General Sports Water Cooler

By Edward Lee, The Baltimore Sun

4:04 p.m. EDT, September 6, 2011

For LaQuan Williams, earning a spot on the Ravens' active roster is just one stage of his mission in the NFL.

"Making the team was just Phase 1," the rookie wide receiver said after Monday's practice at the team's training facility in Owings Mills. "Now I have to master my craft. Just keep standing out and making plays."

Williams' presence on the 53-man roster extends the organization's tradition of finding and cultivating rookie free agents. Williams, a Poly and University of Maryland graduate, joins a group that includes linebackers Bart Scott, Jameel McClain and Dannell Ellerbe, running back Priest Holmes, center Mike Flynn and safety Will Demps.

And like those players, Williams is expected to contribute perhaps early and often.

"He had no other offers to be a free agent anywhere, and here he comes in and makes the team," said coach John Harbaugh, who credited special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg and assistant special teams coach Marwan Maalouf with unearthing Williams. "That's just a great story. It's going to be fun to see where it goes from here. He's on the team for a reason. He's on the team to contribute on special teams and offense, so we'll see how he grows. We'll see what happens."

One area that Williams could make an immediate impact is on kick returns.

David Reed, the primary kick returner in the latter half of 2010, will miss Sunday's season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers while serving a one-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. And Jalen Parmele, who took a majority of kickoffs in the first half of the season, was released by the team on Saturday.

Lardarius Webb is listed as Reed's backup on kick returns, but Webb is also the primary punt returner. And if he plays a lot of snaps as the fifth defensive back in the defense's nickel package, that could open the door for Williams.

Williams did not return a kick for the Terps last season, but he averaged 30.5 yards on two kick returns in the preseason with the Ravens.

Williams said he wasn't sure whether he would be asked to return kicks on Sunday, but he said he was willing to accept the task.

"I'm going to try to make the best opportunity every chance I get,' he said. "I'm just waiting."

Williams also has an outside shot at lining up as the No. 3 wide receiver, but it's believed that he is trailing rookies Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss for the opportunity to play alongside starters Anquan Boldin and Lee Evans.

Even if Williams' appearances against Pittsburgh are limited, he's already proven to be a success story for the students and faculty at Poly. Football coach Roger Wrenn pointed out that Williams is latest in line of NFL players from the school – a list that includes former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman, former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Mike Pitts and former Washington Redskins quarterback Jack Scarbath.

"There's a proud tradition of football players who have come from Poly, but we're extremely proud of him," said Wrenn, who coached at Patterson when Williams was playing at Poly. "… He's a real classy kid, a nice guy. When he comes back to visit, he's always real nice to the current players. He's not at all full of himself."

Williams said he takes being a role model seriously.

"It's always a good thing," he said. "Being a guy from Baltimore City, there's a lot of bad things going on in neighborhoods, and just being a guy that stands out and is different, it's a great feeling."

His emotions will be magnified on Sunday when Williams steps onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium. Williams conceded that he would be a bit nervous, but he also said that he is grateful for reaching this stage in his career.

"Especially being a locker room with guys like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis and Ray Rice, it's definitely surreal," Williams said. "But now, it's to the point where I've kind of gotten used to it, and it's time to step up and be a good player."

Rodney Harrison sucks as a analyst.

By Jamison Hensley, The Baltimore Sun

7:15 p.m. EDT, September 8, 2011

When Joe Flacco breaks the huddle Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, only two players — guards Marshal Yanda and Ben Grubbs — will have more tenure in the Ravens' offense than the fourth-year quarterback.

Sweeping changes have taken place with the NFL's 22nd-ranked offense, their lowest standing since Brian Billick's final season in 2007. In total, 13 of the Ravens' 23 offensive players on the roster are different this year, a 56 percent turnover.

The trade for wide receiver Lee Evans has made the Ravens faster. The signing of All-Pro fullback Vonta Leach has made them tougher. And the late addition of left tackle Bryant McKinnie has made them bigger.

But is the Ravens offense better? Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron undoubtedly thinks so.

"This offense has the potential and the character and the unselfishness to, at some point in time, be the best offense we've had," he said. "Is that in two weeks or four weeks? No. We're not going to know until midway through this season just how good we can really be. If we stay healthy, I'm convinced that this offense can really be special."

Others aren't as sure as Cameron. The Ravens took the biggest losses of any returning playoff team excluding the uncertainty of Peyton Manning's future with the Indianapolis Colts.

A salary-cap predicament forced the Ravens to cut the two leading receivers in franchise history, wide receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap.

The Ravens decided to replace Heap, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals, with young and athletic Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. So, Flacco will be throwing the ball to two tight ends who have combined for one NFL touchdown instead of the franchise's all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (41).

But three-time All-Pro safety Rodney Harrison, who is now an analyst for NBC Sports, has a bigger problem with the Ravens' wide receiver situation. After Mason went to the New York Jets, the Ravens traded a fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Evans.

Harrison described Evans as "stiff" and criticized his route-running and hands.

"To give up Derrick Mason, they went back in terms of talent in that acquisition," Harrison said.

Evans has made an immediate impact in the preseason, totaling a team bests in receiving yards (128) and yards per catch (21.3).

"If Lee Evans can give them a play every other game down the field, he could have a tremendous impact on this offense," said Cris Collinsworth, an analyst for NBC Sports.

Harrison contends that the Ravens made the wrong move at wide receiver.

