With Ray Lewis and Ed Reed gone, tackle Bryant McKinnie, 33, is the team's oldest player.

Last week, Bryant McKinnie was sitting at his locker at the head of the Ravens locker room, looking at all the young faces surrounding him.

“I looked around and I was like, ‘Wait, who’s been around longer than me?’” McKinnie said. “Ray Lewis is gone, Ed Reed is gone, Matt Birk is gone. I’m like, ‘Wait a minute …’”

Yes, McKinnie is the oldest player on the Ravens roster at 33 years old. Born on Sept. 29, 1979, McKinnie is two days older than Ravens cornerback Chris Johnson.

Last year, Lewis (38), Reed (34), Birk (36), defensive lineman Ma’ake Kemoeatu (34) and linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (36) were all older than McKinnie.

The roster has undergone a youth movement this offseason, however. McKinnie’s not worried about it though.

“I’m alright because I feel young,” he said.

“I hang with young people and just stay active. People start feeling old when they sit down and get in that cycle of doing the same thing. That’s why I had to pick up tennis. It gives me something else to do to stay active and stay young.”

The Ravens’ offensive line is particularly youthful. The next closest in age to McKinnie is Marshal Yanda at 28, and Michael Oher and center A.Q. Shipley are both 27.

McKinnie said some rookies have come to him and said they liked watching McKinnie – when they were in middle school.

“I was like, ‘Whaaaat!?!?!’” McKinnie said. “That’s kinda scary.

“That’s probably why [Run Game Coordinator] Juan [Castillo] keeps using me as an example in the meeting rooms. I didn’t really get it. He’ll say, ‘Bryant, isn’t this right?’ I’ll be like, ‘I don’t know why you’re asking me, Coach.’”


(baltimoreravens.com)

A year has made a big difference for Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, dramatically improving his standing with the Super Bowl champions.

Last year, McKinnie was taking up residency in coach John Harbaugh's doghouse. The former Pro Bowl blocker wasn't in good enough shape to participate in a series of offseason practices and was instructed to focus on his conditioning.

When McKinnie reported late to training camp after informing the team that he had injured his back during a slip-and-fall at his South Florida home, he didn't initially pass the conditioning test.

After the Ravens restructured his contract before the regular season, McKinnie was replaced at left tackle by Michael Oher before regaining his starting job in the playoffs.

Now it's a much different story for McKinnie after the Ravens re-signed him to a two-year contract worth up to $7 million that includes a $2 million signing bonus, annual $200,000 workout bonuses, a $200,000 reporting bonus each year and a $500,000 roster bonus next year.

The Ravens are happy with how McKinnie has worked this offseason to maintain the conditioning that he improved throughout last year.

“Bryant did a really good job," Harbaugh said. "He moved really well in this camp, as well as he moved at the end of the year last year when he started practicing so well and playing so well.

"He looks healthy, and he will continue to work on his conditioning. He seems to be very committed. Love the way he’s playing and his effort.”

The reporting bonus and workout bonuses should provide motivation for  McKinnie, but the 33-year-old seems geared toward proving himself again this season.

The 6-foot-8, 354-pounder has been a regular at offseason practices since rejoining the team.

“Physically, I feel like I’m 26, so that’s a good thing," McKinnie said. "I feel really good this year. I’m moving around pretty well, so I’m pretty happy with that. ... This time last year, I didn’t even participate, so yeah, I definitely feel a lot better in minicamp.

"Right now, I’m more focused so I can have a good year and be the best left tackle in the league. That’s my goal.”

How will McKinnie gauge his success?

"When people turn on film, they’ll just see that I’m dominating, and I just feel that I’m going to do better than everybody else this year," he said.

McKinnie started every game at left tackle during the playoffs as the Ravens' offensive line allowed just six sacks in four games while the offense averaged  410.3 yards of total offense during their Super Bowl run.

After the NFL draft, McKinnie visited the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers prior to reaching a deal to return to Baltimore.

There were times that he wasn't sure if he was going to be back.

“Yes, after the draft, and I started taking a couple of trips to other teams, maybe I’d be somewhere else," McKinnie said. "But luckily I ended up coming back. I always wanted to give the Ravens an option to match whatever other teams offered. So, I would tell my agent to check back to see what the Ravens have going on and we’ll decide from there.”


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie hasn’t exactly been known for showing up to training camp in great shape. He’s generally been known for eating too much and working out too little.

But McKinnie says things are different now.

McKinnie, who was held out of the start of training camp last year because he wasn’t in good enough shape to practice, has been more involved in offseason work this year and told the team’s website that he’s in his best shape in years. (Not that that’s saying much.)

