Backups

Since succeeding Todd Heap as the Ravens' primary tight end at the beginning of last season, Ed Dickson has been a reliable option for quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense. But in the team's 23-16 win against the Cleveland Browns last Thursday, Dickson did not catch a single ball for the first time since 2011. Flacco did not even target Dickson, which is also a first over that same span. Dickson, the organization's third-round pick in 2009, conceded that being overlooked in the offensive game plan was frustrating.

Planned bridge construction that has one lane of Route 50 west closed in Queenstown caused a 12-mile traffic backup Sunday afternoon, according to the State Highway Administration. The backup stretched from the bridge over Route 301 in Queenstown to just before Old Skipton Road in the Cordova area, according to Charlie Gischlar, a SHA spokesman. "That's a pretty major backup," he said. Gischlar suggested drivers take Route 213 to Route 301 to avoid the backup. The construction began last week to replace the driving surface on the bridge, which has been patched many times but finally needed to be completely replaced, Gischlar said.

Prior to his release in 2011, running back Willis McGahee had another role with the Ravens. He backed up Morgan Cox as the team's long snapper. Since then, however, the identity of the latest backup has been shrouded in mystery. Coach John Harbaugh deferred to special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, who in turn declined to disclose the reserve's identity. But the value of a backup long snapper has been heightened after what happened to a pair of long snappers on the first weekend of the regular season.

Not many college quarterbacks have faced the kind of immediate competition as Trey Miller has in his first three games as a starter at Navy. The first two were against Notre Dame, as a sophomore last season when Miller replaced an injured Kriss Proctor for a 56-14 road loss in South Bend, Ind., and again this year as the No. 1 quarterback for a 50-10 season-opening loss to the Fighting Irish on Sept. 1 in Dublin. Miller's third start came in last Saturday's 34-7 defeat at Penn State.

Days after shedding the red, non-contact mesh he wore during Thursday's practice, Sean Considine declared himself healthy and available to play in Monday's regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. “I feel good, and I'm real excited for Monday night football to open the season,” said the backup strong safety, who appeared to fully participate in his second consecutive day of practice. “Can't get any better than that. It's been a good, productive, long preseason, and I think everybody's ready to get into the season and start playing some meaningful games.” Considine was initially reported to have suffered concussions in the second and third games of the preseason - first against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 17 and then against the Jacksonville Jaguars six days later.

Although center, guard and tackle are the three positions along the offensive line, the players who make up that front usually say that something as simple as moving from one spot to another or switching from one side to the other is not as easy as it sounds. Mastering that ability to adjust, however, is critical for offensive linemen vying for a spot on a team's active 53-man roster. That's especially true for the Ravens, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron says. “To be a backup, you have to be versatile,” Cameron said after Tuesday's practice at the team's training complex in Owings Mills.

The Maryland Transportation Authority reopened all lanes of the Bay Bridge around noon today, after unusual vertical movements had triggered an unscheduled review by about 30 inspectors. Maryland Transportation Authority Executive Secretary Harold Bartlett said the inspectors determined there had been no damage from the vertical movements, and he expected both spans to be open for the evening commute. The authority chief said that as far as officials could determine, the cause of the up-and-down movement appeared to be some heavy-duty tarpaulins that were installed about two weeks ago to catch paint chips and other debris from the current power-washing project on the bridge from falling into the bay below.

While many Ravens fans and coaches were probably delighted by the return of tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta to Saturday's practice, one might wonder how their presence impacted Billy Bajema, the journeyman who has started in each of the team's past two preseason contests. None, according to Bajema. “We're in training-camp mode, and we're just doing everything,” Bajema said after Saturday's session at the team's practice facility in Owings Mills. “When the season starts, I'm sure the coaches will have roles for everybody on the roster.

When Tom Zbikowski - and to a lesser extent, Haruki Nakamura - left the Ravens, the team wasted little time signing Sean Considine to a free-agent deal. And after offseason workouts and training camp, Considine is listed as starting strong safety Bernard Pollard's backup on the defensive depth chart. “It's kind of what I had in mind, and as far as contributing on special teams and doing things in that area, that was definitely the idea when I came here,” said Considine, an eighth-year vet who has also played with the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Maryland coach Randy Edsall made it official today, naming freshman Perry Hills -- a former state champion wrestler from western Pennsylvania -- as starting quarterback for the opener against William & Mary on Sept. 1. I was also interested in who was named No. 2. It's fellow freshman Caleb Rowe. Former receiver Devin Burns -- he's been practicing at quarterback this season for all of one week -- was named third-string. Edsall relayed the info via Twitter. The season-ending injury to C.J. Brown sure had a ripple effect.