If you're a pro football fan, you have to tip your hat to Marshal Yanda--- or any Pro Bowl player who voluntarily restructures their contract for the betterment of the team.

You won't see this in pro baseball or basketball... maybe in hockey...This is a star athlete who knew his home team was up against a salary cap issue... and stepped up to help solve the accounting problem.


Marshal Yanda (#73), in his 6th year out of Iowa, G, 6-3, 315, is recognized as one of the best guards in the NFL...

Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda has permitted the Baltimore Ravens to restructure his contract, the Carroll County Times reported on Thursday.

Yanda's base salary will drop from $4.5 million to the veteran minimum of $700,000, but he'll get a $3.8 million signing bonus, prorated over the remaining four years of his five-year, $32 million contract.

It will help the Ravens save $2.8 million from Yanda's salary-cap figure for 2012. Yanda is entering his sixth season in the league, all with the Ravens.

Prior to the restructure, the Ravens were about $1.5 million under the cap.

The downside to the restructure is that Yanda's cap numbers in 2013, 2014 and 2015 will increase by $950,000. Yanda's new cap numbers those seasons are $7.45 million (2013) and $8.45 million in 2014 and 2015.

Earlier this week, Ravens signed free agent defensive tackle Ryan McBean to a one-year contract worth $1,214,286....which is a strange amount until you factor in that if McBean makes the 53-man roster, he will serve a three-game suspension at the start of the season. Therefore, McBean will earn 14/17ths of his base salary rate, which comes to $1 million (and 24 cents).

McBean is 6-5, 305, and 28 years old, former Steelers and Denver Broncos DT... McBean was drafted by the Steelers out of Oklahoma State in the 4th round of the 2007 Draft... He was signed to the practice squad of the Denver Broncos on September 1, 2008. He became a starter at the defensive end position for the 2009-2010 season under coach Josh McDaniels. In March 2012 he was suspended for three games after failing a drug test.  So I don't really know where this signing is headed other than as a hedge bet by the Ravens against mid-season injuries along the defensive line.

Haloti Ngata, the great defensive tackle for the Ravens, has recuperated from some minor surgery to repair a thigh muscle. I didn't even remember his being hurt last year in any way that would have affected his game. But there it was in my inbox--- a link to a report from Sarah Ellison of the Ravens just released that indeed Haloti was not at 100% for much of the 2011 season.


Father and child... the Ngata family is growing...

We knew Ngata was exhausted from the season, where he started all 18 games (16 regular season and two playoff games) and played through pain at the end of the year. But I did not realize how serious his thigh injury was...

“The year was probably the hardest, the worst I’ve felt at the end of the season,” he said. “We went further and I think I played more snaps last year than other years. This past season took a lot out of me. And that loss to New England just kind of sucked, so it took a little bit more.”

Ngata did have a procedure after the season, as he battled a thigh injury that held him out of practice at times during the year. Despite the injury, he still had a highly productive season, as he earned his third straight Pro Bowl nod and was a leader in the middle of a Ravens defense that finished second in the league against the run. He totaled 65 tackles, five sacks and three fumble recoveries throughout the season.

After taking time to recover, Ngata is now gearing up for this seventh NFL season. “I feel really good,” he said. “I’m just training and trying to eat healthy, communicating with the coaches.”

Part of Ngata’s goal for the offseason is to add some weight. He played at about 330 pounds last year, but would like to be closer to 340 pounds for this season. “I think I could probably push the pocket better with a little more weight,” he said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Ngata has primarily been training in his offseason home of Salt Lake City, but he decided to come to the team’s facility in Owings Mills this week to work out and visit with the coaching staff. He also spent time talking with teammates and meeting some of the new rookies on the roster.

“I just wanted to come in for a week to see the coaches and let them see me, let them know I’ve been working out,” he said. “There’s a lot of new faces that you’ve got to get to know now. It’s fun to see the rookies wide eyed and excited, but also kind of nervous.”

“We are going to miss Terrell Suggs [OLB who is out with an Achilles surgical rehab in progress] but I think we’re always going to be a great defense. A lot of it has to do with the veterans helping out the rookies as much as they can, and the rookies doing their best trying to fill in that spot. I think we have a lot of guys that could do well. We’ll see what goes on during camp.”

