OWINGS MILLS, Md. — You seem like you are the least-stressed coach in the NFL.

That was one of the many things noticed about Steve Spagnuolo during his first chance to address the media after the final day of mini-camp for the Ravens. After three dreadful seasons at the helm of the St. Louis Rams and another year coordinating a Saints defense that gave up the most yards in a single season in NFL history, Spagnuolo seems at ease in his new role with the Super Bowl champs.

“It’s been a tough two years, but I’m focusing forward, and I’m excited. To me, the way I look at this is this is a privilege to be a part of a great organization.”

Spagnuolo said that he is not happy with the way things worked out at his last two stops, but that he has learned from them.

“I’ll tell you what, people say this all the time, and it’s true: You learn more from the setbacks than you do really from the successes.”

Spagnuolo’s official role with the Ravens is senior defensive assistant, a role that he says will essentially be “an extra set of eyes.”

“You can never have enough eyes with some kind of experience to kind of give some feedback or an idea or something that we might have done, or I saw somebody else do that I worked for. I worked for some great people: [New York Giants head coach] Tom Coughlin, [Kansas City Chiefs head coach] Andy Reid.“

Harbaugh and Juan Castillo, the Ravens run game coordinator, were also part of Reid’s staff in Philadelphia. Spagnuolo mentioned how excited he was to rejoin some old friends on a new coaching staff.

“You leave each other, and you hope someday that you are back together. God-willing in this business, you can do that. It’s great. It’s great every day…I remember we used to test each other. I’d watch him coach, and he’d want the feedback. And, I’d ask him to watch me coach and give feedback. We’ve been doing that for years. It’s great to be with him.”

Before becoming the head coach of the Rams in 2009, Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. In New York, Spagnuolo rolled through a bevy of talented defensive lineman, including future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pro Bowlers Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He would often put his four best pass rushers, usually four defensive ends, all on the line at the same time to create mismatches in what came to be known as the NASCAR formation.

Behind these high-pressure schemes and talented pass rushers, the Giants defeated the then unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, launching Spagnuolo into the limelight as one of the premier defensive coaches in the NFL.

And although that group Spagnuolo had in Big Blue was extremely talented, he says that this current group in Baltimore has all of the pieces to be even better.

“I had little visions of the Giants’ front that I happened to be privileged to be working with. They are good all the way around… This is as good as looking football team that I’ve ever seen. I’m talking about physically and stout.“

He specifically pointed to Chris Canty and Terrell Suggs as two pieces who are going to be key to the pass rush.

“You can’t coach that height. He puts his hands up, man. There’s not a coach in the world that can take a six-foot guy and do that. He’s been very impressive to me,” when referring to the 6’7” Canty.

And when he talked about Suggs, he mentioned his fun-loving, joker style that Ravens fans have come to know and love (for the most part), but he also praised the former Defensive Player of the Year.

“He put his uniform [on] and came out there. I looked at [senior vice president of public and community relations] Kevin [Byrne] and I’m laughing, saying ‘Wow. That’s what they’re supposed to look like.’ He is one of those blue-chips prospects in this league. He’s an elite player.”

Along with Canty, a slimmed down Suggs, and talented players like Elvis Dumervil and Haloti Ngata, the Ravens pass rush should be one of the most feared units in the entire league, which would be a significant improvement from last year’s squad, who finished tied for 15^th in the NFL with 37 sacks.

With success in Baltimore, Spagnuolo could see his name be brought back up in conversation as a future head coach in the league, something that he is still striving for. When asked if he was looking to get back into head coaching, he had a very direct answer, one different from the lengthy answers he gave when asked other questions.

“Oh yes, yes, deeply. “

You could sense right away that this is a man who, even if he seems relaxed, is dying for another chance to get back at the helm of a football team and redeem his reputation. But he realizes that to get to that point, he needs to do his best in his current job in Baltimore.

“I listened to [Dick Vermeil] speak one time, and his advice to young coaches, any coach was, ‘Be the best at whatever job you have right now.’ So, I’m trying to be the best that this particular position and let the rest take care of itself.”

And if he can do that, it will not only be a positive for his personal future, but also for the future of a transitioning defense in Baltimore.

