Competing in his first training camp after the NFL lockout wiped out the entire offseason, Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith struggled physically and mentally in trying to learn on the fly last year.

Without the benefit of organized team activities and access to the team’s Owings Mills facility after April’s draft, the Maryland standout struggled so much in the preseason that many were already suggesting the 58th overall pick was a reach, a green project more than a known commodity that a second-round pick is typically expected to be.

The drops were plentiful as he tried to make catches with his body and the speedy receiver struggled to get separation as he wasn’t comfortable with his responsibilities within the offense. The frustration was visible on his face many times last preseason.

“This time last year, I could barely walk and chew gum at the same time,” Smith said. “I was thinking so much about the assignment and kind of really worrying about things that I shouldn’t have been worrying about.”

However, Smith caught on quickly after a quiet start to the season — no receptions in his first two games — by exploding with three touchdowns and 152 receiving yards in a Week 3 win over St. Louis. His emergence came at the perfect time as veteran Lee Evans went down with an ankle injury and proved to be ineffective all season.

The highlight of his rookie season came in Week 9 at Pittsburgh when the rookie caught a 26-yard touchdown with eight seconds remaining to give the Ravens a 23-20 win and season sweep of the Steelers. It was quite the leap from two months earlier when critics wondered if Smith was a bust.

His dramatic improvement was a credit to his impeccable work ethic, according to coach John Harbaugh.

“This is a guy that comes to work every single day,” Harbaugh said. “All he thinks about is how he can get better. He is the most efficient improver – if that’s a word – that I’ve ever seen. He gets the most out of every day, and that’s why he’s going to continue to become a great player.”

Smith finished with 50 catches, 841 yards, and seven touchdowns — the latter two marks single-season rookie records for the franchise — and ranked 13th in the NFL with 16.8 yards per catch as opposing defenses needed to respect his ability to stretch the field.

This offseason, the 6-foot, 205-pound wideout wasn’t interested in reflecting on a successful rookie campaign. Instead, he was more concerned with improving his route-running and grasp of the Baltimore offense and took advantage of his first full offseason to do so.

“Instead of really concentrating on what I did, I was more focused on what I left out on the field,” Smith said. “To me, it could have been a lot better. I have high standards for myself, and to know looking back at the end of the year, watching all of the plays that I left on the field, it could have been a monster season for me. I know as long as I can be consistent, I can do that and I can reach those goals.”

Smith has looked more comfortable in running intermediate routes this summer, making catches in traffic and displaying better timing with quarterback Joe Flacco in sideline routes. The second-year player now relies on his hands consistently to make catches and seems to have broken the habit of trying to secure passes with his body at times.

The former Terrapin is also healthy after dealing with a sports hernia through much of his rookie season. While it didn’t appear to impact his ability to blow the top off a secondary last year, the thought of a healthier Smith showing an even better ability to change direction and use his straight-line speed has to be a nightmare for opposing secondaries.

“I feel a lot better,” Smith said. “The biggest thing with the surgery is that everything that I was doing last year was painful. And, when it started to get cold, it was terrible. I was fighting that battle every day, and now I’m able to run and get out of my breaks; I’m not feeling any pain at all.”

McKinnie increases workload

After two limited days of practice to fulfill the required acclimation period under the collective bargaining agreement, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie took more extensive work Monday but wasn’t automatically handed his starting left tackle spot.

Michael Oher received the majority of the reps as the starting left tackle as McKinnie received limited work with the first team and more reps with the second-team offense. With Harbaugh’s proclamation earlier in training camp that Oher would be the left tackle until further notice, it’s hardly surprising that McKinnie will have to earn his job back.

McKinnie said Saturday that he weighted 360 pounds and appeared to handle his reps without any laboring physically. Though never an impressive run blocker, McKinnie held firm in pass coverage and anchored well against pass rushers such as Paul Kruger and Albert McClellan.

“He worked hard,” Harbaugh said. “He made it through the whole practice, which is something, because football shape is different than regular-conditioning-test shape. So, he pushed through the whole practice. I thought he looked athletic. He looked like he was moving well. Now, he’s just got to stack them and go compete.”