Thanks to Ryan Mink, who is one of the Ravens' official PR writers and bloggers, we get to eavesdrop on a bunch of "inside impressions" of what just happened in Baltimore's rookie camp.


Guard/tackle Kelechi Osemele (6-6, 333) made a great impression on inside observers, according to Ryan Mink, who was there...

Here's how Ryan Mink recorded his "impressions":

• It’s easy to see why Eric DeCosta called Courtney Upshaw a “junkyard dog.” He’s built like defensive end Pernell McPhee, but Upshaw is up moving around at different positions. It makes sense considering Upshaw is just an inch shorter and eight pounds lighter than McPhee.
• Upshaw’s arms are huge.
• Upshaw’s strength was obvious, even when it wasn’t real contact. Coaches stressed it was all about fundamentals, but offensive players will know when Upshaw puts his hands on him.
• Upshaw did a very nice job in coverage on a couple instances. He recognized a swing pass on one play, and would have had a tackle for loss, drawing praise from Linebackers Coach Ted Monachino. He also had a tipped pass that was picked off.
• Guard/tackle Kelechi Osemele is massive. He looks like a bigger version of Michael Oher. He’s got active feet and looks very athletic for his 6-foot-5, 333-pound frame. He looks like he can maul people at guard.
• Wide receiver Tommy Streeter is more physically defined than expected. Maybe he’s been hitting the weight room this spring.
• Streeter can pluck the ball away from his frame. He had a few impressive catches both behind his body, low and high. He hasn’t grabbed any deep bombs yet.
• Streeter has some competition in the big-boy wide receiver battle. Undrafted rookie free agent Lamont Bryant of Morgan State is 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. That’s an inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Streeter.
• Syracuse receiver Dorian Graham and Florida wideout Deonte Thompson can fly.
• Cornerback Asa Jackson has moxie. He plays with confidence and combines it with major speed and quickness out of his breaks. He broke on a couple balls that could have been interceptions.
• Rookie free agent kicker Justin Tucker hit a 55-yard field goal to end practice. The other rookies applauded him.

Nice. Ryan Mink gives me the flavor of what it must have been like to be inside the ropes at drills.

Meanwhile, Ray Rice is no closer to signing his franchise tender...but says he's in shape and ready to return to work as soon as a contract is worked out.

“I actually have the burning to desire to come back, not only for myself, but to come back ready to play,” Rice said at Calvert Hall during the first Ray Rice Day in Baltimore. It is Ray's free football camp for area kids. As the free camp opened for more than 700 children Saturday morning, Rice talked with the media about his off-season training, emphasizing that he’s in great shape despite not participating in the Ravens voluntary conditioning program during his contract negotiations.

“Training is something that I never worried about,” Rice said. “My training has always been part of my routine. Nobody ever had to beat me in the head to work out.”

Rice didn’t talk about the ongoing contract negotiations, but the Ravens have repeatedly said that they are continuing to negotiate with his agent Todd France. The Ravens applied the franchise tag to Rice for this year, but he has yet to sign the tag and is hoping to get a long term deal. The two sides have until July 16 to work out a new deal, or else Rice would have to play the 2012 season under the franchise tag. 

Jacoby Jones helped out the Ravens in the playoffs last season...as a punt returner for the Texans. Wonder if the Ravens are messing with destiny by signing him for 2012 as a wide receiver and return specialist for a 2-year deal worth a reported $7 million ?...

Sorry, that's a cynical way to put it. At age 28, Jacoby Jones represents a good value acquisition by the Ravens. He's certainly more valuable than Lee Evans at wideout, can also play the slot, and can still tack on major yardage after the catch. Plus, when he's not messing up a punt, he's pretty darn good at returning it.



Jacoby Jones, WR/PR/KR, 6-3, 212, Lane College, 3rd Round, 2007 NFL Draft (pick#73)...Compound measurables include 4.5 in the'40, vertical leap 34", broad jump 129"...



After visiting Carolina and Baltimore, former Texans wide receiver Jacoby Jones chose the Ravens. Jones, 28, was placed on waivers  by the Texans last season. Signing with the Ravens to become their third receiver behind Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith means Jones will be reunited with his former Texans teammates – fullback Vonta Leach and strong safety Bernard Pollard.

