On the day the Ravens said goodbye to starting right offensive tackle Willie Anderson, they welcomed veteran wide receiver Kelley Washington to the team.
The Ravens placed Anderson on the reserve/retired list Wednesday, perhaps signaling the four-time Pro Bowl player's intention to step away from football.
The team announced the move by e-mailing a one-sentence statement to media outlets.
As recently as March, Anderson, 33, told The Baltimore Sun that he had not considered retirement, saying: "I might be a 14-year guy, but I've never thought about retiring. As long as I can bend my knees, move my feet, don't get my quarterback killed and don't embarrass myself, I'm going to play, and I want to show people I'm still an elite tackle. They haven't seen the real me play yet."
Anderson's cell phone was not accepting calls Wednesday, and general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh were unavailable for comment, according to a Ravens spokesman.
It was expected that Anderson would compete with first-round draft pick Michael Oher at starting right tackle. Anderson did not participate in last weekend's minicamp because of what Harbaugh described as an issue with his knees.
Anderson, 6 feet 5, 340 pounds, who was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 30 after he refused to take a pay cut, signed a three-year deal with the Ravens worth $11 million on Sept. 5. Anderson, who turns 34 on July 11, played in 14 games and started in 11 last season. He has dealt with knee and foot injuries the past few years.
With Anderson contemplating retirement, Oher, 22, is the leading candidate to start at right tackle when the Ravens open the regular season at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 13. He could get competition from Adam Terry, 26.
The starting offensive line could feature Jared Gaither, 23, at left tackle, Ben Grubbs, 25, at left guard, either Chris Chester, 26, or Marshal Yanda, 24, and either Oher or Terry at right tackle. At 32, center Matt Birk is the elder statesman.
Washington's agent, Chad Speck, confirmed Wednesday that his client had agreed to a deal with the Ravens. The contract is believed to be a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.
Washington competed with Jerry Porter and Tab Perry in minicamp last weekend and appeared to have the best showing, making a diving catch and catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Troy Smith.
"I think he's extremely excited about the opportunity," Speck said. "He grew up in Stephens City, Va., which is just a couple hours down the road. So it kind of feels like he's getting to come home to play as well as come into a situation where it's a really good football team with a great young quarterback and a team that obviously had a lot of success. So he's excited about the opportunity."
Pending a physical on Friday, Washington, 6-3, 215 pounds, could be the tall receiver the Ravens have been lacking. Washington, 29, spent four years with the Bengals and the past two with the New England Patriots. His most productive season was 2004, when he caught 31 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
