Wake-up call: Moch reportedly suspended

Source: AFC North Blog

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here: Bengals linebacker Dontay Moch has been suspended four games for using a banned substance, pending an appeal, according to NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora. Moch, a third-round pick in 2011, didn't play in a game as a rookie last year. After recovering from a broken foot in the preseason opener, he missed significant practice time with migraines. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello declined to comment on the report to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Ravens Biggest 2012 Draft Day Steal

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by lastcallbmore

As usual national media outlets are praising the Baltimore Ravens for getting the steal of the draft in second round pick Courtney Upshaw. Upshaw was projected a top 15 pick after being a main cog in the machine that was the best defense in college football last season at Alabama.

The situation was eerily similar to that of Sergio Kindle three years ago as the talented pass rusher out of Texas slid all the way to the Ravens lap in the second round. Except this time Upshaw did not carry any of the off the field concerns that Kindle did back then. Concerns that turned out to be just.

It

Anquan Boldin Looks Towards Therapy To Help Prevent Brain Damage

Source: Ebony Bird by Riley B

Anquan Boldin Looks Towards Therapy To Help Prevent Brain Damage - Ebony Bird - Ebony Bird - A Baltimore Ravens Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Boldin seeks ways to combat brain damage (National Football Post)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Ravens receiver doing research on the matter.

Ravens' Anquan Boldin mulls oxygen therapy for head trauma

Source: NFL.com by NFL.com

Anquan Boldin is mulling whether to use a hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help ward off possible long-term effects of brain trauma.

Beyond the Shutdown 50: Juron Criner, WR, Oakland Raiders (Shutdown Corner)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Now that the 2012 NFL draft is in the can, it's time to take the Shutdown 50 scouting format forward and get a closer look at some of the surprising and fascinating selections from this year's draft -- the guys we missed in the original 50, but who could be impact players now or down the road. Our next entry: Arizona receiver Juron Criner, selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 33rd pick in the fifth round (168th overall). Overview: While most of the talk about Pac-12 passing attacks in 2011 focused on the offenses led by Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley, the Arizona passing  game has been one of the more productive in the nation in recent seasons -- and receiver Juron Criner may be the primary reason for that. If you're in the group who believes that former Arizona and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles hurt that aerial attack as much as he helped it with his inaccuracy and questionable decision-making, Criner stands out in sharper relief. After catching 7 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman, Criner moves up to 45/582/9 in 2009, and made a name for himself in 2010, when he caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. He repeated that touchdown figure last year, and the rest of the numbers almost matched up (75 for 926). Criner further set himself on the radar with an exciting week at the Senior Bowl. From our own Mike Tanier's report : Criner has probably helped his stock more than any other player during Senior Bowl practices this week ... [he] does not have breakaway speed, but he appears to have the rest of the package. "I'm very agile for a man my size," Criner said after Thursday's practice. That agility was evident earlier in the week, when he made smooth cuts and adjusted to poorly thrown balls in live practices. Criner has also been demonstrating good hands and pass-catching technique, and he looks more fluid and comfortable running routes than some of the other big receivers on the South squad. Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama), the likely first-round pick who transferred from Florida because of personal issues, singled Criner out as the hardest South receiver to cover this week during his Thursday press conference. "He's kinda got ball skills," Jenkins said. "If you hit his hand, he'll catch it. And he's tall." So, there's that. When he's thrown to by good quarterbacks, Juron Criner tends to make plays. And even when he's thrown to by quarterbacks who couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat, he's going to do some interesting things. Now a proud member of the Oakland Raiders, Criner has a shot at doing what Tennessee wideout Denarius Moore did in 2011 -- come out of nowhere as a late-round pick and impress the NFL. Moore went off the hook in a relative sense in his rookie campaign, catching 33 passes for 618 yards and five touchdowns. Could Criner be the next guy on the Raiders' late-draft boards to flash that same kind of long-term potential? Strengths: Shows an impressive burst for an alleged "possession receiver" -- Criner gets up to speed quickly off the line and in end-arounds. Fires upfield with an impressive second gear. Good catch radius and fine hands in space -- Criner often contorted his body to make catches when Foles was throwing with questionable accuracy. Will adjust his body to catch deep balls without losing too much speed after he's already beaten the corner or safety down the seam. Made a lot of catches despite the fact that Foles was clearly targeting him as the first read, which allowed opponents to time their jumps on the ball. Will fight to get through contact before he's wrapped up and occasionally gets free to make a big play. Senior Bowl performances showed what he could do when targeted by quarterbacks with a clue, as has his brief performances in Raiders minicamp. Frequently listed as a possession receiver, but he's got more downfield speed than the title might imply. Weaknesses: Tends to lose control of the ball when contact is coming -- doesn't have alligator arms, per se, but has trouble bringing the ball in and securing it when a defender is bearing down on him. Will lose the ball too often upon contact, leading to fumbles and incompletions. Not an especially physical player when fighting for balls with defenders in short spaces.