For now, Oher will continue to receive reps at both left and right tackle as the coaching staff assesses where McKinnie is with his conditioning and overall play before ultimately shaping the starting offensive line. Oher did slide back over to right tackle when McKinnie worked with the first team, which is a difficult adjustment the fourth-year tackle has handled without much difficulty in his career.

The Ravens would like to afford Oher the opportunity to focus on one side or the other, but McKinnie’s uncertain status as well as the impressive work of rookie Kelechi Osemele at right tackle have made Oher’s stay at left tackle longer than expected.

“It’s not ideal; it’s not the perfect scenario,” Harbaugh said. “You always want to be set at all of your positions, but that’s not always realistic, either. It’s training camp; it’s football. Guys compete for spots.”

Camp highlights

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Two weeks into training camp, I’ve decided to clean out the inbox and answer your Ravens questions to this point. I plan to make this a Sunday feature during the remainder of the preseason, so send your first name/location and questions to luke@wnst.net to be included next week.

Here’s the first edition of the training camp mailbag:

How does undrafted rookie linebacker Nigel Carr look to you and could he be the next Bart Scott and Jameel McClain? — John in Towson

I hesitate to draw conclusions before I see rookies compete in an actual preseason game, but Carr’s physicality and athleticism are impressive as an undrafted free agent from Alabama State. Carr has definitely caught the attention of the coaching staff after John Harbaugh said the 6-foot-2, 247-pound linebacker “runs around and hits everything he sees” on the practice field. Considering how much Baltimore linebackers have struggled against the pass in recent years, Carr’s ability to drop in coverage — albeit against second and third-team offenses — hasn’t gone unnoticed, either.

His troubled past, which included five felony charges that led to his dismissal from the Florida State football team two years ago, caused many teams to shy away from the linebacker this spring, but the Ravens have provided Carr an opportunity that he’s taken advantage of to this point. For what it’s worth, Carr is listed fourth at the Mike linebacker position on the team’s depth chart released late last week.

It’s way too premature to suggest Carr will be the next diamond in the rough for the Ravens at the linebacker position or that he will even make the 53-man roster, but a strong preseason will definitely put him in the conversation for a spot. As is the case with any young player, how Carr fares on special teams will factor heavily in his chances to make the team.

Considering the Ravens have made little — or no — real improvement with the offensive line to give Joe Flacco and Co. time, how much do you see the play-calling changing to compensate for that? — Scott in New Zealand

Until we actually know what the offensive line will look like in early September, this question remains difficult to answer, but I don’t expect offensive coordinator Cam Cameron to dramatically change his approach to play-calling. The key will be how much more efficient the Ravens can be in the passing game and in short-yardage situations.

Assuming Bryant McKinnie regains his job at left tackle and Michael Oher moves back to the right side, the question will be how effective the Ravens can be running the ball to the left behind McKinnie and new left guard Bobbie Williams. Baltimore struggled to run effectively to that side last season when Ben Grubbs was sidelined and veteran Andre Gurode filled in at left guard, and McKinnie was never regarded to be an exceptional run blocker even in the prime of his career.

The Ravens will attempt to go vertical often as they did last season, but they hope to be more effective with a more experienced Torrey Smith and the addition of speedy veteran Jacoby Jones. However, the offensive line must give Flacco enough time for these vertical plays to develop.

Regardless of how the line looks, the Baltimore offense will still thrive with the contributions of Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice and the use of tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Improving their efficiency in the down-field passing game will be the biggest challenge in this offense taking it to the next level.

Among the injured Ravens players to miss extensive time at the start of camp, who is hurting himself the most? — Justin in Cockeysville

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The Ravens have made it a habit over the years to grab veteran offensive lineman late in free agency or training camp to not only bring experience, but to also have that key backup in case an injury should occur to solidify that same offensive line.

Last year, it was Andre Gurode, who started several games for the injured Ben Grubbs. In 2008, it was Willie Anderson who saw action at right tackle.

This season, with the team reeling from the loss of Grubbs at the left guard position to free agency-as well as Gurode’s dismissal, the Ravens felt like they needed to keep up with that tradition.