"I think that's where Baltimore went wrong," he said. "One play every other game is not enough to give up Derrick Mason for that guy. Derrick Mason was a fiery leader who was tough as nails who would block safeties on run plays. Even though he was a little older, he was catching balls down the field. I think they lost a huge chunk of their offense giving up Derrick Mason for Lee Evans."

The other area of concern regarding the Ravens is their offensive line. The projected starting group — McKinnie, Grubbs, Yanda, center Matt Birk and right tackle Michael Oher — didn't take a snap together in the preseason.

Birk missed the entire preseason after having knee surgery on Aug. 3. Yanda was sidelined for the last three preseason games because of back spasms. And McKinnie was signed by the Ravens on Aug. 24, which moved Oher from left to right tackle.

"My gut feeling, being around the Ravens last week, this was a major, major area of concern," said Ron Jaworski, an ESPN analyst. "They needed to address that. We all know Flacco has the big arm. Lee Evans will certainly give them that deep threat that they've never had before. But I think, if you look at that corps on the offensive line, they have to come together if the team is going to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers."

There's no argument that the Ravens have a different look with these new additions.

Evans is faster than Mason. Leach is a more punishing blocker than Le'Ron McClain. And McKinnie is more established and durable than Jared Gaither.

Because they bring different aspects to the Ravens, does it make the offense more versatile?

"We'll have to go out and see. I hope so," Flacco said. "I think we lose some aspects of what we had and we gained some. Hopefully, it's for the better and we go out there and continue to improve. I think it's really starting to show that we're going to be pretty good and we know we can be."

The Ravens' offense peaked last season at the end of November, when it ranked No. 12 in the NFL. The steady decline of 10 spots in the final month of the season led to the Ravens bottoming out in a 31-24 playoff loss at Pittsburgh.

The Ravens turned the ball over three times in the third quarter, dropped two critical passes in the fourth quarter and managed 126 total yards — the fewest in the Ravens' 15-game postseason history and the third-lowest in the team's existence.

Cameron expects the Ravens to reverse that trend this season because all of the major additions on offense came during training camp.

Evans will learn more about the Ravens' passing game. Leach will build a rapport with Ray Rice. And McKinnie will develop a chemistry with the other offensive linemen.

"With Joe's growth — combine that with a tremendous fullback, another speed receiver — it can't help but make you better," Cameron said. "Offensively, we've been kind of hanging on at the end of the season for the last few years. This seems like a group that will continue to grow."

Cameron added, "I don't think we'll struggle early, but we should continue to get better and expect ourselves to get better each and every week."

jamison.hensley@baltsun.com

The time is now. Flacco needs to be the QB that we all know he can be.

_______________

I don't think the loss of Mason will be felt as much as the loss of Heap.

If Boldin can fill in what Mason provided the last several years (solid intermediate threat) and Evans can fill a more vertical role, then I don't think it's a huge difference.

But until the Dickson/Pitta combo performs in games, the TE game is a big question mark.

I think we at least made up for our offensive losses if not got better. My 2 keys for the season:

1. O-line staying healthy, gelling and being consistent
2. Cam Cameron not being a poosay play caller

Blind homerism. Heap was a fine player, but he's not elite anymore.

At the very top of the list are, in whatever order you want:

Gates
Finley
Witten
Clark
Davis
Daniels
Gonzalez (even with his rapid declining)

Heap is not in their class. Not even close. I also wouldn't currently take him over any of those guys OR guys like Pettigrew, Gronkowski, Keller, or Hernandez. There's 11 right there.

I'd put him currently somewhere in the class with like Zach Miller, Chris Cooley, Visante Shiancoe, and Brett Celek.

Solid player but most definitely no longer top 10 at his position. Get out of 2004.

Agreed. Heap was a much better blocker last year than he was back in his receiving heyday.

But he still was not a top 10 TE. Sorry. He was a good player who was overpaid and aging on a team that had just drafted 2 TEs a year prior.

That's the main point. The writing was on the wall when we drafted thoes 2. No one denies Heap was still a productive player, but he was paid too high for his production and we had just drafted his replacement. Sucks because he was definitely one of my favorite players and it seems like he's been around forever, but time moves on.

Good for you.

Also note that in 2010 that list doesn't include guys like Daniels, Clark, and Finley who missed significant time and are clearly ahead of Heap when healthy.

Also I would take Heap anyday over Kellen Winslow for whatever that's worth.

Nothing you said changes anything though. It was time to move on.

On a purely physical level...no, he will not be missed.. Dickson and Pitta are younger and of course faster, quicker, etc. But what you're missing, and especially in the 1st gme against Pitt, is the veteran knowledge that comes with the experience Heap had. Heap was crucial to our success besides just catching the ball. That doesn't mean Dickson and Pitta can't get there...just that they might miss a block here and there where Heap wouldn't have. They might run the wrong route on a crucial 3rd down where Heap wouldn't have. They might not put their body on the line while trying to catch a 3rd down pass over the middle like Heap has. They might not recognize a certain coverage and run the wrong option route, etc, etc, etc

It will be interesting to watch the 3rd down plays...whether Dickson or Pitta are targeted and whether they make the play.

Anyway this is a stupid argument because it really doesn't matter if Heap goes out and catches 100 balls for 1200 yards and 20 TDs it wouldn't change the fact that it was the right time and the right call to let him walk.

ravensterps vs malik is the new cowboy vs malik