Four weeks ago, everyone outside of Baltimore was skeptical of Ozzie Newsome. First, Anquan Boldin was traded to the 49ers. Shortly after, Paul Kruger signed with the Browns and Dannell Ellerbe left for Miami. Ellerbe was viewed as the top priority for the Ravens but the Dolphins were willing to pay more for his services.

But that was just the beginning. Other key players including Carry Williams Ed Reed also joined other teams. Bernard Pollard is also no longer part of the team. Pollard was released and has since signed with the Tennessee Titans.

All of these players were critical to the Ravens regular and postseason success. Despite that, I believe the defense will be better. But then again, it’s not difficult to improve when the Ravens ranked in the high teens and low 20’s in most defensive categories.

Despite these losses, can the Ravens defense improve in 2013? The short answer is yes. The reason? Versatility.

All of the free agents the Ravens have signed this offseason have the ability to play multiple positions. Chris Canty and Marcus Spears can play almost every position on the defensive line and Michael Huff can play any position in the secondary.

The additions of Canty and Spears give the Ravens a scary rotation along the defensive line. Pernell McPhee and Arthur Jones will also be vital parts of that rotation. Even Deangelo Tyson could get playing time.

With Canty, Spears, McPhee, Tyson, and Jones in a rotation at the 3-4 defensive end and defensive tackle spots, Haloti Ngata can play more nose tackle, which is his favorite position.

Add Elvis Dumervil to that equation and I would be shocked if the Ravens don’t come close to leading the NFL in sacks. Dumervil and Suggs will consistently command attention on the outside. In turn, opportunities will open up for Ngata, McPhee, and the rest of the Ravens defensive lineman on the inside.

The only question mark for the Ravens defense to me is the secondary. With Carry Williams departure to Philadelphia and Lardarius Webb’s return from injury, Jimmy Smith and Corey Graham might have to play larger roles this season.

Inside linebacker could be viewed as another area of need but the additions to the defensive line should help the middle of the defense. The Ravens could also look to the draft for a young inside linebacker. Candidates would include Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, LSU linebacker Kevin Minter, or Florida linebacker Jon Bostic in the later rounds.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens coach John Harbaugh chose his words carefully, taking ample time to compliment his Super Bowl champion defense by labeling it the “winningest” unit in the NFL a year ago.

But the numbers didn’t lie and Harbaugh wasn’t going to hide from the Ravens finishing 17th in total defense, tied for 12th in points allowed, 20th in rush defense, and 17th in pass defense. The cracks in the foundation were bigger than ever, even as the Ravens perfected the “bend, but don’t break” mindset employed by coordinator Dean Pees in his first season in charge of the defense.

Trying to hold on would be a mistake in the Ravens’ minds and they shared that very sentiment at their season-ending press conference just a few days after the Super Bowl.

Change was inevitable for various reasons, evident by the free-agent departures of safety Ed Reed, linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe, and cornerback Cary Williams as well as the release of strong safety Bernard Pollard. Realities of both finances and age led to several unpopular departures, but it became easier to carry out these changes with the retirement of linebacker Ray Lewis, the iconic head of the Baltimore defense for the last 17 years.

Three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Elvis Dumervil became the first dynamic addition in a new era for the Ravens. It’s a unit without Lewis and Reed leading the way but still employing impact players — Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, and Lardarius Webb — around which to build. Dumervil’s 63 1/2 career sacks bring instant credibility to a revamped front seven that’s also added veteran defensive linemen Chris Canty and Marcus Spears.

“You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, right?” Harbaugh said. “And we need to get better in everything we do. I know our defensive coaches and defensive players feel the same way. It’s how I feel. Let’s put the best defense together we possibly can. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Following his unexpected departure from the Denver Broncos, the 29-year-old Dumervil immediately drew interest from the Ravens as Suggs and inside linebackers coach Don Martindale began selling the defensive end on coming to Baltimore. The 2006 fourth-round pick was drawn to the defensive culture still present in Baltimore despite the exits of the two iconic figures most responsible for creating it.

He and Suggs will now form one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL as the two have combined for 148 sacks in their respective careers. But the one thing Dumervil’s new teammates have that he doesn’t is what called him to the Ravens after making the decision to leave Denver.

“I want some hardware myself, so I’m a little envious right now,” Dumervil said. “The chemistry, they’ve had [it] here for a long time and I’m sure a lot of the guys learn a lot from that. If I can come in and try to fit in where I can and try to be part of that and keep it going, obviously, leadership and the team is important.”

