NFL FanHouse

Trent Dilfer Makes It Official: He's Done

Michael David Smith — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:22:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Buccaneers, Ravens, Baltimore, San Francisco, Tampa Bay

We noted this morning that longtime NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer had an Achilles injury that would likely end his playing career, and this afternoon Dilfer made it official.

Dilfer told the Reno Gazette-Journal:

"I injured my Achilles' while I was on vacation with my family. I was going to retire anyway. This just gives clarity to the situation. There will be a formal announcement in the next few days about that....

"I'm just really thrilled and looking forward to what's next for me," said Dilfer, who added that he and his family might make Incline Village more of a year-round residence. "And obviously I'm going to miss football. It's been a huge part of my life."

Football will miss Dilfer, too. His career hasn't been great, but it has been remarkable: From draft bust to Super Bowl winner to minimum-salary backup to starter again to old pro tutoring another draft bust. Dilfer's career has now come full circle.

Trent Dilfer Makes It Official: He's Done originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens Plan to Use Actual Ravens as Mascots Runs A-Fowl of PETA

Josh Alper — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:35:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

It's pretty common to see a college team using a live animal as their mascot. Ralphie the Buffalo leads Colorado's football team onto the field, for example, and a succession of bulldogs named Uga have inspired Georgia. It's not quite as common in the NFL, though. Most of the time NFL players and animals meet up, the consequences aren't that great for either side.

The Ravens are trying to change that, however, by using a pair of actual ravens as part of pre-game festivities. That caught the eye of PETA who are urging the team to rethink their plan.

"[The] bright lights, screaming fans, and loud noises - such as air horns, bands, and amplified sound systems - are terrifying for animals who can't possibly understand what is going on. Regardless of how these birds are trained, they are likely to be severely distressed by the overwhelming confusion of the situation."

Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun asks a good question: Why should they be treated any differently than Kyle Boller?

I'm all for treating animals with respect but judging from the amount of birds that seem to make their homes in stadiums, this seems a bit overblown. They might lack understanding of what's going on but that doesn't seem to affect them enough to steer clear of loud, bright places. The Ravens appear to agree and indicated that they won't be changing their plans.

Ravens Plan to Use Actual Ravens as Mascots Runs A-Fowl of PETA originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens' Derrick Martin Arrested, Baltimore Sun Gives Its Readers Whiplash

Michael David Smith — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:19:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, NFL Police Blotter, Baltimore

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin was arrested over the weekend for marijuana possession. Since Martin isn't a big name, that's the kind of story that usually gets reported and then forgotten.

But Martin lied about it, and the Baltimore Sun showed absolutely no skepticism at all about that lie, so here we are, still talking about it.

To review: As soon as Martin claimed that he hadn't been arrested, the Baltimore Sun put up a headline reading, "Ravens' Martin Mistakenly Linked to Drug Arrest: Initial media reports implicated cornerback for Cleveland airport stop, but clarification revealed man had same name, birth date."

Hell of a coincidence, huh? Two guys with the exact same name and exact same birth date, both listing addresses in Owings Mills, Maryland, the city where the Ravens' headquarters are located.

Now the Sun has finally caught on that no, it wasn't another guy named Derrick Martin who was born on the same day as the Derrick Martin who plays for the Ravens and lives in the city where the Ravens are based. It was the Ravens' Derrick Martin who was arrested. Glad we've cleared that up.

Ravens' Derrick Martin Arrested, Baltimore Sun Gives Its Readers Whiplash originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Derrick Martin of the Ravens Claims Mistaken Identity in Drug Arrest

Josh Alper — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, NFL Police Blotter, Baltimore

Yesterday's news that Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin got arrested in the Cleveland airport for marijuana possession didn't raise much of an eyebrow. Sadly, we're all to accustomed to NFL players running afoul of the law and TSA agents finding weed in a travel bag is all too believably routine to elicit surprise. Martin denying it was him, though, is a new twist.

The Baltimore Sun apparently believes Martin's story, since they are running a story about the case under the headline "Ravens Martin mistakenly linked to drug arrest." A click on the link, however, finds an AP story which merely says that a man with the same name and date of birth as Martin was arrested in the Cleveland airport.

