Thursday, May 29, 2008
Jets sign Ex-Raven Musa Smith
The Jets will announce today that they signed Musa Smith. No details are available yet as far as the terms. He set career highs last season with 264 yards rushing (75 carries, two touchdowns) and 192 yards receiving on 27 receptions. He also returned 6 kicks for an average of 22 yards. He is coming off of his best year in the NFL.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Jason Taylor a Raven??
A number of sources, including Baltimore Ravens 24x7 are reporting there are talks about Jason Taylor becoming a Raven. One story HERE by Aaron Wilson says it isn't likely. This would be interesting, but stinks of buying a title run. The Ravens have some aging defensmen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ex-Western Michigan University basketball star gets first taste of NFL at Ravens minicamp
Humbled Reitz still 'stoked' about pro football.
Former Western Michigan University basketball star Joe Reitz catches a pass Saturday morning at the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp in Owings Mills, Md.
"It was pretty overwhelming at first," Reitz said, still sounding so early Monday afternoon after his weekend introduction to the National Football League -- a three-day full-squad minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens. "They throw of stuff at you. The playbook is very detailed. The pace of practice moves at a pretty fast pace. ... Meetings, practice, it was go, go, go."
Reitz, who spent the last four seasons starring as a 6-foot-7, 255-pound center on the court, made his debut as a 270-pound tight end two weeks after signing with the Ravens as a priority free agent.
Reitz went from fantasy camper to real football player real fast.
"When I sat there in the first team meeting and looked around and saw all these NFL veterans -- Ray Lewis, Kyle Boller, Willis McGahee, guys who have been playing a long time -- it really hit me that this is for real," Reitz said, less than an hour after waking up at 11:30 a.m., a product of complete exhaustion. " ... I knew it was going to be faster, but I don't think any of us rookies were ready for how fast the pace was going to be.
"The split-second decisions you have to make. ... You turn and (quarterbacks) Joe Flacco or Kyle Boller or Troy Smith is gunning it in on you."
With several tight ends banged up, injured or being held out -- including starter Todd Heap -- Reitz said he actually took a few reps with the first team.
"It was pretty crazy," he said. " ... There were ups and downs. Sometimes I didn't know exactly what I was doing and messed up a route. For me, it's just amplified more. They just throw so much at you."
With all of this NFL chaos, one might assume Reitz would be rethinking his plans and longing for a basketball career in some exotic European city.
"No, no. I'm definitely still stoked about it," Reitz said of the NFL. "The first weekend was a little humbling, but I'm sure the rest of the rookies will tell you that, too.
"There wasn't any part of me saying, 'I can't compete with these guys at this level.' I hope to put in the time and down the road have a good career. ... Overall, I thought I played pretty well. I'm excited to get back out there later this summer and get better."
And he's planning on doing so as a tight end. While at least one Ravens scout originally saw him as an offensive tackle, plans apparently have changed."As of now, they're running with me as a tight end," Reitz said. "They haven't told me anything different or to try to get as big as I can for training camp. ... I'm trying to make the team as a tight end."
Reitz returns to Baltimore for an extended stay later this week. He'll take part in the Ravens offseason training program until a short break in July.
"I think the thing I really realized going out there is it's definitely a job," Reitz said. "Guys are in there at 6 in the morning and stay until well after 6 at night.
"That's the kind of time you have to put in to make it in this league. One of the coaches said the NFL is the most competitive job market in the world. That statement I think is pretty accurate."
Former Western Michigan University basketball star Joe Reitz catches a pass Saturday morning at the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp in Owings Mills, Md.
"It was pretty overwhelming at first," Reitz said, still sounding so early Monday afternoon after his weekend introduction to the National Football League -- a three-day full-squad minicamp with the Baltimore Ravens. "They throw of stuff at you. The playbook is very detailed. The pace of practice moves at a pretty fast pace. ... Meetings, practice, it was go, go, go."
Reitz, who spent the last four seasons starring as a 6-foot-7, 255-pound center on the court, made his debut as a 270-pound tight end two weeks after signing with the Ravens as a priority free agent.
Reitz went from fantasy camper to real football player real fast.
"When I sat there in the first team meeting and looked around and saw all these NFL veterans -- Ray Lewis, Kyle Boller, Willis McGahee, guys who have been playing a long time -- it really hit me that this is for real," Reitz said, less than an hour after waking up at 11:30 a.m., a product of complete exhaustion. " ... I knew it was going to be faster, but I don't think any of us rookies were ready for how fast the pace was going to be.
