Check Out Flacco’s Ninja Warrior Trainer
If you follow Ravens quarterback 
That’s because he’s trying to get Brian Kane, a New Jersey gym owner, on one of my favorite shows of the summer, “American Ninja Warrior.”
NBC has taken notice of Flacco’s efforts, retweeting his latest endorsement of Kane. Also, the casting and production company (@ADeignCo) invited Flacco to be on the show if Kane is selected … which he apparently later was.
@TeamFlacco @BrianKaneEvo @ninjawarrior Thanks for the heads up Joe! If selected, we hope to see you come out and support!
— A Deign & Co (@ADeignCo) February 2, 2015 @TeamFlacco @ninjawarrior @ADeignCo hey Joe pack your bags were headed to Pittsburg for American Ninja Warrior!!
— Brian Kane (@BrianKaneEvo) May 1, 2015 If you watch the show, you already know the men and women who compete in the world’s toughest obstacle course are straight-up amazing people. So, I started looking for video of Kane and I found his tryout video for the show on Facebook. Check it out below.
Best of luck to Kane, and we hope to see him (and Flacco) on the NBC program staring May 25.
I Will be the next American Ninja Warrior! #BrianKaneEVO,#AmericanNinjaWarrior,#ADeignCo
Posted by Brian Kane on Sunday, March 1, 2015
2015 Ravens Projected Starters
General Manager Ozzie Newsome could always make some roster tweaks between now and the season opener on Sept. 13 in Denver, but we have a pretty good idea of what the starting lineup will look like.
Marc Sessler at NFL.com put together his projected list of Ravens starters for the 2015 season, which can be seen below, along with some of his notes.
| OFFENSE | DEFENSE |
| QB Joe Flacco RB WR1 WR2 WR3 TE1 LT LG C RG RT | DT NT DT OLB ILB ILB OLB CB1 CB2 S S |
New Pass Catchers
“Assuming
Don’t Mess With Running Game
“With all five offensive linemen set to return, why mess with a formula that unleashed Justin Forsett for 1,266 yards? Rookie
Safety/ Inside Linebacker
“We're tapping Will Hill to start at safety after Ozzie Newsome acknowledged that ‘we have not been satisfied’ with third-year backstop
Za’Darius Smith Eventually Taking Upshaw’s Role?
“Fourth-round rookie
Everything Crumbles Without Flacco
“Joe Flacco remains embedded under center, but Tyrod Taylor has been swept out in favor of lackluster veteran
Ravens second-year safety Terrence Brooks suffered a season-ending ACL and MCL tear last December, and he’s already eyeing a return at some point this season.
He told The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson that he's made steady progress since surgery to repair the damage, and he hasn't ruled out a return this year after starting the season on the physically unable to perform list. At the same time, he wants to take precautions and is not rushing things to avoid a setback.
"It's going really good," Brooks told Wilson. "To be honest, we're probably a little bit ahead of schedule. I haven't had a break since I've been hurt. It's been straight rehab since Dr. Andrews did the surgery.
"I actually had the ACL and the MCL. The MCL was a little bit too damaged to let it heal on its own, so they went ahead and took care of that one, too. It's feeling pretty strong, though."
Inside Scoop On Arrington From Patriots Reporter
I’ve seen some bloggers worried that the signing of cornerback
ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss’ words might give concerned Ravens fans comfort.
“My feeling is that the Patriots’ decision to part ways with Arrington was more about his salary ($3 million) and cap charge ($4.625 million) than the player himself,” Reiss wrote. “Arrington also adds value on special teams, which I don’t think can be overlooked, and in the locker room. I see it as a solid signing for the Ravens.”
That doesn’t mean Arrington is a perfect player, but he just might have been the perfect fit given he’s from Maryland and the Ravens’ need for a No. 3 slot corner and experience.
He also came at a solid price, reportedly costing the Ravens just $7 million over three years ($1.466 cap hit this season). That’s excellent value when you compare it to the going rate for corners these days. While Arrington is getting $2.3 million per season, there were 11 other free-agent cornerbacks who signed contracts earlier this offseason have averaged more than double that price at $5 million annually, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Below is Reiss’ scouting report on Arrington:
Strength:
"Excellent in run support, showing a willingness to take on receivers, tight ends and even offensive tackles at times. In coverage, has done some of his best work against the game’s top players in the slot, such as receivers T.Y. Hilton (Colts), Wes Welker (Broncos) and Victor Cruz (Giants). Speaking in scouting jargon, I’d say he has a good combination of reactive athleticism and toughness that helps him excel in the slot, where there’s more traffic to contend with on the field. His ball skills are reflected with a league-high seven interceptions in the 2011 season. He’s smart, and he only missed two games because of injury in his time with the Patriots, so durability has been a plus. Will contribute on special teams as he played on the kickoff coverage team, was used as a gunner at times on the punt coverage team, and played the vice role against opposing gunners on the punt return unit. One of the classiest players to come through the Patriots’ locker room in recent years, he’s accountable to teammates and is a team-first type of guy."
Weakness:
"When pressed into action as an outside cornerback, Arrington struggled at times. But when the Patriots solely dedicated him to the slot, as they did in 2014 when he had 40.9 percent playing time on defense, that’s when Arrington seemed to be at his best; specifically when matched up against smaller, shiftier receivers. It’s when he’s asked to match up against bigger receivers that can lead to some trouble for him. Specifically, in the Super Bowl, we saw how Arrington’s size (5-foot-10, 190) worked against him in a matchup against a taller, rangier receiver in Seattle’s Matthews (6-foot-5, 218) that led to him being replaced by Malcolm Butler."
Quick Hits
It's official. Welcome to Baltimore, Kyle Arrington. pic.twitter.com/UXarTKpoxq
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 14, 2015 We're jumping the gun a bit (a little over 3 hours) but after all @raylewis IS the G.O.A.T. pic.twitter.com/1H6Iq7LqNw
— Russell St. Report (@RussellStReport) May 15, 2015 Veterans GM Ozzie Newsome has signed in recent years after they've been cut: Steve Smith Dumervil Forsett Daryl Smith Now Kyle Arrington
— Garrett Downing (@gdowning14) May 14, 2015 Today's AFC North Roundtable feat. yours truly, @PatMcManamon & @jamisonhensley: Which team best helped QB in offsea? http://t.co/mOhlnwdQdm
— Coley Harvey (@ColeyHarvey) May 14, 2015 Ravens tried out former Edmondson standout, Delaware linebacker David Mackall, sources say: http://t.co/3mIj89NMVX
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) May 14, 2015 Eight days ago, Robert Kraft said "extending this debate would prove to be futile." Today, his lawyers produced a 19,662-word report.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 14, 2015 The @Patriots say Jim McNally called himself “Deflator” because he’s trying to lose weight http://t.co/yBI7XevU6R pic.twitter.com/gzMclcEm1A
— NBCSN (@NBCSN) May 14, 2015 Once again, NFL source tells me Roger Goodell will hear Tom Brady's appeal. This is really huge and unexpected development in case.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) May 15, 2015 
