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Luke Jones

Ravens linebacker Ellerbe to report to facility on Tuesday

Luke Jones

Though fellow restricted free agent Cary Williams is not expected to report for the Ravens’ offseason training program for a few more weeks, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will not waste any time in signing his second-round tender. The 26-year-old linebacker told WNST.net he will report to the team’s Owings Mills facility on Tuesday and sign his second-round tender, which is worth $1.92 million for the 2012 season. Ellerbe is projected to be the Ravens’ top reserve at the inside linebacker position and was offered the second-round tender amount before starting inside linebacker Jameel McClain re-signed with Baltimore. The former Georgia product missed seven games in an injury-plagued 2011 season. Williams is not expected to report for offseason workouts until at least early May as his representation tries to work out a long-term contract with the Ravens.  

Ravens interested in former Steelers quarterback Dennis Dixon?

Luke Jones

One of the more interesting reports to surface over the weekend was Baltimore being a potential landing spot for free-agent quarterback Dennis Dixon. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Friday the Ravens are interested in the former Pittsburgh Steelers reserve, who worked out for the Rams last week. While it is unclear how serious the Ravens’ inquiries have been, it is surprising considering how emphatic the organization appeared in expressing confidence in backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor at the pre-draft press conference a couple weeks ago. Dixon attempted all of 59 passes in his four years with the Steelers — throwing one touchdown and two interceptions — and wouldn’t provide much more playing experience than Taylor, who is entering his second year with the Ravens. Adding a veteran backup who is more of a proven commodity would make sense — like the Ravens did two years ago with Marc Bulger — but Dixon’s overall skill set is similar to that of Taylor. In fairness, Dixon has likely benefited mentally under the tutelage of Ben Roethlisberger and veteran backup Charlie Batch, but he just doesn’t possess the pedigree that suggests him being an upgrade over Taylor as the backup. Again, we’re speculating

Live from Camden Yards: Orioles try to solve Sabathia in Yankees series finale

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — With the hopes of salvaging a win in a three-game set with the New York Yankees, the Orioles will have to accomplish something they’ve only done twice in CC Sabathia’s career. And that’s hand a loss to the 290-pound southpaw. While struggling against the Yankees ace is a common theme among American League teams, the Orioles are responsible for Sabathia’s third-highest win total in his 12-year career. The left-hander is 16-2 with a 2.74 earned run average in 22 career starts against Baltimore. Manager Buck Showalter will present a lineup full of right-handed hitters, with right fielder Nick Markakis the only left-handed bat scheduled to start against Sabathia. The big topic of discussion prior to Wednesday’s game was the defensive struggles of third baseman Mark Reynolds, who committed a critical error in the Yankees’ three-run six inning and failed to catch a foul popupin Tuesday’s loss. Showalter is sticking with Reynolds at third base for now, preaching confidence that the 28-year-old will begin hitting — and fielding. Reynolds’ inability to corral a Russell Martin grounder in the sixth eliminated the possibility of a win for Taiwanese lefty Wei-Yin Chen in his major league debut. “We had plenty of

Live from Camden Yards: Orioles ready for potential carryover with sign-stealing accusation from Yankees

Luke Jones

BALTIMORE — As Yankees closer Mariano Rivera recorded the final out of the Orioles’ 6-2 loss to New York on Monday night, you may have missed the fireworks between his catcher Russell Martin and Baltimore second baseman Robert Andino. Martin accused Andino of trying to relay signs from second base and the two barked at one another as the ninth inning concluded. Both Andino and Martin are in their respective lineups, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter is downplaying what happened while maintaining his club will be ready for any potential fallout or retaliation in the second game of the three-game set. “We’ll deal with it if it happens,” Showalter said. “I know where I think the right and wrong in the sense of the reality. It’s not exactly like Mariano [Rivera] is featuring a curveball and a changeup and a split. Certainly didn’t work out too well [for us] if that was the case.” In typical Showalter fashion, the manager quipped that the best way to prevent the opposition from trying to steal signs is to keep runners off second base. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters always assumes the opposition is trying to relay signs and makes adjustments to prevent that

Adam Jones wrong to label Orioles fans choosing to voice displeasure as “fools”

Luke Jones

For those who’ve followed my work at WNST.net over the last three years, you know I rarely insert myself into a story. It’s not my style and, frankly, I prefer keeping the focus on the topic at hand. But I do feel the need to offer my first-hand account of comments made by Orioles center fielder Adam Jones that sparked plenty of controversy and dialogue via social media on Thursday afternoon. When asked about the spectacle of Opening Day by another reporter, Jones began describing the event before shifting his attention to those aiming to voice their displeasure with the state of the organization. “I was reading my Twitter earlier and I saw this thing with ‘Occupy Eutaw Street,’ these fools, or something trying to create a walkout or something in this ballpark,” Jones said. Surprised by his word choice in describing fans involved with the movement — which is not affiliated with WNST.net and has a Facebook page of over 600 people — I then saw Jones look in my direction as he continued on. “And you work for that station — I don’t care — but I’ve seen [‘Free The Birds’] going on a lot.” Prepared to ask

