|
HOT TOPIC
In his first interview with local reporters in nine months, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said he has no rift with coach Brian Billick but acknowledged regret over criticism aimed at some of his teammates.
Lewis said he apologized to his teammates after he told ESPN in April that the franchise had not complemented him with the personnel to be a dominating player.
"I'm not a perfect man," Lewis said. " My apology was to my teammate because I spoke about something that I probably shouldn't have spoken about."
Lewis also backed coach Brian Billick - a far cry from an interview aired two months ago by Comcast SportsNet during which the linebacker appeared to avoid giving Billick a vote of confidence.
During that telecast, Comcast reporter Kelli Johnson asked Lewis whether Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti's decision to retain Billick as the head coach was a move in the right direction for a team that had completed a 6-10 season. Lewis' response: "No comment."
Lewis confirmed Billick's assertion that the player had told Johnson before the interview that he would not answer any football-related questions regarding his contract, the coach or the team.
"I told her that I'm not talking about football," Lewis said. "But during the interview - because I am passionate when I do speak - she started saying, 'Well, what about football? How are you guys going to be?' I was like, 'Look, we'll find out.' She came to me asking me about Billick. I said, 'No comment.' She started asking me about the quarterback situation. I said, 'No comment.'
"I never saw it, but what I heard from Day One was they played one comment as if I said something about Billick," the linebacker continued. "The interview was nothing about Brian Billick. Me and Coach Billick have probably one of the most peaceful relationships between a player and coach because we have one goal, and that goal is to help our team always get better. It's sad at times that people would just pull out one piece to say this is what you said, and it was never about Brian Billick."
Johnson said Lewis did not set parameters around the interview.
"He couldn't have been more cordial and had quite a few comments about his situation and the Ravens. Then came the question about Billick and it was an immediate, 'no comment,'" Johnson said. "He knew the effect that his 'no comment' would have when I asked the question."
Lewis, who disputed several published reports that he had demanded a trade, rebuked the media for writing about him without talking to him first and declined to give any details about his apology.
"What I said was for me and my teammates. If no one can understand that, I won't address it again," he said. "There's no need because there's no relevance in me trying to explain to you all what you all will never understand. You all will never understand what we go through on a football field. Ever. Ever. The thing is, I can work with anybody here because my life is peaceful.
"But at the same time, I'm not going to keep digging up the same issues over and over. It's boring. I walk into a locker room to look my men in the eye and say, 'Look, let's go back to war. We didn't make it to the Super Bowl, we didn't make it to the playoffs. Let's go do what we need to do.' That's my obligation."
Nose tackle Kelly Gregg confirmed that Lewis called him and the two discussed Lewis' comments.
"It was no big deal from the get-go," Gregg said. "All he wants to do is win."
Lewis, who is not scheduled to practice during minicamps over the next two weeks, said his surgically repaired right hamstring is improving and hinted that he might be ready to play when training camp opens on Aug. 1.
"Where I am now, six weeks out, yeah, it's a pretty good chance," he said. "But like I said, I can't speak for Bill [Tessendorf, team trainer], either. Bill is probably one of the greatest doctors in this game right now, and if he tells me I don't think you need to try it, I'm not going to try it no matter how good I feel. But we're working extremely hard, and every day, I'm over here. We're just getting a lot of things done and right now, where I am, if I had to say something, I would say yes."
PLAYER NOTES
--Running back Jamal Lewis reported for the mandatory minicamp after missing the first three weeks of spring workouts. He recently completed his 500 hours of community service in Atlanta, the final obligation to last year's federal drug plea bargain.
"To have him here the next two weeks and for a full training camp will put us light years ahead of where he was last year," Ravens coach Brian Billick said.
--The Ravens will scrimmage the Washington Redskins on Aug. 5 at noon at FedEx Field. The scrimmage was held at M&T Bank Stadium last season.
--Safety Ed Reed participated in team drills after sitting out two days of minicamps. In the middle of practice, he had a five-minute talk with owner Steve Bisciotti. There has not been substantial progress made in talks to extend Reed's contract.
