Word around the NFL has the Ravens possibly taking Troy cornerback Leodis McKelvin with the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft later this month. There are some who would consider that a stretch, but McKelvin does have a favorable upside.
Because of his versatility, McKelvin is the kind of player Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome likes. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound McKelvin is also a returner who averaged 17.4 yards on punts and 23.2 yards on kickoffs last season.
Of course, his primary function with the Ravens would be as a corner, either as a starter or a nickel back behind Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle.
McKelvin fits the prototype for the Ravens because he is athletic and can succeed in any scheme. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds, which allows him to stay stride for stride with any receiver.
He is a hitter but needs to improve his technique as far as tackling. The Ravens are expected to have him at their training camp soon for a visit, but so is another team that reportedly covets him - the New England Patriots.
Unfortunately for the Ravens, New England picks at No. 7. If the Patriots take McKelvin, the Ravens might have some other options at corner in South Florida's Mike Jenkins or possibly Tennessee State's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Hands-on Harbaugh
First-year coach John Harbaugh will leave the play-calling to coordinators Rex Ryan (defense) and Cam Cameron (offense), but Harbaugh will be in control.
He might be a rookie, but he's no dummy.
"I'm going to be involved in every part of our team, know as much as I can within reason of our systems," Harbaugh said. "I'm going to be fluent in our language, so to speak, so I'll be able to guide the personality of our team, and our strategy and attack on game day.
Ogden playing coy
Ravens left offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times in his 12 NFL seasons, visited Baltimore recently for an autograph session during a 2000 Super Bowl team reunion.
Ogden hasn't informed management yet, but he did tell some of his former teammates that he was going to retire before the start of the 2008 season.
That's no surprise, but it's about time Ogden let team officials know about his decision. But knowing Ogden, and his desire to stay out of the limelight, he might let Newsome know through a text message.
All in the family
