Ravens sign Considine

Ok, now it's been a really busy day for the Ravens.

At the team's 3pm press conference, we expected the team to announce the three previously-reported signings of Corey Graham, Brendon Ayanbadejo, and Jameel McClain.

They threw in one more.

The team announced they have also signed safety Sean Considine to a one-year deal.

Considine is a former fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in 2005. He left the Eagles after the 2008 and spent two season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Considine began last season with the Carolina Panthers, but was cut after four games and finished the year with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Ravens are aggressively attempting to improve on special teams, as evidenced by today's moves. Considine will provide more special teams help, and will also provide depth at safety.

The move also reunites Considine with head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Considine as the Eagle's special teams coordinator from 2005-2006, and as the Eagle's defensive backs coach in 2007.

Ravens re-sign LB McClain

It's been a busy day for the Ravens.

In addition to the signings of CB Corey Graham and LB Brendon Ayanbadejo, the team has announced that starting LB Jameel McClain has been re-signed as well. It's reportedly a three-year deal.

McClain also visited with the Denver Broncos, but had previously voiced his desire to stay in Baltimore.

It's a great move, McClain is only 26 and has really came into his own as the starting ILB next to Ray Lewis.

The team will have a press conference at 3pm today to announce the signings.

Ravens agree to terms with Ayanbadejo

The folks at ProFootballTalk  are reporting that the Ravens have agreed to terms with Linebacker/Special teamer Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Ayanbadejo has been with the Ravens since coming from Chicago as a free agent after the 2007 season.

The move has been expected for some time, back in our 2012 free agency preview we attributed Ayanbadejo a 4 out of 5 on the COR (chance of returning) scale.

The 35 year old Ayanbadejo has primarily been a special teams player (and a great one) most of his career, but has recently emerged with more playing time on defense, and has performed well.

PFT reports the new deal is for three years.

Ravens sign CB Corey Graham

The Ravens have signed free agent cornerback and special teams ace Corey Graham.

Graham spent his first five seasons with the Chicago Bears after being drafted in the fifth-round out of New Hampshire in 2007.

Although his contributions on defense have been minimal, (He hasn't started a game since 2009) he is a beast on special teams, and was the NFC's pro-bowl special teamer this past season.

Graham visited with the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions this offseason, and was also open to staying with the Bears. In the end, he decided the Ravens were the best fit.

"I believe it's a better situation for me and a better opportunity with a fresh start," Graham told the Chicago Tribune. "I gave the Bears every opportunity but they moved on. All around, Baltimore is just a better deal for me and my family."

The signing will add additional depth at cornerback and will help fill the special teams void left by the departures of Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura.

WR Lee Evans visiting Jaguars today

Wide receiver Lee Evans was cut by the Ravens on March 3rd after an immensely disappointing first season with the team which saw Evans catch only four passes during the regular season.

He was slowed by injury and only appeared in nine regular season games, and finished the season by dropping an end-zone pass in the AFC Conference Championship that could have propelled the Ravens to the Super Bowl.

Still, he has great speed and if fully healthy (and at a lower salary) he can still make a positive impact on a team.  There was talk soon after his release that Evans could possibly be back in Baltimore with a less expensive deal.

However, Evans is now drawing some interest in the free agent market. The Florida Times-Union is reporting that Evans is visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars today. The Jaguars have already signed former Cowboys WR Laurent Robinson to a 5-year $32.5 million deal, but still need more help at the receiver position.

If signed, Evans would be reunited with new Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey, who took Evans in the first round of the draft during Mularkey's first season as Buffalo's head coach back in 2004.

WR Ted Ginn visited Ravens

Free-Agent wide receiver Tedd Ginn Jr. visited the Ravens during the past week, as was reported by Adam Caplan.

Ginn, the former Miami Dolphins first-round pick, has spent the last two years playing with the San Francisco 49ers. He has blazing speed, but hasn't come close to living up to his draft position as a receiver. However, Ginn is definitely a great asset in the return game.

The Ravens surely don't wish to continue using Lardarius Webb as a returner, being that he has developed into a pro-bowl caliber corner. Additionally, WR David Reed, who was showing promise as a kickoff returner, is coming off a torn ACL and S Tom Zbikowski who was used at returner as well, is now playing his ball in Indy.

