OWINGS MILLS, Md. — As expected, the Ravens’ final injury report for Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals paints a positive picture in terms of players being available.

Offensive lineman Jah Reid (calf) was listed as doubtful and will not play in the season opener, and cornerback Asa Jackson was listed as questionable with him dealing with a gastrointestinal illness the last two days.

Safety Sean Considine was cleared for contact after suffering a concussion in the preseason and will play on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Bengals will be without rookie coornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, who will be sidelined for much of the first half of the season with a knee injury. Starting defensive end Carlos Dunlap (knee) and backup running back Bernard Scott are doubtful for Monday’s game.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is listed as probable with a right biceps issue after the starting signal-caller was a full participant in practice all week.

BALTIMORE
DOUBTFUL: T Jah Reid (leg)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Asa Jackson (illness)
PROBABLE: S Sean Considine (head), LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder)

CINCINNATI
OUT: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee)
DOUBTFUL: DE Carlos Dunlap (knee), RB Bernard Scott (hand)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Jason Allen (quad)
PROBABLE: QB Andy Dalton (right biceps), DE Robert Geathers (knee), TE Jermaine Gresham (knee), TE Donald Lee (thigh), LB Dan Skuta (head)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Moving closer to their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, the Ravens continue to be in good shape from a health standpoint.

Though rookie cornerback Asa Jackson (illness) joined offensive lineman Jah Reid (calf) as a new absence from the practice field on Friday, the Ravens saw all other players present and accounted for.

Safety Sean Considine (contact) was not sporting a red non-contact jersey during the portion of practice open to the media, which could suggest his chances for playing Monday night have improved. However, it remains unclear whether the veteran defensive back has passed his baseline test to clear him for contact and the Ravens were wearing helmets, shells, and shorts on Friday, which typically signifies no contact.

The team announced it has reached injury settlements to waive linebacker Darryl Blackstock (leg) and offensive lineman Justin Boren (foot), freeing both players from injured reserve.

The Ravens will conduct their final full practice on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. with coach John Harbaugh scheduled to meet with the media following the workout.

Here is Friday’s official injury report:

BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: OL Jah Reid (leg), Asa Jackson (illness)
FULL PARTICIPATION: LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder), S Sean Considine (head)

CINCINNATI
OUT: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DE Carlos Dunlap (knee), RB Bernard Scott (hand)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: CB Jason Allen (quad), TE Donald Lee (thigh)
FULL PARTICIPATION: QB Andy Dalton (right biceps), DE Robert Geathers (knee), TE Jermaine Gresham (knee), LB Dan Skuta (head)

Visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault to hear from offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, defensive coordinator Dean Pees, special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo, and former Ravens president David Modell HERE.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — With the Ravens opening the 2012 season on ESPN’s Monday Night Football in Baltimore, most fans assumed the team would don their black alternate jerseys against the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, the Ravens have already confirmed they will be dressed in their purple tops, going against their normal tendency for nationally-televised night games at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore wore its black jerseys against the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers in night games played in Baltimore last season and last wore their purple duds in a nationally-televised prime-time game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec. 5, 2010. However, they sported black pants with the purple jerseys in that one for the first time since 1996.

Though not confirmed by the team’s official website, I’m hearing the plan is for the Ravens to wear their traditional white pants with the purple jerseys. The Ravens wore black pants with their purple tops in their final two home games last season, the Christmas Eve game against the Cleveland Browns and their divisional-round contest against the Houston Texans.

A few have asked whether the Ravens would wear white jerseys at home after sporting them in three of the four home openers played in the John Harbaugh era, but each of those games was played in the afternoon with the sun beating down on players. Considering the sunshine won’t be much of a factor at 7:00 p.m., the Ravens are going with their darker jersey.

The Ravens remain quiet for now on when they plan to wear their black jerseys this season, but they play two more home games in prime time this month.

The first official injury report of the week was encouraging for the Ravens as only three players appeared on the list.

Offensive lineman Jah Reid appears unlikely to play in the season opener against the Bengals as he continues to recover from a calf injury that’s hampered him since mandatory minicamp in mid-June. The second-year lineman has suffered two setbacks since then and did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

Safety Sean Considine worked on a limited basis as he has yet to pass his baseline test after he sustained a second concussion late in the season. The veteran has said he expects to play in the opener on Monday night.

Tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta were not listed on the injury report, which lends support to the notion that both players describing themselves as game-time decisions against Cincinnati appeared to be gamesmanship more than legitimate concern.

Running back Ray Rice was not listed on the injury report despite not being present for the portion of practice open to media, which means he was simply a late arrival to the field.

Meanwhile, the Bengals’ injury report was a little more crowded as rookie cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick has already been ruled out with a knee injury while three others did not partake in their Thursday practice.

BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: OL Jah Reid (leg)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: S Sean Considine (head)
FULL PARTICIPATION: LB Courtney Upshaw (shoulder)

CINCINNATI
OUT: CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: CB Jason Allen (quad), DE Carlos Dunlap (knee), RB Bernard Scott (hand)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: TE Donald Lee (thigh)
FULL PARTICIPATION: QB Andy Dalton (right biceps), DE Robert Geathers (knee), TE Jermaine Gresham (knee), LB Dan Skuta (head)

Honorable Mention: Auto Racing-NASCAR Federated Auto Parts 400 (Saturday 7pm from Richmond live on ABC); Boxing: Andre Ward vs. Chad Dawson (Saturday 9:45pm from Oakland live on HBO); High School Football: Catonsville @ Perry Hall (Friday 7pm), Patriot Football Classic: DeMatha vs. Calvert Hall (Friday 7:30pm Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium), St. Peter’s Prep vs. McDonogh (Saturday 10:30am Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium), Landon vs. Annapolis Area Christian School (Saturday 1:30pm Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium), Don Bosco vs. Gilman (Saturday 7:30pm Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)