Ravens' Rookie: Asa Jackson

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by RAYven

Asa Jackson was the Baltimore Ravens selection of the 5th round. He is a cornerback out of Cal- Poly. He seems to be a great pick and a STEAL. He has punt return and kick return ability, a need of the Ravens, and a great CB. But the question here is... why did he fall to the fifth? It's because Cal-Poly is a small school, and scouts can't fully grasp someones talent if they aren't playing top competition. I am here to provide my analysis on him after the 'Jump'

First, Let's just take the small school label off of him. Players from small schools still succed. Our very own

Ravens: Odds stacked against ex-Terp Williams

Source: Carroll County Times

OWINGS MILLS — LaQuan Williams emerged as the biggest surprise from the Baltimore Ravens' undrafted rookie class last summer.

Ravens' GM Ozzie Newsome Relives Past In Lee Evans' Drop

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

As the ball was knocked out of Baltimore Ravens WR Lee Evans' hands after a perfectly placed pass by QB Joe Flacco, the Ravens saw their chance to win the AFC Championship Game right then and there slip out of what should have been their firm grasp. A play later, placekicker Billy Cundiff shanked an easy field goal and the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots loss was official.

Not only

Beyond the Shutdown 50: Gino Gradkowski, C/G, Baltimore Ravens (Shutdown Corner)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Now that the 2012 NFL draft is in the can, it's time to take the Shutdown 50 scouting format forward and get a closer look at some of the surprising and fascinating selections from this year's draft -- the guys we missed in the original 50, but who could be impact players now or down the road. Our next entry: Delaware guard Gino Gradkowski, selected with the third pick of the fourth round (98th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens. Overview: Gradkowski did not expect to be selected so early in the draft. According to a profile at DelawareOnLine , he had just settled down in front of the video game console when the phone rang. "I just got done playing a game of NHL PlayStation against my cousin Carmen …  "I didn't even have time to get anxious about the draft because I was still mad about losing in that game." You have to love a lineman who is so competitive that he cannot let go of his rage over losing a video hockey game until Ozzie Newsome's office calls with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If Gradkowski is anything like older brother Bruce Gradkowski, then competitive fire will never be an issue. Bruce, now Andy Dalton's backup with the Bengals, has built a seven-year NFL career out of determination and little else. "The whole family has the underdog mentality," the older Gradkowski once said. "We're going to work hard to get the job done. We're disciplined. We're going to know what to do. We might not be the fastest, strongest or the biggest, but we get the job done. That's it. It's in the blood." Gino was certainly an underdog heading into the draft. He transferred from West Virginia to Delaware early in his college career so he could earn a starting job, played center and guard for three seasons, and earned All America status at the I-AA level. But Gradkowski was expected to enter the NFL as a seventh round pick or rookie free agent. Now, he is the heir apparent to Matt Birk, and may someday be snapping to another player who took the Big Program-to-Delaware-to-Ravens path to success: Joe Flacco. Strengths: Gradkowski has fine foot quickness and lateral quickness. Delaware's offensive line took extremely wide splits, and the centers and guards pulled, trapped, and blocked on the move. Gradkowski was effective when shuffling to the side on a rollout or peeling behind the center on a trap. He appears to be very football smart and generally finds the right person to block when on the move or picking up blitzes. Gradkowski performed well at his Pro Day, benching 225 pounds 29 times and posting respectable results in agility drills. His strength is generally evident on tape, though you must take what you see with a grain of salt when what you see is a blurry image of someone nailing a Towson State defender. By all accounts, Gradkowski has a great work ethic and the right mentality for his position. Weaknesses: Gradkowski is too small to be a guard in most systems, particularly the Ravens' drive-blocking offense, and at 300 pounds he is a little small to be a starting center. He played guard in his senior season at Delaware and will have to be developed at center, his likely pro position.

