Ravens holding out lots of hope

The Baltimore Sun

The Ravens have less than a week to stop the streak.

With six days left before the Ravens take the field for training camp, team officials are optimistic that they'll sign guard Ben Grubbs and end their five-year string of first-round holdouts.

Tight end Todd Heap in 2001 was the last first-round pick that the Ravens have signed before camp opened.

But the Ravens seem to have a solid shot at striking a deal with Grubbs before players report to McDaniel College on Sunday.

"It's been very good dialogue," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said yesterday of the talks with Grubbs' agent, Pat Dye Jr.

Dye did not return phone calls yesterday.

One reason for optimism is that San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley, the 28th overall pick who was selected just ahead of Grubbs, signed a five-year, $8 million contract (which includes $5.6 million in guaranteed money) on July 16.

That should provide a contract framework for Grubbs, the 29th overall pick. Last year, the difference in the deals for the 28th and 29th picks (the Jacksonville Jaguars' Marcedes Lewis and the New York Jets' Nick Mangold) was $30,000.

"It's always beneficial when the guy ahead of you is already signed," Newsome said.

Grubbs, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound rookie out of Auburn, is expected to compete for the starting right guard job in training camp. He worked behind Chris Chester in offseason minicamps.

The Ravens want to avoid having Grubbs join their list of first-round holdouts: Ed Reed (2002), Terrell Suggs (2003), Kyle Boller (2003), Mark Clayton (2005) and Haloti Ngata (2006). Ngata signed his deal last year after missing one day of training camp. The team did not have a first-round pick in 2004.

The Ravens, though, are not alone in trying to lock up their top draft choice. Only four first-round picks have signed - Staley, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen and San Diego Chargers receiver Craig Davis.

Unlike most teams, the Ravens aren't facing the same time crunch. Many NFL teams need to sign their draft picks soon because their rookies are reporting this week. The Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos and 49ers are the only teams beginning Sunday.

"Once training camp opens up, that's when the rest of the draft choices will be signed," Newsome said.

Notes -- The Ravens signed offensive tackle Jared Gaither to a three-year contract. The former University of Maryland lineman was selected in the fifth round of the supplemental draft. It is also believed that the Ravens have agreed to terms with inside linebacker Prescott Burgess, who was a sixth-round pick and the Ravens' last selection in the April draft. That means the Ravens have four unsigned draft picks (Grubbs, receiver-returner Yamon Figurs, fullback Le'Ron McClain and quarterback Troy Smith). ... The Ravens cut reserve tight end Rob Abiamiri, who played at Mount St. Joseph High and the University of Maryland. He had spent two seasons on the team's practice squad.

jamison.hensley@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2021, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad
72°