MINICAMP NOTES: PRACTICE REPORT; FINAL CUT DAY MOVED UP

By Joe Platania

OWINGS MILLS -- Sometimes, there are situations in football that lend themselves to cliches.

When linebacker Terrell Suggs first incurred his Achilles tendon injury in late April, many fans probably hung their heads upon hearing the news and said, "That's the end of the season."

Head coach John Harbaugh may adopt the philosophy that "life is what happens when you make other plans."

These days, for Suggs, the buzzphrase could be "little things mean a lot," because that's all the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year can do as he attempts to rehabilitate an injury that, on the surface, threatens to derail the team's 2012 championship hopes.

But on Thursday afternoon, during his first appearance with local media since the injury happened in late April, Suggs expressed confidence in himself, the team training staff and his teammates to come through the situation as close to unscathed as possible.

"We're not rushing it," Suggs said. "We're letting it heal in time. Smitty [head trainer Mark Smith] and I will come up with a plan.

"I've never sat out before. You have to know your body. They can constantly tell you 'rehab and rest,' so I'll try to be All-Pro at that."

What may help Suggs meet his early November return timetable is the fact that it was a partial tear, located further up the calf than initially thought. The surgery used to repair it was more minimally invasive than any procedure that would have been done years ago.

The 10th-year linebacker also appeared confident that the team would not go after his salary, a move they can legally make because the injury was incurred away from the team facilities.

"I never expected them to," he said. "When you build relationships with people and give your all for them, they always believe in you."

Suggs addressed the conflicing reports about how the injury occured, whether it was during a charity basketball game -- as some eyewitnesses attest -- or during a conditioning test, the story to which he still holds.

"The two are totally different incidents," he said. "I was angry about [some of the reports] at first, but I got over it. I just decided that I don't answer to anybody but the organization."

Suggs has visited a North Carolina-based specialist twice and has been at the team's Under Armour Performance Center to do some initial consulting with the team's training staff about how to proceed further.

But while on campus, Suggs has no doubt noticed his teammates going through the team's mandatory minicamp and has felt pangs of regret.

"Tons [of frustration]," said Suggs, a 2003 first-round draft pick. "It's a very unfamiliar feeling. I used to dread [minicamp]. Now, I've never appreciated it so much."

But Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dean Pees have been able to keep Suggs in the loop as far as this year's schemes are concerned.

"He's at every meeting," Harbaugh said. "He's talked to the entire team and he's a part of everything we're doing except practicing."

Suggs has used his time wisely, observing the players that have been earmarked to fill in for him while he recovers.

"[Top draft pick Courtney Upshaw] is ahead of where I was as a rookie," Suggs said. "They're moving him around. I've got 100 percent confidence in the kid.

"Our defense has tons of stars. It's really no different then when we had to go without our general [Ray Lewis] for four games last year."

But for now, Suggs will continue to do whatever it takes to meet his timetable, and expects to be back on the field in 2012.

That's because the T-shirt he wore Thursday featured a cliche that said it all, "You Only Live Once."

***

JOEY P'S TRIVIA TIME: Today's question:

Earlier this week, the many accomplishments of Ravens all-time receiving leader Derrick Mason were highlighted upon the occasion of his retirement.

But Mason's best yardage season in Baltimore, in 2007, amounted to a mere 1,087 yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in Ravens history. It ranks 114 yards behind the team record of 1,201 yards.

Who holds that record and in what year was it set?

The answer will be revealed at the bottom of today's entry.

***

ROSTER MOVES, BREAKDOWN: Because defensive end/outside linebacker Michael McAdoo cleared waivers and returned to the Ravens after suffering an Achilles tendon injury during organized team activity workouts, he has been placed on the team's injured reserve list.

It is unlikely the Ravens would use the new IR rule passed at the league meetings for McAdoo. The rule basically states that one player that is placed on IR can return before season's end, provided he has had at least 21 days of practice time before then.

Last year, the Ravens ended a relatively healthy 2011 campaign with just six on season-ending IR, including McAdoo, who incurred a knee injury late during training camp.

As of Thursday morning, the McAdoo move meant the Ravens were down to 87 players on their offseason roster, three short of the 90-man league-mandated maximum.

The roster breakdown now looks like this:

Five quarterbacks, four running backs, two fullbacks, 11 receivers (six flankers, five split ends), 17 offensive linemen, five tight ends, 11 defensive linemen, 12 linebackers (six inside, six outside), 15 defensive backs (eight corners, seven safeties), one punter, two kickers and two long snappers.

All told, there are 44 offensive players on the 90-man roster -- which does not include franchise-tagged running back Ray Rice -- and 38 defensive players, along with five specialists.

***

PRACTICE REPORT: Here are a few highlights of the Thursday afternoon practice, the third and final session of the team's three-workout mandatory minicamp:

- Late Wednesday night in New Jersey, Dana Flacco gave birth to the first child for her and husband Joe Flacco: a healthy eight-pound baby boy named Stephen Vincent, after Joe's father. The middle name comes from the quarterback's middle name.

- The Thursday afternoon shorts-and-shells practice conditions were much sunnier and much more humid than for the previous two days. Then again, practice began 2.5 hours earlier than on Tuesday or Wednesday.