Agent Kennard McGuire negotiated a two-year, $7 million contract. Jones would have made $3 million this year had he remained with the Texans. Interestingly, Jones is going to Baltimore, where his muffed punt in the AFC divisional-round loss to the Ravens, was the beginning of the end of his career with the Texans. Fans and media turned on him to a point where McGuire asked the Texans to release him after they failed to trade him last week

Entering his sixth NFL season, Jones, 27, has played in 75 career games, making 21 starts. Originally selected by the Houston Texans out of Lane College in the third round of the 2007 draft, Jones made a career-high 10 starts last season while playing in all 16 games.

In five seasons with Houston, Jones produced 127 catches for 1,741 receiving yards (13.7 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He’s also posted a 10.2-yard average on punt returns (179 for 1,820) and a 23.3-yard kickoff return average (64 for 1,490). Jones also has four total career return touchdowns – three via punt return and one kickoff return.

"Adding Jacoby gives us another proven downfield weapon in our passing game and production with our returns,” Newsome stated. “His experience makes the offense better, and the competition he brings can help raise our levels at receiver and with punt and kickoff returns."

This defensive back is possibly the best-value corner in the NFL right now...What makes it so is Cary Williams is a pearl picked late by Tennessee in the 7th round of the 2008 Draft (pick #229) and was subsequently cut and signed by the Ravens off the Titans' practice squad in 2009. So he has been a bargain since the day he signed a free-agent contract with the Ravens. The other thing that makes him a great value: he's really good at coverage and tackling, and he's getting better...


Cary Williams (#29 above), born in Miami, 6-1, 185, 5th year out of Washburn University (Division II) in Topeka, Kansas where he was a D2 All-American performer. Williams posted a 4.43 time in the '40 and a vertical leap of 32.5" at his Pro Day pre-draft workout. In his first season with the Ravens in 2009, he played special teams and made 8 tackles...He saw some additional duty in the secondary of the Ravens in the later part of the 2010 season...Finally in 2011, he earned his first NFL start at cornerback alongside Lardarius Webb in the Ravens opener against Pittsburgh. Williams was sensational as he recorded 5 tackles and dominated Steelers' star receiver Mike Wallace...

Cary Williams will make just shy of $2 million this year with the Ravens.  He just signed his RFA tender with the club for 2012. It's not the big-time long-term contract he was seeking. But he realizes he is coming off some offseason surgery (torn labrum in hip), and will have to prove all over again he is worth a bigger investment.

Ryan Mink of the Ravens PR department announced the signing on Monday, May 7.

Williams signed his $1.972 million second-round tender, taking the Ravens’ final restricted free agent off the market. The fifth-year cornerback had hip surgery to repair a torn labrum on Feb. 15, and has been rehabbing and waiting to see what happened with contract negotiations before returning.

He said there hasn’t been talk of a long-term contract extension since the draft. “Hopefully we’ll get back to the table,” Williams said. “But right now I just want to rehab and make sure my hip is right and that I can play at a high level. Contract talks can go from there. I just want to make sure that I can play for the Ravens this season.”

Williams became a first-time starter last year, lining up opposite Lardarius Webb for all 16 games. He notched 78 tackles, 18 pass deflections and two forced fumbles. He was playing the final seven weeks of the regular season and playoffs in pain.

Williams hurt himself during the Seattle Seahawks game on Nov. 13. He thought it might go away, but the problem persisted and would shoot pain down his right leg when he opened his hips inside. Williams has his range of motion back now and says he’s at about 80 percent. He is hoping to be back on the field in time for the Ravens’ minicamp starting June 11, but expects to definitely be fully healthy in time for training camp.

“That’s already set in stone,” Williams said. “I’m eager to get out there and run with the guys. My body is saying, ‘Yeah, it’s that time.’ But I just can’t. I’m just trying to stay within the limits and take it slow.”

Williams will compete with second-year cornerback Jimmy Smith to keep his starting spot. Smith earned more playing time as the season went on last year, and notched two interceptions in the regular season and another in the playoffs.

“I welcome competition. I’ve competed all my life,” Williams said. “I think all the guys are excited about the opportunity. We understand what we had last year and this year we’re going to be tested with the schedule. We’re all happy about the situation. It doesn’t matter who’s out there or who the three may be or whatever order you’re in. Regardless, we’re three of the top corners in the league and we’re going to be a force for a lot of people out there on Sundays.”