And they did just that at the beginning of June, signing former Bengals and Eagles guard Bobbie Williams to a two-year contract.

Williams is adjusting to the atmosphere in Owings Mills, but he’s confident that he’ll fit right in with training camp the first opportunity to do so.

“I’m just taking it all in,” Williams said after practice Saturday. “I’ve been rolling for a week. I came in when the young guys came in, and it was good that I did that so I could get that advantage and get things going. We’re just hitting all cylinders now.”

Williams had spent the last eight seasons with the Bengals, and the 35-year old has started 130 games in his 12-year NFL career.

The Ravens certainly felt like they made the right decision by bringing in a stable and dependable Williams in with the early shuffling of their offensive line in camp.

When he was signed on June 8th, Williams was at first expected to battle for the left guard position with Ravens 2nd round pick Kelechi Osemele and second-year man Jah Reid.

However, both started off training camp with back and calf injuries respectively, and Williams was told to line up and clear the way for newly-paid running back Ray Rice.

Coach Harbaugh earlier in the week said that Williams has already made them forget about Ben Grubbs, and Harbaugh attributed that to his tremendous work ethic.

Those were strong words according to Williams.

“I’m just appreciative that they respect me on that level. I don’t plan on letting anyone down, including myself, and the good Lord.”

Williams said that when he came in, he was told that a spot wasn’t going to be given to him. And despite it looking that way, he still wants to prove himself to Coach John Harbaugh and the coaching staff.

“I came in with the attitude to work-period. And it ain’t going to leave. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it ain’t going to leave till February…let’s just put it that way.”

Williams remembers Coach Harbaugh from Harbaugh’s time as a special teams coach with the Eagles-who drafted Williams in the 2nd round of 2000 NFL Draft-and said that he has always been “a player’s coach.”

And the way Williams talks about offensive line Coach Andy Moeller-you would think they have been around each other for a lifetime-not two months.

“I’m used to the coaching staff and the guys around me. It’s a great group and I’m not just saying that.” And Coach Moeller man-I think the world of him. He’s a real teacher of the game. I truly respect him and his knowledge of the game. And that’s very key.”

He may have that familiarity with his coaches, but many are certain that the Ravens brought Williams in given his time with their AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals.

That kind of insight into an opposing locker room’s scheme could do wonders for a defensive coordinator, and the fact that he knows the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers blitz packages from seeing them 4 times a year the past eight seasons, that can only be added bonus.

“That might have played a little part of it knowing the division,” Williams laughed.”

But Williams said it could also be the exact opposite. The Ravens knew who he was from having to get past him to sack Carson Palmer or Andy Dalton for nearly a decade, and they wanted that kind of “lunch pail” attitude on their line.

To “Play like a Raven”, as the theme points out.

“I also know what kind of team this is, Williams said. “I know that the Baltimore Ravens are a tough, blue collar, hard-working team and they felt I could contribute to that and that I have some of those same qualities. They said, ‘Hey, we know this guy can play here’.”

And with a newly-paid running back in Ray Rice in the backfield and with an offense that lives and dies by his yardage, Williams says he’s the perfect guy to clear those holes for Rice.

“It’s what I’ve always been known to do. I’ve always been that hard-nosed, dependable guy that will get down and dirty and likes contact. I like to be physical. I like to get my hands on people.”

He said all it takes for him to get to that level is getting comfortable with the guys lining up next to him at left tackle and center.

“I’ve got to get familiar with my center. And then my left tackle. I’ve been leaning heavily on Matt Birk and Michael Oher. I sit next to Marshal Yanda in meetings and I’ve asked him some things.”

But obviously, with left tackle Bryant McKinnie not in camp so far-but yet announcing he would report Monday for his first practice-he may have to start all over again with that level of comfort with those playing next to him.

But Williams says that’s no problem at all. McKinnie’s addition to this offensive line finally-much like his own signing by the Ravens-only improves their chances of success.

“Whatever we have, we’re working with that and we’re doing a pretty good job. If another piece is added like I was added, it makes us even better.”

