John Harbaugh

What in the world came over John Harbaugh this morning? Ravens fans, you might want to circle the Sept. 23 game against the New England Patriots on your calendar. Might be a few extra fireworks at M&T Bank Stadium that night. Things could definitely be a little frosty between the Ravens coach and Mr. Smiley himself, Patriots coach Bill Belichick. I say that because Harbaugh -- who is normally affable, but guarded with the media -- opened up and took a few shots at the Patriots this morning on  98 Rock . Did I say a few shots?

Unless you are a football junkie, you probably don't know or don't care that the Kansas City Chiefs hired Chris Ault, the man who invented the Pistol offense and coached Colin Kaepernick at Nevada, to a consulting gig. But it might interest you that the Ravens reportedly expressed interest in adding Ault to their coaching staff. According to Dan Hinxman of The Reno Gazette-Journal , Ault's agent, Bob LaMonte, said that Ault received interest from a handful of NFL teams , including the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings and the Ravens.

It's always interesting and slightly awkward whenever Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is interviewed by his predecessor, Brian Billick, who now works for FOX Sports. I can't help but wonder what they are really thinking. Also, for some reason, I can't stop staring at the cabinets behind Harbs. Maybe it's because I'm buying a house. Anyway, here are Ravens coaches past and present discussing the win over the Browns, Ray Lewis and more.

Sunday afternoon, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked if he planned to bring in another punter to press incumbent Sam Koch, who has been Baltimore's primary punter since the Ravens drafted him back in 2006. Harbaugh defended Koch, saying it would be “ pretty tough to find competition ” for Koch and also kicker Justin Tucker. After all, the Ravens had one of the NFL's best special teams units after a subpar 2011 season. "There aren't too many guys that want to come here and kick or punt,” Harbaugh said.

We've heard from Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and newly-signed defensive back Corey Graham in person and we also chatted with re-signed linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo on a conference call. And while we wait to meet with starting linebacker Jameel McClain, who is upstairs crossing T's and dotting I's, I'll pass along the highlights of our conversation with Harbaugh, including an interesting tidbit on Jah Reid's new role. Harbaugh on the team putting an emphasis on improving their special teams with today's signings: “It's certainly something we thought coming out of the season that we really needed to do. We weren't as good there as we need to be. We need to be more explosive, cover kicks better.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn't sitting idly by waiting for the 2013 NFL draft to roll around on Thursday. This weekend, Harbaugh and other members of the Ravens organization, including senior vice president of public and community relations Kevin Byrne, competed in a Tough Mudder race in Gerrardstown, W.Va. This short video -- set to ear-rattling heavy metal music, of course -- posted on the team's official website shows the coach of the reigning Super Bowl champions climbing cargo nets and other obstacles, carrying logs or his teammates, cannon-balling into muddy ponds, swimming under obstacles, and crawling through mud. You know, if you're into that sort of thing.

Sunday was a pretty good day for the Harbaugh family. Not only did John Harbaugh and Ravens vanquish their AFC North rivals in the Pittsburgh Steelers in convincing fashion by a 35-7 score, but Jim Harbaugh earned his first win as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, who whipped the Seattle Seahawks, 33-17. John Harbaugh said he was an interested observer of his brother's game, watching the contest unfold during the NFL Network's Red Zone broadcast. "That was a great win for Jim," John Harbaugh said on Monday.

With a daytime high of 98 degrees in Owings Mills according to Weather.com, staying cool at Ravens training camp was a challenge for the players and coaches on the practice fields. Wide receivers Torrey Smith and LaQuan Williams both dealt with leg cramps caused by dehydration, and at one point, free safety Ed Reed wondered aloud where the I.V. drips were. Fans who attended Thursday afternoon's session were treated to popsicles. Still, coach John Harbaugh said the hot and humid weather is a good barometer for how diligent the players were during the offseason.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirmed that he spoke to his brother Jim after the San Francisco 49ers outlasted the New Orleans Saints , 36-32, Saturday evening. "We talked last night after the game," John Harbaugh said in his post-game comments. "He was pretty happy. I was happy for him. But I couldn't get quite as happy as he was. He was fired up, and I think he was really proud of his team. I'm proud of him. I'm proud of Jim. I'm proud of his staff over there.

