Defensive Line

Each weekday through April 24, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will look at where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. Today we'll examine the defensive line: Current defensive linemen under contract : Haloti Ngata, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee, Terrence Cody, DeAngelo Tyson, Swanson Miller Chances that the Ravens draft DL in first three rounds : Decent.

I never put a lot of stock in OTAs because the season is still a few months away and there could be some significant changes to the roster before the regular season opener. But here are a few casual observations from watching the first workout open to the media Wednesday.... It's impressive watching those big bodies on the Ravens defensive line. There is so much depth there with the additions of Marcus Spears and Chris Canty (who was present for some of Tuesday's workout). A team can never have enough of them, and the Ravens are stout in this area.

The Ravens have bolstered the talent and depth on their defensive line this offseason with the additions of Chris Canty and Marcus Spears and the selection of big nose tackle Brandon Williams in last month's NFL draft. But with all that shuffling on the defensive line, what role will fourth-year defensive end Arthur Jones have? Among Ravens, only defensive tackle Haloti Ngata played more snaps on the defensive line last season than Jones, who played at least 32 snaps in 14 of the team's final 15 games, including playoffs.

The Ravens have bolstered the talent and depth on their defensive line this offseason with the additions of Chris Canty and Marcus Spears and the selection of big nose tackle Brandon Williams in last month's NFL draft. But with all that shuffling on the defensive line, what role will fourth-year defensive end Arthur Jones have? Among Ravens, only defensive tackle Haloti Ngata played more snaps on the defensive line last season than Jones, who played at least 32 snaps in 14 of the team's final 15 games, including playoffs.

The Ravens lost two more starters from their Super Bowl roster on Tuesday -- and then cut veteran safety Bernard Pollard on Wednesday -- bringing the total of departed starters to six. The Ravens did, however, sign a versatile defensive lineman who, if he doesn't step into the starting lineup as a five-technique end, could at least play significant snaps in their defensive line rotation. The Ravens signed Chris Canty to a three-year contract worth $8 million, including $2.8 in guaranteed money.

Almost immediately after he pledged to Maryland last July, Kingsley Opara was listed by several recruiting services as a "soft commitment. " It was a label Opara -- for several months, at least -- found to be accurate. "I knew I was going to have a big-time senior season," Opara said. "Other schools would come and be attractive to me. I kept the door open if a school I really liked came. " The two most attractive schools to Opara were N.C. State and North Carolina. The three-star prospect said he liked the Tar Heels, but not quite as much as the Wolfpack, so he decided against visiting Chapel Hill.

Each week, we bring you a Q&A with a Ravens player, coach or team executive to help you learn a little more about the team. Today's guest is defensive line coach Clarence Brooks. What is the measure of success for the defensive line? I think as a position coach for the defensive line, [it is] to have guys that come to work every day and put it all on the line because there is a lot that goes on defensively and a lot of it starts up front. To be a solid, fundamentally sound unit that can play well against the run is always key. To be the best pass rushers we can be goes along with that.

Defensive tackle Bryan Hall is one of the most outgoing players in the Ravens locker room, but as he enters his second year in Baltimore, he is optimistic that he can make some noise on the field, too. After spending the 2011 season on the practice squad, the 23-year-old hopes to crack the 53-man roster and earn a role in the defensive line rotation starting next week, when training camp opens at the team's facility in Owings Mills. Hall, whom the Ravens signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Arkansas State last summer, was a regular participant in the team's offseason program, and he feels his productive offseason will soon pay off. “If I'm going to try to make the team, I need to be up there [at the practice facility]

Long before the Ravens went on their Super Bowl run, coaches and team officials had grown tired of watching opposing ball carriers tear through the middle of the line of scrimmage and pick up yards down the field. The Ravens defense fell from the NFL's elite this past season and the primary reason was its struggles against the run, normally one of the strengths of this group. The Ravens allowed 122.8 yards per game on the ground, the highest total in franchise history. The Ravens had one of the top-10 ranked rush defenses for nine straight seasons before the 2012-13 group ballooned to 20 th , the second worst ranking in franchise history.