My guess is Williams will be totally ready to play at his highest level by around mid-October. That's fine, no need to rush his recovery... and it will be perfect timing to supplement the Ravens' depth at defensive back just as Baltimore heads into the crunch-time part of its grueling 2012 schedule. 

At $2 million, Cary Williams is more than a bargain..he is a steal.

I need to apologize to both Bryant McKinnie and the Ravens for nicknaming McKinnie "Moby Grape" when he was signed by the Ravens last season....

McKinnie is trimmed down and disciplining himsef weight-wise as a dedicated Ravens professional... and that is a healthy decision for both the offensive tackle and the Ravens.



McKinnie and the Ravens are closely monitoring his weight this offseason. The 32-year-old veteran is the only player of his experience level participating in the Ravens’ voluntary offseason strength and conditioning program. The larger goal is for McKinnie to get back to his Pro Bowl level of 2009. Asked if he could  ccomplish that, McKinnie said “Yeah, that’s why I’m here.”

McKinnie was released by the Minnesota Vikings last offseason after reports that he arrived at training camp weighing close to 400 pounds. He said he kept in shape until about last May, when he lost focus with no end to the lockout in sight. He turned to his second passion and career of music production, which meant he started eating the wrong foods at the wrong times and missing workouts. This year, McKinnie said he has somebody else running the studio.

McKinnie met with Ravens coaches in mid-March before the team reportedly picked up his roster bonus. “They just wanted to see what I looked like physically, make sure I didn’t balloon up,” McKinney said with a laugh. “It was important for them to see me here working and for me to take advantage of the time we have in the classroom.”

Coaches asked him what weight he felt was best to get back to his Pro Bowl self, and to have a healthier lifestyle. McKinnie told them 350 pounds. He currently weighs 365, so he’s aiming to drop 15 pounds.

“That would be that perfect weight, because when you get too light people start pushing you around,” McKinnie said. “That would take away my advantage. I felt like from a fatigue standpoint, being able to play at a high level throughout the game, that’s something I want to be able to do. I don’t want to be three-quarters [speed]. Certain games, I felt like I was feeling really good. Some of them I was just beat down.”

McKinnie also feels this offseason will allow him to hone his game. The Ravens signed him on August 24 last year, just a day before their third preseason game. He was immediately thrown into the starting left tackle spot. McKinnie said he never really had time last year to work on his technique. He was playing catch-up for much of the season.

“I was learning everything. I was learning people’s names here, learning the offense. It was just a lot at one time,” he said. “I was kind of free styling [in games] a little bit from stuff I knew. Now I have time to get in and practice.”

The 11-year veteran said the coaches also want him to step into more of a leadership position on the line, including tutoring second-year tackle/guard Jah Reid and now tackle/guard Kelechi Osemele. They want him to share techniques with his coaches too.

The 6-foot-8 McKinnie can be dominant. He was the only new addition on the line last year, and the Ravens cut down on sacks and rushed for more yards. He’s also durable, starting all 16 games in eight of the past nine seasons.

“Everything last year was a learning experience,” McKinnie said. “Now that I’ve been through it, I’m ready.”

It was disconserting to say the least, and the Ravens took their sweet time in owning up to the reality: their Pro Bowl OLB pass-rusher supreme Terrell Suggs ripped up his achilles tendon while working out on his own in Arizona yesterday...

No doubt many members of the Pittsburgh Steelers are enjoying a little bit of shaddenfreude over this turn of events...


Suggs says it's "just" a partial tear, and he'll be ready to go by late October... me, I'm guessing rehab takes a bit longer...He'll most likely not be ready to play again until January 2013...

While all of this bad news was going down, Eric DeCosta (Ravens director of player personnel) did a live call-in show on Ravens.com...  DeCosta was asked which Ravens 2012 draft pick was his favorite.

And his answer may not be the one you would expect.

“I think the favorite pick was probably [guard/center Gino] Gradkowski,” DeCosta said during a live chat with fans.

“He was a sleeper player for us who was a consensus favorite amongst the scouts and coaches. I think he’s smart and a tough guy, physical, very good athlete.” The Ravens took Gradkowski with the third pick in the fourth round (No. 98 overall), a selection acquired by trading back out of the first round on Day 1. The Delaware product picked up steam in the later stages of the recruiting process, and Baltimore was happy to snag him.