And so, Ginn could be a good fit for the Ravens. He adds speed to the receiver group, and even though he would probably end up only being 4th or 5th on the depth chart at WR, he would give a huge boost on special teams.

Not to mention John Harbaugh has surely gotten an honest scouting report from his brother (San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh) on Ginn.

Ravens 2012 free agency update

Let's get you caught up on the Ravens offseason thus far. We went over the Ravens free agents last month. So far five Ravens players have signed with new teams. Those players are:

LB Jarrett Johnson (pictured)
The perennially underrated Johnson signed a four-year deal with the San Diego Chargers.

G Ben Grubbs
The pro-bowler and former first-round pick signed a five-year $36 million contract with the New Orleans Saints.

DE Cory Redding
As we speculated, Chuck Pagano wanted to bring some of his defensive players with him to Indianapolis. Redding signed a three-year $10.5 million deal with the Colts.

S Tom Zbikowski
Zbikowski also followed Pagano to Indy, signing a three-year deal as well.

S Haruki Nakamura
Nakamura signed a three-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.

The Ravens have only re-signed one of the unrestricted free agents thus far, C Matt Birk signed a three-year deal to remain in Baltimore.

Ravens Huddle returns from hiatus

After a brief hiatus, the site is back and ready to keep you up to date on everything Ravens.

Suggs Named Defensive Player of the Year

OLB Terrell Suggs has just been awarded one of the most prestigious awards in the NFL. Suggs has been named the AP 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Suggs nabbed 21 of the 50 votes, the next closest player was Minnesota's Jared Allen with 14.

It was a career year for Suggs. He totaled a career-high 14 sacks and 7 forced fumbles, and also added  two interceptions. The sack totals are especially impressive considering the team didn't have another legitamite pass rusher, so opposing teams frequently keyed on Suggs.

Although Suggs would surely rather this season ended with a Super Bowl berth, the DPOY award is a long-awaited and well-deserved honor. He joins Ed Reed (2004) and Ray Lewis (2000, 2003) as other members of the Ravens defense who have previously earned the award.

Birk Named Walter Payton Man of the Year

Ravens center Matt Birk has been named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.

Each year, every NFL team selects one player for his distinguished work in the community, along with his excellence on the field. Each nominee receives $1,000 towards their respective charity. Birk was selected as one of the three finalists of the 32 nominees. The two finalists who are not selected as the winner earn $5,000. As the league-wide winner of the prestigious award, Birk will receive a $25,000 donation to his charity.

Birk has been a nominee seven times prior to this year, and was a finalist in 2008, but this is his first time winning the award.

The Harvard grad has not only been a force on the field for the Ravens, but has also immersed himself in the community since arriving in Baltimore in 2009. He used his H.I.K.E. Foundation (hope, inspiration, knowledge and education) as a platform to launch the "Ready, Set, Read!" campaign in the Baltimore area to encourage children to read at home, and has been an advocate for children's literacy programs.

Ravens Hire Martindale to Coach ILBs

The Baltimore Ravens have filled the vacancy left at inside linebackers coach when Dean Pees was elevated to defensive coordinator. The team announced Wednesday they have hired former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale as their new inside linebackers coach.

Martindale did not coach in the NFL last season, but was the defensive coordinator for the Broncos in 2010. Prior to that he coached the linebackers for the Broncos in 2009, and the linebackers for the Oakland Raiders from 2004-2008.

"He’s known for his hard work, intelligence and thorough teaching, and his players have always responded well to his coaching," Head coach John Harbaugh said of Martindale. "He’ll earn the respect of our players. I’m confident about that."

Ravens lose Maalouf, Anderson to Colts

When Chuck Pagano left the Ravens to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, it meant the Ravens would probably lose at least an assistant coach or two with him. Head coaches typically like to bring people they're familiar with when taking on a new job.

It has now been confirmed that Ravens assistant coaches Marwan Maalouf and Roy Anderson are joining Pagano in Indianapolis.

Maalouf has been an assistant special teams coach for the last four years in Baltimore. Anderson has been with the Ravens for seven years, originally starting in the personnel department, and most recently assisted with coaching the secondary.

Maalouf will be the special teams coordinator in Indy, and Anderson will coach the safeties.