Can Joe Flacco Step Up In Terrell Suggs' Absence

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

They are on the same team, but play on different sides of the ball. While Baltimore Ravens Joe Flacco leads the Ravens offense, OLB Terrell Suggs is one of the leaders on the league's best defenses. So if they play on opposite side of the line of scrimmage, how then can Flacco step up in Suggs' absence?

Simple,the defense is now being talked aboutas missing it's most important link. No offense to Ray Lewis or

Ravens Appear To Be Paying Suggs Full Salary In 2012

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

The Baltimore Ravens have the legal right to withhold part or even all of OLB Terrell Suggs' 2012 salary due to his Achilles Tendon injury and subsequent recent surgery. However, there has been no indication that the Ravens have any intention of holding back any of it, and don't expect that to change either.

A story on Pro Football Talk says the Ravens have not made too many Front Office mistakes over the years and don't expect them to make one anytime soon. Not only will the

What To Expect From Sergio Kindle

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by lastcallbmore

When it comes to the touchy subject of Baltimore Ravens' second round draft pick in 2010 Sergio Kindle most fans will tell you anything he can produce at this point will be a bonus for the team. However, now that Terrell Suggs may be lost for the season, many of those same fans like to lump Kindle in with the potential Ravens 2012 pass rushers.

That is great that some fans are excited about seeing the kid actually take the field but just because Suggs is hurt doesn't automatically mean that Kindle is all better. Like most of you

What To Expect From Segio Kindle

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by lastcallbmore

When it comes to the touchy subject of Baltimore Ravens' second round draft pick in 2010 Sergio Kindle most fans will tell you anything he can produce at this point will be a bonus for the team. However, now that Terrell Suggs may be lost for the season, many of those same fans like to lump Kindle in with the potential Ravens 2012 pass rushers.

That is great that some fans are excited about seeing the kid actually take the field but just because Suggs is hurt doesn't automatically mean that Kindle is all better. Like most of you

Ed Reed Changes Mind On Retirement

Source: Ebony Bird by Riley B

Ravens safety Ed Reed startled Ravens’ fans on Thursday when he told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he was “not 100 percent committed right now to playing this year.” Since then, he’s backed up on his previous statement, saying that he plans to play next … [visit site to read more]

Ed Reed Changes Mind On Retirement - Ebony Bird - Ebony Bird - A Baltimore Ravens Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

Gettin' Giddy 'Bout David Gettis - Fan's Analysis (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

As a child I was Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs.

Ravens Fantasy Football Team Outlook

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

The Baltimore Ravens are known for their defense, annually among the top in the league. While this might make that unit a great pick in fantasy football for Team Defense, it doesn't bode well for the offensive side of the ball.

Historically, there is usually little or no reason to take any member of the Ravens offense on your fantasy team other than RB Ray Rice, except for blind loyalty reasons. Baltimore quarterbacks best moves usually are just by turning and handing the ball off to their running backs, who are usually among the best in the NFL.

Not so anymore and the 2012 season is beginning

Ray Rice Holdout: What Shady McCoy's Contract Means for Rice's Upcoming Deal

Source: Bleacher Report

Although there are many conflicting storylines surrounding the Baltimore Ravens offseason, the most important one has yet to be resolved. That would be the fate of Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice who is currently holding out from all team offseason activities. 

Having been slapped with the franchise tag, Rice has opted not to sign it and instead wait for the Ravens to give him a better deal. Given that Rice is arguably the offense's most valuable player, and he had the second most rushing yards in the league last season, the Ravens obviously want to sign him to a long-term deal. 

It's been tough though as this offseason has been one where many of the Ravens key players are up for paydays. They have had to re-sign key players like Matt Birk, Lardarius Webb and Cary Williams. The Ravens are also working on long term deals for Joe Flacco and possibly considering a new deal for Ed Reed.

This has unfortunately left Rice on the backburner. But the Ravens will not be able to ignore this situation that much longer. Rice and the Ravens need to come to a deal by July 16, or Rice will be forced to play this season under the franchise tag. 

With a little less than two months till this crucial day, a recent development has both sides talking. This would be LeSean McCoy's new contract which makes him among the highest paid running backs in the league, according to ESPN.com. 

McCoy's deal is a five-year contract extension worth $45 million. This includes $20,765,000 guaranteed. 

This puts McCoy as the third highest paid running back in the league. Chris Johnson is making a little more with a six-year, $56 million deal. Adrian Peterson is by far the league's highest paid running back with a seven-year, $96 million deal.