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King said that when he called around the league before the draft asking for players general managers and coaches liked, Gradkowski came up a few times. “He’ll have the chance to solve a long-term problem for a gritty offensive team,” King wrote.

Upshaw Is The Biggest Steal according to Herm Edwards...

ESPN analyst Herm Edwards called Courtney Upshaw the biggest steal of the draft at the conclusion of Day 2. DeCosta agrees that Upshaw was quite the bargain at pick No. 35. He predicted Upshaw will be the Ravens’ biggest steal of this draft class when looking back three years from now.

“He’s a guy that should pay dividends for us as a pass rusher and run defender,” DeCosta said. “He comes from a top program and should fit in very quickly.” DeCosta said the Ravens had Upshaw in their top-20 players. He would have taken him at No. 29.

“We had taken several trade offers and we were weighing whether to draft Courtney in the first round or roll the dice and try to get him in the top of the second,” DeCosta said. “In the end we decided to take the risk, knowing we would gain an additional draft pick.”

The Ravens made the right call, as five teams passed on Upshaw and Baltimore got its man.

The Ravens got stronger as a result of the 2012 Draft and subsequent UDFA signings. When you consider their built-in handicap of picking from the 29th slot, the Ravens ended up with a nice haul of new talent. In particular, keep your eyes on Courtney Upshaw and Bernard Pierce for almost immediate contributions to the new season...

But the rest of the AFC North got stronger, too.



Here's a summary of the rivals' drafts...with a nice little write-up by Garrett Downing of the Ravens NFL.com website to tie things together:

Cleveland Browns

Round 1 (3): RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
Round 1 (22): QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
Round 2 (37): T Mitchell Scwartz, California
Round 3 (87): DT John Hughes, Cincinnati
Round 4 (100): WR Travis Bengamin, Miami
Round 4 (120): ILB James-Michael Johnson, Nevada
Round 5 (160): G Ryan Miller, Colorado
Round 6 (204): OLB Emmanuel Acho, Texas
Round 6 (205): DT Billy Winn, Boise State
Round 7 (245): CB Tevin Wade, Arizona
Round 7 (247): TE Brad Smelley, Alabma

The Browns made a splash just before the draft opened on Thursday, giving up three picks to move up one spot to No. 3 and get Richardson. The Alabama product was widely considered the best running back in the draft, and he is expected to make an immediate impact on the Browns offense. Cleveland also took Weeden to become the team’s new starting quarterback, replacing Colt McCoy who struggled in his first full season as a starter. Adding Richardson and Weeden was key for Cleveland in their overhaul of their struggling offense.

“Their getting a guy like Trent then getting a quarterback – but not only a quarterback – a quarterback that has some maturity, I think that learning curve may be a lot shorter with him,” Ozzie Newsome said. “They did a good job.”

Cincinnati Bengals

Round 1 (17): CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
Round 1 (27): G Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
Round 2 (53): DT Devon Still, Penn State
Round 3 (83): WR Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers
Round 3 (93): DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson
Round 4 (116): TE Orson Charles, Georgia
Round 5 (156): CB Shaun Prater, Iowa
Round 5 (166): WR Marvin Jones, California
Round 5 (167): FS George Iloka, Boise State
Round 6 (191): RB Dan Herron, Ohio State

The Bengals took advantage of the deal they made during the offseason to trade quarterback Carson Palmer to the Raiders, giving them two first-round picks in this year’s draft. Cincinnati picked up Kirkpatrick, who was one of the top cover corners in the draft.

They also solidified a spot on their offensive line by taking Zeitler, who some analysts predicted as a target for the Ravens. Adding Sanu in the third round was a value pick for the Bengals, as Sanu was projected as a likely second-round pick.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Round 1 (24): G David DeCastro, Stanford
Round 2 (56): OT Mike Adams, Ohio State
Round 3 (86): LB Sean Spence, Miami
Round 4 (109): DT Alameda Ta’amu, Washington
Round 5 (159): RB Chris Rainey, Florida
Round 7 (231): WR Toney Clemons, Colorado

The Steelers didn’t have nearly as many picks as the Bengals or Browns, but they took advantage of the ones they had by nabbing some falling prospects to re-build their offensive line. DeCastro was the top guard prospect in the draft, but he went later than expected, falling to the end of the first round. Adams was considered a first-round prospect early in the pre-draft process, but he failed a drug test at the combine and that likely contributed to his fall. Picking him up in the second round is a tremendous value pick based on his potential.