And even if things remain as they are, Williams is still confident that this team can do some special things this season. It’s one of the reasons he signed with the Ravens in the first place.

“That’s just the nature of the game. You learn the ropes and you learn to make do with what you had. You learn to make that work. And you go out there and solidify that.”

And the chance to win a ring? Any way I can help with that, I’m there.”

Thanks to Bobbie Williams for chatting with me after practice today! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Absent from practice for the second straight day, left tackle Bryant McKinnie is not only missing valuable practice time but will have a lighter wallet if and when he reports to the Ravens.

Coach John Harbaugh said Friday he wasn’t aware of McKinnie having any more contact with the organization and confirmed he is subject to being fined for his absence from training camp. According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, the 32-year-old tackle was fined $30,000 for missing the start of training camp.

“As far as I know, there’s no communication from Bryant,” Harbaugh said. “He does not have an agent. We heard from a chiropractor the first day.”

The Ravens fined him the maximum daily amount under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, which doesn’t bode well for an individual already dealing with financial problems.

McKinnie is currently on the reserve-did not report list, which provides an exemption from the 90-man training camp roster.

Fourth-year tackle Michael Oher has been working on the left side in McKinnie’s absence and confirmed he has spoken to his teammate, which is more than the organization can say at this point.

(Updated: 9:20 a.m.)

At first glance, the absence of Bryant McKinnie from the Ravens’ first full-squad practice on Thursday was concerning but hardly surprising.

The left tackle was held out of the team’s mandatory minicamp last month due to conditioning reasons, leaving many to wonder if the 32-year-old would be able to get down to 345 pounds by the start of training camp as the Ravens requested. McKinnie said he weighed 354 pounds in mid-June and vowed to silence his doubters when training camp began.

Instead, his status in Baltimore is up in the air with no clear timetable for a resolution.

Though a team official indicated earlier in the day that McKinnie had failed the required conditioning test, coach John Harbaugh revealed information that presented an even higher level of concern for the state of the offensive line entering training camp. The 11-year veteran not only failed to practice on Thursday, but he hasn’t even reported to the team’s facility in Owings Mills, creating even bigger questions for an aging offensive line already trying to replace Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs.

“He contacted us through a representative,” Harbaugh said. “He is dealing with an issue right now. I don’t really want to speak for him on that. Just let him speak for himself on that when the time comes.”

McKinnie has been placed on the reserve-did not report list, which opens a spot on the 90-man preseason roster but puts the 6-foot-8, 354-pound tackle’s future in doubt.

While most assume the absence is tied solely to the veteran lineman’s weight and conditioning, Harbaugh’s word choice makes you wonder if there are other factors at work with whatever “issue” McKinnie has that’s keeping him away from the training facility in Owings Mills.

When the Ravens signed him last August, they knew they were welcoming a talented tackle with plenty of baggage stemming from nine up-and-down years with the Minnesota Vikings that ended when he was jettisoned at the start of last year’s training camp. However, McKinnie was a model citizen in his first season with the Ravens and was paid a $500,000 roster bonus in March.

His financial problems became public knowledge earlier this offseason as he’s reportedly dealing with a $4.5 million lawsuit stemming from a loan he took out during last year’s lockout. McKinnie was reportedly sued for failing to repay the amount and is slated to make a $3.2 million base salary — after reaching a $1.2 million salary escalator last season — in the final year of his contract with the Ravens.

A regular Twitter user – with updates often tracking his activity late at night — McKinnie hasn’t posted anything on his account since July 22.

Attempts to reach McKinnie for comment have been unsuccessful.

When he’s expected back in Owings Mills is anyone’s guess, including that of his head coach.

“In all honesty, I really don’t know,” said Harbaugh when asked about a timetable for McKinnie’s return. “We should know more here soon.”

McKinnie’s absence puts the offensive line in an even more uncomfortable position as right tackle Michael Oher will now shift back to the left side, where he started full-time with mixed reviews in 2010. Many have wondered whether Oher has the ability to play at a high level on the left side, but the Ravens have no choice but to move the 2009 first-round pick back to his natural position for now.