--Linebacker Ray Lewis (hamstring), center Mike Flynn (knee) and receiver Clarence Moore (hernia) did not practice during the mandatory minicamp. All are expected to be ready for training camp.
-- The Ravens signed quarterback Sonny Cumbie for an extra arm in minicamps. Cumbie recently played for the Arena League's Los Angeles Avengers. He will likely be released once rookie Drew Olson returns after completing his class work at UCLA.
-- The Ravens added receiver Travis LaTendresse, who originally signed with Kansas City as an undrafted rookie last month.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
With the acquisition of quarterback Steve McNair, the Ravens' only hole is at free safety.
Look for the Ravens to add a veteran there if one becomes available either before or during training camp. The Ravens are hoping Dawan Landry, a fifth-round pick, can step up if the team is unable to add another safety.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--CB Dale Carter (not tendered June 1).
--LS Drew Caylor (not tendered as ERFA).
--DT Gary Gibson (not tendered as ERFA).
--CB Cash Mouton (not tendered as ERFA).
--WR Patrick Johnson (not tendered June 1).
--RB Jamel White (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
--DT Cedric Hilliard (tendered at $350,000).
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--CB Robb Butler: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr).
--PK Aaron Elling: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--NT Aubrayo Franklin: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--LB Dennis Haley: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr.
--DE Jarret Johnson: RFA; $1.573M/1 yr.
--LS Matt Katula: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr.
--RB Jamal Lewis: UFA; $26M/3 yrs, $5M SB; 2006 cap: $2.67M.
--FB Ovie Mughelli: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--CB Zach Norton: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--CB Evan Oglesby: ERFA; $350,000/ 1 yr).
--OT Tony Pashos: RFA; had been tendered at $1.573M.
--OG Brian Rimpf: ERFA; terms unknown.
--QB Brian St. Pierre; ERFA; terms unknown.
--RB B.J. Sams: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--LB Bart Scott: UFA; $13.5M/3 yrs, $6.5M SB; 2006 cap: $3.17M.
--LB Mike Smith: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--RB Musa Smith: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--C Thatcher Szalay: ERFA; $425,000/1 yr.
--DE Benard Thomas: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--CB B.J. Ward: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
--TE Daniel Wilcox: Potential RFA; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
--LB Zac Woodfin: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr).
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--RB Mike Anderson: FA Broncos; $8M/4 yrs, $2M SB.
--P Leo Araguz: FA; terms unknown.
--DT Justin Bannan: UFA Bills; $8M/4 yrs, $3M SB.
--CB Corey Ivy: UFA Rams; $2.16M/3 yrs, $250,000 SB; 2006 cap: $668,333.
--LB Tim Johnson: UFA Raiders; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--QB Steve McNair: Trade Titans.
--DE Trevor Pryce: FA Broncos; $25M/5 yrs, $10M guaranteed.
--LB Gary Stills: FA Chiefs; $2.6M/3 yrs, SB unknown.
PLAYERS LOST
--LB Peter Boulware (released).
--OT Orlando Brown (released; post-June 1 designation).
--S Will Demps: UFA Giants; 5 yrs, terms unknown.
--TE Darnell Dinkins: UFA Browns; $2.1M/3 yrs, $200,000 SB.
--WR Randy Hymes: UFA Jaguars; terms unknown.
--DT Maake Kemoeatu: UFA Panthers; $27.5M/5 yrs, $6M SB/$2M OB '07.
--LB Tommy Polley: UFA Saints; terms unknown.
--CB Deion Sanders: UFA; retired).
--RB Chester Taylor: UFA Vikings; $14.1M/4 yrs, $5.6M guaranteed.
--DE Tony Weaver: UFA Texans; $26.5M/5 yrs, $12M SB.
--S Chad Williams: UFA 49ers; terms unknown.
--QB Anthony Wright: UFA Bengals; 1 yr, terms unknown.
--P Dave Zastudil: UFA Browns; $8M/5 yrs, $1.66M SB.
MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.
|
