Nfl Draft

Live Ravens draft chat with Matt Vensel and Chris Korman

Ravens rookie safety Christian Thompson knows that most of the playing time he earns this season will be on special teams. That's how most rookies first make their mark in the NFL, but it will be especially true for Thompson here in Baltimore. The Ravens, who are deep in the secondary, struggled on special teams last season. “That's going to be my main way of getting on the field,” Thompson said Sunday. “I'm only a rookie. I've still got a lot to learn in this defensive scheme, so that's probably going to take me the whole season.” A few of the team's draft picks talked about how last weekend's rookie minicamp was a bit of a rough transition . Ravens coach John Harbaugh had his practice moving at a high pace Sunday, the one day that the rookie minicamp was open to media.

The Great RG3 Heist Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun He cost them three first-round picks and a second-round pick, but the Redskins got the biggest steal when they traded up to No. 2 to select quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Redskins — the Redskins! — actually did something right in the draft. And in the process they made Browns President Mike Holmgren look like exactly what he is — a decent football coach but no front-office genius. Some will say it's not a steal when you give up that much to move up, but it was exactly that — a steal.

The Ravens signed Asa Jackson on Tuesday, making the Cal Poly cornerback the first of their eight draft picks to agree to terms. The contract is a four-year deal, confirmed by a league source. Jackson was a fifth-round pick in last month's NFL draft. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound cornerback made eight interceptions during his Cal Poly career and also returned kicks and punts, averaging 14.7 yards on punt returns and 25.1 returning kickoffs. The Ravens have said Jackson will be part of the competition for returner duties and they also like the potential he brings to their secondary.

Let them savor moment Sam Farmer Los Angeles Times If a top prospect is invited and wants to attend the NFL draft, he should. Everyone understands there's visceral anger on both sides of the labor fight, and it's not uncommon for one side or the other to use pawns to gain leverage. But for these rookies-to-be, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Denying them this moment is childish and will have minimal impact. Both the NFL and NFLPA agreed in the CBA to stage a 2011 draft, so honor that and move forward.

I admit I was one of the skeptics when it comes to the NFL draft. When ESPN started televising it in 1980, I said: "Big guys in pricey suits walking across a stage - who's going to watch that?" Yep, I'm a regular visionary. A Nostradamus for our times. All that happened was that the draft turned into one of the biggest events on the sports calendar, as well as a TV ratings King Kong. But let's face it, whatever the NFL touches turns into ratings gold. Look at all the fans who tune in to the scouting combine in Indianapolis to watch beefy players do the vertical jump and three-cone drill.

Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta got an hour's sleep after the first night of the NFL draft. General manager Ozzie Newsome estimated that he slept for about two hours between the first round and the session Friday night during which the Ravens made their first three selections. "I probably was doing more thinking than sleeping," Newsome said, "but my eyes were closed." That was Ozzie's laugh line during Friday's evening news conference, but he wasn't the only guy tossing and turning after Round 1. The three-day format of the new NFL draft, which concluded with four rounds Saturday afternoon after two nights in prime time, obviously changed the draft landscape — and I think for the better.

1. St. Louis Rams -- Sam Bradford, Oklahoma, quarterback Drafting a quarterback with the first pick is always seen as a gamble, but no more so than drafting a defensive tackle and handing him $50 million. Even the best defensive tackle in the league doesn't affect the game the way a great quarterback does, and Bradford has the potential to be a great quarterback. Mark Sanchez, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco are prime examples of how a young quarterback can help turn your franchise around quickly.

Two weeks ago, the Ravens' biggest offseason need was clear. So clear that I advocated -- in one way or another -- for them to acquire pretty much every wide receiver on the open market. The Ravens' receiver situation was so desperate, I actually thought pursuing Terrell Owens made sense. Yes, it was that bad. But now that the Ravens have traded for the rugged Anquan Boldin and brought back Derrick Mason for two more years of crisp routes and consistent production, GM Ozzie Newsome will have flexibility while restocking the Ravens' cupboards.