This deal could be very impactful to several other elite running backs who are looking for new contracts this offseason, like Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Of course, this list also includes Rice whose performance over the last three years has vaulted him into the discussion of best running back in the league.

While Johnson and Peterson earned their paydays with league rushing titles, their values seem to be trending slightly downward. Now Rice, McCoy and Arian Foster, who recently signed a five-year, $43.5 million deal, are in the running for the title of the league's best running back. Since all three running backs are nearly equal in value, reasonable thinking is that Rice will see a deal somewhere in the $40 million range.

Although the Shady McCoy deal does provide the framework of the market value for running backs, Peter King of SI.com (h/t Profootballtalk.com) reports Rice wants more money. After saying that he outperformed his rookie deal, Rice opened up negotiations with his desire to get a contract with Adrian Peterson-type numbers.

That's not going to happen. As important as Rice is to the Ravens, the shelf life of today's running backs make any contract a leap of faith. Even at 25 years old, Rice has had 852 carries over the last three seasons which doesn't include the 72 receptions per year he's averaged in that time span.

Still, it helps that Rice has been very healthy during his NFL career. He has only missed three games total, all of them coming during his rookie season. Therefore, the Ravens can certainly expect multiple elite seasons from Rice, and they will eventually have to come around to pay him the type of deal he deserves. 

Rice is equal in worth to Foster and McCoy. That means that the Ravens will probably end up offering him around a five-year deal, worth around $40 million. He may get slightly less considering that McCoy is two years younger and Foster has been in the league one season less.

With Rice's holdout approaching two months now, he would be wise to accept this much. While the Ravens have no running back on their roster that is nearly as good as Rice, Rice is looking to play for a proven Super Bowl contender that knows how to utilize him to the fullest extent possible. Both sides need each other.

The franchise-tag deadline is the most crucial one right now. The Carroll County Times (h/t NBCsports.com) reports Rice has insisted that he can stay in shape training and conditioning on his own. Training has never been an issue for Rice, who is known for being a regular in the team's weight room.

Getting Rice back in mid to late July shouldn't cause any dropoff in Rice's statistics. Ravens fans should hope that a deal gets done by then so both Rice and the Ravens can move on to the more important task of trying to win a Super Bowl this season. 

Read more Baltimore Ravens news on BleacherReport.com

Joe Flacco ready to carry Ravens in Suggs' absence

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco says he welcomes a point-scoring mindset and the pressure to do so in Terrell Suggs' absence due to an Achilles injury. This year the offense will carry the defense, not the other way around.

Joe Flacco ready to carry Baltimore Ravens

Source: NFL.com by Sessler, Marc

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco says he welcomes a point-scoring mindset and the pressure to do so in Terrell Suggs' absence due to an Achilles injury. This year the offense will carry the defense, not the other way around.

Ravens reportedly not talking Terrell Suggs salary reduction

Source: NFL.com by NFL.com

Terrell Suggs partially tore his Achilles during an offseason working at home in Arizona leaving him open to the possibility the Ravens might dock his salary for the "non-football injury" but the team hasn't even discussed it.

Ravens-Giants Among Best Interconference Games of 2012

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

The Baltimore Ravens 2012 regular season schedule appears on paper to be one of their toughest in years, which is the reward a team gets for winning their division. In addition to playing what is known as a 1st place schedule, the Ravens play the NFC East next year, with their game hosting the New York Giants at Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium ranked among the league's most anticipated interconference games.

A story on NFL.com has this game rated the

Ravens' Bernard Pollard Weighs In On Ed Reed's Comments

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

In a story posted on Sports Radio Interviews, Baltimore Ravens strong safety Bernard Pollard weighed in on his partner along the back wall of the defense, free safety Ed Reed. He said he's spoken to Ed about the future before and supports him 100% regardless of his final decision. However, Pollard did say:

"...he better not leave me hanging..."

The interview was held at a

Ray Lewis Among NFL's Best Over 35 Years Old

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was ranked the third-best player in the league over 35 years of age, according to a story at NFL.com. Lewis will be 37 years old when the season starts, his 17th in the NFL. He is the oldest player on this list, other than honorable mention placekicker Jon Kasay, who is 423 years old, but we all know that kickers aren't really football players, right?

