guy who can take pressure off your quarterback, there could be a problem, especially in today’s game during the regular season. The Ravens have a championship-caliber defense, but you have to get through the regular season. The regular season is about scoring points. New England shows that. Indianapolis shows that. Cleveland and San Diego are going to show that. You have to score points in the regular season the way the game is played. That has to be fixed.”

BR.com: Do you think offensive coordinator Cam Cameron can solve some of those problems?



JC: “You’re going to see a more organized attack. Cam is a very good play-caller when he’s just doing the play-calling and you leave the big game-management things to others. When you talk about running an offense and the tactical stuff you have to do, he knows that. Certainly, he has proved that he’s very good. That last year he had in San Diego, he was helped by a great defense that gave him great field position, and he’s got that here, too. Cam needs to get some weapons to make that work in Baltimore.”

BR.com: Did you talk to Ray Lewis, and what are your thoughts about his status in Baltimore?



JC: “I think that Ray has taken an optimistic viewpoint. He’s in control of his future, and then we’ll see. Ultimately, even if he’s great this year, it’s going to be hard to get a big contract from somebody else. It’s the nature of the beast, unfortunately. They don’t pay 30-something-year-old linebackers in this league. You could be Superman, but they would still ask what your birth date is. If I had to predict what’s going to happen, he’ll come back to the Ravens, and both sides will settle on a fair price so he can finish his Hall-of-Fame career as a Raven. It probably should be that way, anyway.

“Hey, he may grouse a little bit about the money. We’ll all read those stories. Of course, I won’t blame anybody for wanting more money. I want more money. Tell my bosses at Yahoo! I want more cash [laughs]. They’re probably not going to give it to me. That’s just the way life goes.”

BR.com: You seem to be pretty high on the Browns. What do you see coming from them?



JC: “I think if Cleveland stays healthy at the rest of their positions, they can compete. They’ve already got a big issue with [wideout Joe] Jurevicius, but they may be able to cover that up with Donte Stallworth to go with [tight end Kellen] Winslow, Jr. and Braylon Edwards. Jurevicius is such a great weapon because he is so good on third down. I think he was top three or four in the NFL in third-down receptions last year. He’s also an important guy for [quarterback] Derek Anderson to have because of the trust factor.

“Are they able to overcome that kind of a loss on both sides of the ball? Looking at their defense, their secondary is so/so and their pass rush is so/so. [Linebacker Kamerion] Wimbley is very good, and I think they could be talking themselves into believing they have more at other spots. They’re better at defensive tackle, though. The Browns are going to score a lot of points, and hopefully they put their defense in favorable positions, so they don’t surrender a lot of points.”

BR.com: Do you think the Ravens can compete this year, or are they still a little bit away?



JC: “Again, a lot of it depends on the offense. If you look around the rest of your division, Pittsburgh has enough weapons to score a lot of points. They’re going to be right there if they don’t have too many injuries. The Steelers injected enough youth into their team that they should be able to make a solid transition.

“If you could take the Cincinnati offense and put it with the Ravens’ defense, you win the Super Bowl. And vice-versa. It’s that simple. This is where Baltimore has had trouble with Cincinnati, because they get behind and then can’t pass enough to keep up with the score. It’s not like the Bengals run up a ton of points, but it’s just enough to get by. If the Ravens can fix their offense, it could make a difference with those types of games.”


Jason Cole is an award-winning writer who covered the Miami Dolphins for 15 years at The Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. A member of the Pro Football Writers Association, he also has experience covering the NBA. Jason graduated from Stanford with a degree in communication. Read Jason Cole's archive here.

Pro Bowler Neal Signs With Ravens

Posted Aug 12, 2008

By Mike Duffy



Four-time Pro Bowl FB Lorenzo Neal signed with the Ravens this afternoon after joining the team huddle in Tuesday's practice.


The Ravens added depth to their backfield, not to mention a four-time Pro Bowler to their roster, by signing fullback Lorenzo Neal Tuesday afternoon.

Neal joined his new teammates in the final huddle after the morning session once he passed his physical. As Neal ambled down the steps from McDaniel College’s Gill Gymnasium to the practice field, he needed no introduction.

The Ravens have faced Neal three times since the 5-foot-11, 255-pound fullback joined the San Diego Chargers in 2003. The Chargers released Neal in February.

“The thing about him is that the players all know him,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “They all respect him. All of our linebackers have been hit by him. Kelly Gregg has been hit by him. As a matter of fact, he threw off Kelly Gregg’s facemask a few years back. Kelly still has the facemask in his den.

“He’s the kind of guy we want on our football team.”

Now that Neal, 37, is trading his lightning bolts for purple and black, it didn’t take long for him to be welcomed into the fold.

Linebacker Bart Scott took it upon himself to offer the first volley of good-natured ribbing, shouting “Oh no! That’s Casey Hampton!” in reference to the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle that was recently in the news for reporting to camp overweight.

The move also marks Neal’s second stint with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, where both were a part of a prolific San Diego offense from 2003-06.

Throughout his 15-year career, Neal has played for six other NFL teams. The veteran led 1,000-yard running backs for 11 consecutive campaigns.

“I think he’s just another good back in the meeting room,” Cameron said. “He’s one of the finest professionals that I’ve had the privilege to work with. When you talk about a Raven - a guy that’s physical, competitive, that knows how to win and wants to win - the guy that I think about is Lorenzo Neal. He’s going to come in and complement that room.”

The Ravens needed another fullback with Monday’s release of Justin Green, a fifth-round draft pick in 2005.

With Neal paving the way, the Ravens could use incumbent fullback Le’Ron McClain at tailback. Despite his 6-foot, 260-pound frame, McClain has recently shown excellent quickness and cutting ability in training camp.

“He’s going to be a great complement to Le’Ron, and gives us the flexibility to play Le’Ron at tailback,” Cameron explained. “That’s a realistic possibility, not just something we’re going to do in an emergency.”

McClain has seen extra touches because running back Willis McGahee underwent arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this week.

The surgery was considered minor, but McGahee could potentially miss the rest of the preseason.

“They cleaned it up, it was less than what we thought it was, and it’s getting healthy,” Harbaugh said of McGahee’s procedure.