OWINGS MILLS -- LaQuan Williams emerged as the biggest surprise from the Baltimore Ravens' undrafted rookie class last summer. The former University of Maryland wide receiver beat the odds to make the active roster, forging a role on special teams and as a reserve on offense. Now, Williams is facing a new challenge: making the team again. The Ravens have been stacking the roster this offseason with new wide receivers, signing former Houston Texans return man Jacoby Jones to a two-year, $7 million contract and drafting towering University of Miami wide receiver Tommy Streeter in the sixth round. Consider Williams officially undaunted, though. "I'm just coming in focused," Williams said. "I'm going to do what I got to do to get on the field. I'm not going to ever take for granted where I'm at. I'm going to keep working hard." Williams caught four passes for 46 yards, returned five kickoffs for 109 yards and recorded four special-teams tackles last season. He ca...

OWINGS MILLS -- The Baltimore Ravens have promoted director of player personnel Eric DeCosta to assistant general manager. DeCosta was retained with a lucrative contract earlier this year that designates him as the Ravens' general manager in waiting. DeCosta, 41, was director of player personnel for the past three years after previous stints as a director of college scouting and an area scout. During his time as scouting director, the Ravens drafted the following Pro Bowl selections: linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, offensive guard Marshal Yanda, fullback Le'Ron McClain and running back Ray Rice. “When we extended Eric’s contract earlier this year, we changed his title,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “As Eric continues to grow in the personnel department, he is becoming a vital part of the decision-making process.” The Ravens promoted Southeast area scout Joe Douglas to national scout, promoted David Blackburn to area sco...

OWINGS MILLS -- Baltimore Ravens star free safety Ed Reed indicated once again that he's not completely committed to playing this fall, a recurring theme for the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Reed has acknowledged contemplating retirement in the past, and did so again during a Sirius NFL radio interview. Hours later, though, 24x7 was provided a quote from Reed where he said he planned to continue to play football. "It's not about retirement, it's about my focus in the offseason, health, family and football," said Reed, who has battled hip, neck and shoulder injuries in recent years. "This is the time of year where players think through things. My goal is to play football in the years to come." Reed, 33, is entering the final year of a six-year, $44.2 million contract and is due a $7.2 million base salary this season. What's consuming Reed at this time? "A totally different focus now, trying to care of my son, spend time with my son and my famil...

OWINGS MILLS -- Retired Baltimore Ravens All-Pro offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden has been selected for induction to the College Football Hall of Fame. Ogden was a consensus All-American at UCLA who was selected by the Ravens fourth overall in 1996 with the first draft pick in franchise history. The induction ceremony is in September. At UCLA, Ogden won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top lineman as he started all four years for the Bruins. He's already in the UCLA Hall of Fame. A nine-time All-Pro, Ogden is eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year and is regarded as a likely candidate for first-ballot consideration. With the Ravens, the 6-foot-9, 340-pound Ogden was named to 11 Pro Bowls. He was named to the Ravens' Ring of Honor four years ago. Ogden joins 13 others former standouts in the College Hall of Fame, including Cal quarterback Steve Bartkowski, BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, Rice quarterback Tommy Kramer, LSU running back Charles Alexander, Purdue running b...

OWINGS MILLS -- Newly-minted Baltimore Ravens wide receiver and kick returner Jacoby Jones' two-year, $7 million maximum value contract includes a $1.8 million signing bonus. His base salaries are $700,000 this year and $3 million in 2013 with corresponding salary-cap figures of $1.6 million and $4.9 million. He's due a $1 million roster bonus next year. Jones' contract includes an escalator clause next year. Including Jones' deal, the Ravens are now $1.12 million under the NFL salary-cap limit. The Ravens used 100 percent of their rookie salary pool of $4.318 million, spending a total of $22.78 million for their eight rookie draft picks. The most they could have spent over the course of the deals was $23.749 million, saving $880,184 over the next four years. The total compensation for the rookies: second-round linebacker Courtney Upshaw ($5.296 million), second-round offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele ($3.345 million), third-round running back Bernard Pierce ($2.655 million), fo...