DeCastro and Adams will likely start for the Steelers right away, giving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger some more protection in front of him.

They don't get the big network publicity, but these guys have as good a shot as making the Ravens as anybody drafted between 4 and 7...


I like Nick Jean-Baptiste's chances to make either the Ravens roster or the PS8 squad...

The Ravens spent the hours after the 2012 draft agreeing to terms with undrafted free agent rookies. Here’s a list of the players they plan to sign, all pending physicals, according to the Carroll County Times:

Chris Anzevino - C, Kent State
John Brantley - QB, Florida
Charles Brown - CB, North Carolina
Lamont Bryant - TE, Morgan State
James Carmon - T, Mississippi State
Jack Cornell - G, Illinois
Chad Diehl - FB, Clemson
Bruce Figgins - FB, Georgia
Devin Goda - WR, Slippery Rock
Dorian Graham - WR, Syracuse
Elliott Henigan - DT, UAB
Nick Jean-Baptiste - DT, Baylor
Austin Johnson - LB, Tennessee
Ishmaa’ily Kitchen - DT, Kent State
Antoine McClain - G/T, Clemson
Alfred McCullough - G, Alabama
Nick Provo - TE, Syracuse
Chyl Quarles - S, Wake Forest
Bobby Rainey - RB, Western Kentucky
Deonte Thompson - WR, Florida
Justin Tucker - K, Texas

One year after a player with local connections, former Maryland receiver and Baltimore native LaQuan Williams, made the team as an undrafted free agent, the Ravens added another. The 6-5-, 225 pound Bryant caught 21 passes for Morgan State in 2011.

Jean-Baptiste, a 335-pound nose tackle, is an interesting prospect for the defensive interior. He had four sacks, 8.5 tackles for losses and 36 overall tackles for Baylor, and could challenge for a roster spot backing up Terrence Cody.

No big headlines for the Ravens' picks in rounds 4 through 7... nothing to merit or mimic Herman Edwards calling of their pick of Alabama's Courtney Upshaw in the 2nd round "the steal of the Draft"...

Just some solid, roster-building picks which had Ozzie Newsome's signature on each one...


Gino Gradkowski... something tells me if this kid makes it, Baltimore fans will end up loving him... a great personality.

4th round: Baltimore selected Delaware Blue Hen center/guard Gino Gradkowski with the 98th-overall pick in the fourth round on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.

The Ravens re-signed center Matt Birk this offseason, but he’s in the final stages of his career. Gradkowski is slated to back him up while further learning the position from the former Pro Bowler. For now, Gradkowski envisions himself entering the competition with Jah Reid and second-round pick Kelechi Osemele at left guard.

“Come in and maybe play guard my first year and eventually take over at center,” Gradkowski said. “That’s what I’m looking to do. Being behind a veteran like Matt Birk, I’m excited to meet him and pick his brain about football. It’s the perfect scenario and I couldn’t be happier.”

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Gradkowski is a two-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection after transferring from West Virginia where he spent his first two years. Gradkowski is known for his blocking technique, grittiness and leadership, a player that stresses the fundamentals of the game. He’s a blue-collar player.

“I’m elated right now because Baltimore plays football the way it’s supposed to be played,” Gradkowski said.

The Pittsburgh native prides himself on being athletic too. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.25 seconds at his campus pro day workout and put up 29 bench press reps. Gradkowski is the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, so he’s got football in his veins.

Next, the Ravens selected safety Christian Thompson (South Carolina State) in the fourth round (130th-overall pick) of the draft, adding to him to a secondary that was looking for depth at safety.

“We are extremely excited,” Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees said Saturday. “We had him very high on our board on defense and are really kind of shocked that he was still there in the fourth round. To get a guy that we had ranked as high as we had him ranked, I wanted to hug Ozzie. That was a great pick.”

Thompson (6-foot-0, 211 pounds), an Auburn transfer, will likely serve as a backup behind Reed and strong safety Bernard Pollard. He played both free and strong safety in college and was an All-Mid Eastern Athletic Conference selection last season, finishing the year with 66 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and two pass deflections. The Ravens needed help at the safety spot after losing veterans Tom Zbikowski and Haruki Nakamura to free agency this offseason.  Bringing in Thompson fills an immediate need on the defense and he will also likely be expected to play on special teams.