- During practice, left-guard candidate Jah Reid -- who worked plenty at right tackle this week -- was carted off with what appeared to be a right-leg injury. No further details were immediately released.

- As for practice absences, the list remained basically the same.

On offense, missing were Flacco; running backs Ray Rice (contract) and Bernard Pierce (hamstring, hurt on Tuesday); wideouts Jacoby Jones (leg, hurt on Wednesday), David Reed (knee) and Tandon Doss (unknown); and offensive linemen Howard Barbieri (unknown), Kelechi Osemele (quadriceps), center Matt Birk (leg surgery) and left tackle Bryant McKinnie (conditioning).

The defensive players not present were Suggs, free safety Ed Reed (unexcused), cornerback Cary Williams (hip, was on field) and defensive end Pernell McPhee (knee).

- For the most part, the defense was ahead of the offense throughout the spring practice period, which is no surprise. Thursday, the early two-minute-drill periods resulted in a field goal for the Tyrod Taylor-led unit and interceptions by Dannell Ellerbe (off Curtis Painter) and Nigel Carr (against John Brantley).

- Kicker Billy Cundiff had a more assured stride in booting several field goals of more than 50 yards. Justin Tucker was just as effective, often hitting kicks that would have been good from 60 or more, although he did line-drive one 55-yard attempt, which still cleared the crossbar.

- There was a lot to see on running plays, such as Damien Berry picking up a Bernard Pollard safety blitz, a collision that left linemen Justin Boren and Jack Cornell, as well as nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu, sprawled on the ground, and a nice left-to-right pull from newly signed guard Bobbie Williams, leading Anthony Allen into the hole.

- Taylor showed great elusiveness whenever the pocket broke down, eluding Bryan Hall and Albert McClellan on one occasion, beating both to the sideline.

- With the same enthusiasm he showed as a rookie, Ray Lewis outran the other linebackers to the far corner of one of the practice fields as individual drills began. Later, he didin't fall for a Taylor play-action fake and knocked down the subsequent pass.

- There were two instances where on-field fights could have started, but cooler heads prevailed. Rookie Courtney Upshaw tried several hard physical pass-rush moves on tackle Michael Oher, but the two tapped helmets and walked away. Also, linebacker Chavis Williams roughly shoved fullback Jamison Berryhill to the ground, but there was no retaliation.

- Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, a Georgia graduate, took great pride in a pass drop by Florida wideout Deonte Thompson, doing the "Gator chomp" over him after the play. Seconds later, cornerback Lardarius Webb threw the ball back toward the offense with obvious disdain.

- Punter Sam Koch launched a cannon shot that went at least 60 yards in the air, forcing rookie returner Asa Jackson to backpedal about 15 yards. Later, Jackson dropped a punt, dropped to the ground and did a few voluntary push-ups.

- Next up is the league's only real down time of the calendar year before training camp opens. For the Ravens, that will take place July 21 at the Under Armour Performance Center for rookies, quarterbacks and injured veterans. Four days later, the rest of the team is expected to report, with everyone taking the field July 26.

***

FINAL CUTS CHANGED: Usually, the two major roster cutdown dates take place during the final week of August, with the move from 90 to 75 players occurring on Tuesday and the final cut to 53 on Saturday, and the last preseason game taking place on the Thursday or Friday in between.

The latter date is going to change, at least for this year.

Because the Thursday-night regular-season opener between Dallas and the New York Giants was moved up to Wednesday, Sept. 5 -- in order to accomodate the telecast of the Democratic National Convention the following night -- final cuts for all teams must now be made by 6 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Aug. 31, which is 24 hours earlier than originally scheduled.

That means the Ravens' coaching staff, as well as those that work for the other 31 NFL teams, will have even less time to sleep or unwind after the final preseason game, which in the Ravens' case is Aug. 30 in St. Louis.

In fact, all 32 teams are playing that Thursday; in the past, one or two games would be held over until the Friday before Labor Day, but all teams are being allowed to get their final preseason game in earlier to evaluate players and get their veterans as much rest as possible before Week One.

This move was revealed in a Dallas Morning News story detailing the Cowboys' request to the league to move the start of their training camp up three days.

Apparently, the Giants' camp begins three days in advance of their own, and Dallas wants as much time to prepare for that early opener as the Giants are getting. The league is considering that request.

The first cutdown date will reportedly remain on Tuesday, Aug. 28. Teams must go from 90 to 75 players before 4 p.m. (ET) that day.

***

FOUR IN TOP 20: The NFL Network's annual ranking of the top 100 active players featured seven Ravens on last year's list, tied with the Green Bay Packers for the league high.

The same number will populate this year's rankings, tied with San Francisco and Philadelphia for the most from one squad.

The difference this year is that four Ravens -- linebackers Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and free safety Ed Reed -- are all in the top 20. Last year, only Ngata, Reed and Lewis ranked that high.

After Wednesday night's program counted down numbers 30 through 21 without mentioning Suggs, it means his ranking has risen dramatically. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year -- who will miss a good portion of this season after Achilles tendon surgery -- was 40th on last year's list, while Ngata was at 17, Reed at 5 and Lewis at 4.