"The split-second decisions you have to make. ... You turn and (quarterbacks) Joe Flacco or Kyle Boller or Troy Smith is gunning it in on you."
With several tight ends banged up, injured or being held out -- including starter Todd Heap -- Reitz said he actually took a few reps with the first team.
"It was pretty crazy," he said. " ... There were ups and downs. Sometimes I didn't know exactly what I was doing and messed up a route. For me, it's just amplified more. They just throw so much at you."
With all of this NFL chaos, one might assume Reitz would be rethinking his plans and longing for a basketball career in some exotic European city.
"No, no. I'm definitely still stoked about it," Reitz said of the NFL. "The first weekend was a little humbling, but I'm sure the rest of the rookies will tell you that, too.
"There wasn't any part of me saying, 'I can't compete with these guys at this level.' I hope to put in the time and down the road have a good career. ... Overall, I thought I played pretty well. I'm excited to get back out there later this summer and get better."
And he's planning on doing so as a tight end. While at least one Ravens scout originally saw him as an offensive tackle, plans apparently have changed."As of now, they're running with me as a tight end," Reitz said. "They haven't told me anything different or to try to get as big as I can for training camp. ... I'm trying to make the team as a tight end."
Reitz returns to Baltimore for an extended stay later this week. He'll take part in the Ravens offseason training program until a short break in July.
"I think the thing I really realized going out there is it's definitely a job," Reitz said. "Guys are in there at 6 in the morning and stay until well after 6 at night.
"That's the kind of time you have to put in to make it in this league. One of the coaches said the NFL is the most competitive job market in the world. That statement I think is pretty accurate."
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sypniewski out for entire season
Baltimore Ravens tight end Quinn Sypniewski will miss the entire 2008 season following a serious knee injury he suffered during a pre-draft minicamp, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said today.
Sypniewski was carted off the practice field on April 18 when making contact with linebacker Antwan Barnes. The team remained cautiously optimistic, but following recent surgery the team determined that Sypniewski will not play again this year.
"It looks like now we're not going to have him back,'' Harbaugh said. "He had surgery. The ligament tore off the bone, and the piece of the bone that came off the ligament shattered, which made it a situation where it's going to be 6-9 months [to recover].''
Sypniewski became an important part of the Ravens offense last season when starter Todd Heap went down due to injury. Sypniewski had his best year in 2007, where he recorded 34 receptions for 246 yards and a touchdown.
James Walker covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
Sypniewski was carted off the practice field on April 18 when making contact with linebacker Antwan Barnes. The team remained cautiously optimistic, but following recent surgery the team determined that Sypniewski will not play again this year.
"It looks like now we're not going to have him back,'' Harbaugh said. "He had surgery. The ligament tore off the bone, and the piece of the bone that came off the ligament shattered, which made it a situation where it's going to be 6-9 months [to recover].''
Sypniewski became an important part of the Ravens offense last season when starter Todd Heap went down due to injury. Sypniewski had his best year in 2007, where he recorded 34 receptions for 246 yards and a touchdown.
James Walker covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
baltimoresun.com's Roch Kubatko on Joe Flacco, Pick No. 1 for the Baltimore Ravens
Please, no clucking about Flacco's stats
QB's college numbers aren't diminished because he compiled them as Blue Hen
By Roch Kubatko Roch Around the Clock
April 29, 2008
If you must tear down new Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, could you please leave his school out of it?Stick to his choice of fabric softener. Maybe the guy tips only 15 percent. Maybe he introduced a future Hall of Fame pitcher to a young country music singer.But does he have to catch so much flak-o for playing at the University of Delaware?So his team dressed like the University of Michigan, without the Big Ten schedule as an accessory. Big deal. So his passing graded out to an A+ against Football Championship Subdivision opponents. Is that a crime?
