Ben Grubbs

Ravens wide receiver Lee Evans, who was sidelined yesterday with a left ankle injury, was a full participant in today's practice. Evans vows to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field.  However, cornerbacks Chris Carr (thigh/hamstring) and Jimmy Smith (ankle), and guard Ben Grubbs (toe) did not practice. Smith is expected to miss a "few weeks" with a high left ankle sprain. For the Titans, defensive end William Hayes (shoulder), safety Chris Hope (shoulder) and wide receiver/kick returner Damian Williams (hamstring)

Now that I have had a couple of days to defragment my brain after a hectic NFL draft weekend, I figured I would hand out superlative style-evaluations of the Ravens' eight-player draft class. These are just the opinions of one man (though it's a man who spent much of the past two months researching draft prospects). Feel free to leave your assessments or reactions to mine in the comments section below. Best value pick: Tommy Streeter. When I did my full Ravens mock draft last week , I really wanted to project this speedy Miami wideout to the Ravens in the later rounds, but many analysts had him being drafted in the fourth or fifth round.

Each Wednesday we'll bring you a Q&A with a Ravens player to help you learn a little more about the team. Today's guest is left guard Ben Grubbs, who has helped the offense earn the 13th ranking in the NFL in average yards and the 10th ranking in the league in sacks allowed. Grubbs talked about his performance, his run-ins with several defensive players in the NFL and his life as a father. Question: How did it feel to be named to the Pro Football Weekly Midseason All-Pro Team?

If the Ravens have a specific plan for filling the hole left by Ben Grubbs now that the draft has ended, they aren't divulging it. Not that anybody should be surprised. As is so often the case, coach John Harbaugh spoke fondly of the potential battle for playing time along the offensive line without giving any indication of how he thinks it may shake out. "I think it goes back to this: All things are possible," he said Saturday at the team's Owings Mills headquarters.

In the aftermath of the Ravens' 20-13 win against the Houston Texans Sunday, Andre Gurode had a nickname suggestion for Ben Grubbs: “Allstate.” For a company that once ran with the slogan “You're in good hands with Allstate,” the nickname was quite appropriate for Grubbs, whose alertness helped the offense overcome a potential disaster in the AFC divisional playoff game at M&T Bank Stadium. The starting left guard recovered two fumbles by teammates, jumping on a loose ball caused when Texans outside linebacker Brooks Reed sacked and stripped quarterback Joe Flacco in the second quarter.

As the Ravens returned to The Castle Monday, there were questions about the status of certain injured players, but the most important issue facing the team now is the availability of left guard Ben Grubbs. Grubbs, the team's top draft pick in 2007, has missed the last three games because of a toe injury. There hasn't been this much concern about a foot injury since Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden suffered from turf toe in 2007, his last season. Let's look past any mind games the Ravens may want to play and just list Grubbs as questionable for Sunday's home game against Houston.

Position: Guard Size: 6 feet 3, 314 pounds School: Auburn Hometown: Eclectic, Ala. Statistics Grubbs started the last 38 games of his career at Auburn. He had 248 key blocks, including 54 that led to TDs. He was penalized only four times in 2,331 plays and allowed just three sacks and seven pressures over that span. Quotable "Grubbs was clearly the highest-rated player. The phone started to ring, but I immediately told everybody we were picking." - Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager.

Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh provided a glimpse into the team's offseason plans Friday, and those plans very much include an aggressive run at re-signing Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs. Earlier this offseason, Grubbs' departure for a huge free agent deal was viewed as a near formality, but Newsome said Friday that team officials have been negotiating with the player's agent, Pat Dye, with the hope of reaching a deal before the offensive lineman hits the open market March 13. “I'm pretty optimistic about it right now,” Harbaugh said.

The world has been pretty chaotic lately. The financial markets are in turmoil, 401(k)'s have evaporated, the Obamas and the Clintons are suddenly best of friends, teenage vampire literature is all the rage, the auto industry is on the verge of implosion, Guns N' Roses released an album after 15 years and Somali pirates are wreaking havoc on the high seas. But sports, throughout history, have often been used as a panacea in uncertain times. During the Great Depression, a nation on the verge of economic collapse found itself captivated by a knobby-kneed racehorse named Seabiscuit.

As long as left guard Ben Grubbs is out of the lineup, the Ravens' running game will struggle. Grubbs is the Ravens' most versatile and best offensive lineman. He is athletic, versatile and runs well. He can make blocks into the second level or overpower an opponent if necessary. Mark LeVoir is an adequate replacement, but he can't run like Grubbs. Former Dallas center/guard Andre Gurode is another possibility to replace Grubbs, but his knee still might be questionable. 