Ravens Hire Caldwell as QB Coach

On Monday the Ravens officially announced former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as the teams new quarterbacks coach.

Caldwell was the Colts head coach for the past three seasons, and even made an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV, but he was fired after this years 2-14 debacle. Prior to being the head coach in Indianapolis, he was the Colts quarterbacks coach from 2002-2008.

The Ravens went without a QB coach this past season, instead opting for offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to lend additional attention to the position. This move frees Cameron up to focus on other areas of the offense, and Joe Flacco should only benefit from the presence of Peyton Manning's former tutor.

"I am really excited to work with Coach Harbaugh, Cam and the rest of the coaching staff," Caldwell said in a statement released by the team. "It's a great fit for me, and I'm happy they saw it that way. I can't wait to get started with the Ravens, an organization that from top to bottom is one of the NFL's best. I'm looking forward to coming to Baltimore."

This looks like a great fit for both parties. The Ravens needed to add an experienced quarterbacks coach, and Caldwell returns to a coaching position that he excels at.

Ravens Free Agent Analysis

Now that the Ravens season has ended, the team has 21 players who have expiring contracts and will become free agents.

Of the 21, 13 of those players will be unrestricted free agents, meaning that if the team and player do not reach an agreement on a new contract by March 13th, the player will be free to sign with any team. Players must have completed four or more accrued seasons to become UFAs.

Four players will be restricted free agents, in this case the Ravens can offer the player a tender, attached to a draft pick. The Ravens would have the option to match any offer another team makes to the player and retain his services. If they decline to match the offer, the Ravens would obtain the draft pick attached to the tender by means of the other teams forfeiture. RFAs have completed three accrued seasons in the league.

Four more players will be exclusive rights free agents, which, you guessed it, means the Ravens have exclusive rights to the player. Baltimore is the only team that can make them an offer, and if the player declines the offer, they will be released. These players have completed two or fewer seasons in the league.

Here's the complete list of Ravens free agents, and on the UFAs and RFAs we've included a 1-5 COR (chance of returning) scale, with 1 being as good as gone, and 5 being almost certain to stay.

Ravens Sign Two to Reserve/Future Contracts

The Ravens announced today they have signed two players to reserve/future contracts. C/G Howard Barbieri and LB Cody Glenn (pictured).

Barbieri went undrafted out of Rutgers this past year and spent his rookie season on the Texans practice squad.

Glenn was a fifth-round pick of the Redskins in the 2009, but was cut after training camp of that year. He was then claimed by the Colts, where he remained until being waived/injured this past November.

Barbieri and Glenn join seven other players who the Ravens signed to reserve/future contracts. The rest are:

C/G Cecil Newton (you may know his younger brother Cam)
WR Rodney Bradley
WR Phillip Livas
WR Paul Williams
RB Damien Berry
TE Davon Drew
DT Bryan Hall

Pees Named D-Coordinator, Cameron to be Retained

At todays' press conference, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced that Dean Pees will be taking over as defensive coordinator now that Chuck Pagano has been named the head coach in Indianapolis.

Pees has been the Ravens linebackers coach for the past two seasons, and spent four years as the New England Patriots defensive coordinator from 2006 to 2009. Pees and Harbaugh have a long history, as Pees was Harbaugh's defensive coordinator when John played defensive back at Miami (Ohio) University.

Harbaugh also announced that offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will be retained. Many speculated Cameron's time in Baltimore could be up, given the criticism he has faced and the fact that his contract is up. Apparently, that never crossed Harbaugh's mind.

"It was a forgone conclusion to me," Harbaugh said of Cameron being retained. "If you look at the way our offense played this year and that job our players did on offense and our coaches did, I was excited about it."

Furthermore, it remains to be seen if Pagano will attempt to pry any position coaches from Baltimore for his staff, but Harbaugh said he was looking forward to having all of his assistant coaches back next year.

These both look like great moves to us, It wouldn't make sense to bring in an entirely new defensive coordinator to handle an already top-notch unit. It would have been great to keep Pagano, but going with Pees is a sound replacement.

