Who were the best picks and biggest mistakes of the Ravens' 20 years of drafts? Columnist Mike Preston breaks it down by position. Today he examines linebackers.
Because of recent trades made in the top five, the Ravens are in an enviable position with the No. 6 overall pick in the NFL draft, which begins Thursday and runs through next Saturday.
Leading up to the draft, The Baltimore Sun will look at the Ravens' personnel at each position, explore whether they could add to that position and analyze who
When the Ravens released safety Will Hill last week right before his league suspension for substance abuse, it was a major disappointment because of the time invested by the organization.
The Ravens have traditionally been slow to move in free agency, and they may need to be more cautious than usual because this is one of the most critical off-seasons in team history.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that there will be a minimum of three ¿really good options¿ for the Ravens when they prepare to make the sixth overall pick on April 28.
The San Francisco 49ers hiring of defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil was good news for the Ravens because it likely means that their linebackers coach Don Martindale will remain with the team.
Ted Marchibroda was so positive, professional and gracious, and maybe that's why his achievements as a coach and his impact on the NFL's return to Baltimore often are overlooked.
The Ravens probably have more immediate needs, like at cornerback and pass rusher. However, using the sixth-overall pick on a left tackle could pay major dividends in the long run.
The Ravens have done a good job overall in their selections to the Ring of Honor, which includes Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and several of the old Baltimore Colts. But there is someone missing. Where is cornerback Chris McAlister?
It could be a disappointing week for the Ravens, who likely won't be well represented in the Pro Bowl and who will play in front of many Steelers fans Sunday.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave a vague response to a question about Eugene Monroe, but it is pretty clear that the left tackle's season might be over.
Of the Ravens' eight remaining opponents, only one has a winning record and five of those eight games are at M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens were once nearly unbeatable.
That line of thinking, albeit premature in this instance, brings us to the spring and summer of 2015, to the University of Maryland, and to two high-profile players heading into their respective drafts: wide receiver Stefon Diggs and outfielder LaMonte Wade.
For the first time all season, the Ravens scored on their first drive. But they needed to settle for a field goal by Justin Tucker rather than a touchdown partly because of a curious call by referee Ronald Torbert.
Ravens guard Marshal Yanda, a week into a four-year, $37.4 million contract extension that keeps him in the organization through 2019 and could allow him to retire a Raven, said the agreement reached Friday allows him to ¿stay here and to be able to, hopefully, end on my own terms.¿
This defense looks a lot like the first, woeful group in 1996. The Ravens certainly didn't want to make this a commemorative unit, but it is a great replica.
As the Ravens approached the start of their 20th season, Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden spoke with The Baltimore Sun about the team's origins, his career and his expectations for 2015.
The Ravens have added some eventual Hall of Fame players like Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe over their 20-year history in Baltimore, but their most important free agent acquisition arrived on March 27, 2000. That was the day the NFL announced Steve Bisciotti had purchased a 49 percent stake in the franchise.
The Maryland Jockey Club announced a $4 million fall-winter stakes schedule led by the $900,000 Jim McKay Maryland Million on Oct. 17 and three new graded-stakes races.
Maybe one day the Ravens' "rent a receiver" policy will end and the team will establish a legacy like the Baltimore Colts did with Hall of Famer Raymond Berry. Ravens receiver Steve Smith Sr., 36, announced Monday that he will retire at the end of the 2015 season, his 15th year in the NFL. He will have played just the final two of those seasons with the Ravens.
It is important to know the outcome of the NFL's investigation because it might involve draft picks. If the league is heavy handed, maybe they will fine the team and take a way a top draft pick or two from New England, which has nine overall selections.
General manager Ozzie Newsome on Wednesday said he did not realize the Ravens had not taken an offensive player in the first round of the NFL draft since selecting Michael Oher in 2009.
Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers readers' questions about the Ravens' failure to stop the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt, John Harbaugh's coaching style, Gary Kubiak and more.
