Ozzie Newsome

The words, simmering during a season of falling statistics and rising frustration, tumbled out of Derrick Mason's mouth at M&T Bank Stadium in the moments after last season's disappointing playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Having caught just two passes for 16 yards in a 15-6 defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Ravens' veteran wide receiver spoke calmly but pointedly about feeling underused and unappreciated in his second season in Baltimore. "It's like that old guy that's been doing something for so long, and then all of a sudden, somebody introduces an iPod to him and he's been playing records, he's going to get frustrated because nobody's selling records," Mason, 33, said Monday after practice in Owings Mills.

The Ravens acquired running back Willis McGahee from the Buffalo Bills yesterday in a move that is supposed to upgrade their running game, but it's nothing to get really excited about - not when it cost the team three draft picks. To put it bluntly, within the past two days the Ravens have given up on an older malcontent of a running back with a bad knee for a younger malcontent of a running back with a bad knee. McGahee is a couple of years younger than former starter Jamal Lewis, and he might put a little more pizazz in the rushing offense, but the trade is somewhat puzzling.

Here the Ravens were, having a perfectly lovely NFL draft weekend, instilling a fresh dose of hope into this season and the next several, when along come the New England Patriots to screw up their entire blueprint. Actually, the Patriots' acquisition -- or, more accurately, theft -- of Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders yesterday morning, a couple of hours before the Ravens went on the clock for Day 2, didn't derail the Ravens' train one bit. The expectations everyone had for them next February, though?

ATLANTA -- Hank Aaron sat behind his desk at Turner Field, holding a printout of yesterday's story about Peter Boulware from The Sun's Web site."My boy," Aaron said.His Ravens.In the course of a 30-minute conversation yesterday, Aaron wondered what has become of Tony Banks, gushed over Chris McAlister and fantasized about landing Florida State's Peter Warrick in next year's draft.That's right, baseball's all-time home run king is a Ravens fan.Aaron, 65, will attend tomorrow's Ravens-Falcons game at the Georgia Dome, but he'll be rooting against his hometown team.

One day into the Brian Billick sweepstakes, the Cleveland Browns abruptly withdrew from the competition shortly after Billick announced he would make Baltimore his first post-playoff stop, and the Ravens and Billick's agent are optimistic the Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator will become the Ravens' new head coach.Billick, his family and agent Ray Anderson flew into Baltimore last night and had dinner at a downtown steakhouse with Ravens owner Art Modell and team vice presidents David Modell and Ozzie Newsome.

Ravens right defensive end Michael McCrary, who recently played in his first Pro Bowl, had surgery yesterday to repair a right knee injury he suffered in that same game on Feb. 7.McCrary will begin to rehabilitate the knee within the next two weeks and is expected to miss much or all of the preseason. The Ravens plan to limit his activity in training camp, in the interest of having him ready for the regular-season opener on Sept. 12."We're probably going to plan on him missing the majority of the preseason and make sure he heals properly.

The Minnesota Vikings apparently have hit a snag over acquiring the Ravens' top pick in the NFL draft in April in exchange for quarterback Brad Johnson. The Ravens' front office and coaching staff will meet today to try to find another way to obtain the seven-year veteran.According to a league source, the Ravens have offered the Vikings three different proposals, including the team's second-round draft pick in 1999 and the No. 1 pick in 2000. The Vikings are willing to take second- and third-round picks in either of the next two drafts as part of the package, but they want the Ravens' top pick in April, No. 10 overall.

The Ravens interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Emmitt Thomas yesterday and also were one of three teams granted permission from Green Bay to talk with Packers coach Mike Holmgren.Meanwhile, Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is expected to arrive in Baltimore to meet with members of the Ravens' front office staff tomorrow. He is spending today in Seattle interviewing with the Seahawks.Thomas, 55, was at the team's Owings Mills training camp before 9 a.m. yesterday.

Facing an off-season in which they could experience a high rate of turnover, the Ravens have initiated contract talks with numerous players who soon could be shopping as free agents.By early next month, the Ravens could exchange offers with the agents representing quarterback Tony Banks and left defensive end Rob Burnett, who are among the team's highest priorities to bring back in 2000, according to team sources.Twenty of the Ravens are playing in the final year of their contracts and could become unrestricted free agents March 2, the tentative date on which the free-agency window will open.

CANTON, Ohio -- They barked. They chanted. They embraced the prodigal son.For one day, at least, Ozzie Newsome was back in the Dawg Pound, back where he carved a reputation as one of the NFL's most gifted and dangerous tight ends.Amid chants of "Oz-zie, Oz-zie," a largely partisan crowd of Cleveland Browns fans ushered Newsome into the Pro Football Hall of Fame yesterday with open arms and vibrating vocal chords.This one-time torrid love affair was back in full bloom."I came to understand and appreciate passion for 13 years, for playing in front of what I consider the greatest football fans in America," the former Browns star said in an eloquent speech on the steps of the building where he was enshrined.

