Jared Gaither

The Kansas City Chiefs have released former Ravens offensive tackle Jared Gaither. The 6-foot-9 left tackle signed with the Chiefs this summer after he and the Ravens parted ways. He was active for 10 games this season, but was a backup to Chiefs starter Branden Albert. Gaither subbed in for Albert during Sunday night's 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was flagged for a false start on his very first play . Gaither will be placed on waivers and any team can put in a claim for the enigmatic lineman.

The Ravens would like to improve their offensive line during the offseason, but the best move they could make in free agency would be re-signing Ben Grubbs, who could soon be one of the top guards available. The Ravens recently said that they have already offered big money to Grubbs -- and there's no reason not to believe that claim -- but if Grubbs, who turns 28 this month, hits the open market, he could be gone for good. Grubbs is widely viewed as one of the top two or three offensive guards in the 2012 free agent class, which includes Carl Nicks of the New Orleans Saints and Evan Mathis of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jared Gaither, 21, is set to make his second career start at left offensive tackle Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. But the football phenom was a two-sport star who still yearns to play basketball. You were a Division I recruit in basketball who had orally committed to South Carolina before deciding to concentrate on football. Do you miss basketball? Yeah. We have guys like Chad [Steele, the team's director of media relations who was a power forward at Winthrop] who think they can play basketball.

Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher has switched positions in each of his three seasons in the NFL. In 2009, the team's first-round draft pick, who was a left tackle at Mississippi, played right tackle in his rookie season. A year later, the Jared Gaither saga prompted the Ravens to move him to left tackle. After starting 16 games on the blind side, Oher was shuffled back to right tackle in 2011 when Bryant McKinnie was signed. In an appearance last week on “ The Norris & Davis Show ” on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore, Oher said that he would play whatever position on the offensive line the Ravens ask him to play.

A shake-up occurred at the start of the Ravens' first minicamp Friday, when Michael Oher moved to left tackle and Jared Gaither officially moved into football limbo. Oher, the Ravens' 2009 first-round pick, acknowledged the challenge of shifting from right tackle to Joe Flacco's "Blind Side," which is coincidentally the name of the book and movie based on Oher's life. This sudden change could result in a bigger transition for Gaither, who doesn't know whether he is playing right tackle for the Ravens this season or getting traded to the Buffalo Bills.

College Park -- For the past two weeks - while his teammates were lowering their shoulders into padded sleds and pushing ahead through football drills - one of Maryland's most promising offensive linemen was elsewhere. Jared Gaither said he was "running, weightlifting, and that's about it." Maryland opener Sept. 2 vs. William and Mary@Byrd Stadium, 6 p.m.

Arizona at Ravens CARDINALS -- Out: C Al Johnson (knee). Questionable: Alan Branch (hand). RAVENS -- Out: T Jonathan Ogden (toe), DT Trevor Pryce (wrist). Doubtful: TE Daniel Wilcox (ankle). Questionable: RB Justin Green (thigh), CB Samari Rolle (illness). Probable: T Jared Gaither (knee), CB Corey Ivy (thigh), QB Steve McNair (groin), CB David Pittman (ankle), S Gerome Sapp (foot), LB Gary Stills (knee), TE Quinn Sypniewski (neck).

When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell asked Michael Oher about speaking at the New York City Boys & Girls Club a few months ago, the Ravens offensive lineman had just one request: Would he be able to return in time the next day to make the team's early-morning conditioning session? "He's unique in today's world," Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. Oher is truly a throwback player, someone who would have been more likely to play alongside Ozzie Newsome than to have been drafted by him. During the past year, he has turned down offers to attend the Academy Awards and the ESPYs for the hit movie "The Blind Side," which depicts Oher's rise from a homeless teenager in Memphis, Tenn.

1 Santonio Holmes hurts the Ravens again. The wide receiver has scored a touchdown in six straight games against the Ravens, reaching the end zone a total of seven times. 2 The Ravens' pass protection struggles in Blitz-burgh. Tackles Michael Oher, Oniel Cousins and possibly Jared Gaither have to protect quarterback Joe Flacco from James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley. 3 The Steelers go deep on the Ravens' secondary. In seven wins this season, Roethlisberger has completed 34 passes of 20 yards or more.

Ravens offensive tackle Jared Gaither will report to the team's voluntary offseason workout program Monday. Gaither said this on his Twitter account, and a league source later confirmed it. Ravens coach John Harbaugh expressed his disappointment with Gaither's absence in talking to reporters Tuesday. Apparently, the message got through to Gaither. A restricted free agent, Gaither will earn $2.3 million this season, but he has yet to sign his tender. He is seeking a long-term deal.

