rick wagner

And Wagner has quietly gone about his work, rarely noticed during training camp as he's diligently improved his blocking technique and strength heading into his second NFL season.

Joint practices, which the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers will participate in from Saturday through Monday at the Under Armour Performance Center, have become more popular since the new collective bargaining agreement went into effect in 2011.

The Ravens have Pro Bowl nose tackle Haloti Ngata lined up as the first-team left defensive tackle at Arthur Jones' vacated spot.

Now that veteran offensive tackle Eric Winston has ageed to a one-year contract with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, any lingering speculation about a potential reunion with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak can finally be put to rest for good.

The Ravens are experimenting with several defensive line configurations involving Pro Bowl nose tackle Haloti Ngata.

When the Ravens acquired left offensive tackle Eugene Monroe through a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars last October in exchange for fourth-round and fifth-round draft picks, he began an accelerated crash course into the playbook.

When the Ravens acquired left offensive tackle Eugene Monroe through a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars last October in exchange for fourth-round and fifth-round draft picks, he began an accelerated crash course into the playbook.

Ravens offensive linemen James Hurst, John Urschel, Brett Van Sloten, and Parker Graham have learned the pro game as rookies as a unit

The Ravens 2012 draft class made an immediate impact but struggled in year two. The Ravens need their 2013 draftees to flourish to get back to playoffs.

There was no big youth movement this offseason like there was last year, but when the Baltimore Ravens open up the 2014 campaign, they could again boast of having a relatively young team.

A year ago, veteran offensive guad Marshal Yanda was still dealing with scar tissue and a grueling rehabilitation after undergoing rotator cuff surgery five days after the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The mood and composition of the Ravens' offensive line have undergone major changes after a frustrating season.

San Francisco signed quarterback Colin Kaepernick to a six-year, $110 million contract extension with a record $62 million guaranteed on Wednesday, which inevitably brought up comparison¿s to the contract signed last March by the quarterback who bested Kaepernick in Super Bowl XLVII ¿ the Ravens¿ Joe Flacco.

Eugene Monroe joined the Ravens last October as reinforcement for an offensive line that was equal parts injured and ineffective. Now that he¿s settled in Baltimore, the offensive tackle has begun to gel with the new-look offensive line and look towards a strong 2014 season.

Buried on the center depth chart, Ravens' second-year offensive lineman Ryan Jensen has been moved to right tackle, where he is currently competing for the starting job.

The Ravens have gotten pretty good offseason injury news but the best news at all is guard Kelechi Osemele's successful return from back surgery.

The conversations between coach John Harbaugh and general manager Ozzie Newsome about the Ravens' roster have brought them to a conclusion.

When offensive guard Will Rackley was entering the NFL draft four years ago, he auditioned for the Ravens during a private workout on the Lehigh campus.

If not for that unfortunate set of circumstances, James Hurst probably would have been drafted instead of being signed to a free-agent deal by the Ravens this week.

When the Ravens came within striking distance of picking a viable offensive tackle during the NFL draft, the options disappeared.

When the three-day draft ended and the Ravens had made the last of their nine selections, there was just as much talk about what needs they didn't address as those they did.

The Ravens' biggest need probably is at right tackle, where Rick Wagner, a fifth-round pick last year who played sparingly in his rookie season, currently tops the depth chart.

Ravens running back Ray Rice has made major progress since the end of a season where he struggled with hip and quadriceps injuries and played at the heaviest weight of his career.

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston answers Ravens questions from readers.

Since quarterback Joe Flacco last broke the huddle during a season-ending loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in late December, the Ravens have dramatically overhauled an offense that struggled mightily last season.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh met briefly with the Baltimore media yesterday and reiterated several things he said last week, including that the Ravens remain in the market for a tight end, quarterback and cornerback.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh made it clear that despite a busy two weeks, the Ravens aren't done in free agency. They still have more work to do throughout their roster, including an offensive line that remains under construction.

During an hour-plus talk at the NFL owners meetings, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh revealed that Kelechi Osemele will likely play left guard and labeled Rick Wagner the favorite at right tackle.

The Ravens have gotten more compensatory picks than any team in the NFL and they were awarded four more today.

Ravens veteran free agent offensive tackle Michael Oher is visiting the Tennessee Titans and is scheduled to visit the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, according to a league source.

The NFL's annual free-agency spending spree officially gets underway Tuesday, with the Ravens in a slightly different position than in the recent past.

Between practices Wednesday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, The Baltimore Sun conducted the following interview with Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta.

With the Ravens sending another large delegation of executives, coaches and scouts to Mobile, Ala., to attend a week of practice beginning Monday, their concentration on the Senior Bowl isn't an aberration.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh talks about the team's rookies getting better in 2014.

Finally, in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens were able to use tight end Dennis Pitta as they originally envisioned before training camp kicked off.

The reality that he may have played his final football game for the Ravens didn't just dawn on offensive tackle Michael Oher.

Dennis Pitta made his season debut in Sunday's 29-26 win over the Minnesota Vikings and the Ravens tight end played 36 of the team's 85 offensive snaps and had six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones has now played four games since returning from a knee injury last month, but the veteran wide receiver has yet to overtake rookie Marlon Brown on the depth chart based on their playing time.

Almost halfway through the season, the Ravens' rookie class has shown incremental signs of progress.

Baltimore Ravens fullback Vonta Leach played a season-low two offensive snaps, inside linebacker Jameel McClain took on a larger role and more playing time observations from Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Browns.