By Edward Lee and Jamison Hensley Baltimore Sun reporters

September 1, 2009
Samari Rolle will begin the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, but there is hope that the veteran cornerback could return and play this season.

Rolle, who underwent surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck in the offseason, has been on the PUP list since training camp started in late July and will not be able to play the first six weeks of the regular season.

After six weeks, the Ravens will have a three-week window to either add him to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve.

Still, coach John Harbaugh said the goal is to avoid injured reserve.

"If there's any risk at all, he won't play. But if there's no risk, then he'll have a chance to help this team down the stretch," Harbaugh said. "So he was real excited about it. I think he was feeling that it was going to go the other way, I think I was feeling that it was going to go the other way, and it's good news."

Harbaugh said Rolle, who signed a four-year contract with the Ravens in the offseason, spoke separately with both general manager Ozzie Newsome and Harbaugh about his intention to play. Harbaugh said Rolle will "have some more work done on the neck to try to shore it up a little bit in there."

Wide receiver Derrick Mason, a teammate of Rolle's with the Ravens and Tennessee Titans, said his friend is understandably cautious.

"Samari just wants to play, but he understands the injury he has is a serious one," Mason said, adding that paralysis is a potential consequence associated with Rolle's neck injury. "This is a game. It's not the end-all, be-all. There is a life after it. Samari understands it. ... I would love to have him out there, but I want him healthy."

Suggs sighting
Terrell Suggs returned to practice for the first time since straining his left Achilles tendon Aug. 2, and Harbaugh expressed optimism that the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker could appear in Thursday's preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons.

"We're just going to have to see how it responds," Harbaugh said. "If we can get him out there during the game, we will. And if we can't and we need to be safe with it, we won't. The most important thing is Kansas City [in the season opener Sept. 13], but we want him to be the best player he can be against Kansas City."

Suggs was cautious about committing to playing Thursday, saying: "I don't know. I'll let you all know."

Harbaugh was not as hopeful about wide receiver Mark Clayton, who also practiced. "Clayton, I'd say, is less possible," he said.

Gregg practices
Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg also practiced for the first time since spraining his shoulder in the Ravens' 24-23 win over the New York Jets on Aug. 24 and said he planned to play against the Falcons.

"I'm hoping," Gregg said before practice Monday. "I'm going to work today and get out there and sweat with the guys. Just got to be smart with these things. If it was regular season, I would've played" against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

Right guard Chris Chester (strained right calf), linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (right knee) and offensive tackle Stefan Rodgers (right calf) also practiced. Offensive tackles Jared Gaither (neck/shoulder) and Oniel Cousins (twisted right knee), cornerback Chris Carr (thigh) and tight end L.J. Smith (hamstring) did not participate.

End zone
The Ravens waived quarterback Drew Willy, wide receiver Bradon Godfrey and wide receiver Biren Ealy on Monday and need to make one more cut to get to 75 players by today's NFL deadline. ... Running back Cedric Peerman, the team's sixth-round pick in the draft in April, was absent from practice for unidentified reasons. ... Running back Matt Lawrence walked back to the locker room with a trainer and did not return before the portion of practice open to the media ended. ... Rookie kicker Graham Gano said he was not frustrated about not playing Saturday. "That's just how it worked out," he said. "The plan was to get me in there, but we just didn't have any opportunities." ... Harbaugh said the team would like to complete the preseason with a 4-0 record. "Yeah, we want to win, and Atlanta's going to want to win, too," he said. "We have certain goals for each game, and we have certain things that we want to accomplish for each one of those games."