On the same day that they lost two key defensive starters, the Ravens filled one of their free agent priorities by adding some size and experience to the interior of their defensive line. Former New York Giant and Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle Chris Canty, who spent the day visiting the team's training facility, put out on his Twitter account a picture of him signing a contract with the Ravens. He agreed to a three-year deal worth $8 million that includes $2.8 million in guaranteed money, according to sources.

The Ravens used both of their sixth-round picks to add depth to positions that they had already addressed in the draft. With the 200 th overall pick, they selected Notre Dame defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Fighting Irish's loss to Alabama in the BCS championship game. Three picks later, they grabbed Ryan Jensen, an offensive guard out of Colorado State-Pueblo. Earlier in the day, the Ravens took Ohio State defensive end/outside linebacker John Simon (fourth round)

The Ravens continued their trend of beefing up their defense with their first selection of the fourth round and then they finally drafted an offensive player one pick later. With the 129 th overall pick, the Ravens drafted John Simon, a defensive end from Ohio State. They then used the 130 th pick, a compensatory one, on Harvard fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Simon was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season with 44 tackles, including 14 ½ for losses, and a career-high nine sacks.

Each weekday through April 24, the day before the first round of the NFL draft, The Sun will look at where the Ravens stand at each position, the likelihood that they will address that spot early in the draft and some of the prospects that they may consider. Today we'll examine the defensive line: Current defensive linemen under contract : Haloti Ngata, Chris Canty, Marcus Spears, Arthur Jones, Pernell McPhee, Terrence Cody, DeAngelo Tyson, Swanson Miller Chances that the Ravens draft DL in first three rounds : Decent.

COLLEGE PARK -- Last season, Maryland seemed to be perpetually waiting for Quinton Jefferson. The promising, 6-foot-4 defensive end out of Woodland Hills High in Pennsylvania - once considered a major recruiting "get" for Maryland and coach Randy Edsall - seemed to bounce around the depth chart, never quite securing a spot. He found himself at times demoted to the scout team, testing coaches' patience. Each season, there are players who seem to show up renewed. This spring, Maryland believes Jefferson is among the players moving closer to fulfilling expectations.

The Ravens are interested in inside linebacker Rolando McClain, a former top-10 pick of the Oakland Raiders. No deal is in place and no terms have been finalized -- my colleague Aaron Wilson says it would likely be a one-year deal -- so it's hard to evaluate the potential signing from a cost standpoint, though I can't imagine McClain being too pricy. Still, the potential deal would at least be a risky signing from a team image standpoint. McClain allegedly threatened to kill a man and fired a gun next to his head during a fight two years ago. Raiders coach Dennis Allen also suspended him for two games last season for conduct detrimental to the team.

Two months after winning the Super Bowl , the Ravens are in position to have a good draft and make another serious run at a championship. Even though there was a mass exodus of players in free agency, which began last month, the Ravens have made solid acquisitions by adding outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil and defensive linemen Chris Canty and Marcus Spears. With 12 picks in the NFL draft later this month, the Ravens have plenty of ammunition to sign several quality players in a draft that most experts consider very deep.

The Baltimore sports scene is blessed with a bunch of talented bloggers who bring their unique perspective to the conversation. Each week, I hope to chat with one of them in a regular feature called Blogger on Blogger. This week, I exchanged emails with Chris Worthington, who blogs about the Ravens for Baltimore Sports and Life . MV: The Ravens made a splash Sunday, agreeing to terms with Elvis Dumervil. Your thoughts on the move? CW: My initial thought is that this is a very good signing for the Ravens.

Long before the Ravens went on their Super Bowl run, coaches and team officials had grown tired of watching opposing ball carriers tear through the middle of the line of scrimmage and pick up yards down the field. The Ravens defense fell from the NFL's elite this past season and the primary reason was its struggles against the run, normally one of the strengths of this group. The Ravens allowed 122.8 yards per game on the ground, the highest total in franchise history. The Ravens had one of the top-10 ranked rush defenses for nine straight seasons before the 2012-13 group ballooned to 20 th , the second worst ranking in franchise history.