If the Ravens want Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower as much as some people believe that they do, I suspect their first call when Round One starts to unfold will be to the Detroit Lions, who hold the 23rd overall pick. The significance of that spot is that it's one ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who reportedly covet Hightower. If the Ravens are convinced that Hightower is their guy and they are willing to pay the cost of moving up six spots, which would probably be a third or fourth-round pick, a deal shouldn't be too hard to work out. Lions senior personnel executive James Harris is the former director of pro personnel for the Ravens and he remains very close with Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome . Lions coach Jim Schwartz also is a former Ravens staff member and he remains friendly with a couple of people at the Castle, including Newsome.

The Ravens have said all along that they would be patient in free agency and not panic to fill any perceived holes. They've been true to their word. When left guard Ben Grubbs opted to sign with the New Orleans Saints about 48 hours into free agency, the expectation was that the Ravens would move immediately to find a replacement for the Pro Bowl performer. It wasn't necessarily immediate but the Ravens didn't wait too long to bring in Evan Mathis , regarded as the third best free agent guard behind Carl Nicks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The Ravens have said on several occasions that they plan to give second-year tackle Jah Reid every opportunity to win the left guard job and replace Pro Bowl performer Ben Grubbs. They have a history of giving younger players opportunities, so there is no reason to think that is lip service. But that doesn't mean that they won't also bring in a veteran to compete for the job and serve as insurance. That remains very much in the team's plans, and they have spoken to several agents of guards to discuss potential fits.

It is believed that the Ravens have hosted three free agents since the market opened last Tuesday, and now all of them have signed elsewhere. Wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr., who visited with Ravens' officials last week in Owings Mills, has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the San Francisco 49ers. Ginn has spent the past two seasons with San Francisco after he was drafted in the first round in 2007 by the Miami Dolphins. The explosive Ginn has six career return touchdowns.

When the Ravens convinced free-agent guard Evan Mathis to extend his Thursday visit overnight, they hoped he wouldn't leave Baltimore without signing their contract offer. But on Friday afternoon, when Mathis stepped on an airplane destined for his home in Arizona, they knew there was a decent chance he wouldn't be flying back. While in Arizona, Mathis decided to re-sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, instead of joining the Ravens. Shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, the 30-year-old publicly revealed his decision on Twitter.

Free-agent guard Evan Mathis, who visited the Ravens on Thursday and stayed overnight in the Baltimore area, will fly back to Arizona to make his decision, according to multiple reports. Mathis said the Ravens, who lost Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs on Thursday, offered him “a nice deal.” Mathis, viewed as the third-best guard in free agency by most pundits, started 15 games at left guard for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, his only season with the Eagles. Mathis was a third-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers' in 2005 and played for four teams in seven seasons, including the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals.

Wide-out Lee Evans, who missed practice again Friday, apparently will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury when the Ravens meet the New York Jets Sunday night. Evans was held out of practice all last week and missed the team's win in St. Louis in an attempt to get over his left ankle injury. He has yet to practice this week. He would get a third week of rest with a bye next week. Also sitting out Friday's workout were linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (thigh), safety Haruki Nakamura (knee)

Ravens offensive guard Ben Grubbs, who was doubtful with a toe injury, is out for today's game against the Tennessee Titans. Andre Gurode is expected to start in his place. Grubbs had played in every game during his carer (65), which was the Ravens' fourth longest active streak. Wide receiver Tandon Doss, cornerbacks Jimmy Smith, Chykie Brown and Chris Carr, nose tackle Brandon McKinney and outside linebacker Sergio Kindle are also inactive for the Ravens. That means cornerback Danny Gorrer, who was signed from the practice squad yesterday, is active.

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie appeared to remove any lingering doubt when he went to his Twitter account last night to tell Ravens fans that team officials confirmed to him that he would back for this coming season. So it was no surprise that 4 p.m. today came and went, and McKinnie, who started all 18 games last season, remained on the roster. The Ravens informed McKinnie that they will pick up his $500,000 roster bonus, which was due today. With free agent right tackle Eric Winston having scheduled a visit to Baltimore, there were some questions about McKinnie's future with the Ravens. There's still plenty that could happen in free agency or the draft, but today's development solidifies McKinnie as the starting left tackle for now. Still, it wouldn't be surprising if the Ravens drafted a left tackle in April because McKinnie has only one more year remaining on his contract.

The Ravens have lost three starters in free agency, but it's nothing to have major concerns about. Now, if they lose inside linebacker Jameel McClain, it might be time to get a little nervous. The departure of left guard Ben Grubbs to New Orleans was a major loss. He was the Ravens' best offensive lineman and about to enter his peak years in the NFL. But the best teams in the NFL always lose quality players because other teams raid them through free agency, so traditional favorites like the Steelers, Ravens and Colts will lose big-name players occasionally.