First on the list is everybody's favorite,

Weekend mailbag: Future for Steelers kicker

Source: AFC North Blog

Time to open up some mail, which includes a couple of questions concerning the Pittsburgh kicker. C from Ontario, Canada, writes: Shaun Suisham grew up close to me and I want him to do well. But I'm a Steeler fan first, so why is he on the team still? He bombed hard last year, his field-goal percentage was 31st in the league last season. Please tell me this young guy can beat Shaun out! Or at least the Steelers will do something. Dennis from Clermont, Fla.

2012 Players To Watch: Dennis Pitta

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by lastcallbmore

Through out tight end Dennis Pitta's short NFL career he has had to play second fiddle to fellow tight end Ed Dickson. Dickson was drafted one round earlier than pitta. He is also a hair taller and a bit faster than the BYU standout. So there are plenty of reasons the Ravens have had Dickson ranked higher on the depth chart the past two seasons. The only problem is, Pitta may be the better tight end.

In college Pitta showed a natural tendency to get open and find the holes in zone defenses. He also showed some of the best hands in his draft class. The Ravens drafted him in hopes that his skills

2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Build Offseason Excitement: A Fan's Giddy Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

It is mid-May and the sports world is not focused on the NFL. But hardcore fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are already getting excited for the 2012-13 season. While I previously lamented how hard this offseason of goodbyes was going to be, I think the Steelers organization is making all the right moves to make the 2012-13 season a great one.

2012 Players To Watch: Jimmy Smith

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by lastcallbmore

Ravens second year corner back Jimmy Smith is everything you could ever want in a corner. He is big, fast , plays the ball well in the air and on top of that he is a play-maker. The Ravens knew this when they used a first round pick on him last year. Now they are ready for some return on their investment.

In 2011 Smith was injured on the first play of he first game of the year (on special teams) against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made his way back on the field gradually but his talent was evident. Smith has excellent cover skills

NFL: Packers waiting before retiring Favre's jersey (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Green Bay Packers will wait at least another season to hold a ceremony to retire Brett Favre's No. 4.

The Baltimore Ravens Will Have the Top Defense in the AFC North This Season

Source: Bleacher Report

It's been an offseason of change for the Baltimore Ravens defense. They've lost both starters and depth in free agency, are dealing with a season-threatening Achilles' injury to star linebacker (and last year's Defensive Player of the Year) Terrell Suggs and safety Ed Reed is feeling disrespected because he hasn't been given a new contract.

That all sounds like a recipe for the Ravens' defense to have a down year in 2012, but I don't believe that will be the case. In fact, I'm convinced they'll have the top defensive unit in the AFC North yet again.

It's a bit of a back-and-forth battle between the Ravens' and Steelers' defenses in terms of which one is the best in the division. Last season, the two teams were practically in a dead heat.

The Steelers allowed the fewest passing yards per game, while the Ravens allowed the fourth-fewest. Baltimore allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game while the Steelers came in eighth. And the Steelers allowed the fewest points in the entire season, with the Ravens coming in third.

Despite all the changes the Ravens defense has experienced—and the changes the Steelers haven't—the Ravens will still edge ahead of their rivals again this season. 

Baltimore's pass rushing is better than Pittsburgh's, even without Suggs. We'll be seeing a lot more of defensive end Pernell McPhee and of course, the newly-drafted Courtney Upshaw, both of whom will handle the responsibility well. There's the ever-present Ray Lewis—he's a little worse for wear as he gets older, but he's still a better linebacker than many players younger than him.

The secondary was also more successful last year than Pittsburgh's and should remain that way this season, especially considering the Steelers lost cornerback William Gay during free agency. Last year, the Steelers' interception rate dropped, and they had just 11 on the season, compared to 15 for the Ravens. 

The biggest strength the Ravens defense has is that it's practically a plug-and-play unit. The team knows how to select and develop defensive talent and every starter is well-versed in the system. Changes in personnel and coaching, therefore, don't have as much of a negative impact as they would for other teams.

Therefore the Ravens are well-equipped to handle the changes that have befallen their defense thus far. Everyone knows that the defense is held to a high standard and the chances for a drop-off this year are relatively slim because of this.

Defense may be going the way of the Pony Express in many divisions in the NFL, but that's not so in the AFC North. It's not as though the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns have defenses worthy of marginalizing; it's just that the Ravens' and Steelers' units command the most attention.

This year, all four teams' defenses will be impressive, but none more so than the Ravens. For the second straight season, they'll be the best unit in the division.

