Dawan Landry

Colts DE Robert Mathis vs. Ravens RT Michael Oher Oher has had a good rookie season but seems to be struggling a bit lately. He has exceptionally quick feet but needs to work on his hands and arms to keep opposing linemen away from his body. Mathis (98) is a speed rusher but will bull-rush occasionally. Because many teams pay attention to fellow end Dwight Freeney, Mathis gets more one-on-one blocking, and he thrives in those situations. Edge: Mathis: Colts DE Dwight Freeney vs. Ravens LT Jared Gaither Gaither has to bring his "A" game and improve in his technique to have a chance against Freeney, above.

Colts DE Robert Mathis vs. Ravens RT Michael Oher Oher has had a good rookie season but seems to be struggling a bit lately. He has exceptionally quick feet but needs to work on his hands and arms to keep opposing linemen away from his body. Mathis (98) is a speed rusher but will bull-rush occasionally. Because many teams pay attention to fellow end Dwight Freeney, Mathis gets more one-on-one blocking, and he thrives in those situations. Edge: Mathis Colts DE Dwight Freeney vs. Ravens LT Jared Gaither Gaither has to bring his "A" game and improve in his technique to have a chance against Freeney, above.

Ravens C Matt Birk vs. Bengals MLB Dhani Jones Jones is fast and agile, and the key for the Bengals in stopping the Ravens running game. Ideally, the Ravens want to run the ball to keep the ball out of the hands of Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer. Birk is smart and knows how to work the angle blocks. If he can get to Jones on a regular basis, the Ravens should do well running the ball. EDGE: Jones. Ravens ILB Ray Lewis vs. Bengals RB Cedric Benson Benson is a grinder, a power runner at the point of attack who has deceptive speed.

With the NFL lockout expected to be lifted -- fingers crossed, everyone -- in the next seven to 10 days, we can start focusing on football-related business and not just what enraged linebackers have been saying. The Ravens have had their post-lockout plans drawn up for weeks, preparing for the moment when the lockout ends and the NFL's free-spending organizations rush to the express checkout line in free agency. Ozzie Newsome did well in checking some items of his shopping list in the draft -- Cornerback?

This week, ESPN blogger James Walker has been releasing lists of the top three draft classes of the 2000s -- or the aughts as they were awkwardly called -- for each of the AFC North teams. He tackled the Ravens on Wednesday, ranking the 2008 class as the team's best of the decade. Three years ago, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome traded down then up to select franchise quarterback Joe Flacco in the first round. He landed starting running back Ray Rice in the second round, one of the draft's biggest steals.

Rectifying a debated move from two years ago, the Ravens reacquired safety Gerome Sapp by sending a conditional 2007 draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts yesterday. Sapp, a sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2003, is expected to compete for the starting free safety job as well as provide an impact on special teams. The Ravens waived Sapp after the 2004 season opener, a move not fully endorsed by the entire organization. Sapp later said the Ravens intended to cut cornerback Corey Fuller, but Fuller talked the coaches out of it by reminding them how he got Deion Sanders to sign with the team.

Because of some potential "slotting" difficulties, talks between the Ravens and their first-round pick Haloti Ngata are not expected to heat up until next week. That could mean a tight deadline for the Ravens, who report to Westminster's McDaniel College in a week (July 27). It has been five years since the Ravens signed a first-round pick before the start of camp. The problem with Ngata, a defensive tackle, could be determining his market value, which is established through slotting (basing deals on what the player in front of your pick and the player behind him received)