Tony Pashos

The Thursday injury report is out, and the Ravens confirmed that inside linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Chris Carr missed practice. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowler, has now missed two consecutive practices. He is dealing with a toe injury on his right foot that has forced him to miss the team's past two games. If Lewis does not practice Friday, his chances of returning for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns would appear slim. Carr, who was limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment, did not play in the win against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

The Ravens can't seem to tackle this problem. When it comes to right offensive tackles, they haven't been able to secure one with longevity. They've been through at least 17 starters at that position since the franchise moved from Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 season. They've had some big softies like James Atkins and Adam Terry. They've had some fake tough guys like Jah Reid and Tony Pashos. There were some who were over the hill like Willie Anderson, Leon Searcy and Erik Williams, and others who couldn't hold the snap count past one like Michael Oher and Ethan Brooks.

Four months since winning the AFC North, the Ravens appear to be the clear favorite to capture the division again. After the moves made in free agency and the draft, the Ravens seemingly have not lost any ground to their chief division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished five games behind the Ravens last season. The Ravens upgraded at running back (trading for Willis McGahee to replace Jamal Lewis), broke even on the offensive line (improving with guard Ben Grubbs after losing right tackle Tony Pashos)

The NFL will soon reveal which teams will be awarded compensatory picks for free agents lost last offseason. The Ravens are expected to receive three or four compensatory picks -- likely four -- which would bring their number of picks for next month's NFL draft to 12. That's a lot of ammo for general manager Ozzie Newsome should the Ravens choose to move up, down and all around or acquire more picks for next year's NFL draft. Since the Ravens arrived in Baltimore in 1996, they have gone into the draft with nine or more selections in five different years.

The Ravens ruled out cornerback Chris Carr for Sunday's road contest against the Cleveland Browns, but are still maintaining some semblance of hope that inside linebacker Ray Lewis will be able to play. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowler, did not practice for the third consecutive day, but the team still listed him as questionable for the upcoming clash with its AFC North rivals. Lewis, who is dealing with a toe injury on his right foot, has missed the past two games. Carr did not practice for the second straight day after being limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment.

The NFL will soon reveal which teams will be awarded compensatory picks for free agents lost last offseason. The Ravens are expected to receive three or four compensatory picks -- likely four -- which would bring their number of picks for next month's NFL draft to 12. That's a lot of ammo for general manager Ozzie Newsome should the Ravens choose to move up, down and all around or acquire more picks for next year's NFL draft. Since the Ravens arrived in Baltimore in 1996, they have gone into the draft with nine or more selections in five different years.

The Ravens can't seem to tackle this problem. When it comes to right offensive tackles, they haven't been able to secure one with longevity. They've been through at least 17 starters at that position since the franchise moved from Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 season. They've had some big softies like James Atkins and Adam Terry. They've had some fake tough guys like Jah Reid and Tony Pashos. There were some who were over the hill like Willie Anderson, Leon Searcy and Erik Williams, and others who couldn't hold the snap count past one like Michael Oher and Ethan Brooks.

Ravens Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden is sitting in his home in Las Vegas, and he acknowledges being perplexed by some of the team's offseason moves, including the release of several veterans. Those decisions, though, will not play any part in his decision to return next season or retire. Ogden, selected to the Pro Bowl in 10 of his 11 years in the NFL, said he will let general manager Ozzie Newsome know about his plans before the draft in April, in case the team has to select a replacement.

Ravens starting right tackle Tony Pashos is entering his fourth NFL season. In 2005, Pashos played in every game, starting seven. What was your first concert? "I think it was Silverchair. But there was ... Lollapalooza with a lot of bands. I got thrown out of that." Why did you get thrown out? "People were mosh-pitting and people were throwing sod. Somebody threw sod at me, I threw it right back and I got thrown out." What was your first car? "My parents finally let me use their Pathfinder my junior year in college.

On the brink of ending a two-year postseason drought, the Ravens know their playoff fever likely isn't fleeting this time. With just four starters projected to become free agents - linebacker Adalius Thomas, running back Jamal Lewis, offensive tackle Tony Pashos and fullback Ovie Mughelli - the Ravens have the potential to keep this team nearly intact and make a similar run next season. Ravens@Chiefs Next Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 13, 1090 AM, 97.9 FM Ravens' free agents The Ravens are scheduled to have seven unrestricted free agents and three restricted ones in March: Unrestricted --OLB Adalius Thomas, OT Tony Pashos, FB Ovie Mughelli, DE Jarret Johnson, RB Musa Smith, FS Gerome Sapp, DT Aubrayo Franklin.

The Ravens ruled out cornerback Chris Carr for Sunday's road contest against the Cleveland Browns, but are still maintaining some semblance of hope that inside linebacker Ray Lewis will be able to play. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowler, did not practice for the third consecutive day, but the team still listed him as questionable for the upcoming clash with its AFC North rivals. Lewis, who is dealing with a toe injury on his right foot, has missed the past two games. Carr did not practice for the second straight day after being limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment.

The Thursday injury report is out, and the Ravens confirmed that inside linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Chris Carr missed practice. Lewis, a 12-time Pro Bowler, has now missed two consecutive practices. He is dealing with a toe injury on his right foot that has forced him to miss the team's past two games. If Lewis does not practice Friday, his chances of returning for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns would appear slim. Carr, who was limited Wednesday by a recurring back ailment, did not play in the win against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

Four months since winning the AFC North, the Ravens appear to be the clear favorite to capture the division again. After the moves made in free agency and the draft, the Ravens seemingly have not lost any ground to their chief division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who finished five games behind the Ravens last season. The Ravens upgraded at running back (trading for Willis McGahee to replace Jamal Lewis), broke even on the offensive line (improving with guard Ben Grubbs after losing right tackle Tony Pashos)

Ravens Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden is sitting in his home in Las Vegas, and he acknowledges being perplexed by some of the team's offseason moves, including the release of several veterans. Those decisions, though, will not play any part in his decision to return next season or retire. Ogden, selected to the Pro Bowl in 10 of his 11 years in the NFL, said he will let general manager Ozzie Newsome know about his plans before the draft in April, in case the team has to select a replacement.

Ravens starting right tackle Tony Pashos is entering his fourth NFL season. In 2005, Pashos played in every game, starting seven. What was your first concert? "I think it was Silverchair. But there was ... Lollapalooza with a lot of bands. I got thrown out of that." Why did you get thrown out? "People were mosh-pitting and people were throwing sod. Somebody threw sod at me, I threw it right back and I got thrown out." What was your first car? "My parents finally let me use their Pathfinder my junior year in college.

Please evaluate this year's offensive line compared to last year's. What is the difference? How much does the team miss guys like Tony Pashos, Keydrick Vincent and Ovie Mughelli? Drew The Ravens of last season were better because Jonathan Ogden was in playing shape, and Pashos is better than Adam Terry. Pashos had a nasty attitude. Terry is a softie. This group, though, has more potential because it is more athletic. With some time, this group can become dominant. 8 Sun columnist Mike Preston answers readers' questions each week at baltimoresun.

Peyton Hillis stepped into the locker-room mass interview area looking like a Ron Paul campaign worker. The Browns running back wore a Ron Paul bumper sticker on his baseball cap and a Ron Paul button and sticker on his T-shirt. The accoutrements were courtesy of right tackle Tony Pashos. As the media circle pressed close, a man holding a tiny clip-on microphone said to Hillis, "Is it OK if we pin this on you?" Hillis didn't miss a beat in responding: "Why not? You've pinned everything else on me this year.