Even after 16 seasons, Lewis was the highest-ranked defensive player on last year's list. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named the league's top player.

Further back on the list, three Ravens' rankings have already risen significantly. Quarterback Joe Flacco went from 90 to 74, fullback Vonta Leach's number went up 20 notches to 45, and running back Ray Rice rose from 56 to 22

(Leach's initial ranking of 65 came after his final season as a member of the Houston Texans.)

Two years ago, a pair of Ravens appeared on the top 100 all-time list, with Reed at No. 88 and Lewis at 18. San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice earned the top spot.

On the two active-player lists, current NFL players' top-20 preferences were then put through a point system, with the top 100 totals making up the final list. On the all-time list, retired players' preferences and longtime media members' votes were the determining factors.

***

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Two links to Baltimore's glorious football past -- both distant and near -- are celebrating birthdays today.

Former Baltimore Colts running back Tom Matte, who was also part of the Ravens' first broadcast team, turns 73 today.

A 12-year veteran who played from 1961 to 1972, Matte was a first-round pick out of Ohio State and one of 11 first-round running backs the Colts took in 31 years, a practice that is almost non-existent today.

Matte, who played in three championship games and won two Super Bowls, gained more than 7,500 total yards in his career and scored 57 touchdowns. He was also known for being one of the first to wear a wristband as a quarterback in 1965 after John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo were injured.

Also, ex-Ravens cornerback and 1999 first-round draft choice Chris McAlister will blow out 35 candles.

McAlister, selected 10th overall out of Arizona, was the franchise's biggest, most physical corner, a distinction Jimmy Smith might be able to share if he gets consistent field time.

C-Mac intercepted 26 passes during his 11 years in the league -- his final season consisted of two games with the New Orleans Saints in 2009 -- six of them in 2006 alone. He scored five defensive touchdowns and is credited with breaking up 103 passes.

McAlister was named to three AFC Pro Bowl teams (2003, 2004, 2006).

***

IN THE COMMUNITY: Part of the Ravens' recent partnership with Under Armour was the latter co-sponsoring the franchise's 7-on-7 high school football tournament.

That event culminates at M&T Bank Stadium with the championship round, taking place from 4-10 p.m. June 15.

Fans are requested to park in Lot B across Hamburg Street and enter through Gate A in Unitas Plaza, where the Johnny Unitas statue is located.

Two games will be taking place at the same time on the field, starting hourly at 4 p.m. But all teams will be guaranteed to have three 40-minute games.

The participating teams represent a mix of public and private high schools from across the state of Maryland. The eight teams that have made it to the final round are:

Urbana, North Hagerstown, Briar Woods, Frederick, River Hill, Good Counsel, St. Frances and St. Paul's.

All told, more than 1,200 players from 64 high schools took part in a pair of 32-team regional tournaments, with the winners advancing to M&T Bank Stadium.

***

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Head coach John Harbaugh's give-and-take with the media can certainly run the gamut at times. He alternately praised them and took shots at their wardrobe during minicamp.

"For all the fans out there, the reporters -- most of them were in flip-flops, I noticed -- were right down there next to the field, unlike yesterday [in the rain]," Harbaugh said with a smile.

Earlier this week, regarding the birth of quarterback Joe Flacco's first child: "They don't know if it's going to be a boy or a girl ... but I'm sure, the way [the media is], you will be tweeting that pretty quickly. How do you get that information so fast?"

***

JOEY P'S TRIVIA TIME ANSWER: Here's the question we asked you earlier in the column:

Earlier this week, the many accomplishments of Ravens all-time receiving leader Derrick Mason were highlighted upon the occasion of his retirement.

But Mason's best yardage season in Baltimore, in 2007, amounted to a mere 1,087 yards, the fourth-highest single-season total in Ravens history. It ranks 114 yards behind the team record of 1,201 yards.

Who holds that record and in what year was it set?

ANSWER:

During the Ravens' mostly spotty offensive history, fans have often yearned for a return to the team's best offensive era, the franchise's first two years in Baltimore (1996-97), when the team ranked third and ninth in total offense. The Ravens have not cracked the top 10 since.

A big part of the reason for the team's success in gaining yards and scoring points was flanker Michael Jackson, whose 14 receiving touchdowns tied with San Diego's Tony Martin for the NFL high in 1996. His yardage total also still stands as the Ravens' single-season record.

Jackson was a Cleveland Browns sixth-round pick (141st overall) in 1991 and moved with the team to Baltimore five years later. He teamed with split end Derrick Alexander and tight end Brian Kinchen to give quarterback Vinny Testaverde not only a high-powered set of targets, but his first Pro Bowl berth.

During his halcyon 1996 season, Jackson caught 76 passes and had four games of 100 or more yards. He also had at least one touchdown during five straight games, part of a torrid mid-season stretch, not to mention registering three or more catches during 15 of 16 games.

Today, the 43-year-old Jackson -- who had to retire from football at 29 because injuries that forced him to leave the Ravens after the 1998 season -- is the mayor of the town in which he was born: Tangipahoa, La.

Posted June 14, 2012