And with Cameron, continuity at the offensive coordinator position is one of the greatest gifts a quarterback can have, and Joe Flacco will now enter his 5th season with the same offensive coordinator he has had his entire career. There was much more balance on offense this year, and believe it or not Cameron is well-respected around the league as a coordinator.

Former Ravens fullback Le'Ron McClain chimed in on twitter when asked his thoughts on Cameron being retained, saying "Great move they looked more explosive this year to me".

The Ravens have a great coaching staff, and with these moves the offensive and defensive units remain in good hands.

Colts Hire Pagano as New Head Coach

The Indianapolis Colts have hired Ravens defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano as their new head coach. Pagano just finished his first season as defensive coordinator for the Ravens and replaces the fired Jim Caldwell for the Colts. More details to come.

Reed, Rice, Also Withdraw from Pro Bowl

Ravens FS Ed Reed and RB Ray Rice have joined the list of Ravens players not attending this year's Pro Bowl. They will me replaced on the roster by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark and San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, respectivly.

Reed and Rice join DL Haloti Ngata and LB Terrell Suggs as the Ravens players withdrawing from the game.

Guards Marshal Yanda and Ben Grubbs, fullback Vonta Leach, and linebacker Ray Lewis will play in the game.

Scoreboard Error Contributed to Cundiff's Miss

On the Ravens final drive of the AFC Championship, Joe Flacco hit Anquan Boldin on 1st and 10 from the Patriots 23-yard line. Boldin fumbled out of bounds near the first down marker. The Ravens players thought they had the first down, and apparently, so did the scoreboard operator at Gillette Stadium. The scoreboard indicated the Ravens had a first down, and subsequently displayed 2nd and 3rd down as first and second.

Terrell Suggs spoke about the confusion to ESPN's Skip Bayless. (shortly before calling Bayless a douchebag on national television.)

Billy Cundiff also chimed in on the confusion in an interview with Deadspin. Cundiff explained how he has a pre-kick routine that relies on the down. He spoke on how each down has it's own preparation. On first down, he gets together with his snapper and holder while they take a few practice snaps, and he lightly kicks the ball to the team kicking consultant. On second, he takes a few "air-kicks" with no ball while looking at the goal posts on the Ravens side of the field. Cundiff said it's a bit of a mind game for himself that make the posts seem wider when he kicks on the field. Lastly, on third down he stands closely to the sideline and imagines the kick in his head before getting the order to kick the field goal if the play is unsuccessful.

You see where this is going. With the incorrect down on the scoreboard it threw off Cundiff's preparation, and forced him to rush onto the field from behind many players, as opposed to being ready and waiting on the sideline. Cundiff isn't blaming the miss on the scoreboard error, and regardless, its a kick he should have made. But it was an error on a Patriots employee's part that definitely affected the game, not only in the kicking game, but possibly in the playcalling if the coaches were confused as well.

Of course, the Ravens could have called a timeout prior to the kick, and the coaches should have noticed the correct down markers on the field. That being said, the scoreboard should of listed the correct down and distance.

We'll leave it up to you to speculate if it was a simple mistake, or another Spygate-esque Patriots tactic to swing things their way.

Suggs Out of Pro Bowl, Grubbs In

Linebacker Terrell Suggs has pulled out of the upcoming Pro Bowl. He will miss the game with an undisclosed injury, (Or "injury").

There are typically a handful of high profile players that pass on the Pro Bowl each year, and really, can you blame Suggs for not wanting to frolic around in Honolulu 7 days after such a heartbreaking loss in the AFC Championship?

Speaking of that heartbreaking loss, being that the Patriots are advancing to the Super Bowl, their players that were elected to the Pro Bowl are all being replaced by alternates. And thus, Patriots guard Logan Mankins will be replaced by the Ravens very own Ben Grubbs.

I'm sure Grubbs would trade that Pro Bowl appearance for a Super Bowl appearance in a heartbeat, but it really is a long overdue honor for the elite offensive guard. He has been a dominant and consistent member of the Ravens offensive line since being drafted in the first round out of Auburn in 2007.


Update 1/24/12 6:39pm:
Aaron Wilson of Scout.com reported that DT Haloti Ngata has also withdrawn from the Pro Bowl. Ngata revealed to Wilson that he played most of the season with a thigh injury. He will be replaced on the AFC roster by Miami DT Paul Soliai.