“I feel like I’m in pretty good shape and I’m doing a lot better,” McKinnie said. “I’m far ahead than I have been the past two years.”

McKinnie said he’s lighter now than he was last year and plans to lose a little more weight before training camp starts. With better conditioning, he believes he’s poised to have a Pro Bowl season.

“I still need to drop a little lower,” he said. “But it’s definitely better than it has the past two years. I’ll continue working on cardio and stretching, but I’m just focused on getting better.”

For McKinnie, getting slimmer is a good step toward getting better.


(profootballtalk.com)

Athlon Sports recently released the Top 50 Offensive Linemen of the BCS Era.  Sitting atop the list is former University of Miami tackle Bryant McKinnie.

When comprising their list, Athlon took the following into consideration: statistical production, individual awards, team success, longevity, supporting cast, level of competition, raw talent and athletic ability.

During his tenure at the U, McKinnie was a force to be reckoned with.  As part of the infamous 2000-01 Miami Hurricanes team – arguably the best college football team ever to be assembled – McKinnie helped lead the Hurricanes to a 2001 BCS National Championship win and a 23-1 record.

The 6’9″, 335-pound behemoth arrived at UM from junior college (Lackawanna JC) and although he only played two years in Coral Gables, McKinnie made his name be known.

In his senior season (2001), McKinnie was considered by many as the most dominating player in college football.
2001 Accolades:

Outland Trophy Winner
Consensus First-Team All-American
Two-Time Unanimous First-Team All-Big East (Coaches)
National Player of the Year (CNNSI.com)
National Offensive Player of the Year Finalist (Football News)
8th in Heisman Trophy Voting (26 first-place votes)

McKinnie never allowed a sack during his career at UM, junior college or high school.  A consensus 4-star JUCO prospect, the big man chose Miami over Arkansas, Penn State, Iowa, South Carolina, West Virginia, Clemson and Syracuse.

Taken in the first-round of the 2002 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected McKinnie with the seventh overall pick.

Also making the list is former Hurricanes center Brett Romberg at No. 15.

From Athlon:

With Romberg at center, the Hurricanes went 35-2, won three Big East championships, played in two national championship games and won the 2001 BCS national title.  He won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and was a consensus All-American in 2002.”

Romberg never really made his mark in the NFL and bounced around from team to team.  Last playing for the Atlanta Falcons in 2011, Romberg is currently listed as a free agent.


(canesswarning.com)

So far, all is good as far as left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie and the Ravens.

The word from The Castle is that the often-troubled McKinnie has been attending conditioning sessions and working hard. His weight is down and reasonable, and the expectations are high that he will be ready when the team opens training camp in late July.

That would be perfect for the Ravens because they wouldn't have to move other players around, like guard Kelechi Osemele or right tackle Michael Oher, to fill in for McKinnie.

The Ravens need to work on timing issues, especially in the middle of the offensive line with new center Gino Gradkowski and guards Marshal Yanda and Osemele.

If Gradkowski performs well, the Ravens' offensive line could be one of the strong in the conference -- providing McKinnie keeps working hard.


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie's two-year contract has a base value of $6.3 million that includes a $2 million bonus, according to a source with knowledge of the deal, with a maximum value of nearly $7 million.

The contract includes a $1 million base salary this year, a $2 million base salary in 2014 and corresponding salary-cap figures of $2.5 million and $4 milllion.
The contract has annual workout bonuses of $200,000.

There are also incentive clauses that can boost the total value of the deal. There's a $200,000 reporting bonus each year as well as a $500,000 roster bonus is due next year.

The reporting bonus and workout bonuses should provide motivation for McKinnie.

The former Pro Bowl blocker has had weight and conditioning issues in the past and reported late to training camp last year after saying he slipped at his South Florida home and hurt his back.

The 6-foot-8, 354-pounder said he plans to be around the Ravens more during the offseason.

He started every game at left tackle during the playoffs as the Ravens' offensive line allowed just six sacks in four games while the offense averaged 410.3 yards of total offense during their Super Bowl run.


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie has officially signed his two-year contract worth up to $7 million.

McKinnie flew into town from South Florida to finalize the paperwork on his deal after agreeing to terms last week.

McKinnie remained with the Ravens after working out for the Miami Dolphins and visiting the San Diego Chargers, garnering offers from both teams.

The Ravens' contract was his best financial offer. The deal includes an undisclosed signing bonus, weight clauses and workout bonuses, according to a source.

