By Joe Platania

Even though the only way fans can see the Ravens' training camp practice is via a trio of stadium-setting workouts and the team's already-concluded fan lottery, there are still a few things that need to be said about the team's 17th edition of preseason drills.

First, two-a-day practices are officially a thing of the past, thanks in part to the league's emphasis on player safety, as well as the new collective bargaining agreement.

In lieu of the old routine, the Ravens will have a morning walk-through before hitting the field at its Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills for a 2:30 p.m. practice that, in most cases, is expected to last close to three hours.

Secondly, as was the case when the team worked out at McDaniel College in Westminster, the Ravens' true training-camp mode will last up until the eve of the second preseason game. Following that, the schedule will change slightly to reflect the team's usual routine when it returns to its home base.

Here is a look at the Ravens' training-camp itinerary, as well as the league's strength-of-schedule rankings, the regular-season and postseason schedule and PressBox's version of the team's depth chart (based on evaluation of organized team activity and minicamp practices):

TRAINING-CAMP/PRESEASON SCHEDULE
(all dates, times and venues subject to change; all practices to be held at the Under Armour Performance Center at 2:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

Monday, July 23 -- Administrative day for rookies, quarterbacks and injured veterans
Tuesday, July 24 -- First practice for rookies, quarterbacks and injured veterans, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, July 25 -- Administrative day for remaining players
Thursday, July 26 -- FIRST FULL-TEAM PRACTICE
Friday, July 27 -- Regular full-team practice
Saturday, July 28 -- Regular full-team practice
Sunday, July 29 -- NO PRACTICE
Monday, July 30-Friday, Aug. 3 -- Regular full-team practices

Saturday, Aug. 4 -- Public practice: M&T Bank Stadium, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 5 -- NO PRACTICE
Monday, Aug. 6 -- Regular full-team practice
Tuesday, Aug. 7 -- Regular-full team practice
Wednesday, Aug. 8 -- NO PRACTICE
Thursday, Aug. 9 -- PRESEASON GAME NO. 1: Ravens at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., Georgia Dome (WMAR-TV, WBAL Plus, WIYY-FM)
Friday, Aug. 10 -- NO PRACTICE
Saturday, Aug. 11 -- Regular full-team practice
Sunday, Aug. 12 -- Public practice: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, 5 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 13 -- Regular full-team practice
Tuesday, Aug. 14 -- Regular full-team practice
Wednesday, Aug. 15 -- Regular practice, TRAINING-CAMP PERIOD ENDS
Thursday, Aug. 16 -- NO PRACTICE
Friday, Aug. 17 -- PRESEASON GAME NO. 2: Detroit at Ravens, 8 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium (WBFF-TV, WIYY-FM)
Saturday, Aug. 18 -- NO PRACTICE

Sunday, Aug. 19 -- Public practice: Mustang Stadium, Stevenson University, 3:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 20 -- Regular full-team practice, time TBA
Tuesday, Aug. 21 -- Regular full-team practice, time TBA
Wednesday, Aug. 22 -- NO PRACTICE
Thursday, Aug. 23 -- PRESEASON GAME NO. 3: Jacksonville at Ravens, 7:30 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium (WBAL-TV, CSN, WIYY-FM)
Friday, Aug. 24 -- NO PRACTICE
Tuesday, Aug. 28 -- First cutdown date (75-player roster maximum)
Wednesday, Aug. 29 -- NO PRACTICE
Thursday, Aug. 30 -- PRESEASON GAME NO. 4: Ravens at St. Louis, 8 p.m., Edward Jones Dome (WBAL-TV, CSN, WIYY-FM)
Friday, Aug. 31 -- Final cutdown date (53-player roster maximum)
Sunday, Sept. 2 -- Eight-man practice squads may begin to be formed at noon
Monday, Sept. 3 -- Team begins regular-season operating schedule
Monday, Sept. 10 -- RAVENS' 17TH REGULAR-SEASON OPENER, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, M&T Bank Stadium, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

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DEPTH CHART

As of July 9, the Ravens' roster breakdown looked 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.

That makes for 87 total players, three fewer than the allowable training-camp maximum. The Ravens could add more before camp begins, but as July dawned, the team had a little more than $600,000 in salary-cap room, the least in the league.

