Haloti Ngata

Prohibited by NFL rules to sign Haloti Ngata to a long-term deal, the Ravens secured the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle for next season by placing the franchise tag on him. If the Ravens' track record holds up, this is the first step to making him "a Raven for life. " The last two players who have received the franchise tag from the Ravens — cornerback Chris McAlister and linebacker Terrell Suggs — eventually signed muti-year deals that were among the richest for their positions at the time.

A half hour into the first full-squad practice of training camp, there is no sign of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata or offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie. Of course, we will let you know if that should change. And we'll try to get an explanation from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh when practice wraps up around 5 p.m. Also missing from practice were the few players on the physical unable to perform list, including defensive end Pernell McPhee, wide receiver David Reed, offensive tackle Jah Reid and outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.

General manager Ozzie Newsome said talks on a long-term deal with defensive tackle Haloti Ngata will begin in three or four days. "The Ravens have had talks with the representatives for Haloti Ngata, and as soon as the dust of training camp settles, we will begin talks on a contract extension," Newsome said Friday. If the Ravens can strike a deal with Ngata, they would create cap room to fill other needs on the team. Ngata, who currently accounts for 10 percent of the Ravens' cap, isn't concerned about the situation.

With little more than an hour remaining before the deadline to accomplish one of their top priorities, the Ravens on Tuesday reached agreement on a five-year, $61 million deal with Haloti Ngata, ensuring that one of the game's most dominant interior linemen will be a fixture on their defense for the foreseeable future. Ngata's deal runs through 2015 and includes $40 million over the first two years that is essentially guaranteed. The pact makes Ngata one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL and shares some similarities with the five-year, $68 million ($40 million guaranteed)

The most important thing for the Ravens as they prepare for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday is to get Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata healthy. Without Ngata, the second half of the Ravens' 2012 season could go south in a hurry. The Ravens are already without cornerback Lardarius Webb and inside linebacker Ray Lewis. Both are expected to miss the season with injuries, and they were two of the team's top tacklers. Ngata might be the best tackle in the NFL, but played the past three games with an MCL sprain and shoulder injury.

Each day this week, Baltimore Sun reporter and blogger Matt Vensel will break down a key matchup from Sunday's Super Bowl. Today, he looks at how Haloti Ngata could blast a big hole in the 49ers offensive line. In today's NFL, with offenses lighting up the scoreboards, the battles in the trenches between 300-pound linemen often get overlooked. But sometimes, as you watch the pretty-boy quarterback drop back in the pocket or the back emerge from a forest of linemen, you can't help but notice the massive blur flash before your eyes.

For once, the Ravens got a bit of good news on the health front as left tackle Bryant McKinnie and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata practiced Friday for the first time at training camp. Both players were removed from the team's physically-unable-to-perform list after passing their conditioning tests. They participated in individual drills, but watched full-team exercises from the sidelines - something they will do again during Saturday's practice at M&T Bank Stadium. “It means a lot,” coach John Harbaugh said after Friday's session at the Ravens' training complex in Owings Mills.

The Ravens lost two defensive starters in outside linebacker Jarret Johnson and defensive end Cory Redding and will be without outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, a five-time Pro Bowler and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, for a good portion of the upcoming season. That would seem to put the burden on standouts like 13-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Ray Lewis, eight-time Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to maintain the defense's level of success over the years.

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata had mapped out an ambitious plan, albeit one not readily apparent when he lumbered onto the practice field for a June minicamp. Considerably heftier than usual after spending his offseason intentionally bulking up, Ngata didn't display his trademark explosiveness. The extra bulk around Ngata's midsection and torso raised eyebrows about whether the three-time Pro Bowl selection had gone too far in his quest to become stronger and more durable and maintain his speed after wearing down toward the end of last season due to a deep thigh bruise.

Defensive end Pernell McPhee missed his second straight day of practice because of a thigh injury, and he was not alone. Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata also sat out Thursday's session. Ngata, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, is dealing with an injured right shoulder. Cornerback Jimmy Smith (groin) and wide receiver Jacoby Jones (foot) participated on a limited basis for the second consecutive day. Eleven players practiced fully for the second straight day. They were safeties Ed Reed (labrum)