“Having Bryant back is a big plus for us," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Sunday. "We were hoping that would be the case. I’m looking forward to seeing him next week and getting him in here and going to work. We want our line to be as strong as it can possibly be, and that makes us stronger.”

Last week, McKinnie told The Baltimore Sun that he was happy he was able to remain with the Ravens after his foray into free agency.

"I'm excited to be back," McKinnie said. "I didn't really want to leave anyway. I like being in Baltimore."

McKinnie's plan is to reprise his play from the Ravens' Super Bowl run.

With McKinnie at left tackle, Michael Oher at right tackle and Kelechi Osemele playing left guard, the Ravens allowed just six sacks in four playoff victories capped by defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens averaged 410.3 yards of total offense, as quarterback Joe Flacco had plenty of time to throw 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions during the postseason.

"Yep, that's what I want to do," McKinnie said. "I want to pick up from there. I feel like we have a chance for a great year with me and K.O. on the left side."


(baltimoresun.com)

The return of left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie via a two-year contract worth up to $7 million is expected to bolster the Ravens' offensive line.

Now that McKinnie has been retained after a brief foray into free agency where he drew offers from the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers, the Ravens have four of their five starting offensive linemen back from their Super Bowl run.

“Having Bryant back is a big plus for us," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said today. "We were hoping that would be the case. I’m looking forward to seeing him next week and getting him in here and going to work. We want our line to be as strong as it can possibly be, and that makes us stronger.”

When asked to relate what McKinnie has told the team about his conditioning activities, Harbaugh didn't address that specifically.

"Yes, I’m always pleased with conversations with Bryant McKinnie," Harbaugh said with a laugh. "I enjoy talking to Bryant. He’s one of my favorite guys. He’s a sterling conversationalist. We talk a lot about stuff – a lot of different things, broad range of topics. I always enjoy that. I think he does as well.”

McKinnie's contract includes an undisclosed signing bonus, incentive clauses, weight clauses and workout bonuses, according to a source. The Ravens' contract was the best financial offer.

"I'm excited to be back," McKinnie told The Baltimore Sun on Friday morning. "I didn't really want to leave anyway. I like being in Baltimore."

McKinnie's plan is to pick up where he left off during the Ravens' Super Bowl run.

With McKinnie at left tackle, Michael Oher at right tackle and Kelechi Osemele playing left guard, the Ravens allowed just six sacks in four playoff victories capped by defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens averaged 410.3 yards of total offense per game as quarterback Joe Flacco had plenty of time to throw 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions during the postseason.

"Yep, that's what I want to do," McKinnie said. "I want to pick up from there. I feel like we have a chance for a great year with me and K.O. on the left side."


(baltimoresun.com)

The Baltimore Ravens announced that they agreed to terms on a two-year contract with free agent offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie.

McKinnie earned $2.7 million during the 2012 season.

The deal, which carries a maximum value of $7 million, also includes a signing bonus, incentive clauses and workout bonuses, according to the Baltimore Sun.

McKinnie, 33, spent the last two seasons with the Ravens after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. After starting 16 games in 2011, McKinnie was a reserve throughout the 2012 season, playing just 128 (11.73 percent) of the Ravens' 1,091 snaps.

The Ravens inserted McKinnie into the starting lineup at the start of the post-season and the unit would come together to run for 125 yards per game and allow just six sacks in four games as the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.

Despite McKinnie's success in the post-season, he remained a free agent throughout March and April, but interest in the 33-year-old picked up after the 2013 NFL draft. McKinnie dined with the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday night as part of a two-day visit and had drawn interest from the tackle-needy Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.

By re-signing McKinnie, the Ravens have greatly improved their depth and created several options at the tackle position. Michael Oher will start at one of the two spots, while McKinnie, Jah Reid and 2013 fifth-round pick Ricky Wagner compete for the starting and "swing" tackle roles. In recent weeks, reports have 2012 second-round pick Kelechi Osomele, a 16-game starter at guard as a rookie, as a possibility at left tackle, as well.


(espn.com)

Bryant McKinnie had seemed to be enjoying this.

On Tuesday, he was all over Twitter, sending updates to 80,000-plus followers that he was flying out of Miami, that he was at his Dallas layover, that he landed in San Diego. There were posts about finished meetings with the Chargers, about going to dinner with them, about getting back from dinner.

On Wednesday, at 8:32 a.m., he snapped a photo of the entrance to Chargers Park. “In the building early,” he wrote.

Then, it turned silent from the left tackle. Totally silent.

The rest of McKinnie’s Wednesday was, however, busy, as he took a physical and weighed a contract offer from the Chargers, a source said about 3 p.m. The source described negotiations as “ongoing” and speculated McKinnie could be arriving at the airport at anytime, heading back home to Miami.