What's happening tonight is either the greatest development since the Internet or another sign of the apocalypse, depending on your point of view. Now instead of wasting your time watching "Survivor" or some dopey sitcom, you can waste your time watching beefy guys in expensive suits talk on their cell phones and become instant millionaires while a slew of network analysts drone on and on about how tough the beefy guys are and what a great "motor"...

As one would expect, there was no shortage of reaction to and analysis of the news of Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs' Achilles tendon injury. Here's what other media outlets had to say about the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and his team. * The Big Lead's Jason Lisk has compiled a list of players since 1970 who were All-Pro defenders, then went on to miss most of the next season and measured their teams' success in that season. The results aren't encouraging for Ravens fans: “Twenty-nine other players, via searches using the play finder at pro football reference , have been a first team all-pro on defense since the merger, and then missed ten or more of their team's games the following season.

Days after the Ravens added eight players in the NFL draft, director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said there are items left on their wish list - assuming the player and the price are right. "We're very excited about last weekend and the draft we just had," DeCosta said. "Our work is not yet done. … There are still moves left to be made. This team is not yet ready for September. " DeCosta was the featured guest Wednesday night at The Baltimore Sun Newsmaker Forum series at the Jewish Community Center in Owings Mills.

Live Ravens chat: Sun Newsmaker Forum with Eric DeCosta Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta will answer questions from readers and Sun reporters at The Sun's Newsmaker Forum on Wednesday night in Owings Mills. The Ravens were in the news this past weekend with the NFL draft, and DeCosta was right in the middle of it as the team traded out of the first round and was still able to fill many of its needs. Check back for live coverage of the forum, including streaming video, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The Ravens came into the 2012 NFL draft looking to round out their roster and add depth and create competition at several positions. They appear to have addressed all of their immediate needs, even if they made a few interesting selections Saturday. Linebacker Courtney Upshaw may end up being a steal and Kelechi Osemele and Gino Gradkowski bring athleticism and versatility to the offensive line. Many draft analysts gave the Ravens solid marks for the draft (and they have also given them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the selection of three FCS prospects on draft's final day)

After the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft Saturday, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron made a cameo at the introductory press conference for Courtney Upshaw, Kelechi Osemele and Bernard Pierce. In addition to Kelechi, an Iowa State offensive lineman, and Pierce, the big Temple back, the Ravens had just drafted him another offensive player in Delaware center Gino Gradkowski. Cameron was pleased with what general manager Ozzie Newsome had done at that point. He liked the selection of Pierce, though he said that the team is still high on Anthony Allen and Damien Berry.

The Ravens get an incomplete grade for the 2012 NFL Draft. Every team should get an incomplete each year because no one can predict how drafts will turn out, but most teams come away with one or two players who will have an impact immediately. The Ravens came away with just one in Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw, taken in the second round. That's it. Two others, Iowa State offensive tackle Kelechi Osemele and Temple running back Bernard Pierce, could play roles this season, but the rest appear to be projects.

The Great RG3 Heist Ron Fritz Baltimore Sun He cost them three first-round picks and a second-round pick, but the Redskins got the biggest steal when they traded up to No. 2 to select quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Redskins — the Redskins! — actually did something right in the draft. And in the process they made Browns President Mike Holmgren look like exactly what he is — a decent football coach but no front-office genius. Some will say it's not a steal when you give up that much to move up, but it was exactly that — a steal.

Let's begin with the premise that no team ever comes out of the NFL draft and says: "Well, that didn't go very well. " No team ever says: "Boy, we really screwed that up. What were we thinking?" Instead, every team says it had a productive draft. And got exactly the players it wanted. And is (pick one) thrilled, ecstatic, euphoric to have them. So what are we to make of the Ravens' 2012 draft, now that the whole thing is finally over? (Tell me, can the league and the TV networks drag the draft out any further?