 

Follow @FBALL_Andrea

Read more Baltimore Ravens news on BleacherReport.com

Packers' Donald Driver Favorite To Win Dancing With The Stars

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

Green Bay Packers WR Donald Driver is one of three remaining stars on the hit TV show, Dancing With The Stars. Driver is also the odds-on favorite to win this season, according to online wagering site, Bovada.lv.

Here's how the three finalist rank:

Who will win the Dancing with the Stars Season 14 Finale?

Donald Driver 3/2

Katherine Jenkins 7/4

William Levy 2/1

Interesting to see that in the past 13 seasons of the show, a

Chat rewind: Lots of Steelers talk

Source: AFC North Blog

The AFC North weekly chat had a lot of Steelers talk, from the red zone to Ben Roethlisberger's longevity. There were some questions about the Bengals, Browns and Ravens along the way. Anthony Costa (Pittsburgh): Hey Jamison, love your blog, but I have to ask you one question that is puzzling all Steelers fans, will our offense be able to score (touchdowns) in the red zone this year? Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I don't like to say this, because you never want to highlight an injury, but the Steelers can improve in the red zone without Rashard Mendenhall.

Ed Reed and 4 Other Players That Could Be Playing Their Final Season in 2012

Source: Bleacher Report

With his recent comments that he's not 100% committed to playing football in 2012, Ed Reed continues to show that he's not afraid of stirring up controversy.

For several years now Reed has been very vocal about his now-annual struggle over whether he should continue playing football. But despite all the talk of retirement, Reed not only continues to play for the Ravens, but he continues to play at an All-Pro level.

Reed is not the only veteran mulling retirement this season.

Already three potential Hall of Famers have announced their retirement this offseason—Brian Dawkins, Jason Taylor and Hines Ward all decided to call it quits. Players like LaDainian Tomlinson and Derrick Mason will likely join them soon. 

It's basically the end of an era in the NFL with so many good players in the twilight of their careers. Some of these veterans are only playing for the hope of a Super Bowl ring; others still fight off time and injuries to play at an elite level. Regardless of the circumstances, these NFL careers are nearing the end.

Along with Reed, here are some players that could be preparing for their final NFL season in 2012.

Begin Slideshow

Ed Reed Backtracks On Commitment Comments

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by Bruce Raffel

Shortly after Baltimore Ravens free safety Ed Reed commented on Sirius NFL Radio that he was not 100% committed to playing football in 2012, he backtracked and clarified he has every intention of playing this season as well as beyond.

A story by Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times is mentioned by another on

Pasquarelli: Pittsburgh completes overdue overhaul of O-line (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now 30, and the team's most valuable player sacked an average of 43.5 times over the last six seasons -- including 40 or more sacks in all but one of those campaigns, and coming off an ankle injury last year -- Pittsburgh has drastically retooled its blocking unit.

Should Browns add Donovan McNabb?

Source: AFC North Blog

ESPN's Chris Sprow provides three reasons why the Cleveland Browns should consider signing quarterback Donovan McNabb. Here's my rebuttal: No, no, no. McNabb has nothing left. He was beaten out by mediocre Rex Grossman in Washington and rookie Christian Ponder in Minnesota. In six starts last season, McNabb threw four touchdown passes and lost five times. McNabb has no value as a backup. Even Eagles coach Andy Reid, who needs a No. 2 passer, isn't touching his former franchise quarterback.

McCoy's deal, gets attention of franchised Forte, Rice (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The five-year, $45 million extension signed by Philadelphia tailback LeSean McCoy on Thursday -- with the raw numbers provided by "a league source" otherwise known as agent Drew Rosenhaus, seeming to check out as accurate -- merited considerable attention.

Ravens undecided on docking Suggs' pay (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Unlike the Philadelphia Eagles, who reportedly have decided to dock offensive tackle Jason Peters for his offseason Achilles ruptures -- technically regarded as non-football injuries -- Baltimore officials have made no decision about adjusting the salary of linebacker Terrell Suggs, who is due a salary of $4.9 million and roster bonus of $4.6 million for 2012.

Should Browns consider Donovan McNabb?

Source: AFC North Blog

ESPN's Chris Sprow provides three reasons why the Cleveland Browns should consider signing quarterback Donovan McNabb. Here's my rebuttal: No, no, no. McNabb has nothing left. He was beaten out by mediocre Rex Grossman in Washington and rookie Christian Ponder in Minnesota. In six starts last season, McNabb threw four touchdown passes and lost five times. McNabb has no value as a backup. Even Eagles coach Andy Reid, who needs a No. 2 passer, isn't touching his former franchise quarterback.

