Offensive Lineman

Jason Brown seems resigned to leaving the Ravens when free agency begins today. Talks between Brown and the Ravens have reached a stalemate because the team wants to pay him as a center while the versatile offensive lineman is looking to get paid as a guard. The difference could be as much as $2 million per season. Brown, 25, started at center last season after two seasons at left guard. "Looking at things that have happened in the past with the Ravens, they have been willing to pay and negotiate more for their defensive players," Brown said yesterday.

Where Jason Brown ends up in free agency could be determined by where he lines up on the field. It is believed the Ravens want to pay Brown as a center while the versatile offensive lineman is seeking to be paid as a guard. The difference in positions could be $2 million per season, which might push Brown to test the free-agent market Friday. It has been heavily rumored the Miami Dolphins are interested in Brown if he becomes available. "We believe Jason Brown is a great offensive lineman," said Harold Lewis, Brown's agent, who declined to talk specifically about the negotiations.

Sander Gossard's journey began seven years ago, as a promising goalkeeper on a Division I soccer team in upstate New York. It has taken him on a path he never envisioned. When Navy (6-4) plays at Northern Illinois (6-5) on Tuesday night, Gossard will be there for the Midshipmen, a reserve offensive lineman who made his college football debut against the Huskies last season. Far from being a star, the 6-foot-4, 272-pound senior is a survivor, in more than a few ways. "My mom and I get a good chuckle out of it sometimes," Gossard, 25, said recently, standing on the practice field in Annapolis.

Washington Redskins rookie receiver Malcolm Kelly had arthroscopic surgery yesterday on his left knee and is expected to be sidelined for two more weeks. Kelly injured his right hamstring during training camp practice July 25 and has since been complaining of soreness in both knees. He returned last week to take part in some drills but was obviously laboring while on the field. He sat out Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against the Indianapolis Colts. "It has been kind of stiff. ... We just thought we'd do things as soon as we can if there is a problem," coach Jim Zorn said.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland's incoming football class is heavy on receivers and local talent, in keeping with coach Ralph Friedgen's desire to retain players from the region. Half of the 18-member class announced yesterday by Friedgen is from Maryland. Friedgen has been seeking to keep local talent away from such schools as Florida State and Penn State that have plucked players from Maryland in the past. The coach said Maryland is increasingly focusing its efforts on players within a five-hour radius of campus.

Washington -- NFL Players Association chief Gene Upshaw says that some retired players' accounts of being rejected for disability benefits are rife with inaccuracies and that the union will begin a new effort today to defend itself. The union will announce a new Web page today linked to its home site, nflpa.org, titled "The NFLPA Truth Squad: Facts vs. Fiction," according to a document obtained by The Sun. "What we've decided to do is deal with all these blogs and inaccuracies that are out there," Upshaw said.

The Ravens nearly won their season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals after turning the ball over for three quarters. They nearly lost Sunday to the New York Jets after dominating for three quarters. So, how should the Ravens feel about themselves at 1-1? "This group has taught me about staying very focused on the task at hand, which is the next game," coach Brian Billick said. "But you also have to appreciate the game you just won. We're not going to lose sight of that, either. "I like that the players have that businesslike attitude that we didn't finish the game as well as we should have, but I don't want that to mute their passion and excitement for what was a very good win."

Chris Chester won't be consumed by what he eats. Chester, who gained 60 pounds in five years at Oklahoma by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, has been maintaining 305 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame by downing nutrition shakes and eating small meals four to five times a day. But Chester, who has become the starting right guard for the Ravens in his second year in the NFL, isn't obsessed with adding bulk. "It all depends on how you gain weight," he said. "If you try to do it overnight, you're going to be out of shape, and it'll be totally unhealthy and it'll affect your play.

Ben Grubbs is becoming a quick study. Just two days into Ravens training camp, the rookie guard said there's a tone at McDaniel College that wasn't as pronounced during minicamps at the team's practice facility in Owings Mills earlier this summer. "It's a lot more intense," Grubbs said. "There's a lot more that you've got to look for. ... I've just got to get adjusted to it." He took a step in that direction by agreeing to a five-year deal worth nearly $8 million three days before the start of training camp.

Jared Gaither, a starting offensive lineman on Maryland's football team the past two seasons, has been declared academically ineligible this season. A spokesman at Maryland confirmed Gaither's ineligibility yesterday, after an ESPN.com report. Gaither, a rising junior from White Plains and Eleanor Roosevelt High, could return to the Terps in 2008 if he regains his eligibility. Gaither, 6 feet 9 and 350 pounds, considered leaving for the NFL draft earlier this year after starting at both tackle positions in his two seasons at Maryland.