“We always talk about taking the best available, but he wasn’t only the best available, but you get a two-run homer when you also get a need filled,” Pees said.

Thompson has solid speed and a reputation as a big hitter. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 seconds at the NFL scouting combine, where he was one of just two players invited from the HBCU (historically black colleges and universities). “He’s big, physical,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s a hard hitter. He really gets after people.”

Next pick: Baltimore once again went to a small school to select cornerback Asa “Ace” Jackson out of Cal Poly with the 169^th pick in the fifth round Saturday afternoon. Jackson is a smooth, sudden athlete who has major speed. He ran a 4.44-second, 40-yard dash at the combine.

“He’ll be a guy that can go out there and compete,” Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta said. “We’re not going to anoint him as the punt and kick returner, but we think he has a chance to compete.”

Jackson averaged 14.06 yards per punt return, the third-best among active college players in the FCS. He is just the second player in Cal Poly history to get an invitation to the Senior Bowl, and in many ways carried his team last season.

“He doesn’t have extensive experience doing [kick and punt return], but he’s pretty good,” DeCosta said. “He’s a quick-footed guy, he’s got some suddenness … you can see some burst and some twitch.”

Baltimore’s main punt returner last year was cornerback Lardarius Webb, but Head Coach John Harbaugh has said he would prefer to take him off main return duties considering he’s the team’s top cornerback. The Ravens’ kick returner, wide receiver David Reed, is coming off a season-ending knee injury. His replacement, Tom Zbikowski, departed via free agency.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pound Jackson can also provide more depth in the secondary. He is a four-time first team All Great West Conference cornerback. A four-year starter, he never allowed a touchdown reception in man coverage while lining up at “boundary” cornerback.

6th Round: Baltimore selected Miami’s Tommy Streeter in the sixth round (198th-overall pick), adding a big target for quarterback Joe Flacco.

“At the time he was the best player on our board,” Ravens Director of Player Personnel Eric DeCosta said. “We were excited about him. It’s unusual to get a receiver with that kind of size who can run like that.” Streeter (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) had eight touchdowns and 811 yards on 46 receptions last season.

Some draft pundits had the redshirt junior graded as a second-round prospect, mostly because of his physical stature, but he ended up sliding to the back of the sixth round after having just one year of big-time production. Streeter had six combined catches during his first two seasons before breaking out last year. In addition to being a tall target, Streeter also showed good speed at the NFL scouting combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.40 seconds.

“He’s a size, speed receiver,” Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. “You get someone like that, our coaches are really, really happy to work with that guy.”

He has the size and speed to stretch the field as a vertical threat, but the knock on him is that he’s still raw and runs unpolished routes. Miami capitalized on his size, using him as a red-zone threat where he could take advantage of his ability to win jump balls over smaller defensive backs. That jump-ball ability in the red zone is something that could likely make an immediate impact on the Ravens offense because they currently don’t have a receiver as big as Streeter. 

He will likely compete for the No. 3 wide receiver spot behind Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. The other candidates for that position are Tandon Doss, Laquan Williams and David Reed. Putting Streeter on the edge opposite Smith could give the Ravens another dynamic deep threat, especially if Streeter develops the way that Smith did last season. 

Adding a weapon to the receiving corps is something that Ozzie Newsome set out to do at the start of the offseason. The Ravens had veteran Lee Evans as the No. 3 receiver last year, but he was hobbled by an ankle injury and finished the season with just four catches. Outside of Boldin and Smith, no other receiver had more than four catches.

7th round: Baltimore selected defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson out of Georgia with the 236th -overall pick in the seventh round.

He can step into a defensive line mix that lost defensive tackle Brandon McKinney and defensive end Cory Redding to free agency in the offseason. The 6-foot-2, 315 pound senior is an interior run-stuffer. “The [defensive line] is another area where you can’t have too many players,” Newsome said.

He has the size to play in both the three and five technique. He sheds blocks well and is strong against offensive linemen. Tyson is a high-effort player who is also good in the open field, which means he could be a strong special teams player.

Tyson was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game and was honored with one of Georgia’s Coaches Leadership Awards. He started all 11 games in which he appeared, making 20 tackles with 3.5 for loss and 11 quarterback pressures.

Put it all together--- I give this draft a B+....  and Courtney Upshaw is the icing on the cake.