Flacco might not have faced the top defenses in the nation every week, but he wasn't exactly surrounded by Bowl Championship Series-caliber weapons on offense, either. You'll notice that he was the only Blue Hen selected in the NFL draft. Guys were chosen from Bentley, St. Augustine's, Gardner-Webb and Mount Union. But only one representative from Delaware had his name called.If there's a greater concern about Flacco, it's how he took his snaps primarily out of the shotgun. Because the Ravens aren't likely to move him away from center most of the time, he'll be the one making the adjustment. Dropping back can't be followed by falling down, or that'll become an issue real fast. But it's not like he's never done it.Flacco is 6 feet 6, but he's not a klutz who moves around like a newborn giraffe. He had the strongest arm among quarterbacks in the draft, and he reportedly ran a 4.75-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.He won't outrun Michael Vick -- and if he did, boy, would his dogs be tired -- but he also won't be a statue in the pocket. Or worse, Drew Bledsoe.Taking Flacco at No. 18 might have been a bit of a reach, but draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Mike Mayock had him rated as the second-best quarterback after Boston College's Matt Ryan, who went third to the Atlanta Falcons. And Flacco's numbers don't just jump out at you, they knock you down and sit on your chest. They do everything except steal your milk money.Start with the yardage -- 4,263 through the air last season -- and 23 touchdowns. And perhaps most impressive, only five interceptions. He can throw the long ball, and he's also accurate. He has strength and touch.According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, the Ravens contacted the St. Louis Rams, who sat at No. 2, and offered first-, second- and fourth-round picks this year and a third-rounder next year for the chance to grab Ryan. The Rams would have pulled the trigger if the Ravens had upgraded the 2009 pick to a first-round selection. Insane.Fortunately for Ravens fans, the deal never went down. The Rams were too determined to take Virginia defensive end Chris Long, and unless Ryan also was going to cure diseases between Pro Bowl appearances, he didn't seem worth such an exorbitant price. Not with Flacco on the board later in the round.Ryan comes from a big school and a big conference. Flacco comes from Delaware, which also produced Rich Gannon, who received some pretty big recognition in 2002, when he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player.The New England Patriots selected Gannon in the fourth round in 1987 and tried to make him a defensive back. The Ravens will groom Flacco to be their starting quarterback.At least one of them got it right.roch.kubatko@baltsun.com
QB's college numbers aren't diminished because he compiled them as Blue Hen
By Roch Kubatko Roch Around the Clock
April 29, 2008
If you must tear down new Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, could you please leave his school out of it?Stick to his choice of fabric softener. Maybe the guy tips only 15 percent. Maybe he introduced a future Hall of Fame pitcher to a young country music singer.But does he have to catch so much flak-o for playing at the University of Delaware?So his team dressed like the University of Michigan, without the Big Ten schedule as an accessory. Big deal. So his passing graded out to an A+ against Football Championship Subdivision opponents. Is that a crime?
Flacco might not have faced the top defenses in the nation every week, but he wasn't exactly surrounded by Bowl Championship Series-caliber weapons on offense, either. You'll notice that he was the only Blue Hen selected in the NFL draft. Guys were chosen from Bentley, St. Augustine's, Gardner-Webb and Mount Union. But only one representative from Delaware had his name called.If there's a greater concern about Flacco, it's how he took his snaps primarily out of the shotgun. Because the Ravens aren't likely to move him away from center most of the time, he'll be the one making the adjustment. Dropping back can't be followed by falling down, or that'll become an issue real fast. But it's not like he's never done it.Flacco is 6 feet 6, but he's not a klutz who moves around like a newborn giraffe. He had the strongest arm among quarterbacks in the draft, and he reportedly ran a 4.75-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.He won't outrun Michael Vick -- and if he did, boy, would his dogs be tired -- but he also won't be a statue in the pocket. Or worse, Drew Bledsoe.Taking Flacco at No. 18 might have been a bit of a reach, but draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Mike Mayock had him rated as the second-best quarterback after Boston College's Matt Ryan, who went third to the Atlanta Falcons. And Flacco's numbers don't just jump out at you, they knock you down and sit on your chest. They do everything except steal your milk money.Start with the yardage -- 4,263 through the air last season -- and 23 touchdowns. And perhaps most impressive, only five interceptions. He can throw the long ball, and he's also accurate. He has strength and touch.According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, the Ravens contacted the St. Louis Rams, who sat at No. 2, and offered first-, second- and fourth-round picks this year and a third-rounder next year for the chance to grab Ryan. The Rams would have pulled the trigger if the Ravens had upgraded the 2009 pick to a first-round selection. Insane.Fortunately for Ravens fans, the deal never went down. The Rams were too determined to take Virginia defensive end Chris Long, and unless Ryan also was going to cure diseases between Pro Bowl appearances, he didn't seem worth such an exorbitant price. Not with Flacco on the board later in the round.Ryan comes from a big school and a big conference. Flacco comes from Delaware, which also produced Rich Gannon, who received some pretty big recognition in 2002, when he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player.The New England Patriots selected Gannon in the fourth round in 1987 and tried to make him a defensive back. The Ravens will groom Flacco to be their starting quarterback.At least one of them got it right.roch.kubatko@baltsun.com
The rest of the Ravens' 2008 draft class:
RAY RICE
(Round 2, 55th pick overall)
School: Rutgers
Position: Running back
Strengths: Great leg drive and can run between the tackles. Good at blitz pickup and can keep his balance, no matter how much he gets hit.
