OWINGS MILLS  -- The Baltimore Ravens’ heated strong safety competition to replace Dawan Landry is comprised of three combatants accustomed to physical confrontations.

In one corner, there’s undefeated professional cruiserweight boxer Tom Zbikowski.

With three victories during the NFL lockout for promoter Bob Arum, Zbikowski enters training camp as the top-ranked contender.

Haruki Nakamura comes from a family of skilled martial arts champions. His father, mother and brothers were all black belts.

And rugged newcomer Bernard Pollard is no stranger to the fine police at the league office. The so-called Tom Brady rule to protect quarterbacks was adopted after he knocked Brady out for an entire season with a knee injury with a low hit.

He was also fined $40,000 last season for an illegal helmet-to-helmet shot on Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin Gage.

The hard-hitting, 6-foot-1, 228-pounder is one of the biggest safeties to ever play for the Ravens, and the former Houston Texans starter immediately displayed his aggressiveness with a series of blitzes during his first practice after signing a two-year contract.

The competition is regarded as wide open.

“Play the best,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said when asked how he’ll determine who to start. “We pretty much have our options there, adding Bernard now, so they’re going to have to duke it out. We’ll see who the best player is.

“I expect them all to play at that level, and I expect it to be a tough decision. Those are three really good players, so it’s going to be fun to watch. ..I think guys have to play with their own style and just play well – play good, solid football, tackle people and make plays on the ball.”

Zbikowski started the first six games of last season when All-Pro free safety Ed Reed was sidelined following hip surgery. In three NFL seasons, the former third-round draft pick from Notre Dame has 65 tackles and two interceptions.

He’s embracing the competition as a way to raise his game and earn the job vacated by Landry after he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“It always ups the level of your performance when it’s competition,” Zbikowski said. “There is definitely some good young talent also, so there is definitely not a lack of talent in this safety area.”

How will the job be decided? Whoever practices the best and shine in the preseason games will get the first crack at starting the season-opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Just perform, play and make plays,” Zbikowski said. “That’s what safeties are paid to do is make plays, interceptions, force fumbles and have the defense down and be able to run it. The experience last year definitely helped out.”

The former third-round draft pick from Notre Dame has been activated from the non-football illness list after battling a skin condition that affected his face and hands.

Zbikowski said he dealt with a case of impetigo.

“I had some sweat rashes just from working out a bit,” Zbikowski said. “I was in the boxing gym and then just training where I always train. You can pretty much catch it from anywhere. It’s being around gyms and stuff like that. I don’t know exactly where it came from, but it’s not fun having it, that’s for sure.”

A former sixth-round draft pick who was an All-Big East Conference selection at Cincinnati, Nakamura is a special-teams standout who intercepted his first NFL pass during a playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

He overcame a broken fibula and dislocated ankle suffered two years ago to return last season. Nakamura has bulked up to 205 pounds and is noticeably bigger in his upper body.

 “I don’t really look to emphasize my skills or anything on one thing,” Nakamura said. “I feel like I’m a pretty good overall player: play the run, play the pass, pretty versatile. I think the biggest thing for me was just getting healthy. That was by far the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life.

“I look at last season as a success. The fact that I had this offseason to train at 100 percent, I feel like it gave me an advantage for the first time in a couple years.

Pollard led the Texans with 111 tackles last season for the NFL’s last-ranked pass defense, but wasn’t retained because he wasn’t regarded as a fit for Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme.

Pollard embraces his enforcer reputation, and he arrives with a chip on his shoulder.

"I'm looking to bounce back and I'm looking to be used, whether it's blitzing, whether it's covering," Pollard said. "I'm ready to shut people up because I get tired of hearing so many people say things. You try to block it out, but I'm on a mission. ..

“Nobody on this team wants anything handed to him. “I’m the type of dude where I’m going to hit you in the mouth and I’m going to take it from you. You don’t want to respect me, I’m going to take it from you.”

As tough as the battle for Landry’s old job shapes up to be, it’s a friendly rivalry.

Nakamura and Zbikowski are good friends, but Zbikowski sarcastically said all bets are off now that there’s a starting position to be won.

“Yeah, there is a lot of tension,” Zbikowski said. “Our friendship is pretty much over."

Nakamura was listening during the interview and broke into laughter.

"It's competition, it doesn't' take away from each other's friendships, it doesn't add grudges," Nakamura said. "We joke around all the time, but there's no tension in the room. It's just unique to have a place like this because we all feel like we could start anywhere in the NFL. We feel like the backups are some of the best in the league and we just happen to be all on the same defense."

NOTES: The Ravens cut fullback Jason McKie, who became expendable when the team signed Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leach to a three-year, $11 million contract. … First-round cornerback Jimmy Smith didn’t practice for the fourth day in a row due to a groin pull. … The Ravens gave several veterans the day off, including: linebackers Ray Lewis, Jarret Johnson and Brendon Ayanbadejo, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and cornerback Domonique Foxworth. … Still on the physically unable to perform list: defensive tackle Brandon McKinney (knee), long snapper Morgan Cox (knee surgery), wide receiver David Reed (wrist surgery) and offensive tackle Ramon Harewood (knees). … Also not practicing for undisclosed reasons: tight end Ed Dickson. … Wide receiver James Hardy (hamstring) didn’t practice. … Harbaugh said the coaches are focused on practice, not free agency. “We’re not watching,” Harbaugh said. “As coaches, we’re not watching tape on players. We’re coaching the team. Ozzie [Newsome] and Eric DeCosta are doing a great job of monitoring the free-agent market. We work with them and we definitely make those decisions together, but our focus is on the field.”.