“We’ve always believed Michael Oher is a left tackle here,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to put the five best linemen out there, and last year, to do that, Michael was a right tackle. I am very comfortable with Michael at left tackle. Until further notice, he is the left tackle.”

Where that leaves the Ravens at right tackle is a far less desirable question to answer.

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They say age makes for experience, but can your age work against you in the rough and tumble sport of football?  According to ESPN’s senior writer, John Clayton, an aging Baltimore Ravens offensive line may work against them.

Clayton recently wrote about his “Theory of 150” for O-Lines.  His theory maintains:

“If a team lets its starting offensive line exceed the total age of 150 years for five starters, the clock is ticking on its remaining success.”

In addition, As with anything, the “Theory of 150″ is more relevant for some teams than others. The line is a position group where younger isn’t always better; the fading of speed and athletic ability don’t affect linemen as much as running backs, receivers and other skill positions.

If Clayton is right about his theory, should the Ravens be worried about their aging O-Line? The line consists of Ravens veteran center Matt Birk and recently signed Bobbie Williams, both 35, Bryant McKinnie is 32, while Michael Oher is 26 and Marshall Yanda is 27.

Combined, their ages equal 155, a bit over Clayton’s 150, but it is enough to sound the alarm?

He gives an example of how it was time for the Minnesota Vikings to revamp their O-Line. According to Clayton, last year’s starters had the combined of age of 147. The Vikings made some changes by drafting LT Matt Kahil and moving Charlie Johnson to left guard decreasing the combined age of their O-Line to make them one of the youngest in the NFC North.

This offseason, the Ravens only lost one O-Line player, G Ben Grubbs, who went to New Orleans. The battle to fill Grubbs’ position will take place during training camp and his vacant spot will be filled by a younger player. The battle will be between second-year linemen Jah Reid and Justin Boren and rookies G Kelechi Osemele and C/G Gino Gradkowski.

To the contrary, Oher believes that the O-Line is the best of his career.

“Trust me, people don’t have anything to worry about,” Oher said. “This is the most confident I’ve been in our group. I really like the pieces in our room.”

Pro Bowl guard, Marshall Yanda also believes in the 2012 O-Line adding that there is more depth with this group with the offseason additions to the roster.

“We definitely have enough guys where if someone goes down, or if something happens, then we know we’ll have enough depth,” Yanda said. “It’s early in this thing yet, obviously we haven’t even started training camp yet, so we’ll see what happens. They got enough guys so we can make it work and have a successful line.“

The aging O-Line concerns me, but I’m not overly worried about it. I like that general manager and recruiting genius Ozzie Newsome drafted Osemele and Gradkowski, who stand a chance at starting this season. Both will have the opportunity to learn from their Pro Bowl teammates and I have faith that they can make an impact this season.

And while aging players are more prone to injury, I agree with Yanda, there is enough depth to replace injured players.

The flip side of having an aging O-line is that the wheels are in motion for the Ravens to have a young line in future seasons. Matt Birk is likely to retire after this season and his replacement is likely to one of the rookies. Plus the Ravens are sure to draft more offensive linesmen in the next year converting the aging O-line into a young and rejuvenated one.

What do you think? Should we be concerned about the O-line?

I honestly still can’t believe some of the things I read/heard/saw last week about Baltimore Ravens OT Bryant McKinnie.

If you missed it, McKinnie was not on the fall last week in Owings Mills during mandatory minicamp at the Under Armour Performance Center. When asked why McKinnie was not practicing, head coach John Harbaugh said “Bryant McKinnie is a guy that we held out just for conditioning purposes. We’re going to probably continue to do that and continue to try and get him in good shape. I think practice-wise, he’s just as well doing the conditioning part of it.”

Let me start this post by saying I fully understand a few things. One is that Harbaugh has never felt the need to share more information than necessary about any of his players. Another is that the information was new to reporters, so asking follow up questions might not have seemed pertinent. I wasn’t present at minicamp (media availability was scheduled during my radio show “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net each day) and was unable to fully grasp exactly what was going on.