Of the Ravens' remaining opponents, the toughest might be the 6-7 San Diego Chargers, who were the consensus favorites to win the AFC West before the season. The Chargers have been one of 2011's biggest disappointments, but they pose a serious threat to the 10-3 Ravens, who must win tonight to maintain control of the AFC's top playoff seed. Here are five storylines to watch as the Ravens play the desperate Chargers in San Diego tonight: 1. Going back to the West Coast: The last time they were in the Pacific Time Zone, the Ravens lost a 22-17 stunner to the Seattle Seahawks.

When San Diego Chargers offensive tackle Jared Gaither looks across the line of scrimmage Sunday night to block Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, he will see his past, present and, hopefully, his future. At one time, Suggs, now in his ninth season, was like Gaither. He had unlimited potential but sulked over contract talks and didn't work hard during the offseason. Fortunately for Suggs, the Ravens kept him around because he was a first-round draft pick in 2003. Gaither, in his fifth season, was a fifth-round pick in the 2007 supplemental draft out of Maryland.

It has been a strange couple of years for Jared Gaither, who has gone from starting at left tackle in Baltimore to manning the position in San Diego -- with stops in John Harbaugh's doghouse and Kansas City along the way. Gaither is with his second team since he and the Ravens parted ways this past offseason. The offensive tackle signed with the Kansas City Chiefs after the NFL lockout, was released by the Chiefs last month and picked up off the waiver wire by the San Diego Chargers, who have started Gaither the past two games at left tackle.

The Kansas City Chiefs have released former Ravens offensive tackle Jared Gaither. The 6-foot-9 left tackle signed with the Chiefs this summer after he and the Ravens parted ways. He was active for 10 games this season, but was a backup to Chiefs starter Branden Albert. Gaither subbed in for Albert during Sunday night's 13-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was flagged for a false start on his very first play . Gaither will be placed on waivers and any team can put in a claim for the enigmatic lineman.

The Ravens' love of cornhole has been well-documented since defensive end Cory Redding introduced the popular picnic and tailgate game to the locker room last season. The first-place Ravens have kicked it up a notch this fall by creating an official Ravens cornhole league Twitter account and getting T-shirts made . According to the Twitter account , punter Sam Koch is the reigning champ after beating Michael Oher last month. This week it was revealed that the Ravens aren't the only NFL team tossing bean bags around its locker room.

In the rough-and-tumble world of the NFL, the difference between playing the left and right tackle positions on the offensive line is usually millions of dollars and a certain amount of prestige. But for the Ravens' Michael Oher, ceding the left tackle spot to newly-signed Bryant McKinnie and returning to right tackle could result in something even greater: wins and possibly the Lombardi Trophy. "I'm a football player," Oher said after the team's 34-31 win against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday night.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Starting left tackle Jared Gaither hasn't shown up for the Ravens' voluntary offseason workout program, which has disappointed coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens used a first-round tender on Gaither, a restricted free agent. But Gaither is seeking a new long-term deal. His absence at Ravens headquarters could be a protest over his contract status. "I really believe Jared is going to be a premier offensive tackle in this league," Harbaugh said at the NFL owners meetings.

Early last week, Virginia coach Al Groh invented the word "mammothness" to describe Jared Gaither - Maryland's 6-foot-9, 350-pound offensive tackle - to the local media in Charlottesville. Last year, Gaither took the majority of his snaps at left tackle and was matched up against Virginia defensive end Chris Long. He manhandled Long and helped pave the way for the Terps' 570 yards of total offense in their 45-33 win over the Cavaliers. Because Gaither was moved to right tackle this season, senior Stephon Heyer was going head-to-head with Long on Saturday - until Terps coach Ralph Friedgen replaced him with Gaither and put Dane Randolph in at right tackle.

The Ravens made a risky move to bolster their offensive line  Tuesday, signing offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie to a two-year deal. The 6-foot-8, 350-plus-pound lineman was technically a Pro Bowl player for the Vikings in 2009 even though he didn't bother showing up for any of the Pro Bowl practices and was kicked off the NFC squad. The talent is there for McKinnie to be the Ravens' short-term answer at right tackle -- or maybe even left tackle -- but there are a few reasons why the soon-to-be 32-year-old was still on the free agent market.

The Ravens took their biggest gamble of free agency when they reached an agreement with talented but troubled offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie on Tuesday. An eight-year starter for the Minnesota Vikings, McKinnie agreed to a two-year contract with a maximum value of $7.5 million (including $1 million signing bonus). The deal is contingent on McKinnie passing a physical Wednesday, which is far from a formality. The Vikings released the 6-foot-8 offensive lineman on Aug. 2 after he reportedly showed up to training camp close to 400 pounds.