A Ravens spokesman, Kevin Byrne, says that Martin denies the incident ever happened. According to the Carroll County Times, the Derrick Martin who was arrested listed his hometown as Owings Mills, Maryland. Raven watchers know that's where the team's headquarters are located, which makes it a pretty plausible address for a player on the team.

That all adds up to one helluva coincidence. There are eight Derrick Martins living in Maryland listed on Whitepages.com, though none of those men live in Owings Mills. If Martin is telling the truth, great, but if he isn't he may be making things much worse for himself. The marijuana charge carries a $100 fine as penalty but the NFL frowns upon players trying to cover up arrests.

(H/T PFT)

Derrick Martin of the Ravens Claims Mistaken Identity in Drug Arrest originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens' Derrick Martin Arrested for Marijuana Possession at Cleveland Airport

Michael David Smith — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, NFL Police Blotter, Baltimore

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin was cited for drug possession at Cleveland Hopkins Airport Saturday, WKYC in Cleveland is reporting.

According to a police spokesman, TSA screeners discovered Martin with three bags of marijuana. It is not clear exactly what crime he's accused of or how much marijuana he had on him.

Martin was the Ravens' sixth-round draft pick out of Wyoming in 2006. He played eight games as a rookie and all 16 in 2007, including three starts at cornerback.

Via PFT.

Ravens' Derrick Martin Arrested for Marijuana Possession at Cleveland Airport originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Raven Michael McCrary Wins $33.6 Million in Lawsuit

Josh Alper — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:10:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

For a long time it looked like the post-football life of Michael McCrary was doomed to be an unhappy one. The injuries that brought an end to his 10-year NFL career left him racked with pain and hooked on a variety of painkillers just to make it through each day. Then, adding insult to injury, Hurricane Katrina damaged a building he'd bought and hoped to turn into condominiums in New Orleans.

His partners told him that their insurance claim was denied and then sold the building at a loss, costing McCrary more than a million bucks. Thing is, the insurance claim wasn't denied and McCrary's partners had simply pocketed the $12 million their policy paid out. McCrary sued them and, yesterday, finally had a break go his way. He was awarded $33.6 million in damages.

"I've been dealing with this for about a year and a half and to have the court see through all the fog and the smoke that was put up ... was gratifying," he said. "It makes a strong statement to my ex-partners that they can't get away from this and hopefully will prevent them from defrauding anybody in the future."

McCrary's former partners weren't in court because they'd either been held in contempt or precluded from participating because of their disrespect for the process. Their sketchy history makes it questionable if he'll see all the money owed to him but .

Former Raven Michael McCrary Wins $33.6 Million in Lawsuit originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ray Lewis Sued for Not Paying Super Bowl Party Hostesses

Josh Alper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

There may not be any more chilling words to connect than Ray Lewis, legal trouble and Super Bowl. In 2000, it meant a murder charge for Lewis that eventually became a guilty plea to obstruction of justice when he testified against two other people.

Things aren't quite so dire this time around, however. TMZ has court documents filed by a company called Professional Events which allege that Lewis owes them $5,780 to satisfy their debt. Lewis and the other defendants hired the company to provide hostesses for a Super Bowl party this February.

A closer examination of the documents seem to place another defendant, Sharon Turner, at the forefront of the dealings with Professional Events. Lewis hosted the party but doesn't seem to have had any direct involvement with the company, which doesn't mean that he isn't liable, the company alleges his agent made a promise to pay them for their services, just that it may not be something that was really on his radar screen. The agent didn't return calls about the case.

The only other possibility I can think of to explain the non-payment is that Lewis may need that new contract more than any of us thought.

Ray Lewis Sued for Not Paying Super Bowl Party Hostesses originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Suspends Mike Anderson for 1 Year

Michael David Smith — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:50:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Ravens, Denver, Baltimore

Mike Anderson was the best story in football in 2000, a 27-year-old rookie and Marine Corps veteran who came out of nowhere to rush for 1,487 yards and win the league's rookie of the year award with the Denver Broncos.

