(This blog brought to you by Atlantic Remodeling. Visit www.atlanticremodeling.com to learn about their Red Cent Guarantee!)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Wrapping up his first week back with the Ravens since a third-place finish on “Dancing with the Stars,” wide receiver Jacoby Jones made it clear he’s no longer in a mood to dance.

At least until this fall.

Asked whether teammates have teased him since he returned from pairing up with the lovely Karina Smirnoff, Jones indicated his teammates were jealous of the skills he displayed on national television. Of course, Jones is ready to focus once again on the skills that made him a first-time Pro Bowl selection 2012 and doesn’t plan to share his dancing secrets with teammates.

“They’re all just trying to get me to teach them how to dance now,” Jones said. “I’m not about to teach. I’m tired of dancing.”

Looking leaner than last year but still claiming to be at his playing weight of 215 pounds, Jones said the biggest adjustment in returning to the Ravens is getting used to high outdoor temperatures compared to the air-conditioned confines of the dance studio. Jones feels his footwork for running routes is better than ever after learning a variety of new steps on the dance floor.

The sleek and speedy receiver got behind third-year cornerback Jimmy Smith for a long touchdown on Friday afternoon for the concluding day of the second week of organized team activities, which are voluntary workouts at this stage of the spring. Jones missed the first week due to his final days on the ABC hit program, but the 28-year-old feels he’s in better condition at this point than he’s ever been in his NFL career.

Upon his return, he finds a very different team from the one he remembered last February, with veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin the biggest departure to directly impact Jones. However, the New Orleans native offered a pragmatic approach to moving on from the departures of so many veteran players.

“There are guys that are gone [and] we’re going to miss them, but the spirit is the same,” Jones said. “The guys they brought in, we all have the same type of personality, the same spirits. [General manager Ozzie Newsome] knows what he’s doing when he brings those types of guys in.”

How Jones will fit into the Boldin-free passing game is one of the biggest questions the Ravens face as they inch closer to training camp. It’s all but guaranteed that the 6-foot-2 receiver will line up on the opposite side of Torrey Smith in the three-wide set as he did last season, but whether he’ll ultimately start in the two-wide base offense remains to be seen.

His playoff heroics in Denver (a 70-yard touchdown catch to force overtime) and in Super Bowl XLVII (a 56-yard touchdown shortly before halftime) have become part of franchise lore, but Jones was little more than a decoy for most of the regular season as he caught just 30 passes for 406 yards and a Week 2 touchdown while being targeted 54 times in 16 games. Even after Jim Caldwell took over as offensive coordinator in mid-December, Jones only appeared in 41 percent of the Ravens’ offensive plays (not including the regular-season finale in Cincinnati that was treated much like a preseason game).

The knock on Jones during his five seasons with the Houston Texans was his inability to catch the football consistently. In addition to looking at younger wide receivers such as Tandon Doss and Deonte Thompson to play in the slot, Caldwell will look to Jones to help fill in the production gap left behind by Boldin.

“I do think that he has the ability. There’s no question about that,” Caldwell said. “He has the ability to do it. He can catch. He can run. Obviously, he is still going to serve our special teams and serve them well in his role that he plays for them. Then obviously, we will use him as a big part of our offense as well.”

Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged earlier in the offseason that the Ravens will need to monitor how much they use Jones as a receiver as well as a return specialist to keep him as fresh and productive as possible over the course of the season. His emergence as a bigger part of the passing game would certainly quell concerns over Newsome not adding a veteran wide receiver.

Jones doesn’t feel any additional pressure individually but views Boldin’s departure as reason for the entire group of wideouts to increase their production.

“You all know how I am, I just play my role,” Jones said. “Whatever they want me to do, I’m ready to do it. I think the whole receiving corps as a whole, we’ve all got to step up and make plays.”

The dancing star is certainly right as he’ll be under more scrutiny after missing the early portion of the offseason workout program in order to compete on “Dancing with the Stars.” The Ravens hope his big-play ability on display in the postseason is a precursor for more touchdowns to come in the regular season as he plays out the final year of a two-year contract paying him $4 million this season.

It would certainly aid in their bid to repeat as Super Bowl champs.

And why else did you think he elected to keep so busy this offseason after exercising an initial collection of touchdown dances last season?

“You think I was doing that dancing for nothing?” said Jones, drawing laughter from the gathered media. “I can’t wait to get in the end zone. I’m not going to dance until I get in the end zone.”

Despite losing two key defensive players on the first day of free agency, the Ravens addressed an area of concern from last season with the addition of veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty.

