Intense Ravens News Session: 4/13

A lot of Ravens news is swirling around the web today. Seems like a good day to get back in the posting loop for me. Here’s the main stories, with my commentary.

• The team doesn’t expect they will sign a placekicker before the draft. The fact that Ozzie Newsome doesn’t “expect” to sign a kicker makes me a bit apprehensive. Is he really that indecisive right now? He doesn’t know whether he wants a kicker or not? He doesn’t know what it will take to get a kicker and who will be available before/during/after the draft? It confuses me a bit, because the team missed out on both Neil Rackers and Jay Feely, and now it seems like they’re not going to make a move for Shayne Graham. Could Matt Stover be coming back?
• Ed Dickson visited the Ravens. This could be a very telling visit. Obviously the team will be assessing all of their options at tight end, hence the visits of the two Pitt tight ends Nate Byham and Dorin Dickerson.  The interesting thing about Dickson however, is that he’ll most likely be a second round pick. Could this mean that the team isn’t interested in Jermaine Gresham? He still hasn’t visited, and the Ravens have hosted two probable first-round picks in Dez Bryant and Kyle Wilson.
• The Ravens are hosting Heisman finalist Toby Gerhart, the running back out of Stanford. Usually when there are Heisman finalists in the draft that are not quarterbacks, they’re big-time prospects. Gerhart’s a different case. Thought to be fairly slow, too big and fitting more of the NFL fullback prototype, he isn’t the flashy name that most Heisman finalists in the draft usually are. This visit is a bit odd, being that the Ravens are as set as anybody at running back, but if McGahee or Rice go down, and LeRon McClain needs to step in as a running back, Gerhart could fill in at that fullback spot.
• Samari Rolle has been released by the team. After five injury-plagued years in a Ravens uniform, Rolle’s time with the team is over. He went on the IR last season with a neck injury, and during his time in Baltimore he’s been diagnosed with epilepsy and has only played 48 of the 80 possible regular season games he could’ve played in. With 8 total interceptions as a Raven, losing Rolle may be the first sign that the team is interested in cornerbacks in the upcoming Draft.
• MkRob has a post up about Derrick Mason’s press conference scheduled for tomorrow in Owings Mills. He believes Mason could be retiring…again. It’s hard to think of another scenario where John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome would be in attendance if we’re thinking pessimistically. If we’re being optimists, Mason has signed a new contract or is announcing that this will be his final season. The latter is a bit less optimistic, but at least it’s not the worst case scenario.