10. Jason Aldean/Luke Bryan (Saturday 7:30pm Jiffy Lube Live), RUSH (Sunday 7:30pm Jiffy Lube Live); Ben Harper (Tuesday 7:30pm Wolf Trap); Theory Of A Deadman/Pop Evil (Wednesday 6pm Power Plant Live), Third Eye Blind (Thursday 8pm Power Plant Live); Joe Nichols (Friday 7pm Recher Theatre); Bob Mould (Saturday 7pm 9:30 Club), The Jesus And Mary Chain (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club), Owl City (Monday 6pm 9:30 Club); Boyz II Men (Thursday & Friday 8pm Howard Theatre); Sister Hazel (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Center Stage); Oak Ridge Boys (Friday 7:30pm Maryland Theraputic Riding Farm); Imagine Dragons “Night Visions” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’m an unabashed Third Eye Blind fan. This tune rules. See you Saturday.

I couldn’t tell you if I enjoyed Joe Nichols. I can tell you that I enjoy sleepy little smiles…

Were you listening to “Web Junk” the other day when I played the clip of Boyz II Men singing “End of the Road” with Charles Barkley? Did you hear me singing along? You can assume I am again as you listen this time…

Sister Hazel is playing Arundel Mills on my birthday. Don’t ask. Just invite.

9. Guy Torry (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gabriel Iglesias (Friday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Laugh Til It Hurts feat. Anthony Anderson/Bill Bellamy (Saturday 7pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Tommy Davidson (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv); Maryland Renaissance Festival (Saturday & Sunday Revel Grove); Ukrainian Festival (Saturday & Sunday Patterson Park)

I once stumbled into the Ukrainian Festival after a Ravens game once a few years back. I couldn’t have had more fun. There was dancing, sausage and potato pancakes. It was a lot like my 13th birthday party…except we did all of those things at the old Funjungle in Perry Hall.

And since there’s at least half a chance I’ll forget to say something about these guys during the course of RennFest, I should probably do it now. These guys are Hack and Slash. They’re humorous fellas…

I think predicting the record of team is trivial, especially at this point: 3 weeks before training camp has started.  You can’t possibly have any intelligent insight into the teams record.  That being said, you can have a feel for certain things with the team.

I, myself, believe that this will be somewhat of a down year for the purple and black birds of Baltimore.  Down year meaning not as amazing they have been the previous 4 years.  Teams, especially in the NFL, aren’t this good for this long.  The league is balanced enough so that teams cannot make the playoffs 5 years in a row like the Ravens will be trying to do this season.  I think that the players were crushed by the defeat in the AFC championship last year and I just don’t see them getting back to that point.

Knowing Ravens fans though, it’ll be the end of the world.  But the pain of losing makes you appreciate winning that much more.

Anyway, here are my 5 pre-training camp predictions for the Ravens:

1. Ray Rice will play under the franchise tag in 2012 – The question that has been foremost on Ravens fans minds has been ,“When will Ray Rice sign?”  I just don’t believe he will at this point.  It seems the sides are too far apart.  Ray Rice wants Adrian Peterson money and the Ravens want to probably give him Arian Foster type money (which I think he is worth).  With the deadline to sign a player who has been tagged just under 24 hours away, I just don’t see the two sides magically coming to an agreement by then.

2. Terrell Suggs will not return from his injury this season – Terrell Suggs’s injury was serious.  Its time everyone realize this.  The kind of injury he suffered takes months to recover and is usually season ending.  I hate to question his drive and motivation, but I just get the feeling that he won’t be the type of guy who works his butt off to get back as quick as he can.  I hope he proves me wrong.

3. Joe Flacco will not turn the proverbial corner – I just don’t see Flacco taking that next step to being an elite quarterback.  Not as long as Cam Cameron is the offensive coordinator.  In Cam’s offense, the QB is just not the focal point.  If you look at his time in San Diego, Cam couldn’t even make Drew Brees look like the great QB that we all know he is. I think Joe will have the same level of production he has always had.

4. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed will retire following the 2012 season – I thought they would retire at the end of last year; and I think they would’ve had the Ravens made it to the Super Bowl.  You could see that at the end of the season last year, these two guys were giving everything they had to help the Ravens win.  I don’t think they have that kind of fight in them for anymore than one more season.  This is it for the Ravens icons.

5. The Ravens will not make the playoffs this year – With the emergence of the Bengals as contenders and the Steelers being perennial contenders, I don’t see the Ravens fitting into the playoff landscape.  Like I said earlier, it’s so difficult for teams to make the playoffs this many years in a row.

I sure hope most of these predictions are wrong but I am just being realistic.  Or maybe I am just keeping my expectations low so I won’t be disappointed.  At any length, these are my “expert” opinions.

The Ravens made a depth move Friday, acquiring 12-year veteran guard Bobbie Williams.

Williams, 36, spent the last eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started nine games for the Bengals in 2011, and missed the last three contests after fracturing his ankle.

Williams will likely be another intriguing piece to the puzzle that is the Ravens’ situation at left guard-which includes rookie Kelechi Osemele, 2nd-year man Jah Reid, and Williams.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh had some interaction with Williams in Philadelphia after Williams was taken in the 2nd round by the Eagles in the 2000 NFL Draft.

“Bobbie is a guy who has been in the league for a long time,” head coach John Harbaugh stated. “We’ve played against him, and we like his style of play and his demeanor as a person and as a player. We’re excited to have him as a member of our team.”

Out of 151 career games, Williams has started 130 of them.