Formerly of the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys, the 30-year-old Canty announced on his official Twitter account that he was signing a three-year contract to join the Ravens Tuesday evening. The deal is reportedly worth $8 million and includes $2.8 million guaranteed and was agreed upon after the veteran spent the day in Owings Mills visiting with the organization.

Canty has excellent size at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds and will likely be asked to fill a role similar to the one previously held by Cory Redding, who signed with Indianapolis last offseason. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees struggled to find a consistent 5-lineman to take Redding’s place throughout the 2012 season as Pernell McPhee battled injuries and Arthur Jones proved more effective playing inside.

An eight-year pro, Canty was limited to only nine games with the Giants last season as offseason knee surgery forced him to begin the season on the physically unable to perform list and a sprained MCL plagued him in late December. He recorded 26 tackles and three sacks in nine starts.

He was released in early February after four seasons in New York.

The 2005 fourth-round pick has collected 272 tackles and 19 sacks in his NFL career.

Other teams showing interest in Canty included Tennessee, Green Bay, and Kansas City.

With plenty of doubt surrounding the future of safety Ed Reed in Baltimore, the Ravens have re-signed his understudy as an insurance policy at the start of free agency.

Reserve safety James Ihedigbo has agreed to a one-year contract to remain with the Ravens. Signed just before the start of the 2012 regular season, Ihedigbo played in all 16 games and made three starts while also serving on special teams for the Super Bowl champion Ravens.

The former New England Patriot and New York Jet collected 25 tackles and a sack as a reserve for the Baltimore defense. He started three games in place of an injured Bernard Pollard at strong safety last December.

Liked by teammates, the 29-year-old Ihedigbo is a quality depth signing on a one-year contract as the Ravens deal with the uncertain future of Reed.

One of the biggest pitfalls for Ravens safety Ed Reed to secure a new contract has been solved as he prepares to hit the free-agent market on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old has hired agent David Dunn of Athletes First to represent him in free agency after spending the last couple years without one. Dunn represents several of Reed’s closest friends around the NFL, including retired linebacker Ray Lewis and Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

Reed reportedly met with the Ravens recently, but he is expected to explore the open market to determine his value. The 11-year veteran has expressed his preference to remain in Baltimore several times, but many have doubted whether the Ravens will offer money that would be suitable in Reed’s eyes.

Several teams are expected to be interested in the nine-time Pro Bowl selection and 2004 Defensive Player of the Year, including New England, Indianapolis, and San Francisco. A Pro Football Talk report even suggested the 49ers could be the frontrunner to land the longtime Ravens safety, which would be an interesting development after Baltimore dealt wide receiver Anquan Boldin to San Francisco for a sixth-round choice in April’s draft.

With free agency set to begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, it’s time to predict who remains and who departs among the Ravens’ 12 unrestricted free agents, six restricted free agents, and 10 exclusive-rights free agents.

The 2013 salary cap was officially set to $123 million last week and the Ravens have roughly $11 million in cap space after signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a six-year, $120.6 million contract. Most media attention focuses on unrestricted free agents, but the Ravens’ list of restricted free agents and exclusive-rights players will eat up a sizable portion of that remaining cap space.

Of course, the Ravens still have the option of cutting players under contract or potentially re-signing or restructuring the contracts of players already committed to the organization to create more cap space.

A new wrinkle to consider this year is the NFL allowing teams to enter into negotiations with the certified agents of players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in the three days leading up to the start of the new league year (March 12 at 4 p.m.), meaning the rumors and speculation will pick up this weekend before the start of the signing period.

To see how I fared last year, check out my 2012 free-agent forecast HERE.

Unrestricted free agents

LB Dannell Ellerbe: STAYS
Skinny: The Ravens’ top priority among their unrestricted free agents, Ellerbe easily figures to trump the three-year, $10.5 million contract Baltimore awarded Jameel McClain in a deep inside linebacker market last offseason and will be looking for a deal worth at least $20 million. 

S Ed Reed: LEAVES
Skinny: If the future Hall of Fame safety is willing to take a modest two-year deal, he could have his chance to finish his career in Baltimore, but I’m guessing Reed will bolt for a more generous offer from another team looking for his services.

LB Paul Kruger: LEAVES
Skinny: With rumors of the situational pass rusher potentially fetching more than $8 million per season, the Ravens will turn to Courtney Upshaw for an increased role and move on from Kruger, who is not strong against the run and played in only 22 of 62 defensive snaps in Super Bowl XLVII.