OWINGS MILLS — Kelechi Osemele fired off the line of scrimmage, engulfing a much smaller defensive lineman with a powerful hand punch. Gino Gradkowski snapped the football without incident to quarterback John Brantley before adeptly getting upfield to wall off a linebacker. During a rookie minicamp that concluded Sunday, it appeared to be a smooth initiation to the NFL for both of the Baltimore Ravens’ rookie offensive linemen. Internally, though, it was hardly simple as both draft picks’ heads were swimming as they attempted to cram a lot of knowledge into three days of practices. “I’ve been struggling a little bit, but now I have it,” said Osemele, a 6-foot-5, 333-pound second-round draft pick from Iowa State. “It took me until the third day to have the hang of it. They’re pretty complex and pretty tough. There’s a million ways to say the same thing. “I have it in my brain. I know what I’m doing, but it’s a ...

OWINGS MILLS — Barreling past the line of scrimmage with a quick first step, Courtney Upshaw powerfully shoved aside a blocker and tagged quarterback John Brantley for a sack. And the former Alabama consensus All-American darted into the backfield regularly on Sunday, manhandling rookie offensive linemen. Virtually everything the Baltimore Ravens’ prize outside linebacker did during his first taste of the NFL at a rookie minicamp, especially moving forward, looked aggressive, decisive and athletic. And Upshaw has already learned one lesson while making his bid to take over injured Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs’ rush outside linebacker spot after the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year partially tore his Achilles tendon. “Speaking on Suggs, there is only one Suggs,” said Upshaw, the Ravens’ second-round draft pick. “You can’t replace Suggs. Everybody has to come in as a team. I know the veteran leadership on this team...

OWINGS MILLS -- The Baltimore Ravens aren't giving up on a potential return this season for Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs after he suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon during the final day of the NFL draft. Now that the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year has had the damage repaired during a surgical procedure by noted North Carolina orthopedist Dr. Robert Anderson and since been examined by the Ravens' medical staff, the defending AFC North champions agree with Suggs' assessment that he could return in four to six months. "I'll take that outlook, I'm on board for that," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Sunday following a rookie minicamp at team headquarters. "That's everything that we've heard from the doctors would be consistent with that. Everything Terrell has said about it, from my understanding, has been right on. It's just going to depend on the injury, the healing process and his effort and his work." The Ravens drafted Alabama All-A...

OWINGS MILLS – Rookie wide receiver Tommy Streeter has been working out with Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis ever since being drafted in the sixth round by Baltimore. When Lewis reached out to the fellow University of Miami football alum during the draft, Streeter was overjoyed. "I basically told him that I was ready to make that next step and ready to train," Streeter said. "He took it upon himself to extend that invitation. He stays probably 40 minutes away from me in Miami. He just invited me to come over, work out and you know I accepted it and we've been on a roll ever since." It hasn't been easy matching Lewis' legendary work ethic. "Oh, it's been tough," Streeter said. "He pushes his body to the limit. It's no surprise that he plays the way he plays on game day and why he's been playing so long in the NFL." The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder is an intriguing prospect for the Ravens because he's so tall and fast with 4.40 speed in the ...

OWINGS MILLS – The football fell shy of its mark, a 60-yard boot from rookie kicker Justin Tucker with another try from that distance sailing wide right. All of his four field goal attempts from inside 50 yards were accurate, though. The former University of Texas standout connected on a 55-yard field goal during the first day of a rookie minicamp, leaving a good impression overall on Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh after trying out for the past three days. "He gets really good lift on the ball, very accurate," Harbaugh said. "He had a very good camp." Tucker is expected to remain with the Ravens and compete with veteran kicker Billy Cundiff during training camp. "I'd say right now we have who we have, and we'll just play it by ear," Harbaugh said when asked if the team still plans to sign a veteran kicker now that Shayne Graham has joined the Houston Texans. "That's always unpredictable." Tucker had a private workout for Ravens ...