Former Ravens defensive tackle Brandon McKinney latest to bolt for Indianapolis

Luke Jones

Reserve defensive tackle Brandon McKinney became the latest defensive player to leave the Ravens and join the Indianapolis Colts. After spending the last four seasons in Baltimore, McKinney has agreed to a two-year deal to reunite with former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. McKinney is the third former Raven to join Pagano this offseason, joining defensive end Cory Redding and safety Tom Zbikowski as the Colts switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme. The 28-year-old McKinney collected 37 tackles in 41 games with the Ravens. He made four starts in 2010 and was a regular contributor in the defensive line rotation. There was no apparent push by the Ravens to attempt to re-sign the unrestricted free agent as they likely will try to get younger — and cheaper — at the position.  

Opening Day roster set as Orioles enter 2012 season

Luke Jones

Making their final cuts of the spring, the Orioles have formulated their 25-man roster for the start of the 2012 season. Japanese left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 28 with an elbow ligament impingement. The Orioles hope Wada can improve his conditioning and continue to adjust to American baseball before the club must make a decision whether to place him in the bullpen or insert him in the starting rotation. In five spring innings, Wada allowed five earned runs, five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Backup catcher Taylor Teagarden was also placed on the 15-day disabled list as he continues to recover from a strained back. The move is retroactive to March 26 after Teagarden received only five Grapefruit League at-bats while dealing with the lingering back issue. The Orioles selected the contracts of first baseman Nick Johnson and catcher Ronny Paulino to fill their final two spots on the 40-man roster. Johnson hit .292 in 48 spring at-bats and — more importantly — remained healthy after being invited to camp as a non-roster invitee. Paulino will take Teagarden’s place as the backup catcher and hit .216 in 37 at-bats

Nike uniform unveiling brings little change to Ravens' look

Luke Jones

With plenty of hype surrounding Nike’s unveiling of its new NFL uniforms on Tuesday, Ravens fans expecting major changes were only left disappointed. The only noticeable difference in Baltimore’s uniform is a different collar, which is standard across the league and Nike explains in greater detail than I care to rehash in this space. The Seattle Seahawks were the only team to trumpet significant changes to their uniforms, with a look that vaguely reminds you of the trendsetting Oregon Ducks at the collegiate level. Performance changes have been made to all 32 teams’ uniforms, focusing on how the jerseys and pants feel and fit to players. For the many fans who flocked to Twitter at 11:00 a.m. and waited nearly an hour for the unveiling that took place in New York City, the event felt all too much like an episode of Access Hollywood. Lots of waiting and exciting promises that ultimately resulted in a return of little substance.    

Orioles option RHP Tillman to Triple-A Norfolk, place Simon on waivers

Luke Jones

With the start of the season less than a week away, the Orioles moved closer to shaping their pitching staff with a pair of moves over the last 24 hours. Right-handed pitcher Chris Tillman has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk where he will presumably be a member of the Tides’ starting rotation. Showing improved velocity, the 23-year-old Tillman posted a 2.92 earned run average in 12 1/3 innings over five outings this spring. The Orioles likely view Triple A as a better fit for Tillman as he tries to build on a successful spring and extends himself as a starter. Though he was still a dark-horse candidate for the fifth starter job, Tillman likely would have found himself as a long reliever only pitching a few innings a week. The club also reportedly placed right-handed pitcher Alfredo Simon on outright waivers despite his ability to pitch as either a starter or a reliever. Battling a groin injury during sprain training, Simon was lit up for six runs in two innings of relief work on Wednesday. Simon’s impending removal from the 40-man roster will clear a spot for one of two non-roster invitees likely to make the 25-man roster heading north.