CB Cary Williams: LEAVES
Skinny: With Lardarius Webb, Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith, and Chykie Brown all under contract, the Ravens will remember their depth at cornerback and allow Williams to seek a well-deserved payday somewhere else.

OT Bryant McKinnie: STAYS
Skinny: The Ravens will explore other options on the open market, but McKinnie should be an affordable stopgap as they’ll look to draft a left tackle of the future on the first or second day of April’s draft.

NT Ma’ake Kemoeatu: LEAVES
Skinny: The 34-year-old’s comeback was a nice story last year, but general manager Ozzie Newsome has made it a priority to upgrade the depth at defensive tackle, making Kemoeatu’s return unlikely at this point.

S James Ihedigbo: STAYS
Skinny: With Reed’s status in doubt, Ihedigbo is a nice depth player the Ravens would like to re-sign at the right price and he was a strong special-teams player last year as well.

DL Ryan McBean: STAYS
Skinny: The Ravens had high hopes for the former Denver Bronco last year before a season-ending ankle injury in the preseason opener, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to retain McBean’s services at a cheap rate.

S Sean Considine: LEAVES
Skinny: Though he was a solid special-teams contributor, the Ravens are likely to fill Considine’s spot with a younger, cheaper option.

TE Billy Bajema: LEAVES
Skinny: With Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next offseason, the Ravens should look to a younger option with some upside to fill their third tight end spot.

CB Chris Johnson: LEAVES
Skinny: The slew of injuries at the cornerback position midway through the season prompted the Ravens to sign the speedy veteran, but his services will no longer be needed.

LB Ricky Brown: LEAVES
Skinny: A preseason concussion landed the veteran on injured reserve, but Brown was little more than a camp body last summer.

Restricted free agents

(The Ravens can offer a first-round, second-round, or low tender to any of these players, giving them the right to match any offer sheet from an opposing team or to receive that team’s draft pick that matches the designation. The low tender awards a draft pick equal to the round in which the player was originally drafted. If the player originally went undrafted, it simply provides the team the right to match an offer sheet but awards no compensation for losing the player.)

TE Dennis Pitta: STAYS
Skinny: The Ravens may explore a multi-year extension for their talented tight end, but the second-round tender should be enough to keep Pitta in Baltimore for the 2013 season.

DL Arthur Jones: STAYS
Skinny: Jones started six games and really emerged in the second half of the season as an impact player along the defensive line, making him a likely candidate to receive a second-round tender.

TE Ed Dickson: STAYS
Skinny: Though his blocking skills are underrated, Dickson’s dwindling role as a receiver makes it likely that he’ll receive the low tender, meaning another team would have to fork over a third-round pick — the round in which he was drafted in 2010 — to sign him.

LS Morgan Cox: STAYS
Skinny: Happy with Cox’s services, the Ravens will either offer him the low tender or re-sign him to a lower salary than the $1.32 million attached to the tender.

OL Ramon Harewood: STAYS
Skinny: The 2010 sixth-round pick clearly fell out of favor after starting the first five games of the season at left guard, but the Ravens could look to sign Harewood at a lower rate after non-tendering him.

WR David Reed: LEAVES
Skinny: It’s possible the Ravens would re-sign Reed at a smaller salary, but they have several young wide receivers and Deonte Thompson can back up returner Jacoby Jones, which could prompt the 2010 fifth-round pick to seek an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere.

Exclusive-rights free agents

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>>>

After reaching the pinnacle of his career in being named Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVII, quarterback Joe Flacco will now break the bank with a long-term contract with the Ravens making him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

As first reported by FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, the sides have reached an agreement in principle on a long-term deal that will officially be completed on Monday, the last day the Ravens would have been able to designate Flacco with the franchise tag. The quarterback will sign a six-year deal worth $120.6 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The record-setting deal comes after Flacco held more negotiating leverage over the Ravens than any star player in recent memory.

The news of the long-term agreement will alleviate salary cap concerns for the Ravens as a deal is expected to create a more manageable 2013 cap figure for the franchise quarterback than either the exclusive or non-exclusive franchise tag numbers for this season.

Flacco’s agent Joe Linta and Ravens vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty entered contract negotiations in Indianapolis last week for the first time since talks broke down last August with the sides unable to come to an agreement. Talks were described as cordial, but a contract wasn’t considered imminent until the news broke Friday evening. Linta said Friday the Ravens agreed to all their terms, but they will look over the deal before Flacco signs it on Monday.