Going after Terrell Suggs' money would have ramifications for Ravens

Source: BaltimoreSun.com

Ravens have the option but here's doubting they will exercise it

Though the idea that the Ravens could put injured linebacker Terrell Suggs on the non-football injury list and not pay him all of his $4.9 million base salary during the coming season has picked up steam this week, there has been no indication that it’s something the Ravens would consider doing.

There could be potentially serious ramifications to going after Suggs' money

Source: BaltimoreSun.com

Ravens have the option but here's doubting they will exercise it

Though the idea that the Ravens could put injured linebacker Terrell Suggs on the Non-Football Injury list and not pay him all of his $4.9 million base salary during the upcoming season has picked up some steam this week, there has been no indication that it’s something the Ravens would consider doing.

Ed Reed and Biggest Questions Surrounding Baltimore Ravens' 2012 Season

Source: Bleacher Report

The Baltimore Ravens came within win of the Super Bowl last season, but instead of an offseason filled with reloading for another Super Bowl run, the Ravens have faced contract impasses, significant injuries and the potential retirement of one of their defensive stalwarts.

Here's the latest on the storm clouds swirling around the Ravens and how all this uncertainty could affect the team's chances of being a contender in the AFC in 2012.

 

Ed Reed's 2012 Status in Doubt?

As if the Baltimore Ravens hadn't experienced enough drama over the past few weeks, safety Ed Reed thought it best to add some more fuel to the fire. Reed told Sirius XM NFL Radio per the Baltimore Sun Thursday that he "wasn't 100 percent committed to playing in 2012" and that while the team may not have been aware of this fact before then "I think they will know after this interview."

Before any Ravens fans start opening windows or climbing on ledges, it's important to note that the 33-year-old, who griped about his contract status back in April, backtracked on his statements so quickly that I'm surprised he didn't pull a hamstring. He told the Carroll County Times that he will indeed be roaming the Baltimore secondary in 2012:

"It's not about retirement, it's about my focus in the offseason, health, family and football," said Reed, who has battled hip, neck and shoulder injuries in recent years. "This is the time of year where players think through things. My goal is to play football in the years to come."

At his age and given his recent injury history, it's no surprise that Reed would contemplate hanging them up. That said, Ed Reed threatening retirement has become as much of a summer ritual as swimming pools opening on Memorial Day Weekend, and all indications are the eight-time Pro-Bowl performer will give it at least one more go-round this year.

 

Upshaw "Ready to Compete"

An even bigger issue for the Ravens as we head into training camp is trying to figure out a way to plug the hole left by the loss of 2011 NFL defensive player of the year Terrell Suggs, who tore his Achilles' tendon while working out in Arizona and will be out until at least November.

All American linebacker Courtney Upshaw, who the Ravens selected with the 35th pick in April's 2012 NFL draft, will undoubtedly be called upon to pick up a significant portion of Suggs' slack. The former Alabama star recently conceded to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that he knows he can't "replace" Suggs, but the Crimson Tide standout is eager to try to lessen the impact of Suggs' loss.

“The coaches told me to come out here this mini-camp and learn the defense, come out here and compete,” Upshaw said. “Honestly, speaking on Suggs, there’s only one Suggs. You can’t replace Suggs. Everybody’s got to come in as a team. The veteran leadership on this team is not going to allow slacking on my part or anybody else’s. Everybody’s gotta step up.”

Suggs racked up 70 tackles, 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles a season ago. The trio of Upshaw, Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee may not match that lofty production, but they should at least be talented enough to "tread water" until Suggs' (hopeful) return. If that is indeed the case, the vaunted Baltimore defense shouldn't suffer a huge drop-off, even without Terrell Suggs on the field.

 

The Latest on the Ray Rice Situation

The Ravens' offseason woes haven't been limited to the defensive side of the ball. Starting running back Ray Rice, who topped 2,000 total yards for Baltimore a season ago, still hasn't signed his franchise tender for 2012, and progress regarding a long-term extension has been slow.

However, a contract signed by another star running back may be just the kick in the pants that negotiations needed. The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec and Matt Vensel theorized Thursday that the five-year, $45 million extension signed by LeSean McCoy of the Philadelphia Eagles this week could help set a benchmark for a similar extension for Rice.

