The countdown to training camp continues today when the Ravens assemble in Owings Mills for their second passing camp of the off-season.
"It's one more step for rookies to develop," Ravens coach Brian Billick said of the voluntary, four-day session, from which linemen are excused.
"We're far enough along now that our conditioning is at a good level. I'd like to come out of the end of the veterans camp [next week] so that if they had to go into training camp right away, they could."
The Ravens will hold meetings and one-hour passing drills each morning through Thursday. The workouts are closed to the public. Next week's minicamp for veterans also is voluntary, but everyone is expected to attend. Those workouts, Billick said, will be more like regular-season practices.
Meanwhile, the agent for defensive tackle Tony Siragusa said he hopes to resume negotiations on a contract extension shortly. Terry Lavenstein said Siragusa is due in Baltimore next Sunday night, but he stopped short of saying the 10-year veteran would participate in minicamp the next day.
Billick said two weeks ago that if Siragusa reported to the veterans camp, the Ravens would reopen negotiations.
"I'm encouraged by what Brian Billick said, but they have not conveyed that to me by phone or letter," Lavenstein said.
"The last correspondence I received was that their offer was withdrawn and that Tony was being fined."
Siragusa, seeking an upgrade on a contract that will pay him $1.5 million in 2000, was fined just over $2,000 for missing April's mandatory minicamp.