Weaknesses: Lots of tread off the tires; carried the ball 910 times at Rutgers. Can't turn the corner and won't be a factor catching passes. Lacks speed and has had shoulder injuries.
Quotable: "He mainly delivers a blow instead of taking a blow. Could he play a 16-game schedule? I think he can." -- Newsome
TAVARES GOODEN
(Round 3, 71st pick overall)
School: Miami (Fla.)
Position: Inside linebacker
Strengths: Very good dropping back into coverage with low center of gravity and lower-body strength. Extremely athletic. Was recruited by Oklahoma, Ohio State and Louisiana State University.
Weaknesses: Smallish for the position and not very strong. Can't fight off blocks against larger offensive linemen on pull sweeps.
Quotable: "He knows and understands how to play the game. … I told him he couldn't have No. 52 when he gets here." -- Newsome
TOM ZBIKOWSKI
(Round 3, 86th pick overall)
School: Notre Dame
Position: Safety
Strengths: Long on confidence, strength and aggressiveness, which also came through as an amateur boxer. Great work ethic and can be valuable as a punt returner as well.
Weaknesses: Shorter-than-usual arms hamper him when he tries to wrap up ballcarriers. Not enough top-end speed to aid in deep middle coverage.
Quotable: "He's going to be my personal bodyguard." -- Harbaugh
ONIEL COUSINS
(Round 3, 99th pick overall)
School: Texas El-Paso
Position: Tackle
Strengths: Strong enough to collapse an interior rushing lineman with a seal block. Has plenty of quickness and agility.
Weaknesses: His athletic sense hasn't necessarily translated into football sense. Doesn't react well to delayed blitzes. Didn't play football until 10th grade.
Quotable: "He's tough, smart, talented, athletic, he can run, he has good feet. He's got everything except experience." -- UTEP head coach Mike Price
MARCUS SMITH
(Round 4, 106th pick overall)
School: New Mexico
Position: Wide receiver
Strengths: Is a tight route runner, with quick feet and the ability to stop on a dime. Can catch any ball in stride when it's thrown accurately and can make yards after the catch.
Weaknesses: Can't execute double moves and fake out defensive backs. Doesn't catch with his hands enough and is not coachable at times.
Quotable: "Would thrive best in an environment where he has a strong support system ... could be very good on special teams." -- Pro Football Weekly
DAVID HALE
(Round 4, 133rd pick overall)
School: Weber State
Position: Guard/tackle
Strengths: Versatility to play both positions, although it's more likely he will play guard in the NFL. Very good sweeper and puller and can get to the second level.
Weaknesses: His aggressiveness works against him at times as he can get too far out in front of himself and stumble on blocks.
Quotable: "He's a tough, nasty guy in the same mold as Marshal Yanda or Tony Pashos." -- DeCosta
HARUKI NAKAMURA
(Round 6, 206th pick overall)
School: Cincinnati
Position: Safety
Strengths: Tenacity and great work ethic landed him on special teams as a freshman with the Bearcats. Will fly to the ball with deceptive closing speed.
Weaknesses: Wasn't recruited to bigger Division I-A schools because they thought he was too small and slow. Also could use a little more strength.
Quotable: "Life is too short to stop and listen to the peanut gallery. ... The only problem with the NFL is that they don't have a test for heart." -- Nakamura, blogging on http://www.scout.com/
JUSTIN HARPER
(Round 7, 215th pick overall)
School: Virginia Tech
Position: Wide receiver
Strengths: Has the size the Ravens need at this position and can catch anything thrown his way while making yardage after the catch. Also strong enough to break tackles.
Weaknesses: Not much in the way of acceleration or top-end, breakaway speed. He is not a smooth, tight route runner.
Quotable: "Must work on his route running to gain separation more consistently ... has enough tools to make it as a backup receiver." -- The Sporting News
ALLEN PATRICK
(Round 7, 240th pick overall)
School: Oklahoma
Position: Running back
Strengths: Tenacious attitude and strong work ethic translates into a speedy, physical back.
Weaknesses: Field vision is lacking and blocking ability is suspect. No presence in the pass pattern.