With no media availability scheduled before the start of Training Camp, reporters felt it necessary to question Harbaugh later in the week for more information about McKinnie’s status. Unfortunately the coach was again vague, offering “we will leave that between us. That’s something that is an in-house type of thing right now. Bryant has done a good job, he’s worked hard. It’s not as simple as some of you guys want to make it. It’s just a situation where we are going to do what is best for the team, what is best for Bryant. We want him here; there’s no reason he wouldn’t be here. He has worked hard, so you try to do what’s most beneficial for every guy in every situation, and it’s always individualized.”

Now’s the part where I offer some examples of various stories I’ve read about Bryant McKinnie.

Here’s this from SI.com…

“Cut last season by the Vikings, Bryant McKinnie, who sat out Thursday’s practice, may be on the verge of extending an ignominious streak. Here is a player who has a history of being overweight and struggled with the same problem last season. He also reportedly has financial problems, yet can’t get into good enough shape to participate in minicamp. You have to question his commitment and when a team starts signing veteran offensive linemen and McKinnie gets held out of minicamp, it could be a sign of things to come.”

And this from SB Nation…

“The Baltimore Ravens gave veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie a $500,000 roster bonus earlier this spring, but now might be regretting the outlay of cash. McKinnie came to Baltimore after the Minnesota Vikings cut him last summer for reporting to camp overweight. The Ravens rounded him into shape and he had a pretty solid year, allowing the team to shift Michael Oher over to right tackle and solidify that side of the offensive line.

McKinnie reportedly was on his way to getting in good shape earlier this year, but the most recent news was that the team held him out of the mini-camp this past week for “conditioning reasons.” This does not bode well for either the Ravens nor McKinnie.

Bryant is on the short end of a legal case where he defaulted on a $4 million loan he took out during the NFL Lockout last year and seriously needs a full season paycheck to pay it back. If he does not report to the Ravens Training Camp in six weeks in excellent shape, there is a very good chance that the team may decide to cut ties with him and let him go.”

Allow me to be fair again for a second. The SI.com blurb was a clear re-write with no author attached. While SB Nation does have a handful of experienced journalists and columnists, their sites are still largely made up of part-time writers/editors with no actual experience truly covering a team.

So perhaps CSNBaltimore.com’s veteran writer Ray Frager would be a better source.

“Offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie’s conditioning issues have been a big part of the Ravens chatter over this week. There is speculation he is around that 400-pound summit that caused him to lose his job in Minnesota.”

Maybe even the Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston would be a better option.

“The entire McKinnie episode is strange and you wonder if he is going to be around when training camp opens. Here is a player who has a history of being overweight and struggled with the same problem last season.

He also reportedly has financial problems, yet can’t get into good enough shape to participate in minicamp. You have to question his commitment and when a team starts signing veteran offensive linemen and McKinnie gets held out of minicamp, it could be a sign of things to come.”

Preparing for the final week of their off-season program and mandatory minicamp, the Ravens appeared all but set on the offensive line, at least in terms of who would be competing for the starting left guard position.

The battle between rookie Kelechi Osemele and second-year lineman Jah Reid — both converting from the tackle position — to replace former Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs was shaping up to be the most compelling competition of the preseason. However, that all changed on Friday when Baltimore announced the signing of former Bengals guard Bobbie Williams to a two-year contract.

Many assume it to be a move reflecting a lack of faith in Osemele and Reid as both have faced physical challenges during organized team activities, but coach John Harbaugh insisted the addition of Williams was something the Ravens were considering since the start of free agency. While unsuccessfully courting Philadelphia guard Evan Mathis to replace Grubbs, general manager Ozzie Newsome and the front office quietly monitored the rehabilitation of Williams’ fractured ankle suffered in Week 14 last season.

“He is a guy that we knew about right away,” Harbaugh said. “We have always liked him. We had him highly ranked. He had a situation with a broken leg last year. We had to see how that developed.”

With Osemele sidelined and left tackle Bryant McKinnie being held out of minicamp workouts due to conditioning concerns, Williams has immediately stepped in at left guard while Reid has played right tackle as Michael Oher has moved back to the left side of the starting offensive line this week. When the Ravens have their full allotment of linemen at the start of training camp, it remains to be seen how serious they are about entrusting a 35-year-old coming off a major injury to handle the left guard spot.

