Examining the Mike Wallace situation

The Pittsburgh Steelers are flying into an offseason of serious uncertainty -- one in which they will experience plenty of turbulence before all is said and done. They are reportedly $10 million or so over the NFL’s salary cap ceiling. Key players on defense showed their increasing age at points last season. Their starting running back, Rashard Mendenhall, tore up his knee on Jan. 1, an injury that will likely stretch into the 2012 season.

10 prospects for Ravens fans to watch at the 2012 NFL combine

The NFL Draft is still nearly 10 weeks away, but the buildup to it will start in earnest this week when more than 300 prospects descend on Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the 2012 NFL scouting combine. All eyes will inevitably be on Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III, who are expected to compete to become the first overall selection in the draft and the heir apparent to ailing Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. The Ravens believe that they have their franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco, but they'll use the draft to augment their offensive line, give Flacco at least one more weapon on the outside and add a couple of playmakers on defense to learn under the tutelage of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs.

Ravens notes: Salary cap won't prevent team from filling needs

With free agency set to begin on March 13, there have been a lot of questions about where the Ravens sit with the salary cap. That cap hasn’t been officially set, though it’s expected to be similar to last year’s number. Either way, all indications are that the Ravens are in decent shape with the cap, certainly in better position than they have been the past couple of offseasons. That doesn’t mean that the Ravens have the room to go on a free-agent shopping spree, because that won’t happen. That doesn’t fit with their organizational philosophy anyway. But it does mean that they should be able to keep a couple of their higher-priority free agents (Ben Grubbs will probably price out of their range) while also filling one or two needs with outside free agents. And they should get a little more flexibility by either releasing or restructuring the contracts of cornerbacks Chris Carr and Domonique Foxworth, and wide receiver Lee Evans.

What they're saying about the Ravens

Here’s a look at what other media outlets are saying about the Baltimore Ravens as they head into the NFL scouting combine, which starts on Wednesday in Indianapolis, and free agency, which begins on March 13.

NFL scouting combine preview: safeties

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at the safety position.

NFL scouting combine preview: cornerbacks

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at cornerbacks.

NFL scouting combine preview: outside linebackers

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at outside linebackers.

NFL scouting combine preview: inside linebackers

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at inside linebackers.

Ravens add Hewitt to coaching staff, promote Weiss

The Ravens announced Thursday that they have hired former Rutgers University assistant coach Chris Hewitt to be their assistant special teams coach. The team has also promoted Matt Weiss to defensive assistant.

NFL scouting combine preview: defensive linemen

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at defensive linemen.

NFL scouting combine preview: tight ends

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at tight ends.

NFL scouting combine preview: wide receivers

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at wide receivers.

Ravens, Flacco's agent to chat at scouting combine

Joe Linta, the agent for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, confirmed on Wednesday that he and Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty, the team’s salary cap specialist, will begin discussions about a contract extension for the 27-year-old quarterback at next week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Preston: Randy Moss wouldn't be bad for a year or two

There is speculation the Ravens have interest in receiver Randy Moss, and I have no problems with the team trying to pursue him as long as they don't mortgage away the future. I can't see the Ravens doing that because that's not general manager Ozzie Newsome's style. Even though Moss has been away from the game for a short time, he's still probably one of the fastest receivers in the league, and all opposing defenses have to respect speed. At the right price, I wouldn't mind seeing him line up opposite Torrey Smith with Anquan Boldin in the slot.  The Ravens had similar plans for Lee Evans last year, but he spent most of 2011 on the sideline with a high ankle sprain.

NFL combine preview: offensive linemen

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. In this post he looks at offensive linemen.

Oher says he's OK with remaining at right tackle

Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher has switched positions in each of his three seasons in the NFL.

NFL scouting combine preview: running backs

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the NFL’s annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. Today he looks at running backs.

Keon Lattimore on Ray Lewis and his future

Former Maryland running back Keon Lattimore hasn’t had an NFL tryout in more than year and he has made stops in Trenton, N.J. and Chambersburg, Pa. in his quest to finally crack an NFL roster. His latest stop was in Owings Mills -- minutes away from his house -- for Saturday’s NFL regional combine at Ravens headquarters.

NFL scouting combine preview: quarterbacks

The NFL scouting combine starts Feb. 22. In advance of the NFL’s annual meat market in Indianapolis, staff writer Matt Vensel will examine each position and give Ravens fans the 4-1-1. Today he looks at quarterbacks.

Randy Moss and the free-agent wide receiver market

Even with today’s news that Randy Moss plans to come out of retirement, the bumper crop of free-agent wide receivers appears to be thinning out as we learn more about how teams plan to use their franchise tags.

Cundiff appreciates support of his teammates since missed kick vs. Patriots

Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff said Sunday that his teammates and the Ravens organization have given him nothing but support since he missed a 32-yard field goal attempt in the final minute of the team’s 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game three weeks ago.

Ravens might be able to address needs early in draft

At last week’s season-ending news conference, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome made the team’s offseason needs clear: offensive line help, a pass rusher and another wide receiver.

How did Joe Flacco fare when pressured?

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who took a step forward in the team's recent postseason run, is not without flaws. He can improve in many areas, which says a lot about his potential. Based on some numbers crunched by Pro Football Focus, one area Flacco can focus on is how he fares when he is under pressure.

Terrell Owens thinks the Ravens could have used him

Terrell Owens didn’t play in the NFL in 2011, and the 38-year-old is currently playing for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. T.O. said Wednesday that there is no question he can still help an NFL team. And he cited the Ravens as a team that proves his point (that sound you hear is the rumor mill beginning to churn).

Offseason preview for the Ravens' AFC North foes

We started to look ahead to the NFL offseason as soon as Billy Cundiff’s field goal fluttered off-target and we will dive headfirst into the offseason two weeks from now when the scouting combine begins in Indianapolis. In the meantime, let's take a glance at what the Ravens' AFC North opponents are tasked with this offseason.

Looking at where the Ravens stand at running back

The retirement of Ricky Williams leaves the Ravens with one running back who has more than five career NFL carries -- and that’s Ray Rice, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Ricky Williams' retirement casts Ravens' running back situation into uncertainty

The long, circuitous ride that is Ricky Williams' football career again swerved abruptly Tuesday when the Ravens' enigmatic reserve running back announced that he was retiring from the NFL.

Eagles claim D.J. Jones off waivers from Ravens

The Philadelphia Eagles have claimed D.J. Jones off waivers from the Ravens, who waived the undrafted rookie offensive tackle from Nebraska before their win over the Houston Texans in the AFC divisional round.

Ravens given 20-1 odds to win Super Bowl XLVII

The confetti has been vacuumed up in Indianapolis, so the sports book at MGM Grand in Las Vegas released its Super Bowl odds for the 2012 season. Apparently, their oddsmakers think the Ravens' championship window is narrowly open.

Jonathan Ogden is up for the Hall of Fame in 2013

Saturday, six men were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: defensive linemen Chris Doleman and Cortez Kennedy, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, center Dermontti Dawson, running back Curtis Martin, and cornerback Jack Butler. Meanwhile, former coach Bill Parcells, running back Jerome Bettis, wide receiver Cris Carter, and defensive end Charles Haley were among the finalists who learned that their busts won’t be bronzed this year.