Losing so much leadership on the defensive side of the ball, a question often asked this offseason has been who will take the reins of the defense with the emotionally-charged speeches of Lewis and the behind-the-scenes presence of Reed no longer in the building in Owings Mills. Dumervil didn’t shy away from assuming a leadership role to complement incumbents such as Suggs and Ngata.

For now, the Ravens will hope his ability to get after the quarterback will offset the free-agent loss of Kruger — and then some — and continue the ability to make game-changing plays like he did in Denver. Playing among such defensive standouts as cornerback Champ Bailey, safety Brian Dawkins, and linebacker Von Miller over his seven years with the Broncos, Dumervil was not only considered a good teammate but a player able to rise to the occasion at the most critical times.

“There’s no task too big for him. Whatever you need him to do, he’s going to do it,” said Martindale, who coached Dumervil in 2009 when the pass rusher collected a career-high 17 sacks. “The thing that jumped out at me the most from our time in Denver was not only looking at the stats — we know about rushing the quarterback — but when you needed a big play, Elvis always seemed like the guy who made the play.”

The Ravens will need more playmakers to reload a once-proud defensive unit undergoing a major makeover. There is more work to do as general manager Ozzie Newsome will look for solutions at inside linebacker, safety, and possibly defensive tackle.

The signing of Dumervil not only stopped the bleeding for a defense dealing with the loss of six starters from a Super Bowl season, but it reminded fans that there is a clear vision in place.

And the winning return for that plan doesn’t have to be delayed if executed correctly.

“Sometimes, you have to make a tough decision,” Dumervil said. “I just felt like it was time to change the scenery.”

It’s a lesson both Dumervil and the revamped Ravens defense had to learn this offseason, but both are hoping those changes will be for the better.

Two of my absolute favorite people on the face of the planet are WNST.net’s own Luke Jones and Yahoo! Sports’ Jason Cole.

I really mean that. They’re not just two of my favorites in the business, they’re two of my favorites in the world. I love to talk shop with those guys, I love to chat about the world in general with them and I love getting the chance to spend time with them socially.

(This type of statement always leads to a “BUT….”, right? Not exactly this time.)

Both Jason and Luke joined me on “The Reality Check” during the first week of NFL free agency and separately brought up the same word, a specific word that has been repeated to me by a number of callers and e-mailers over the course of the last couple of weeks.

The word is “regression.” If you were playing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the moderator would tell you the word was of latin origin and could be defined as “a trend or shift toward a lower or less perfect state.” Perhaps the word could be used in a sentence along the lines of “After losing the players the Baltimore Ravens have lost thus far, we can expect regression from the team in 2013.”

That was essentially how both guys (and others) used the word over the last few weeks.

(You’re now CERTAIN there’s going to be a “BUT…” coming, aren’t you?)

I had to start every discussion about the term that I’ve had both on-air and off since the offseason began by accepting that Luke, Jason and everyone else who has suggested the Ravens are going to “regress” in 2013 are…well…probably right. I’m sorry. It had to be said.

They’re right because the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012 and it will be very difficult for them to win the Super Bowl again in 2013. Any scenario that doesn’t involve the Ravens hoisting a third Vince Lombardi Trophy would technically mean they had “regressed” from where they were last season.

(Okay, now it’s time.)

BUT…I was never REALLY willing to accept the notion of “regression” for the Ravens at any point. Sunday’s signing of former Denver Broncos pass rusher Elvis Dumervil re-inforces that belief, but it absolutely did not establish it. I just hope the addition of Dumervil will force others to similarly push aside the notion of “regression” in 2013.

(Continued on Page 2…)

An offseason of departures and disappointment brightened considerably on Sunday as top pass rusher Elvis Dumervil agreed to terms to join the Ravens.

As first reported by The Denver Post, the 29-year-old defensive end has agreed to a five-year contract with Baltimore after contemplating offers from both the Ravens and Broncos. Dumervil will take his physical on Tuesday before the deal can be finalized.

The deal will pay out a maximum of $35 million and $8.5 million in the first year of the deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. More importantly for this season’s salary cap, Dumervil will only carry a cap number of $2.5 million, per Peter King of Sports Illustrated. Dumervil is receiving a $7.5 million signing bonus, a $1 million base salary for the 2013 season, and $12 million in guaranteed money.