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

Here is how PressBox sees the Ravens' on-field hierarchy at this point:

Unofficial Ravens 2012 Depth Chart

Offense
LT: Bryant McKinnie, Michael Oher, Jah Reid
LG: Bobbie Williams, Justin Boren, Kelechi Osemele
C: Matt Birk, Tony Wragge, Gino Gradkowski
RG: Marshal Yanda, Justin Boren, Gino Gradkowski
RT: Michael Oher, Jah Reid, Ramon Harewood
TE: Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta, Davon Drew
QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, Curtis Painter
FB: Vonta Leach, Jamison Berryhill, Bruce Figgins
RB: Ray Rice, Anthony Allen, Bernard Pierce
WR (X): Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, LaQuan Williams
WR (Z): Anquan Boldin, Tandon Doss, David Reed

X -- denotes split end, or downfield/speed receiver
Z -- denotes flanker, or possession receiver

Defense
DE: Pernell McPhee, Arthur Jones, DeAngelo Tyson
NT: Terrence Cody, Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Ryan McBean
DT: Haloti Ngata, Arthur Jones, Bryan Hall
Rush: Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle, Chavis Williams
Will: Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Josh Bynes
Mike: Ray Lewis, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Albert McClellan
Sam: Courtney Upshaw, Sergio Kindle, Albert McClellan
CB: Lardarius Webb, Corey Graham, Chykie Brown
SS: Bernard Pollard, Sean Considine, Emanuel Cook
FS: Ed Reed, Christian Thompson, Emanuel Cook
CB: Jimmy Smith, Cary Williams, Danny Gorrer

Special Teams
P: Sam Koch, Justin Tucker
K: Billy Cundiff, Justin Tucker
KO: Billy Cundiff, Sam Koch
H: Sam Koch
LS: Morgan Cox, Patrick Scales
KR: Jacoby Jones, David Reed, Lardarius Webb
PR: Jacoby Jones, Lardarius Webb, Asa Jackson

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2012 STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
(listed from most difficult to easiest with 2012 opponents' 2011 records)

1. New York Giants, .547, 140-116
2. Denver, .543, 139-117
3. Cleveland, .527, 135-121
T4. St. Louis, .523, 134-122
T4. Baltimore, .523, 134-122
6. San Diego, .520, 133-123
7. Philadelphia, .516, 132-124
T8. Minnesota, .512, 131-125

T8. Arizona, .512, 131-125
10. Carolina, .508, 130-126
T11. Seattle, .504, 129-127
T11. Dallas, .504, 129-127
T11. New Orleans, .504, 129-127
T14. Jacksonville, .500, 128-128
T14. Cincinnati, .500, 128-128
T14. Pittsburgh, .500, 128-128

T14. Indianapolis, .500, 128-128
T18. Oakland, .496, 127-129
T18. Miami, .496, 127-129
T20. New York Jets, .492, 126-130
T20. Kansas City, .492, 126-130
T20. Chicago, .492, 126-130
T20. Detroit, .492, 126-130
T24. Washington, .488, 125-131

T24. Atlanta, .488, 125-131
T24. San Francisco, .488, 125-131
27. Tampa Bay, .484, 124-132
28. Tennessee, .480, 123-133
T29. Houston, .473, 121-135
T29. Buffalo, .473, 121-135
31. Green Bay, .469, 120-136
32. New England, .453, 116-140

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Baltimore Ravens 2012 Regular-Season Schedule
(Radio: all games on WIYY-FM, 97.9)

Monday, Sept. 10 -- Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, Sept. 16 -- at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Sept. 23 -- New England, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Thursday, Sept. 27 -- Cleveland, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network)
Sunday, Oct. 7 -- at Kansas City, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 14 -- Dallas, 1 p.m. (Fox)
Sunday, Oct. 21 -- at Houston, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Oct. 28 -- BYE WEEK
Sunday, Nov. 4 -- at Cleveland, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sunday, Nov. 11 -- Oakland, 1 (CBS)
x-Sunday, Nov. 18 -- at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
x-Sunday, Nov. 25 -- at San Diego, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
x-Sunday, Dec. 2 -- Pittsburgh, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
x-Sunday, Dec. 9 -- at Washington, 1 p.m. (CBS)
x-Sunday, Dec. 16 -- Denver, 1 p.m. (CBS)
x-Sunday, Dec. 23 -- NY Giants, 1 p.m. (FOX)
x-Sunday, Dec. 30 -- at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. (CBS)
x - games that could be affected by flexible scheduling

Issue 175: July 2012