todd heap

In this game-day staple, blogger Matt Vensel makes four sometimes-courageous predictions for the game. All he asks is that you don't hold it against him whenever those predictions end up being embarrassingly wrong.

Team's fourth-round pick in 2010 NFL draft is tied with Todd Heap for most touchdowns by a tight end in franchise history

Each Wednesday, blogger Matt Vensel will highlight five statistics that really mean something for the Ravens.

Unless the Ravens improve dramatically on offense, it's safe to assume they will interview candidates to become the team's offensive coordinator, including Jim Caldwell.

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday.

Former Ravens tight end was plagued by injuries

Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson get a shot at a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has allowed a touchdown to a tight end in three of four games this season

Tight end Ed Dickson admits being frustrated, but is trying to stay patient in his new role as backup to Dennis Pitta

The Patriots didn¿t get tight end Rob Gronkowski involved Sunday until the fourth quarter, when he had five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.

On a cool, clear day made for football, Art Modell was laid to rest. Just 12 hours after the Ravens won their opener, 44-13 over the Cincinnati Bengals, more than 400 people — including quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Ray Rice and linebacker Ray Lewis — gathered at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation to pay homage to Modell, the team's former owner, who died at 87 on Sept. 6.

Former Baltimore Ravens tight end to pay his respects to Art Modell

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees picked his spots carefully, manufacturing just enough of a pass rush to keep Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton honest last night.

The Ravens may have sustained their first significant injury of training camp as coach John Harbaugh acknowledged following practice today that tight end Dennis Pitta may have broken his hand.

A Towson-area juvenile was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and petty theft this week after stealing a football autographed by former Raven Todd Heap and a replica Ravens Super Bowl ring from a neighbor in Loch Raven Village.

Derrick Mason spent most of the 30-minute news conference reminiscing about his time with the team and speaking about his decision to retire. But he also talked about the current state of the Ravens, specifically their offense.

On paper -- and we know the dangers of evaluating football teams on that alone -- it doesn't appear the Baltimore Ravens have done much to improve an offense that ranked 12th in the NFL in points scored and 15th in total yards a season ago. But there is reason to believe that the offense will be better in 2012: They will finally have a little continuity.

Derrick Mason, the Ravens¿ all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards, told The Baltimore Sun on Friday that he wants to retire as a Raven.

With a number of needs, Ravens head into one of the most important drafts in franchise history.

While doing my homework on the Ravens and their history in the NFL draft, I spent a little time exploring our Ravens draft database (sorry for the shameless plug, but it's pretty neat feature if you haven't checked it out). In no particular order, here are some trends and random factoids from the 126 picks they've made in 16 years.

HBO is reportedly iinterested in the Ravens and San Francisco 49ers in this year¿s season of "Hard Knocks," its documentary-style training camp TV series.

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.

Making a splash by throwing around cash on talent from other teams isn't usually the Ravens' style, though that's not to say that they haven't made significant signings in their 16-year, going-on-17-year history.

Even with today's news that Randy Moss plans to come out of retirement, the bumper crop of free-agent wide receivers appears to be thinning out as we learn more about how teams plan to use their franchise tags. How does it affect the Ravens?

After being on the cusp of a Super Bowl trip, Ravens have only minor changes to make

Joe Flacco¿s performance in the AFC championship game might not have silenced all his critics, but in the minds of owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome, there is no question the 27-year-old quarterback is the man to lead the Ravens back to the Super Bowl

Dickson eager to meet former Oregon teammate

83-yard Rice run set the tone for Ravens to beat Patriots two years ago. Team effort helped spring play, which led to a 33-14 victory in the wild-card round.

The Ravens' Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta are out to prove they can be as effective as the Patriots' tight ends. Baltimore's second-year tandem has played well but hasn't matched the production of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Former BYU tight end didn't get much hype but developed into a strong route runner and big-moment star

Now playing strictly guard, Yanda is dominating Ravens' opponents

Opinions vary on why otherwise confident quarterback has struggled with particular scheme

Baltimore Ravens: With so many young players playing important roles this year, The Baltimore Sun decided to take a look at the Ravens' first- and second-year players acquired in the draft or through free agency and evaluate their long-term potential.

Young, big tight ends for Ravens starting to have an impact on offense

Both the Ravens' and Steelers' coaching strategies will be interesting to watch when the teams play Sunday at Heinz Field

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco continues to show resiliency, fortitude