Dumervil had 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 54 tackles to help Denver finish with the best regular-season record in the AFC last season. His addition softens the blow of outside linebacker Paul Kruger leaving the Ravens to sign a five-year, $41 million contract with the Cleveland Browns on the first day of free agency.

The three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher will move to outside linebacker in the Ravens’ 3-4 system, which shouldn’t be a problem considering he held a similar role when Denver ran a 3-4 under former head coach Josh McDaniels. Dumervil had ties with the Ravens through inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, who served as Broncos defensive coordinator in 2010.

Dumervil’s best season occurred in 2009 when he collected a career-high 17 sacks while playing outside linebacker. Entering his eighth season this fall, the 2006 fourth-round pick has accumulated 63 1/2 sacks in his career.

The Ravens can thank a fax machine snafu that forced the Broncos to release Dumervil after the sides had agreed to a restructured contract on March 14. As a result, Dumervil fired agent Marty Magid and hired Tom Condon of CAA to represent him. Earlier reports had indicated the Ravens’ offer didn’t contain as much money early in the contract as the one offered by Denver, but Dumervil was also having a difficult time dealing with the reality of the Broncos releasing him after seven years with them.

General manager Ozzie Newsome still has plenty of work to do to replace six key defensive players who have departed from their Super Bowl XLVII team, but the pass-rushing duo of Dumervil and Terrell Suggs is sure to strike fear in the hearts of opposing quarterbacks. Second-year linebacker Courtney Upshaw will likely spell the pass-rushing duo in run situations in order to keep both veterans fresher over the course of a 16-game season.

With Suggs and Dumervil lining up on opposite edges, defensive coordinator Dean Pees now has a pair of players who’ve combined for 148 sacks in their respective careers.

Looking to boost their pass rush following the free-agent departure of linebacker Paul Kruger, the Ravens have reportedly turned up the heat in their pursuit of free-agent defensive end Elvis Dumervil.

The Denver Post reported Thursday evening that the Ravens have made an offer to the former Broncos pass rusher, but the money being offered by Denver is more front-loaded. Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway has stated his team wants Dumervil back after a fax machine fiasco forced Denver to release the 29-year-old because their restructured deal would not have been completed before a 4 p.m. deadline last Friday.

Dumervil was reportedly underwhelmed by the Broncos’ latest contract offer, and Denver has hosted visits with free-agent pass rushers Dwight Freeney and John Abraham this week. The Broncos are in a tight spot because Dumervil’s release forced them to carry just under $5 million in dead mney on their 2013 salary cap.

After firing agent Marty Magid last weekend, Dumervil hired Tom Condon and Ben Dogra of CAA to represent him as the pair will likely be looking to recover the $8 million base salary — in some shape or form — Dumervil had agreed to play for in Denver before the snafu that led to his release.

Though he was a defensive end in Denver’s 4-3 scheme last season, Dumervil would shift to outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ scheme. The veteran also has ties to Baltimore through Ravens inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, who served as Denver’s defensive coordinator in 2010 and as linebackers coach prior to that when Dumervil collected a career-high 17 sacks in 2009.

Next up at safety?

Following the departures of safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, the Ravens are clearly looking to address the position and reportedly have interest in former Raiders safety Michael Huff.

Several outlets report Huff will be visiting the Ravens at some point over the next few days. Green Bay, Dallas, and Tennessee have also shown interest in the veteran safety.

Released earlier this month, the 30-year-old was the seventh overall pick of the 2006 draft and has the ability to play both cornerback and safety. He accumulated 56 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 pass breakups during the 2012 season.

Huff would be the likely replacement for Reed at free safety while James Ihedigbo — re-signed to a one-year deal last week — would be the logical in-house candidate to take Pollard’s place at strong safety. However, the Ravens are likely to look toward April’s draft for more safety help.

It looked to be a foregone conclusion last week that Ed Reed would be walking away from the Ravens after 11 years, but the free-agent safety never shies away from keeping everyone guessing.

Leaving Houston without a contract agreement after a two-day visit, Reed may determine his 2013 destination this week at the league meetings in Arizona as the Ravens and Texans are reportedly scheduled to meet with his agent David Dunn. It remains unclear how much the Ravens are willing to offer the 34-year-old, but general manager Ozzie Newsome has remained in touch with Reed’s representation since a meeting with the safety before the start of free agency.

