Just some talk about the draft this weekend, and some players the Ravens have been looking at.  After trading for Anquan Boldin, the talk of going for a receiver in the first round has gone from very, very loud to almost nonexistent.  As of now, I’d say it’s a 60% chance of a cornerback, 30% chance of a defensive end and (this is new), a 10% chance of a running back. The running back is new, and a bit compelling.

Note: The Watch List has been updated

Devin McCourty has emerged as a contender for the #25 selection after a strong workout in front of Ravens scouts. (Source: ScarletKnights.com)

• Devin McCourty seems to be the most talked about name currently.  Aaron Wilson says that he performed well for the Ravens, and his stock seems to be soaring.  Wilson also says that Joe Horitz was attending, the Ravens’ Director of College Scouting.  Remember that Eric DeCosta previously held that position, so Horitz has a lot of influence in the war room come April.
• A guy that got very little buzz in terms of the Ravens until this week is Jahvid Best.  The SF Chronicle’s Ron Kroichick reports that only one running backs coach in the NFL came to Best’s Pro Day at Cal.  The one coach? Wilbert Montgormery, of the Baltimore Ravens. I don’t know why Best is being pursued by the Ravens, but Ozzie Newsome tends to know what he’s doing, so I’ll bite my tongue.
• We hear from Aaron Wilson again, this time commenting on BYU tight end Dennis Pitta.  Apparently he also performed well at BYU’s Pro Day, and the Ravens were in attendance. It’s almost certain that the Ravens will select a tight end at some point in the draft. Pitta is expected to go in either the 2nd or 3rd round, so the Ravens may look his way.

I’ll be posting what will be a regular Sunday feature, where I go through all of the mock drafts in the past week on DC Pro Sports Report’s database, and breaking down who is projected at #25.  Last time was basically a battle between Arrelious Benn and Golden Tate. This time will definitely be a bit more competitive.  Should be interesting to see how it breaks out.

It has been reported that offensive lineman Adam Terry has agreed to a one-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. The oft-injured tackle was a second round pick after a prolific career at Syracuse, and has been in a Ravens uniform since 2005. Out of the 80 possible games, Terry only played in 48 (18 were starts) and didn’t play at all last season after going on the IR in training camp.  The versatile tackle was a restricted free agent, but because the Ravens didn’t tender him, he was free to sign with any team.

It’s doubtful that Terry will start with the Colts, but he will add invaluable depth on their offensive line.  A player that was involved in the community more than the average NFL player, Terry’s presence will definitely be missed by the Ravens, even if his career in purple and black didn’t turn out as planned on the field.

Ray Rice became a huge threat catching the ball out of the backfield in 2009. (Source: Yardbarker)

Last season was a career year for Ray Rice.  A pro bowler, one of the best offensive performers in the NFL and contributing big plays week in and week out, Rice was what made this Ravens offense roll this season.  He had an astounding 78 receptions, and if Joe Flacco’s first option wasn’t open, it was almost automatically thrown to Rice.  The two had a good dynamic, albeit overused, but I digress. The question is how Anquan Boldin will affect Rice’s production, especially in the passing game.

Boldin is a force in the passing game.  Putting him, a top-flight possession receiver, along with Derrick Mason, also a guy great at pulling in passes, will mean a lot of nice gains in the passing game.  Will that make Rice a non-factor receiving the ball out of the backfield, not even considering the addition of Donte Stallworth?  Rice rattled off two huge, huge gains after receptions at Minnesota that kept the Ravens in the game.  Along with his reliability out of the backfield, Rice exploded with the ball and made short gains into big, game-changing plays. Will the new additions subtract from that?

I guess the main question is if Rice does in fact suffer a dip in the receiving category, which is highly likely, will it make the Ravens’ offense less effective? Will Joe Flacco be less comfortable knowing there’s more pressure to throw it downfield than to throw a checkdown pass to Rice?  Just a few of the questions that we want answered, and part of what makes the 2010 season so exciting for all Ravens fans.

It’s no secret that the Ravens got their money’s worth out of former 5th round supplemental draft choice Jared Gaither.

Gaither has undoubtedly exceeded expectations considering where he was drafted, and has been tendered with a first round pick.

If he hits the unrestricted market next year, he will likely land a sizable contract elsewhere. However, the Ravens may be able to get more than fair compensation for Gaither if they act now.

Rumors coming out of San Francisco, Dallas, and Indianapolis indicate that those teams may be interested in trading their first round pick for the young left tackle. While many of these rumors may just be speculations, there has to be at least some truth to them.

Gaither may be viewed as “expendable” to Ozzie Newsome and company, considering how well Michael Oher played on the left side last season. Marshall Yanda also has experience at right tackle and could be moved there, allowing Chris Chester to regain a starting role at right guard. A right tackle is also easier to find in a later round of the draft than is a left tackle.

San Francisco holds the 13th and 17th picks in the first round, where as Dallas and Indianapolis hold later picks, at 27 and 31, respectively. Either way you spin it, that’s a huge “profit” for the former Terrapin. It would also allow the Ravens to address a few other needs early on in the draft.

Oh and by the way, the last time the Ravens had multiple first round picks was in 1996 when they selected two future hall of famers in Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis.

Anquan Boldin will make the Ravens' receiving corps very dangerous, and not just because of his own talent. (Source: Yardbarker)

Before I dive into this, sorry for the crazy lack of posts. I won’t bore you with excuses, but I’m hoping to start to get back into the normal pace.

Anquan Boldin is the guy in Baltimore right now. He’s been talked about by millions, and the trade has been dissected by thousands. What hasn’t been looked at as much, however, is what this trade does to the Ravens’ other receivers, and how it will affect the rest of their offseason.

Going into this offseason, the #1 need was by consensus, a playmaking wide receiver. Adding Donte Stallworth helped, but now with Boldin, that goal is met. Assuming Derrick Mason returns for a chance at a Super Bowl run, and the team returns either Kelly Washington or Demetrius Williams, you have four veteran receivers.  I still believe the team will add a 2nd or 3rd round receiver/kick returner prospect similar to Mardy Gilyard.

Boldin will be the #1, and hopefully catch over 70 passes. Mason would be relegated to #2, where he can make a big impact with his hands if Boldin is being contained and double-teamed by the opponent.  Stallworth could be that wild card who gets open deep and makes a big play when the team most needs it. Combined, that’s a pretty rockin’ receiving corps.  When one of the top three isn’t rolling, the other one can pick them up.  Last year, if Mason was a non-factor, Flacco was forced to try to squeeze the ball to Ray Rice every play.  I haven’t even touched on that yet. Rice should be able to have some big games out of the backfield catching the ball again this season because he won’t be the team’s leading threat in the passing game.  Very exciting prospects for the 2010 Ravens offense.