Quotable: "Should contribute on special teams and fit best in a stretch-zone running game where he can stick his foot in the dirt and go." -- Pro Football Weekly
(Round 2, 55th pick overall)
School: Rutgers
Position: Running back
Strengths: Great leg drive and can run between the tackles. Good at blitz pickup and can keep his balance, no matter how much he gets hit.
Weaknesses: Lots of tread off the tires; carried the ball 910 times at Rutgers. Can't turn the corner and won't be a factor catching passes. Lacks speed and has had shoulder injuries.
Quotable: "He mainly delivers a blow instead of taking a blow. Could he play a 16-game schedule? I think he can." -- Newsome
TAVARES GOODEN
(Round 3, 71st pick overall)
School: Miami (Fla.)
Position: Inside linebacker
Strengths: Very good dropping back into coverage with low center of gravity and lower-body strength. Extremely athletic. Was recruited by Oklahoma, Ohio State and Louisiana State University.
Weaknesses: Smallish for the position and not very strong. Can't fight off blocks against larger offensive linemen on pull sweeps.
Quotable: "He knows and understands how to play the game. … I told him he couldn't have No. 52 when he gets here." -- Newsome
TOM ZBIKOWSKI
(Round 3, 86th pick overall)
School: Notre Dame
Position: Safety
Strengths: Long on confidence, strength and aggressiveness, which also came through as an amateur boxer. Great work ethic and can be valuable as a punt returner as well.
Weaknesses: Shorter-than-usual arms hamper him when he tries to wrap up ballcarriers. Not enough top-end speed to aid in deep middle coverage.
Quotable: "He's going to be my personal bodyguard." -- Harbaugh
ONIEL COUSINS
(Round 3, 99th pick overall)
School: Texas El-Paso
Position: Tackle
Strengths: Strong enough to collapse an interior rushing lineman with a seal block. Has plenty of quickness and agility.
Weaknesses: His athletic sense hasn't necessarily translated into football sense. Doesn't react well to delayed blitzes. Didn't play football until 10th grade.
Quotable: "He's tough, smart, talented, athletic, he can run, he has good feet. He's got everything except experience." -- UTEP head coach Mike Price
MARCUS SMITH
(Round 4, 106th pick overall)
School: New Mexico
Position: Wide receiver
Strengths: Is a tight route runner, with quick feet and the ability to stop on a dime. Can catch any ball in stride when it's thrown accurately and can make yards after the catch.
Weaknesses: Can't execute double moves and fake out defensive backs. Doesn't catch with his hands enough and is not coachable at times.
Quotable: "Would thrive best in an environment where he has a strong support system ... could be very good on special teams." -- Pro Football Weekly
DAVID HALE
(Round 4, 133rd pick overall)
School: Weber State
Position: Guard/tackle
Strengths: Versatility to play both positions, although it's more likely he will play guard in the NFL. Very good sweeper and puller and can get to the second level.
Weaknesses: His aggressiveness works against him at times as he can get too far out in front of himself and stumble on blocks.
Quotable: "He's a tough, nasty guy in the same mold as Marshal Yanda or Tony Pashos." -- DeCosta
HARUKI NAKAMURA
(Round 6, 206th pick overall)
School: Cincinnati
Position: Safety
Strengths: Tenacity and great work ethic landed him on special teams as a freshman with the Bearcats. Will fly to the ball with deceptive closing speed.
Weaknesses: Wasn't recruited to bigger Division I-A schools because they thought he was too small and slow. Also could use a little more strength.
Quotable: "Life is too short to stop and listen to the peanut gallery. ... The only problem with the NFL is that they don't have a test for heart." -- Nakamura, blogging on http://www.scout.com/
JUSTIN HARPER
(Round 7, 215th pick overall)
School: Virginia Tech
Position: Wide receiver
Strengths: Has the size the Ravens need at this position and can catch anything thrown his way while making yardage after the catch. Also strong enough to break tackles.
Weaknesses: Not much in the way of acceleration or top-end, breakaway speed. He is not a smooth, tight route runner.
Quotable: "Must work on his route running to gain separation more consistently ... has enough tools to make it as a backup receiver." -- The Sporting News
ALLEN PATRICK
(Round 7, 240th pick overall)
School: Oklahoma
Position: Running back
Strengths: Tenacious attitude and strong work ethic translates into a speedy, physical back.
Weaknesses: Field vision is lacking and blocking ability is suspect. No presence in the pass pattern.
Quotable: "Should contribute on special teams and fit best in a stretch-zone running game where he can stick his foot in the dirt and go." -- Pro Football Weekly
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