If a Rice extension gets done - and I still believe that it will - it will be in the neighborhood of the deals that McCoy and [Arian] Foster got. The same might hold true for Matt Forte, the also-franchised running back of the Chicago Bears, and for Maurice Jones-Drew who is looking for a new contract from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It appears to be in the Ravens' best interest to get Rice, who at 25 is already one of the league's top running backs, locked up long-term, and the McCoy deal sets one more measuring stick for both the team and Rice to base his perceived value off of.

At any rate, Rice still has until July 16 to sign the franchise tender, which leaves plenty of time to hammer out a deal. While anxious Ravens fans would surely like to see this situation resolved yesterday, it's not even close to time to start freaking out...yet.

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First AFC North first-round pick signs

Source: AFC North Blog

The Cincinnati Bengals have the most remaining unsigned draft picks in the division, but they became the first AFC North team to sign its first-round pick. The Bengals announced they have reached a deal with cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, the 17th overall pick in the draft. He agreed to a four-year deal worth $8.6 million with $7.84 million of that fully guaranteed, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Kirkpatrick’s signing is the earliest by a top Bengals draft pick since 2003, when Cincinnati sealed a deal on April 24 with quarterback Carson Palmer, the top overall selection in that draft.

AFC North minicamp schedule

Source: AFC North Blog

Now that every AFC North team has had their rookie minicamp, it's time for the voluntary minicamps for veteran players to begin. Here's the schedule for each division team: CINCINNATI BENGALS Offseason Team Activities: May 22-24, May 29-31, June 4-7 Minicamps: June 12-14 (full team mandatory) CLEVELAND BROWNS OTAs: May 22-24, May 30-June 1, June 12-15 Minicamps: June 5-7 (full team mandatory) BALTIMORE RAVENS OTAs: May 22-24, ...

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the 2012 AFC North Draft (Shutdown Corner)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

With the draft over and all wrapped up, we thought it would be a good idea to get back on the phone with our buddy Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup, and talk about the NFL by division. Who did themselves the most favors in the draft, and who came up short when addressing their roster deficits? The Shutdown Corner Podcast Greg Cosell on the NFC West draft We started off with the NFC West last week , and we now move to the hyper-competitive AFC North. Appropriate, given Greg's recent post on the NFL Films Blog praising the Cincinnati Bengals' draft strategy . With that in mind, we asked Greg what he thought the Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers did to bolster their teams. Related: [Cosell on  quarterbacks ,  running backs/wide receivers ,  tight ends/offensive line ,  OLB/DE/DT stars , the ILB/DB class , and overall draft review ] Baltimore Ravens OLB Courtney Upshaw, and how he'll be tasked to replace Terrell Suggs: "The Ravens are very versatile with their fronts. Suggs would line up in two-point and three-point stances. He played a number of different positions and alignments -- that's what the Ravens do, and Upshaw fits that role. I don't think anybody's going to say that he's going to do what Suggs has done for a number of years -- Suggs is a pretty damned good player -- but the way Upshaw plays, I think he could eventually become similar to that guy." Cincinnati Bengals OG Kevin Zeitler: "I seem to be in the minority here, and we'll never know how the Bengals felt because David DeCastro was gone when they picked, but I thought Zeitler was a little more complete than DeCastro -- I thought he was a better athlete. I thought he had more scheme-versatility, and he fits very well in a zone run game. I'm not sure DeCastro does. Now, DeCastro fits in the power run game better; that's what he did at Stanford. But given what the Bengals want their guards to do, I think Zeitler was the better choice, and would have been the better choice had DeCastro been available." The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the 2012 AFC North Draft The Cleveland Browns' first-round selections of Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden: "Theoretically, you could look at it this way -- they ended up with Richardson and Weeden instead of Ryan Tannehill and Doug Martin. And I think Richardson/Weeden is the better combination ... in fact, I don't think, I know. Richardson, we don't need to discuss ... I thought he was the best player in this draft. Weeden has some concerns. He was the best pure pocket passer in this draft, but he's got meaningful and troublesome issues with pressure. That's a serious red flag when you transition to the NFL."

Ravens Rookie: Tommy Streeter

Source: Baltimore Beatdown by RAYven

Most of you know about the Baltimore Ravens 6th round draft pick Tommy Streeter. Streeter is out of the University of Miami, the same school that brought the Ravens Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Bryant McKinnie and Damien Berry. Streeter's a 6 foot 5 inch receiver, with blazing speed, little production, and therefore has the raw label placed on him. This raw label comes from imperfect route running, one year of

Reed says he wants to play football for years (National Football Post)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Ravens cornerback backs off 'not 100 percent committed' comment.