It’s similar to how the Ravens handled the free agency of Ray Lewis — who was also represented by Dunn — following the 2008 season when the linebacker briefly flirted with the idea of joining another team before learning his value wasn’t as high as he hoped and he re-signed with Baltimore. Reed is believed to be seeking a salary approaching the $7.2 million base salary he earned last season, but his decision to leave Houston without a contract is an obvious sign the Texans’ offer wasn’t where he wanted it to be.

Or, he’s simply not ready to pull the trigger in leaving the Ravens behind just yet.

“Four years ago, we went down this same road with Ray,” Newsome told USA Today. “Dave always does a very good job of keeping us in the loop. That doesn’t mean that Ed will come back, and it doesn’t mean that he will leave.”

While some have opined that the Ravens are suddenly jumping back into the Reed sweepstakes, it’s unlikely that Newsome would enter into a bidding war for the nine-time Pro Bowl safety. The Ravens determine a value for each and every player on their roster and rarely deviate from that price, evident by their hardline approach in wanting to slash Anquan Boldin’s 2013 $6 million base salary by $2 million before ultimately dealing him to the San Francisco 49ers for a sixth-round pick.

A potential Reed return will be far more about him wanting to finish his career with the Ravens and realizing the money may not be dramatically better somewhere else. It just doesn’t seem likely that Newsome would offer him a sexy contract because other teams are potentially in the mix and such a move wouldn’t jive with how the Ravens have handled their offseason in essentially sending the message that they’re starting over on defense after the departure of five starters from the Super Bowl XLVII team.

But as Newsome told USA Today, the Ravens want to be careful in how quickly they make the transition with their defense and Reed’s return — at Baltimore’s price, of course — would provide much-needed leadership as well as an opportunity for the future Hall of Fame safety to mentor an understudy to eventually take his place.

Dumervil in Ravens’ price range?

The unexpected availability of Broncos free-agent defensive end Elvis Dumervil was sure to spark interest from any team looking to improve its pass rush and there is “serious interest” from the Ravens, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Dumervil played outside linebacker in a 3-4 system under former Denver head coach Josh McDaniels and would certainly more than fill the void left behind by Paul Kruger, but it’s difficult to imagine the Ravens having the financial means to be serious players for the 29-year-old with several other areas to address including wide receiver, left tackle, inside linebacker, and safety.

In addition to Denver being interested in bringing back Dumervil since their renegotiated deal fell through after a fax machine fiasco on Friday — that resulted in the termination of agent Marty Magid — the Patriots and the Titans have also been named as teams with potential interest in the defensive end’s services. The reality is Dumervil’s new representation — reported to be Tom Condon and Ben Dogra — will not only be looking to recover the $8 million per year the pass rusher had agreed to accept from the Broncos but also to make their mark by fetching more money for their client if possible.

Those realities wouldn’t suggest the Ravens are a realistic candidate to sign Dumervil, who collected 20 1/2 sacks over the last two seasons.

What about the nose?

In an otherwise disappointing start to free agency with the Ravens seeing their roster gutted, Newsome has fulfilled his promise to address the defensive line by adding veteran defensive ends Chris Canty and Marcus Spears this past week.

Those signings leave the Ravens stacked at defensive end as the veterans join Arthur Jones and Pernell McPhee, but nose tackle remains an area of concern after Terrence Cody and veteran Ma’ake Kemoeatu struggled to control the line of scrimmage as opposing teams had plenty of success running up the middle in 2012. Kemoeatu is an unrestricted free agent not expected to return and Cody has one year remaining on his rookie contract, leaving many to believe Baltimore will be looking for help in April’s draft.

One option the Ravens might consider is to move All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the nose tackle spot, a position he’s played in the past. Canty, Spears, and Jones are all defensive ends perfectly suited to play in a 3-4 front, but the Ravens would appear to have a surplus if Ngata is to continue playing the 3-technique tackle spot in which he lines up on the outside shoulder of the guard.

Defensive coordinator Dean Pees will use multiple fronts and the Ravens love to rotate linemen into the lineup to keep everyone fresh, but you have to think the Ravens have something up their sleeve for their defensive line or they wouldn’t have signed two veteran defensive ends after designating Jones with a second-round tender. Spears also dabbled at the nose tackle spot occasionally for the Dallas Cowboys, but Ngata would appear to be the best candidate to move.