Despite having started 130 games in his 12 NFL seasons and reportedly receiving an $800,000 signing bonus, Williams hasn’t been assured of anything other than an opportunity to compete with the young linemen to nail down the starting left guard job. He has plenty to prove after playing only nine games last season after facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances and missing the final three games due to injury.

“That’s just it, that [the left guard spot is] open,” Williams said. “They like the guy I am. They like my character and they like my play. They said that I would be a great fit, and I believe that. I’m up for the challenge, and I’m going to try to maximize every chance I get.”

With the additions of Williams and former Rams and 49ers interior lineman Tony Wragge in the last week, offensive line coach Andy Moeller and Harbaugh have more options in formulating their starting five for the regular season.

It may look much different than anyone expected it to even a few weeks ago.

With the decision to keep McKinnie off the practice field, it’s clear the Ravens aren’t pleased with his weight and conditioning less than six weeks from the start of training camp. If they determine they cannot count on him to start on the left side, they could elect to move Oher permanently back to the left side and shift the competition between Osemele and Reid to right tackle — with Williams then starting at left guard.

A more likely scenario is a competition between Williams and Osemele at left guard with Reid shifting back to his natural tackle position as a reserve. Even if McKinnie sheds more weight and brings his conditioning to a satisfactory level, the Ravens are thin at tackle behind McKinnie and Oher with 2010 sixth-round choice Ramon Harewood struggling mightily during OTA workouts.

Not only does the addition of Williams give the Ravens another veteran on which to lean, but it creates many more combinations for a unit trying to fill the void left behind by its best offensive lineman in recent years.

“We are just building an offensive line. We’ll have competition,” Harbaugh said. “Those young guys are going to be in there competing. The best guys are going to play. It’s nice to have another veteran guy in the mix. It makes us stronger. We’ll see how it shakes out as we go.”

Williams will need to prove he is fully recovered from the ankle injury that diminished his value on the open market earlier this offseason as well as make the transition from right guard to the left side. It was a move interior lineman Andre Gurode struggled with last season trying to fill in for the injured Grubbs after he had spent his entire career at center and right guard.

When posed the question of how easily he could make the move, Williams expressed little concern as he prepares for his 13th season out of the University of Arkansas. The 6-foot-4, 345-pound guard is prepared for anything at this stage of his career, especially if it means a better opportunity to win a Super Bowl as he stays in the AFC North.

“At this stage in the game, that’s all it is is a change — just switch up your footwork and go with it,” Williams said. “The mentality is still the same.”

And it’s a mentality the organization would surely like to see the longtime Bengal bring with him to Baltimore.

#1 – What’s going to happen with Ray Rice?

 Not only has Ray Rice been one of the best pound-for-pound bargains in all of football during his time as a Raven, but unlike many other running backs in similar situations last season Rice played things quiet and trusted that the team would take care of him. Whether or not they do remains to be seen, and whether or not they should is debatable. Running backs come and go quickly in the NFL, but by most accounts Rice has been “special” and is perhaps worth the risk. Either way expect him to play in 2012, but history hasn’t been kind to players who hold out of camp. A bad season for Rice under the franchise tag could be disastrous for him and for the Ravens.

#2 – Who’s playing on the offensive line?

This question is actually a myriad of different questions. Who fills Ben Grubbs spot at LG? How much does Matt Birk have left in the tank? Can we pencil in Bryant McKinnie at LT? Are Michael Oher and Marshal Yanda still the right side? And where do Kelechi Osemele, Jah Reid, Gino Gradkowski and Ramon Harewood fit into the picture? The answers to all of these questions could represent the beginning or the end of any offensive hopes the Ravens will have in 2012?

#3 – Do they have enough at wide receiver?