Anderson spent five more seasons with the Broncos and then the last two with the Baltimore Ravens, but he never matched that level of success, and he's not currently under contract to any NFL team. And now no team could play him in 2008, even if they wanted to.

Howard Balzer of Sports XChange is reporting (via PFT) that Anderson has been suspended for one year, apparently for a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. He was previously suspended four games in 2003 for a violation of the substance-abuse policy.

Realistically, this suspension means his career is over no one is going to sign a 35-year-old running back coming off a yearlong suspension. It's a disappointing end for a career that had such a great beginning.

NFL Suspends Mike Anderson for 1 Year originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can Ravens Turn Xavier Lee Into a Tight End?

Michael David Smith — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:07:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Baltimore

When Xavier Lee enrolled at Florida State, he was coming off a high school career in which he set Florida's all-time record for passing yards, and he was supposed to be the kind of player who would compete for Heisman Trophies and national championships.

It didn't work out that way, and Lee is now working out with the Baltimore Ravens in the hopes of catching on as a tight end. Coach John Harbaugh tells the Baltimore Sun about Lee's progress:

"He is starting to look a little bit like a tight end," Harbaugh said. "He's running routes somewhat like what a tight end looks like. He's blocking in some fashion, not unlike a quarterback."

Describing a player's blocking as "not unlike a quarterback" isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but Lee has the athletic ability to make this transition. Several college quarterbacks play other positions in the NFL, including Brad Smith, Matt Jones, Antwaan Randle El, Ronald Curry and Drew Bennett.

Lee is a long shot to make the roster, but I'd love to see him do it. His college career was such a big disappointment that it would be nice to see his pro career become a pleasant surprise.

Can Ravens Turn Xavier Lee Into a Tight End? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Like Every Ravens Fan, Jonathan Ogden Is Glad They Didn't Pick Lawrence Phillips

Michael David Smith — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, NFL Draft, Baltimore

Remember the 1996 NFL Draft? The Jets had the first pick and took Keyshawn Johnson, then the Jaguars took Kevin Hardy and the Cardinals took Simeon Rice. No Surprises there.

And then the big question came with the first pick: Would the Baltimore Ravens, whose leading rusher the previous year gained just 547 yards, address their need at running back and take Lawrence Phillips? Many fans thought they should, but instead, they took Jonathan Ogden.

As it turned out, Ogden, who announced his retirement this week, will end up in the Hall of Fame. Phillips ended up in prison. At his retirement press conference, Ogden recalled that draft-day decision:

"Another man I want to thank, (Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome, for bringing me in here over Lawrence Phillips. I think that was a good decision, still to this day."

Yeah, I think that was a good decision, too.

Like Every Ravens Fan, Jonathan Ogden Is Glad They Didn't Pick Lawrence Phillips originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jonathan Ogden Will Retire Thursday

Josh Alper — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

It's been coming for quite some time but Jonathan Ogden will finally make it official tomorrow: He's calling it a career after a stellar 12-year run at left tackle for the Ravens. He spoke with the Baltimore Sun today and let them know that after battling a toe injury for most of the past two seasons, the end of the road was nigh.

"It took a little while to decide. You just can't make a decision like this overnight. I tried to work out, I tried to practice on the toe. But it never came back to 100 percent."

There's no shortage of highlights to Ogden's career. He made the Pro Bowl in 11 of his 12 seasons, was proabably the best offensive tackle of the last decade and even caught two touchdown passes. He did it all in front of 13 different quarterbacks and helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV. Not too shabby for a guy that Art Modell wanted to pass up so he could draft Lawrence Phillips as the first ever Ravens draft pick in 1996.

It will be quite a class entering Canton in 2013. With Ogden, Michael Strahan and Brett Favre, you've got three of the all-time greats at their positions and they could be joined by Warren Sapp, Bryant Young and/or Junior Seau to make quite the set of busts.

Sports Retirements in 2008

June 11: Jonathan Ogden announces he's ending a stellar career with the Ravens in which the offensive tackle garnered 11 Pro Bowl invitations. The Super Bowl winner is not the first big name to retire from sports in 2008.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

June 9: Michael Strahan decides to call it a career after helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLII. Strahan tallied an NFL-leading 141.5 sacks in his time with the Giants.

