The injuries have taken their toll. There is the turf toe that bothered him from the end of 2006 all the way through 2007. There also have been numerous hamstring injuries throughout his career.
It's no secret that Ogden didn't care much for coach Brian Billick. He also didn't have much respect for former offensive line coach Chris Foerster.
There are some in the Ravens' organization who are hoping Ogden might be persuaded to play another season because of the addition of Cam Cameron as offensive coordinator and John Harbaugh as head coach.
They think Harbaugh might take it easy on Ogden in training camp, much as Billick did for a few other veterans. But that could set a bad precedent. You can't give this team a lot of wiggle room because Ravens players won't handle it well.
When Ogden missed most of training camp last summer, it caused quite a stir among some players who felt he was well enough to practice. There was speculation that Ogden withheld his services during the season because he was bothered by the play-calling and knew the Ravens had little chance to advance to the postseason.
I don't believe that.
What I've seen during the past 12 seasons is the best offensive lineman to ever play the game. No one has ever had that combination of size, speed and power, where at times he could dominate or neutralize two defensive players at one time.
What I see is a Ravens team that still is trying to gear up for another playoff run because of all the veterans.
The Ravens will be better than last season. They'll be on a mission again because they'll want to prove they lost last season because of Billick, not because of the players. They need Ogden.
But Ogden doesn't need football. He has a gorgeous house in Las Vegas and has saved millions of dollars. He really doesn't want any fanfare about retiring. Actually, it bothers him.
But Ogden always has been a perfectionist. He is a technician on the field, from his stance to his pass set. And when it's not picture-perfect, it bugs him. That's why I don't think he'll come back. His desire for personal excellence exceeds his desire to win.
That's why he should retire. He set a playing level so high that he can't measure up to it anymore.
mike.preston@baltsun.com