Though it doesn’t qualify as an official statement, the Ravens’ Twitter account announced that general manager Ozzie Newsome has confirmed that the parameters of the contract are in place with some details and language that will need to be finalized.

After passing on the Ravens’ best offer last summer, Flacco went on to throw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in one of the greatest postseason performances in NFL history to lead the Ravens to their second world championship on Feb. 3. The fifth-year quarterback cemented his place as one of the league’s top signal-callers with the remarkable four-game run against Indianapolis, Denver, New England, and San Francisco.

Playing in his first Super Bowl, Flacco went 22-for-33 for 287 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-31 victory over the 49ers. The 28-year-old threw for 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and 3,817 yards in the regular season.

Several teammates used Twitter to offer their congratulations on Friday evening as the Ravens now know their franchise quarterback will remain in Baltimore for years to come.

“Dinner and a few nights on Joe Flacco when we get back,” wrote Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice, who added that the new contract was “well deserved.”

In his five-year career, the 2008 first-round pick has passed for 17,633 yards, 102 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions for a career passer rating of 86.3.

The Ravens are expected to turn their attention immediately toward their other unrestricted free agents and the rest of the offseason as securing the quarterback long-term was their paramount objective before anything else. General manager Ozzie Newsome now has the opportunity to use the franchise tag on another player, but the executive said at last month’s end-of-year press conference that the organization would not tag anyone else should they reach a new contract with Flacco.

Long before the Ravens marched to their second Super Bowl title, many wondered which player would ultimately accept the torch passed on from Ray Lewis after his 17 years as leader of the vaunted Baltimore defense.

And now that the last of the confetti has fallen and the Ravens look ahead to life without the future Hall of Famer, linebacker Terrell Suggs admits he’s still not giving too much thought to a defense sans Lewis. The uncertain future of free-agent safety Ed Reed has led many to anoint Suggs as the logical replacement as the spiritual leader of the unit.

According to the 30-year-old linebacker in an interview on AM 1570 WNST on Wednesday, there will be a time this offseason to delegate responsibilities within the defense.

Just not yet.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Suggs said. “I didn’t want to rob myself or my teammates of what we just accomplished together. There’s going to come a time where we’re going to hand out stripes and assignments and jobs and what have you, but right now, we’re just all still on this magic carpet ride just enjoying it. We don’t want to rob each other talking about who’s the defense’s next leader.”

Regardless of how the Ravens solve the gigantic dilemma of replacing Lewis’ leadership, they apparently will have a fully-healthy Suggs, who confirmed he will not undergo surgery to repair the torn right biceps suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in early December. That injury coupled with the partially-torn Achilles tendon suffered last spring limited Suggs to eight games and a career-low two sacks in 2012.

The Ravens hope a full offseason for the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year will mean a more productive version of the rush linebacker, who is schedule to carry a $13.02 million salary cap number in the penultimate season of a six-year, $62.5 million contract signed in the summer of 2009. Suggs will be counted upon to regain his 2011 form to offset the anticipated departure of pass-rushing specialist Paul Kruger in free agency.

Suggs collected 25 sacks and nine fumbles combined in the two seasons prior to the Achilles tendon injury last offseason. Initially feared to be lost for the season, Suggs returned by mid-October to provide a much-needed presence for the defense despite lacking the same explosiveness he enjoyed before the injury. The torn biceps injury cost Suggs another game in December before the veteran decided to push through the injury.

The 2003 first-round pick says he will be 100 percent for training camp instead of spending his summer days rehabbing like he did last year.

“I feel great; I went to see the doctor about the whole biceps thing,” Suggs said. “He said it’s strong enough that I don’t need surgery. That was good news because I didn’t want to be down for three, four months again. I get to hit the offseason full-stride with a clear vision.

“Now that I have the Lombardi and I have all those awards, I can go into the offseason with no pressure whatsoever and kind of just enjoy it.”

Currently promoting “The Coalition,” a film co-written and produced by the five-time Pro Bowl selection, Suggs quipped that he wouldn’t have bought into the unbelievable story of his championship team had someone tried to sell him the script prior to the season.

Instead, the linebacker enjoyed the first-person account.

“To finally get that done, just thinking of everything we’ve been through since I entered the league in 2003, it was just like, ‘Finally, you’re a champion,’” said Suggs, who joked that he’s now trying to buy the movie rights for the story of the Ravens’ run to Super Bowl XLVII. “I can’t describe it. I will never be able to. It was amazing to do it with my teammates.”