Graham Gano lined up for one field goal during practice and ... splash. The Ravens' rookie kicker got water thrown on him by backup quarterback Troy Smith. Before another attempt, Gano watched a player race in front of the ball to distract him. There was even a time when his pants got pulled down before a kick. "It's pretty fun," Gano said. "If you're worried about all that, you're not where you're supposed to be focused on." The pressure - and the hijinks - will likely be ratcheted up next week when Ravens training camp begins.

The Ravens took out an insurance policy on quarterback Joe Flacco on Saturday night. When they moved up three spots in the draft to select Mississippi offensive tackle Michael Oher with the No. 23 overall pick, they were basically protecting their investment of a year ago, much as the Indianapolis Colts did nearly a decade ago after they selected Peyton Manning. Oher isn't a sexy pick. Most offensive linemen aren't. The Ravens could have gone pretty by grabbing a wide receiver or cornerback, but they made a smart decision.

Fences mended, Samari Rolle did an about-face Monday and rejoined the Ravens just 20 days after the veteran cornerback was granted a release from the team. In the wake of a recent meeting with general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh, Rolle signed a four-year contract that likely means he will finish his career with the Ravens. "Before I came in to have that meeting, no one could have told me that I would ever play for this organization again," Rolle said. "But after the meeting with Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh, we came to an understanding.

As the Ravens' newly appointed director of player personnel, Eric DeCosta will take expanded duties to Indianapolis for this week's NFL scouting combine. After six years as director of college scouting, DeCosta will not only work on the evaluation of the 300-plus college players for April's draft, but he will also address free agency for the Ravens. "It's different, but exciting," DeCosta, 37, said shortly after his promotion. General manager Ozzie Newsome revised titles and job descriptions after director of pro personnel George Kokinis left in January to become general manager of the Cleveland Browns.

Ravens pro personnel director George Kokinis has been hired as the Cleveland Browns' general manager, reuniting him with new coach and close friend Eric Mangini. Kokinis, who began his NFL career as an intern in the Browns' operations department in 1991, was picked by Mangini, who recommended him to Browns owner Randy Lerner. Mangini took over as Cleveland's coach Jan. 7, just one week after he was fired after three seasons with the New York Jets. Determined to match a coach and GM who can work well together after the relationship between Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage failed, Lerner is teaming up a pair of friends who shared an apartment when they first broke into the NFL. Terms of the deal weren't immediately known.

The idea, of course, is for Sunday not to be the last time this group of linebackers plays together for the Ravens. At best, the Ravens figure out a way to keep Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Bart Scott here, to team up with Jarret Johnson and retain the best linebacking unit in the NFL. No disrespect intended to the linebackers for their coming opponent, of course. The worst-case scenario, however, is that they already have taken the field together for the last time. If Suggs' sprained right shoulder keeps him out of the AFC championship game in Pittsburgh, then their immediate future depends on the strategic brilliance of Rex Ryan and their own constantly tested resourcefulness and resilience.

Whenever an injured player goes down, the Ravens like to use the term "the next man up." At the team's training facility in Owings Mills, the next man up is general manager Ozzie Newsome, followed closely by owner Steve Bisciotti. The Ravens' troubled offense during the past nine years has led to the dismissal of offensive coordinators Matt Cavanaugh and Jim Fassel and the recent firing of head coach Brian Billick. It's Newsome's turn on the hot seat. If the Ravens can't correct their offensive problems with a new head coach, then Newsome is the next man on the food chain.

The words, simmering during a season of falling statistics and rising frustration, tumbled out of Derrick Mason's mouth at M&T Bank Stadium in the moments after last season's disappointing playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Having caught just two passes for 16 yards in a 15-6 defeat to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Ravens' veteran wide receiver spoke calmly but pointedly about feeling underused and unappreciated in his second season in Baltimore. "It's like that old guy that's been doing something for so long, and then all of a sudden, somebody introduces an iPod to him and he's been playing records, he's going to get frustrated because nobody's selling records," Mason, 33, said Monday after practice in Owings Mills.

At yesterday's first day of mandatory minicamp, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs felt as if he were back at home, running with the NFL's top-ranked defense on the field and joking with his teammates off it. It was the type of day that makes Suggs excited about this season with the Ravens and beyond. The two-time Pro Bowl linebacker said yesterday that he is interested in signing an extension with the Ravens before he becomes one of the most sought-after free agents at the end of the season.

Here the Ravens were, having a perfectly lovely NFL draft weekend, instilling a fresh dose of hope into this season and the next several, when along come the New England Patriots to screw up their entire blueprint. Actually, the Patriots' acquisition -- or, more accurately, theft -- of Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders yesterday morning, a couple of hours before the Ravens went on the clock for Day 2, didn't derail the Ravens' train one bit. The expectations everyone had for them next February, though?