OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Good afternoon from 1 Winning Drive as the Baltimore Ravens have concluded Day 2 of their first minicamp. The biggest news to come out of Owings Mills this afternoon is the status of tackle Jared Gaither.
After it became official—at least as official as it gets for early May—that Michael Oher was shifting to left tackle and Gaither to the right side, Gaither was absent from practice on Saturday due to an undisclosed injury. Gaither was not present in the locker room for the media availability following practice, so the status of the fourth-year player remains in question. There was no mention of any potential injury following Friday’s practice.
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron would not discuss any specifics of the injury, but that’s nothing new with the Baltimore coaching staff.
“I don’t know that it’s any one thing,” Cameron said. “I think it’s just maybe a series of things. I don’t want to say any one specific play [that it happened].”
How’s that for dancing around a question?
Cameron was also complimentary of Oniel Cousins, who took Gaither’s place at the starting right tackle position on Saturday.
Of course, speculation persists about the possibility of Gaither being traded. The team linked most recently with Gaither is the Buffalo Bills, as reports have come out this week regarding their interest in the Ravens tackle.
**Be sure to head to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear from Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison, Jerry Rosburg, Terrence Cody, and Paul Kruger at WNST.net!**
— Rookie defensive tackle Terrence Cody spoke to reporters after practice and reiterated his excitement in joining the vaunted Baltimore defense, led by Ray Lewis.
“I’m getting a lot of positive feedback [from Lewis],” Cody said. “We have a lot of fun meetings and stuff. When I make a good play and help him out, he’s happy and I’m happy.”
With his weight and conditioning clearly being a concern, Cody said the team is happy with his current weight, and the goal is still for him to be between 330 and 335 pounds for the season.
— In weight-related news on the opposite end of the spectrum, Paul Kruger talked about the adjustment he’s facing in gaining weight for his shift to defensive end. Kruger looks noticeably bigger after bulking up to 275 pounds from the 260 at which he played in his rookie season.
“It’s like wearing a backpack of rocks,” Kruger said. “My body’s not used to this weight. I’m still trying to adjust at this weight and running around. In the weight room I feel fine, I feel stronger and everything, but when we get on the field and start practicing, that’s when I can definitely notice a difference.”
— Rookie offensive tackle Ramon Harewood was carted off the field during practice and did not return. He’s expected to miss three or four weeks with a right knee injury.
“Obviously, we hope for the best,” said Cameron, who did not have an update on the sixth-round pick when he spoke to the media after practice.