Just over 12 hours after his team defeated the Cleveland Browns, 23-16, at M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday night, Ravens coach John Harbaugh delivered more positive news for Ravens fans on Friday afternoon. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs is “doing well” rehabilitating his surgically repaired right Achilles tendon, and Harbaugh said he expects Suggs, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, to play sometime this season. It was the most definitive that Harbaugh has been about the status of Suggs since he suffered the injury in April.

OK, so now that the Ravens have re-signed left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie to a two-year contract, the real drama begins. We're starting the official McKinnie Watch here. When will he report to training camp? How much will he weigh? When will he be in condition to play his first game? Will his annual visit to coach John Harbaugh's doghouse last 16 games like last season, or will McKinnie not dog it this season? With McKinnie, there is always theater. Just about everybody around town wanted the Ravens to upgrade at the tackle position in the offseason, but when that didn't happen in the NFL draft , the Ravens had virtually no choice but to bring back the often-disgruntled giant left tackle.

Ever since their season ended, former Towson quarterback Grant Enders and wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard have been honing their timing with a regular series of throwing sessions. Now, the undrafted free agent rookies are eager to put that rapport to work at the Ravens' three-day rookie minicamp that starts today at team headquarters. Sheppard agreed to terms on a three-year contract, while Enders is attending the minicamp on a tryout. Both had hoped to hear from the Super Bowl champions ever since taking part in the Ravens' local prospects day in March.

On Saturday evening, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked about fourth-round draft pick John Simon, who was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Harbaugh raved about Simon's attitude and work ethic. “I think Urban Meyer has a thing on YouTube -- have you seen it? -- where he talks about John Simon,” Harbaugh said, referencing Meyer's news conference after his Ohio State team narrowly defeated California, 35-28, this past September. “It's worth pulling up and taking a look at it. It probably says it all.” That afternoon, Simon, who was a defensive end for the Buckeyes but will play outside linebacker for the Ravens, was barely able to play because of a shoulder injury.

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)

When the three-day NFL draft was finally nearing its end and the Ravens had made the last of their 10 selections, general manager Ozzie Newsome headed downstairs and ticked off all the things that the front office had just accomplished. They had strengthened the defense up the middle in a big way with the drafting of safety Matt Elam (first round), inside linebacker Arthur Brown (second), and nose tackle Brandon Williams (third). They added depth and versatility to the offensive line with Saturday's selections of Wisconsin tackle Ricky Wagner, the fifth-round pick who could move to guard, and Colorado State-Pueblo tackle Ryan Jensen who will come in as a center.

I usually roll my eyes when I hear someone say that a player "plays like a Raven. " But in the case of Florida safety Matt Elam, the team's first-round pick, I can't help but nod my head. It sounds as if the Ravens agree. “I started to watch Matt, and I've never been so excited. It was fun watching him play,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said late, late Thursday night. “It's been a long time. Watch play after play on tape, and you just go, 'Wow. Oh, wow.' … The way he played on tape is the way that you have to play in the AFC North.” At 5-foot-10, Elam is a little shorter than what you would like at the safety position, but he runs fast, hits hard and loves football, according to Newsome.

We're going to be writing about the Harbaugh brothers a lot this week, so allow me to get some practice in. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh. Harbaugh.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh wrapped up his weekly Monday news conference a couple of hours ago, and now that I have gotten a chance to go through the audio and read the transcripts, I'm not sure Harbaugh has ever been this candid after a tough loss -- the kind of loss that results in a lot of tough questions from media. The podium session lasted more than 20 minutes -- a few more than usual -- and he addressed most, if not all, of the team's issues, including the five I addressed in my weekly “Five Things” manifesto -- shameless plus alert !

If he had it his way, Kelechi Osemele wouldn't be moving anywhere. The Ravens would re-sign free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie and the offensive line, minus the retired Matt Birk, would start the 2013 season like it ended last year. "It would be good to have that same lineup but things change and you have to be able to adapt," Osemele said Tuesday. After just one NFL season, Osemele has learned that lesson already. A second-round pick in 2012, Osemele started all 16 regular-season games for the Ravens at right tackle, a position that he hadn't played extensively in several years.

Less than two weeks after signing a one-year contract with the Ravens, linebacker Rolando McClain was arrested in Decatur, Ala., on Sunday and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. McClain, who is from Decatur and played college football at Alabama, was arrested after an incident at Pines Park, according to a police report. Police officers arrived at Pines Park in response to a reported disturbance, resulting from what witnesses said was somebody spitting on McClain's car, according to Lt.