Elsa, Getty Images

June 9: Detroit Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek announced his retirement during a news conference in Detroit.

Gene J. Puskar, AP

May 21: Longtime Lowe's Motor Speedway president and one of NASCAR's top promoters H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler announced this year's Coca-Cola 600 would be his last.

Terry Renna, AP

May 20: After not being signed to any MLB team for the 2008 season, Mike Piazza announced his retirement.

Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images

May 14: Belgium's Justine Henin announced her retirement from professional tennis.

Geert Vanden Wijngaert, AP

May 13: Annika Sorenstam announced that the 2008 season would be her last of competitive golf.

Steve Helber, AP

March 26: Chris Webber announces his retirement from the NBA at a press conference at ORACLE Arena.

Rocky Widner, NBAE/Getty Images

March 6: Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre held an emotional press conference at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin to announce his retirement from football.

Mike Roemer, AP

Feb. 14: Despite limited play since 1993, tennis player Monica Seles officially announced her retirement earlier this year.

Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images for WSF

Jonathan Ogden Will Retire Thursday originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens Move Jason Brown to Center

Josh Alper — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

With Jonathan Ogden all but retired, the Ravens are looking to Jason Brown to be the leader of their offensive line in 2008 and beyond. It makes sense, then, that they'd put him right in the middle where he can call the blocking schemes and manage the line. The team confirmed yesterday that Brown will be starting at center, not left guard, next season.

Just 25, Brown has more starts than any other Ravens lineman and at 320 pounds he won't struggle with bigger defensive tackles like predecessor Mike Flynn. He was a center during his college days at North Carolina so the learning curve isn't all that steep.

"The transition has been a lot more smooth than I expected. Maybe it's muscle memory because it's coming back very quickly."

The offensive line, while young, has the potential to be a real bright spot for the Raven offense. Ben Grubbs, Jared Gaither and Marshal Yanda all gained on-the-job training as rookies and all three handled themselves well enough to be intrigued about their future. Yanda will move inside to guard because of Brown's shift and that should help Willis McGahee's effectiveness up the middle.
The loss of Ogden is worth worrying about but the entire Raven offense is a work in progress. Brown's move to leader of the offensive line shows that the team is building for the future.

Ravens Move Jason Brown to Center originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ravens Should Know Jonathan Ogden's Future Plans Soon

Josh Alper — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

They say that no news is good news. The silence from Jonathan Ogden, though, carries a more ominous message. He's said nothing about his plans for the 2008 season for quite some time and it's hard to read those tea leaves as a sign of his imminent return.

Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun agrees and writes that the Ravens should find out as early as this week that Ogden will be hanging up his XXXXXXL jersey.

Look for Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden to finally make it official and announce his retirement. Ogden has let a couple of people around him know that he is retiring, but still hasn't told head coach John Harbaugh.

Expected or not, Ogden's loss will be a big one for Baltimore. The last thing whoever quarterbacks them needs is the increased worry of assault from the blind side because the Hall of Famer has left town.

In Jared Gaither and Adam Terry, the Ravens have a couple of tackles who could play the left side in 2008 but, obviously, they don't have anyone who can have the impact that Ogden has had throughout his career. We reported last week that former Charger Shane Olivea said he's signed with someone effective this month but don't know which team yet. He played for Cam Cameron in San Diego and, if healthy, would be a decent fit as the right tackle if Baltimore moves Terry and deems Gaither unready in his second NFL season.

Ravens Should Know Jonathan Ogden's Future Plans Soon originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Desperate Can You Be for a Wide Receiver? Ravens Work Out Freddie Mitchell

Josh Alper — Thu, 29 May 2008 19:20:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

No matter who is playing quarterback for the Ravens this season, the team is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding him receivers. The team reached deep into the wayback machine and gave Freddie Mitchell a workout at their camp today.

Mitchell, who you may know better as FredEx, was last seen on a NFL field during Super Bowl XXXIX when his Eagles lost to the Patriots. He made a lot of noise before that game about the beating he was going to lay down on the Pats, specifically Rodney Harrison. He made one catch, Harrison had two picks and, after the game, Bill Belichick laid down one of the great quotes in the history of football.

