visanthe shiancoe

Former Maryland players Byron Cowart, Ty Johnson and Derwin Gray were taken in the final three rounds of the NFL draft.

From an imposing wide receiver who spent his childhood in Baltimore to a Delaware native who starred for the Terps, here's who could stand out in Indianapolis.

After starring as a defensive end at the University of Connecticut, Tim Willman attended the Jacksonville Jaguars rookie mini-camp in May and hopes he did enough to impress the coaches and earn a chance to make the team later this summer.

The Ravens terminated the contract of veteran tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and released reserve offensive lineman Ramon Harewood, a former starter.

Ravens Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata didn't practice today because of personal reasons and was excused from practice.

It took only a few moments for Ravens Pro Bowl offensive guard Marshal Yanda and starting cornerback Lardarius Webb during their respective preseason debuts to prove that their surgically repaired limbs are sound.

When they got the ball on their first possession and needed just nine plays to go 69 yards to get into the end zone, all appeared right in the Ravens' world.

Since the start of training camp a month ago, quarterback Joe Flacco watched as his top two tight ends went down and prominent young wide-outs failed to step up. He saw the Ravens bring in veteran pass-catchers Brandon Stokley, Dallas Clark and Visanthe Shiancoe. And he has recently gotten a look at rookies Aaron Mellette and Marlon Brown running with the first-team offense.

With as many as six new defensive starters from the team that won Super Bowl XLVII in February, it was probably inevitable that the Ravens would deal with some communication issues, especially this early in training camp. However, a few too many surfaced in the Ravens' preseason-opening 44-16 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

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

There were no practices to be at, no meetings to attend but nothing seemed particularly amiss until the 34-year-old looked down at his watch and realized how much his life has changed.

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. This week, we exchanged emails with with Andrew Hanes, who blogs about the Ravens for Raven Nation Army.

Newly signed slot receiver Brandon Stokley practiced with the Ravens for the first time Monday, but it was obvious that he was unfamiliar with his new teammates and what he was supposed to be doing on a few plays, which is understandable considering he was lining up on his couch a few days ago.

Apparently in the two weeks after the season-ending injury to tight end Dennis Pitta, the Baltimore Ravens had seen enough of their young receiving corps and a patchwork group of tight ends to decide they needed to bring in a pair of veteran slot specialists.

Wanting to add more depth at wide receiver and give quarterback Joe Flacco a couple of reliable, veteran targets, the Ravens struck deals with wide receiver Brandon Stokley and tight end Dallas Clark, two former Indianapolis Colts who have familiarity with offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell.

The arrival of veteran tight end Dallas Clark in Baltimore is expected to trigger an impact beyond his skills at eluding safeties and linebackers.

Sunday's open practice at M&T Bank Stadium started at 5:00 p.m. and ended around 7:15. Approximately 2,500 fans attended. It was partially cloudy and temperatures were in the mid 80s. Players wore full pads for the second straight practice.

The Ravens have agreed to terms with veteran tight end Dallas Clark, coach John Harbaugh said after practice today.

The Ravens defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Thursday night's preseason opener. While many of the starters only played a quarter, they were in there long enough to make a few observations about when and how certain players were being used and what formations the Ravens were lining them up in.

Here's what other media outlets are saying about the Ravens' 44-16 victory on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Lardarius Webb has made great progress in his return from ACL surgery but he will not play in tonight's preseason opener.

So, Furstenburg should see plenty of playing time Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers behind veterans Visanthe Shiancoe and Billy Bajema.

Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb looks so much more comfortable than he did two weeks ago. You can see the difference when he participates in individual position drills early in every practice.

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. This week, we exchanged emails with Kris Jones, who blogs about the Ravens for Russell Street Report.

Already without starter Dennis Pitta for the entire season, the Ravens could be without his top replacement, Ed Dickson, for a while because of a hamstring tear.

FB Vonta Leach returns to sign with the Ravens

Pitta was a clutch target who was particularly valuable to quarterback Joe Flacco on key third downs and red-zone situations. He is a skilled route runner with arguably the most reliable hands on the Super Bowl champions' roster.

As his newest tight end, Visanthe Shiancoe, ran extra routes on an adjacent field, Ravens coach John Harbaugh stepped behind a microphone and confirmed that the team's worst fears were true on tight end Dennis Pitta.