Terrence Cody Making His Return at the Right Time for Ravens

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) runs the ball as Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Terrence Cody (62) pursues in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The return of Terrence Cody is coming at an opportune time for the Baltimore Ravens, who are currently a bit thin on the defensive line.  The latest blow came when Chris Canty underwent wrist surgery to remove an infection, an operation that is expected to keep him out for 2-3 weeks.  DeAngelo Tyson picked up snaps in Canty’s place against the Bucs last week, but didn’t play very well at all.

Canty joins rookie Timmy Jernigan on the sidelines, who himself is nursing a meniscus injury and trying to avoid surgery. Jernigan started out hot in the preseason and carried it over to the regular season, performing admirably against the run.  For a team that came into the season carrying dangerously few defensive linemen, those injuries threaten to take a toll on a unit that has performed well through six games.

Terrence Cody is a former second round pick who was resigned this offseason before undergoing his second hip surgery in two seasons.  Hip problems have plagued Cody throughout his five year career, but he claims that the last surgery has him feeling better than ever.  John Harbaugh is pleased with the way he handled himself while missing the first six games on the physically unable to perform list.

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“Right now the plan is to practice him this week, and the reason is that he’s really been doing a great job with his rehab,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve seen him do some things in there that we’ve never seen him do before, from an athletic standpoint, as far as being healthy with his hips. He’s in great shape.”

“People look at a 335-pound man and say ‘How can he be in great shape?’ Well, he is. His body fat is down around 20 percent, which is pretty darn good for a big man. He’s ready to go. He’s chomping at the bit.”

Cody is indeed in good shape after dropping three pounds and getting his body fat down to 20 percent.  The Ravens are likely hoping that he can finally live up to his potential this season after what amounts to four forgettable years in the league.  Cody has played in a combined 56 games in his career, recording 87 tackles and zero sacks.

The Ravens have a three week window to add Terrence Cody to the active roster, or they can keep him on PUP, effectively ending his season.  How he looks in practice this week will go a long way in determining what move they make.  Hopefully Cody is finally healthy and ready to prove that he is not among the few Ozzie Newsome draft misses.  And he has a perfect opportunity to do so with all the injuries along the defensive line.