"All he does is talk. He's terrible, and you can print that. I was happy when he was in the game."

It's hard to see how Mitchell could help the team on the field. He wasn't that good to begin with and always cared more about making Freddie Mitchell famous than he did about being a good football player. And that was before he switched career paths to that of substitute teacher in Indiana.

I'm guessing the workout, first reported by Pro Football Talk and confirmed by the Baltimore Sun, a favor based on a relationship with John Harbaugh from the Eagles rather than a serious attempt at finding a player who could help the team in 2008.

How Desperate Can You Be for a Wide Receiver? Ravens Work Out Freddie Mitchell originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Only Thing Raven Watchers Can Agree on Is the Need for Joe Flacco to Start Practicing

Josh Alper — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

The biggest name at Ravens passing camp yesterday was Joe Flacco and he wasn't even there. While Kyle Boller and Troy Smith were actually taking snaps, everyone was wondering about where Flacco would slot in when he's actually allowed to practice with the team. Unless he grasps everything immediately, though, Flacco will be sitting and watching one of the other guys to start the season.

We all know about Boller so it's more interesting to focus on Smith. He got a few starts when the season was lost last season but his NFL ability is still something of a mystery. Based on reports from two Baltimore Sun writers who were at the practice, though, it's hard to draw any conclusions about how Smith did. Jamison Hensley had a positive take.

The former Heisman Trophy winner hit his tight ends in stride deep down the middle of the field and then showed great touch when he threaded a 15-yard pass between two defenders for a touchdown in a red-zone drill.

Sounds good, right? Hensley also reports that Boller was getting passes knocked down. His colleague Mike Preston came away with a very different impression, though. He agreed Smith was better yesterday but only because Boller was atrocious.

Smith wasn't as erratic, but he had no touch either. Smith's lack of arm strength was clearly evident when he had to throw sideline passes to the far side of the field. The objective is to throw high and hard so that if the receiver doesn't catch the ball, it goes out of bounds. Smith threw several passes inside, and they would have been picked off and returned for touchdowns.

I bet Flacco's agent liked Preston's read on things a lot more than Hensley's. While it behooves Flacco to get his contract done ASAP so he can begin battling for the job, the Ravens need him there more. The one truth to come out of the Ravens passing camp is that they need a top-flight quarterback and Flacco's the only guy who seems to have a chance at being one.

The Only Thing Raven Watchers Can Agree on Is the Need for Joe Flacco to Start Practicing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 May 2008 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Boller, Troy Smith Practice for Ravens, Everyone Asks About Joe Flacco

Michael David Smith — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:09:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Baltimore

If Kyle Boller and Troy Smith are feeling a little annoyed right now, you can hardly blame them. Boller and Smith are first and second on the Ravens' quarterback depth chart, but at today's organized team activities in Baltimore, everyone wanted to talk about a quarterback who wasn't even there.

That quarterback is rookie first-round draft pick Joe Flacco, who is precluded from participating by a silly NFL rule that keeps rookies out of off-season practices until their colleges are done with the semester -- even though in Flacco's case, he's not even a student at Delaware anymore. Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun reports that reporters asked coach John Harbaugh today not about Boller or Smith, but about what Flacco is missing while the NFL keeps him away.

Harbaugh said, "Well the biggest thing is all the offensive stuff he can catch up on. The reps, it's hard to get those back. We're going to get as many reps as we can for him.'' ...

Harbaugh was a bit cautious when somebody brought up the rotation.

"That's going to be up to [Ravens offensive coordinator] Cam [Cameron]. I don't think the rotation changes at all,'' Harbaugh said. "He's going to get plenty of reps. I think all three of those guys are going to be competing for a spot. They deserve an opportunity.''

Flacco might get plenty of reps, but I'd be shocked if he's anything other than the third-string quarterback in Week 1. This is shaping up as a Boller vs. Smith competition, and Boller will likely be the one who wins it -- while everyone keeps wondering how long before he gets benched for Flacco.

Kyle Boller, Troy Smith Practice for Ravens, Everyone Asks About Joe Flacco originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 28 May 2008 14:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Shannon Sharpe a Hall of Famer?