Torrey Smith was a pleasant surprise last season, but whether he can refine his route running and improve his hands still remain to be seen. He’s now a proven field stretcher but will need to add to his game in order to be a bona fide playmaker. Anquan Boldin was worse than expected last season, but was also injured, He’ll need to be more like the Anquan Boldin of old to lead these Ravens forward on the offensive side of the ball. And beyond those two the questions are even bigger. Is Jacoby Jones a wide out or a just a special teamer? Will Tandon Doss be ready to play in 2012? Who is Tommy Streeter and if he’s any good, how did the Ravens get him so late? Before we start comparing Joe Flacco to the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, let’s make sure he has some weapons that he can rely on.

#4 – Are the tight ends good enough?

Ed Dickson is big and athletic enough but has struggled with his hands. Dennis Pitta has very good hands but may not be big or athletic enough to impose his will on defenders, as modern tight ends are prone to do. Until one or the other shows marked improvement the Ravens will hesitate to use the middle of the field in the passing game, where coincidentally the best offenses all seem to have fantastic weapons. And who is Lamont Bryant?

As first reported by the NFL Network, the Baltimore Ravens hosted former Houston Texans WR Jacoby Jones for a visit Sunday.

Jacoby Jones became an interesting name for Ravens fans after the NFL Draft, as the Texans’ selection of DeVier Posey made it appear as though the veteran receiver could become expendable for the team. He obviously was, as the team took only days to part ways with Jones.

Perhaps adding Jones to the mix would be a good idea for the Ravens. He’s been in the league for five years, but has only spent the last three seasons getting significant reps as a wide receiver. His numbers aren’t spectacular (31 catches, 512 yards and two touchdowns in 2011), but they’re certainly serviceable for a complementary receiver. The Ravens clearly need depth, as behind starters Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin they have just four combined career receptions (all belonging to LaQuan Willams) from a group that also includes Tandon Doss, David Reed, Phillip Livas, Rodney Bradley, Patrick Williams and 6th round pick Tommy Streeter.

As much as the Ravens may have needed a playmaker type, they clearly needed depth at the position in general. Jones could bring that, and could also bring experience in the return game. Despite his two fumbles against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2011 NFL Playoffs, he has four TD returns (3 punt, 1 kickoff) in his career.

An even more intriguing name that has loosely been discussed amongst Ravens fans is the name Michael Crabtree. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver has been a hot topic after the team drafted Illinois WR AJ Jenkins in the first round of the NFL Draft. In addition to Jenkins, the team has added veteran free agent receivers Mario Manningham and Randy Moss this offseason, leading to some speculation that the team could be prepared to move on from Crabtree after selecting him with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

I want to reiterate that the rumors surrounding Crabtree have been thinly veiled. While a National Football League source told me he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Ravens had interest in trading for Crabtree, no true source has been able to confirm that actual interest exists. However, in my chat with CBSSports.com NFL writer Clark Judge (who is honestly amongst the absolute best in his line of work) last Friday on “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net, the Crabtree-Ravens conversation came up…

JUDGE: “Hey one other question for you, are you serious about taking that caller’s suggestion and trying to acquire Michael Crabtree?”

ME: “No, I don’t think that’s realistic at all. I was trying to play devil’s advocate.”

JUDGE: “The thing about Crabtree is that they would probably be willing to give him away because while he’s young, he’s an underachieving diva. A second rounder? I’d probably give him away for a fourth rounder.”

ME: “If they were willing to give him away for a fourth rounder, I’d be willing to have the conversation.”

JUDGE: “I wouldn’t want him on my team.”

It should be made clear that Judge didn’t report to me that the Niners were interested or willing to trade Crabtree away for a fourth round pick. He simply said that HE would be willing to do that if he were making the calls for San Fran. (The chat is available here in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault.)

I’ll say again what I said to Clark Judge. If the San Francisco 49ers were willing to trade Michael Crabtree away for a fourth round pick, I’d have the conversation. I’m aware that Crabtree has yet to fully live up to his potential as a Top 10 pick and has certainly had “personality issues” that stem back to his lengthy rookie holdout. I’m also aware that the former Texas Tech standout has become more and more productive in each of his three years in the league and his best year (2011) coincided with the year his quarterback (Alex Smith) finally moved into the “credible” category of NFL signal callers.

Let me stress, I’d have the conversation. But it’s important to point out again that this is not a fantasy football league. This is the NFL.

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