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When the chance to insert T.J. Houshmandzadeh in their receiving corps in place of Mark Clayton presented itself over the weekend, the Ravens did what they had to do. They signed Houshmandzadeh and traded Clayton to the St. Louis Rams. They took the guy with almost twice as many catches over the past five years, the guy whose supposed down year in 2009 – 79 catches – was more productive than Clayton's best year (67 catches in 2006).
Most local fans had a good feeling about the Ravens when training camp opened last month. The team seemed to be a division title contender after addressing many of its shortcomings during the offseason, starting with the acquisition of receiver Anquan Boldin. But then the positive vibe took some hits. Rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle suffered a fractured skull, knocking him out indefinitely. Starting cornerback Domonique Foxworth suffered a torn ACL and was lost for the season. All-Pro safety Ed Reed was in a grumpy mood, his playing status unclear. After quarterback Joe Flacco and the new-look passing game played to modest reviews in the first two preseason games, I heard conversations about whether the Ravens would, in fact, be as good as expected.
The Ravens were upbeat Monday in the wake of the news that cornerback Lardarius Webb had returned to practice after passing his conditioning test and coming off the injured list. After weeks of somber injury news, here was something to make everyone smile. "I can't wait until he gets back out there," Fabian Washington said. The fans were just as excited; a story about Webb's return on this site quickly elicited more than three dozens responses, mostly gushing.
Which of the Ravens' rivals do the fans dislike the most? I would say it's the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fifteen years of a home-and-home division rivalry has made the ever-tough black-and-gold Public Enemy No. 1 around here. For some, it's the Indianapolis Colts. I have never seen Baltimore more electrified than it was before the former Baltimores came to town for a divisional playoff in 2006. A victory was going to represent the payoff for long-held civic frustrations. But the Colts won. The Colts always win, having taken eight straight regular season and postseason games from the Ravens going back to 2002. That has taken some of the bite out of local attitudes. If the Ravens ever beat the Colts, fans won't cheer lustily so much as just sigh and say, "Whew, finally." In any case, there's no doubt the Steelers and Colts are the local MLOs (Most Loathed Opponents). Who comes after that? It should be the Washington Redskins, who reside just down I-95 and, once upon a time, had an owner who conspired to keep NFL football from returning to Baltimore after the Colts' departure.
The Ravens have the NFL's fifth-oldest roster according to ESPN, with thirtysomething stars such as receiver Derrick Mason, linebacker Ray Lewis, center Matt Birk, safety Ed Reed and tight end Todd Heap all expected to play significant roles in 2010. This inevitably raises the question of whether the team's window of opportunity to win a Super Bowl is on the verge of closing. The Baltimore Sun wrote an article on the issue Sunday. Other analysts and league observers constantly comment on it. It's all interesting stuff. But is it true?
Sometimes pro football math is as simple as childhood addition and subtraction. One player goes down, another has to step up. Minus one, plus one. But sometimes the math is far more complex. In the calculus of defensive football as the Ravens play it, cornerback Domonique Foxworth's ACL tear, which will keep him off the field for the entire 2010 season, means Terrell Suggs needs to step up.
Ed Reed did not fare well in the court of public opinion last week when he spoke out about his salary, his desire for a new contact, his relationship with the Ravens and assorted other topics. The All-Pro safety took a serious hit from radio talk show callers, Internet posters, newspaper columnists and, well, just about anyone with a blogspot account and an opinion, it seemed. The consensus response: What is he talking about?
The Ravens don't have an abundance of questions to answer when training camp opens next week in Westminster. They've spent their offseason mostly plugging holes, not digging new ones. But that's not to say there won't be plenty of unsettled situations to monitor at McDaniel College and in the weeks leading up to the regular season. Numerous backup positions are up for grabs, as well as a few starting spots. And Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh surely wouldn't have it any other way. Who wants Camp Comfortable when you're gearing up for a rugged 16-game season? Here are my top five training camp tossups among situations the Ravens will be monitoring:
Ed Reed has an air of mystery about him, both on and off the field. He is a bright and thoughtful guy, but he doesn't talk to the press much. He lets his actions speak for themselves, and seldom tips his hand on any subject. And he's the same way on the field. Opposing teams hate playing him because they can't read him like they can read other players. He comes out of nowhere and surprises them. The Ravens have benefitted enormously from his mysterious persona; he has won many games by coming out of nowhere to make big plays. But for much of this offseason, the Ravens suddenly were just like everyone else, trying to figure the guy out.