Michael David Smith — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:43:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Ravens, NFL Hall of Fame, Denver, Baltimore

Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated has written an interesting article in which he examines the players eligible for the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, with former Packers general manager Ron Wolf providing some insight.

The first name that comes up in the discussion is former Broncos and Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe. Here's what Wolf has to say:

"Well, he made the tight end position more of a receiving position," Wolf said. "Performed well in big games. For what he accomplished, I guess you'd have to say he was a game-changer. I think he belongs."

I agree that Sharpe was a good receiver and agree that he played well in big games, and his three Super Bowl rings will go a long way toward convincing the Hall of Fame voters. And yet I just don't think he's getting in. Last year Cris Carter couldn't sway the voters. Does anyone really think Sharpe was a better player than Carter?

Is Shannon Sharpe a Hall of Famer? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 26 May 2008 09:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Brown Wins Preakness

Michael David Smith — Sat, 17 May 2008 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Horse Racing, Baltimore, The Word

Big Brown did it again today, racing to a dominant victory at the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes and getting one step away from becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years.

Big Brown went off as a huge favorite at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, with the odds reaching an amazing 1-5 as just about everyone bet on the favorite to win. It was justified. Big Brown cruised early and galloped away late, absolutely obliterating the field down the stretch. Although Gayego got off to a good start and had an early lead, there was never a point at which Big Brown appeared to be in any trouble.

He ultimately won by more than five lengths. Macho Again placed and Icabad Crane showed.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux and trainer Rick Dutrow have a great horse, a horse that will now be favored to win a place as one of the greatest in history at the Belmont.

Big Brown Wins Preakness originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 17 May 2008 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joe Flacco's Not Allowed to Work Out With the Ravens Until June

Josh Alper — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:10:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

Word that Joe Flacco and the Ravens are already talking contract surely warmed the hearts of Raven fans who believe he can be the answer to their eternal need under center. Likely to get a less robust response is the fact that Flacco, signed or not, won't be able to practice with the team until June.

Delaware's last day of exams are not until May 30, the Baltimore Sun reports, which means the weekend minicamp was the only time he's allowed to wear purple this month.

The agreement between the NFL and the NCAA, which came with the encouragement of the American Football Coaches Association, limits a player to one minicamp with his pro team while his school is still in session.

This rule makes no sense. It hurts the NFL teams making big investments in players and it hurts the players trying to make headway on the roster. Furthermore, it's hard to see how it benefits schools, other than allowing them to continue to make the dubious claim of scholarship in college athletics.

Flacco has already withdrawn from school which means he neither studying for nor taking these exams. If a young drama student withdraws from school because they get a part in a Broadway play, are they barred from rehearsing until the end of finals? Of course not and football players shouldn't be treated any differently. When the semester ends in Newark is irrelevant to the Baltimore Ravens and the rules should reflect that.

Joe Flacco's Not Allowed to Work Out With the Ravens Until June originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Are They Figuring Out Terrell Suggs's Franchise Tender?

Josh Alper — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

Last night's news of Terrell Suggs and the Baltimore Ravens deciding to split their differences and agree on a new, hybrid definition of Suggs's position was a compromise worthy of Solomon. Each side gave up a little bit to come up with a reasonable franchise tender and avoid a lengthy, acrimonious holdout.

Writing about the deal this morning, FanHouse's Sportz Assassin wondered if the deal might have implications on other players with difficult to define positions. Devin Hester's probably at the top of that list since he's primarily a returner but plays wide receiver and, if he doesn't sign a new contract, will surely be a potential franchise player down the road.

That's a valid concern but allow me to raise another question. How, exactly, does this kind of deal fit within the rules governing the franchise tag? The tender for such players is supposed to be the average of the five highest paid players at the position. When you create new positions, however, there's no comps to use to come up with that new number.

Do you add the numbers of the two positions and divide by two? Do you reclassify players like DeMarcus Ware and come up with a tender based on their salaries? What are the criteria for defining a player as a DE/LB rather than one or the other? This was a smart move by both sides but it's opened the door to many questions. I'm curious how the NFL and NFLPA address these issues.

How Are They Figuring Out Terrell Suggs's Franchise Tender? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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