kelly gregg
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Massive Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Brandon Williams is ready to carry on the franchise's legacy of dominant interior defenders. - Timmy Jernigan, who is the man tabbed to replace Haloti Ngata after the Pro Bowl defensive lineman was traded to the Detroit Lions in March, and Carl Davis represent the most recent additions to a defensive line group that throughout the Ravens history has been the franchise's premier strength, due to its depth and continuity among the coaches and players.
- 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.
- Veteran linebacker Jarret Johnson will retire as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
- Gritty former Ravens outside linebacker Jarret Johnson will sign a one-day contract and retire as a member of the franchise Wednesday afternoon during a press conference.
- "I feel like I established respect," said Williams, the recipient of the annual Ravens Extra Effort Award from Ravens Roost No. 7 at a weekend banquet at the Hagerstown Elks Club.
- As Torrey Smith spoke Friday two days after his foray into free agency ended with him signing a five-year, $40 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers, there was still a tinge of disappointment, maybe even a little sadness, evident in his voice. But there was not even the slightest hint of regret.
- The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are two teams that love to hate each other.
- "Brandon Williams is one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL," says NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout.
- The free-agent departure of Arthur Jones in March had an immediate effect on the Ravens' locker room, where the defensive tackle regularly held court and displayed his boisterous, friendly personality.
- And that's why Gregg, a former prep heavyweight champion wrestler from Oklahoma who played the game with leverage, strength and quickness and was nicknamed "Buddy Lee" is a great example for new Ravens starting nose tackle Brandon Williams to study.
- Each Ravens player prepares for the first whistle his own way
- Anquan Boldin seemed hellbent this season to prove that the Ravens gave up on him too soon. And after he led the San Francisco 49ers with 85 catches for 1,179 yards and seven touchdowns, there is reason to believe the Ravens might have let him go too early.
- After firing Brian Billick following the 2007 season, the Ravens selected John Harbaugh as their next head coach, choosing him over a group of candidates that included Rex Ryan, the team's defensive coordinator. It was an unconventional decision at the time, hiring a longtime special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles over one of the architects of the Ravens' vaunted defense and the popular choice of the players.
- As the Ravens prepare for Sunday's game against the first-place Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium, Ngata acknowledged Wednesday that he needed to raise his level of play to help stop a slide that has the team on the edge of the playoff picture.
- Cody missed the Week 11 game in Pittsburgh to have his elbow drained, snapping a string of 38 straight games, then gutted it out the rest of the season. In addition to the pain in his hip and his elbow, the criticism from outside the team's facility stung, too, but Cody refused to disclose the extent of his injuries and use them as an excuse for a disappointing season.
- We have known for a couple of weeks that defensive lineman Bryan Hall would be slimming down to move to inside linebacker. But Tuesday was the first time that the Ravens acknowledged publicly that Kelechi Osemele may play left tackle and that defensive end Pernell McPhee would become a hybrid linebacker.
- While team officials have yet to comment on Pollard's release, it continues a trend of offseason activity that has the Ravens' roster — particularly on the defensive side — getting younger, thinner, quieter and in some cases, cheaper.
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- But meeting that expectation has become a challenge. Cody, who entered the season battling to regain his starting job, is among a batch of young defensive players the Ravens need to live up to their lofty draft status. The need is even more important for a defense now vulnerable with inspirational middle linebacker Ray Lewis and shutdown cornerback Lardarius Webb on injured reserve.
- Unable to shed blocks or consistently chase down backs in the open field, Ray Lewis was repeatedly left grasping at air as Chiefs star runner Jamaal Charles sprinted around him to pile up 140 yards during the Ravens' 9-6 victory last Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
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- While Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are nearing the end of their careers, the Ravens have a host of younger players filling key roles.
- Maybe it's because I was a star mathlete in high school, but I love numbers. And we've spent plenty of time crunching them these past 10 days while waiting for the Ravens to make moves -- or purposefully not make moves -- in the new league year. So if you're a fan of numbers, here is a handful of relevant numbers from this quiet free-agency period, at least in Baltimore.
- Ravens expected to exercise patience when free agency opens Tuesday. With about $11 million of cap space, team will likely try to retain Grubbs, others before trying to make a splash.
- Productive pass rushers such as Mario Williams of the Houston Texans usually don't become free agents while they are in the prime -- the most recent example was Julius Peppers, who signed with the Chicago Bears two offseasons ago.
- Now that Chuck Pagano is leaving the Ravens after one season as defensive coordinator to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Dean Pees and Clarence Brooks are two names to remember in the coming days.
- Now playing strictly guard, Yanda is dominating Ravens' opponents
- Second-year tackle Terrence Cody studies long-time Raven Kelly Gregg for tips on technique
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- As the Baltimore Ravens open their season, fans wonder are hoping for Super Bowl appearance.
- The Ravens continued to tinker with their roster over the weekend, signing Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode to bolster the offensive line. It was the third significant roster move the Ravens have made since the start of the preseason; they also addressed areas of concern by bringing in wideout Lee Evans and tackle Bryant McKinnie.
- Baltimore is blessed with a bunch of talented sports bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. I often link up to these local writers in my morning Coffee Companion posts, but instead of just exchanging anti-social links with them, I have decided to be slightly less anti-social by exchanging emails with them in a somewhat regular feature called Blogger on Blogger.
- Ravens No. 1 pick Smith gets start at CB, Chiefs test him
- If it weren't meaningless in terms of wins and losses, Friday night's preseason affair with the Chiefs would have an interesting storyline as three former Ravens return to Baltimore. The final score doesn't matter, though, so Le'Ron McClain, Jared Gaither and Kelly Gregg can't get revenge against their former employers.
- Leach, Pollard, Evans and Jimmy Smith will debut with Ravens, while three former players return with Chiefs
- Ravens notes: Rookie DE McPhee making an impression on Pagano Defensive coordinator says fifth-round pick 'plays like a Raven'
- Effort against NFL's 'Dream Team' shows how far Ravens have to go
- In a recent item on Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio wrote that the Ravens' "free-agency gamble" -- releasing veterans Willis McGahee, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg -- blew up on them. Each player opted to sign elsewhere instead of staying here at a reduced rate, leaving the Ravens looking for replacements.
- Ravens first-round pick Jimmy Smith returns to the field, albeit briefly, as he fights through a groin injury