After tasting Super Bowl glory, Suggs will now adjust to playing without the man he affectionately called “The General” for the first time in his professional career. Whether he’s ready to assume Lewis’ gigantic shoes remains to be seen, but Suggs knows the defense won’t soon forget the expectations and vision largely cultivated by Lewis over the first 17 years of the franchise.

It’s a legacy that must be carried on as the veteran prepares for his 11th season in Baltimore.

“No matter what happens in the future, Ray Lewis’ presence will always be felt in that locker room [and] on that field,” Suggs said. “Our defense will still be held to a certain standard.”

With the Ravens about to enter the most critical contract negotiations in franchise history later this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, it’s difficult not to be inundated with the Joe Flacco discussions as general manager Ozzie Newsome tries to lock up his franchise quarterback for the long haul.

Frankly, the talk has been overwhelming and I’m as guilty as anyone in fueling the Flacco fire — HERE, HERE, and even HERE — and what impact it will have on the rest of the offseason and even the future of the franchise.

With that in mind, I offer 10 offseason thoughts not related to “you know who” as we wait to see how negotiations play out:

1. The Ravens could be faced with the choice of overpaying Bryant McKinnie or enduring another season of Michael Oher at left tackle. Both sides will explore other options, but it’s difficult to find a left tackle — who’s ready to play immediately, anyway — with no cap room and no draft choice higher than 32nd overall. McKinnie may also find a lukewarm market with his off-field baggage and questions over why the Ravens sat him for the entire regular season. If the Ravens deem McKinnie too expensive or too risky to sign, would they roll the dice in going with Oher at left tackle for another season and hoping they can find their left tackle of 2014 in the draft? It’s a dangerous proposition and the Ravens simply don’t have the resources to expect to find anyone better than McKinnie in free agency.

2. Regardless of how the tackle position shakes out, I’d like to see Kelechi Osemele remain at left guard next season. Lost in the shuffle of the offensive line shakeup to start the postseason was the stellar play of Osemele, who was seeing his first extensive time at left guard since the preseason. The Iowa State product played solidly at the right tackle position, but he showed the potential of being a Pro Bowl player on the interior line in four playoff games. At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Osemele clearly has the size to hold up at right tackle, but he could be good enough to make everyone forget about Ben Grubbs at the left guard position. The combination of him and Marshal Yanda could be the best guard duo in the league sooner rather than later, so the Ravens would love to keep Osemele inside in a perfect world.

3. Nothing should be guaranteed to Jimmy Smith next season despite a strong rebound in the postseason. It looked like a lost season for the 2011 first-round pick after ineffective play and sports hernia surgery dropped him to fourth on the depth chart late in the year, but Smith rebounded to play well in the postseason, including making critical plays on third and fourth down of the Ravens’ goal-line stand in the Super Bowl. His 6-foot-2 frame is the logical replacement for the likely-to-depart Cary Williams, but Smith will need to work his way up the depth chart by first beating out Chykie Brown for the No. 3 corner spot and then Corey Graham for a starting job. His postseason play proves the discussion about Smith being a bust was premature, but the time is now for Smith to prove the Ravens were wise to use a first-round pick on him.

4. This will be a big offseason for Terrence Cody, who is looking more like the second failed second-round pick of the 2010 draft. Outside linebacker Sergio Kindle has already parted ways with the Ravens and Cody might follow him sooner rather than later as the nose tackle enters the final year of his rookie contract. Newsome made it clear at the season-review press conference that the Ravens need to improve at defensive tackle and Cody struggled to get on the field as he competed with veteran Ma’ake Kemoeatu this season. Despite being listed at 341 pounds, Cody was often manhandled and made little impact in taking on blockers to allow linebackers to make plays against the run. The defensive lineman made only two tackles in the postseason and could find himself on the roster bubble should he go through the motions during training camp.

5. With all the discussion over the salary cap purge following the 2001 season, has everyone forgotten how quickly the Ravens returned to prominence after gutting their roster? I understand the line of thinking of both Newsome and owner Steve Bisciotti in saying they don’t want to mortgage the future solely to make an ill-advised effort to get back to the Super Bowl next season, but it’s not as though the Ravens fell off a cliff following their last purge. They went 7-9 as the youngest team in the NFL in 2002 and improved to 10-6 and captured their first AFC North title in 2003. It certainly helped that the Ravens had young versions of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed as well as offensive pillars in Jonathan Ogden and Jamal Lewis, but that group also had Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright playing quarterback. What’s the moral of the story? Organizations that draft well and stay true to their process for making personnel decisions won’t stay down for long in the NFL.

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE >>>>>