Ed Reed, Bryant McKinnie inducted into University of Miami Hall of Fame

Luke Jones

Members of the 2001 national championship team before moving on to successful NFL careers, Ravens safety Ed Reed and left tackle Bryant McKinnie were inducted into the University of Miami Hall of Fame on Thursday. Reed was named a consensus first-team All-America in 2000 and 2001. The ball-hawking safety led the nation with nine interceptions for 209 return yards and three touchdowns in his senior season. The Big East named Reed as a co-winner of its Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2001, and the free safety was named National Defensive Player of the Year by Football News. Reed set multiple records at Miami, including interceptions (21), interception return yards (389), and interceptions returned for a touchdown (five). He also participated in track and field at Miami and was a Big East champion in the javelin. McKinnie received first-team All-America honors in 2000 and was a consensus first-team All-America in 2001 in being recognized as the nation’s most dominant left tackle. The mammoth left tackle was the 2001 Outland Trophy winner, awarded to the nation’s best offensive lineman. Both entering their 11th season in the NFL, Reed was selected by the Ravens with the 24th overall pick of the

Ravens linebacker Ellerbe still trying to carve out regular spot on Ravens defense

Luke Jones

With future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis inching closer to the end of his career, the subject of the Ravens finding his eventual replacement is nothing new. One of the most recent names to be discussed this offseason was Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict. However, character issues, a subpar junior season, and poor workout numbers have caused his draft stock to plummet from a potential first-round pick to a prospect some teams may remove from their boards entirely. It’s a position similar to what current Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe faced three years ago. After being a second-team all-SEC selection as a junior at Georgia, a knee injury in his senior season and off-the-field questions dramatically changed Ellerbe’s draft fate. “It went from starting out [projected to go in the] first round and getting hurt [as a senior],” Ellerbe said on AM 1570 WNST on Tuesday. “[I was] going into the draft having to work my way back up.” Signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Ellerbe made the 53-man roster and eventually grabbed the starting inside linebacker job next to Lewis by the end of his rookie year. Replacing an injured Tavares Gooden, Ellerbe started

Roberts, Britton to begin year on 15-day DL; Orioles make more spring cuts

Luke Jones

With Opening Day less than two weeks away, manager Buck Showalter and the Orioles continue to sort out which 25 players they’ll be taking north to open the season against the Minnesota Twins on April 6. Second baseman Brian Roberts (concussion symptoms) and left-handed pitcher Zach Britton (left shoulder impingement) will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list. The veteran infielder continues to progress from the concussion symptoms he’s dealt with for the better part of 18 months but is not ready to resume his role as the Baltimore second baseman. Britton is currently receiving platelet rich plasma therapy in hopes of rebuilding strength in his pitching shoulder and will likely be out until at least May. The decision to place Roberts on the 15-day disabled list means he will remain on the 40-man roster. Some speculated Roberts would be placed on the 60-day list, but it appears he will travel with the club to Baltimore to get re-acclimated to a major league environment before potentially going on a minor league rehab assignment. The Orioles trimmed their spring roster to 35 on Monday by optioning infielder Matt Antonelli and pitchers Brad Bergesen and Jason Berken to Triple-A Norfolk. They

Ravens receive two compensatory picks in April's draft

Luke Jones

With NFL owners congregating in Florida for their annual meetings this week, the league awarded 32 compensatory picks for April’s draft on Monday afternoon. Based on last offseason’s free-agent movement, the Ravens were awarded fourth- and fifth-round compensatory picks, which will be the 130th and 169th overall selections respectively. While the notable releases of wide receiver Derrick Mason, tight end Todd Heap, defensive tackle Kelly Gregg, and running back Willis McGahee were not taken into account, the free-agent losses of safety Dawan Landry (Jacksonville), guard Chris Chester (Washington), and cornerback Josh Wilson (Washington) factored into the Ravens receiving compensation in April’s draft after each received high-priced, long-term contracts and started 16 games with new teams. After general manager Ozzie Newsome traded the Ravens’ fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft to Buffalo for veteran Lee Evans last August, receiving a fourth-round compensatory pick helps to ease the sting of that ill-fated move. Under the rules of compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive picks. The number of picks a team receives is equal to the net loss of free agents up to a maximum of four.

Ayanbadejo questions young players' effort on special teams last season

Luke Jones

The Ravens sent a clear message on Friday of their intentions to improve their special teams from a season ago. In addition to re-signing three-time Pro Bowl selection Brendon Ayanbadejo, general manager Ozzie Newsome added 2011 Pro Bowl special teams player Corey Graham and veteran Sean Considine to improve depth in the secondary as well as add more experience to the special teams units. According to FootballOutsiders.com, the Ravens finished 30th in overall special teams last season. And given head coach John Harbaugh’s background as the longtime special teams coordinator for the Philadelpia Eagles, you knew addressing that facet of the game would be a priority this offseason. “It’s certainly something that we felt, coming out of the season, that we really needed to do,” coach John Harbaugh said. “We weren’t as good there as we needed to be. We needed to be more explosive; we need to cover kicks better.” While the struggles of kicker Billy Cundiff received much of the attention, the Ravens stumbled elsewhere, finishing 31st in kickoff coverage and 24th in punt coverage while allowing three returns for touchdowns in 2011. Adding a return specialist will also be a priority as Baltimore too often settled for

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