Whether or not negotiations progressed enough to diffuse those plans is unclear.

But the Dolphins and Ravens are among those also believed to have interest in McKinnie. Earlier this week, the 33-year-old visited and took a physical with Miami.

If he signs in San Diego, he’d figure to be a stop-gap starting left tackle — and an exception to a youth movement. McKinnie turns 34 in November. Tight end Antonio Gates and punter Mike Scifres are the oldest players on the roster at 32.

Last year, McKinnie started all four postseason games for the champion Ravens. The 6-foot-8. 354-pound lineman was a reserve in the regular season.


(utsandiego.com)

They wined him. They dined him.

All that's left now is to sign him.

The Chargers hosted veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie in what a source characterized as a “very good” Tuesday visit. The evening was capped off by a dinner, and as of about 7 p.m., the two sides had not yet discussed contract numbers, the source added.

If McKinnie wants to go to a city he feels wanted, he's still here.

San Diego could certainly use the 33-year-old, likely as its starting left tackle. He was a reserve last season before helping stabilize the Ravens' line during its Super Bowl run.

The 6-foot-8, 348-pounder allowed two sacks in four playoff games.

Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco is overseeing changes to an offensive line expected to carry a different starter at four different spots.

Center Nick Hardwick is the lone veteran returning to his original position.

Last month, left tackle Jared Gaither was released. and left guard Tyronne Green and right guard Louis Vasquez became unrestricted free agents. Right tackle Jeromey Clary is beginning a transition to guard after the Chargers selected right tackle D.J. Fluker in last week's first round.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to play a new position, and we'll go from there,” Clary said in a Tuesday statement.

As things stand, King Dunlap, a March free agency signing, tops the depth chart at left tackle. The 6-foot-9 veteran's versatility to play on either tackle side and also slide to guard makes him well suited for a reserve role.

Quarterback Philip Rivers was sacked 49 times in 2012, second most in the NFL. The team also rushed for 3.6 yards per carry, tied for second lowest.


(utsandiego.com)

Bryant McKinnie visited the Dolphins on Monday, remains in contact with the Ravens and has a visit with the Chargers scheduled, according to sources.

The veteran left tackle, who emerged from the doghouse to help lead Baltimore's charge to the playoffs and then a Super Bowl title, did not get much interest in the early stages of free agency. But with several teams now still in need of tackles with the draft completed, and few options available, McKinnie is getting interest.

His relationship with the Ravens' staff and brass has always been rocky. And despite weight and attitude concerns, he has been a vital pass protector for Joe Flacco at critical times. Baltimore has remained in contact with him and, at the right price, he could still be back there. The Miami native made the short trip to the Dolphins' facility on Monday and will visit the Chargers soon.

Miami is considering moving Jonathan Martin to left tackle and signing a right tackle like free-agent Eric Winston but are at least exploring McKinnie as well. And the Chargers signed tackle King Dunlap, who held up well with the Eagles last season under trying circumstances, but are also open to exploring options for depth at tackle.


(cbssports.com)

The Ravens' talks with free agent LT Bryant McKinnie remain "ongoing."

The sides aren't having a negotiation as much as a standoff. The Ravens are clearly only going to sign McKinnie at their price, while McKinnie is holding out hope for a better offer. With the Ravens picking 32nd, the draft shouldn't have a major effect on talks. If McKinnie re-signs, he'd man the blindside with Michael Oher sticking at right tackle, and Kelechi Osemele at left guard.


(rotoworld.com)

Despite being a well regarded veteran at a very desirable position (left tackle), no team has picked up Bryant McKinnie as of yet, with the Baltimore Ravens still trying to break through the wall of suitors, consisting of the San Diego Chargers and the New Orleans Saints, and bring him back to the fold.

McKinnie, a 13 year veteran, spent most of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, playing there until 2010, making the Pro Bowl a season earlier. With the Baltimore Ravens, McKinnie has been playing for a couple of years, which include two AFC Championship games and the Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers, playing in all 32 games in 2011-2012 for Baltimore.

But heading into what might be his final NFL contract, or at least the last one meant for a starting role, McKinnie is quite patient with his selection, hoping that more money will be thrown on the table, or another team joins the mix that is currently made up of three teams, one of them his former one.

For the San Diego Chargers, the interest is still there although they’re already entertaining other players at the position, trying to fix the mess of a situation they have with their offensive line. While McKinnie isn’t at his best, anything seems to be an improvement to what they currently have.

For the New Orleans Saints, it’ll simply be replacing their most important offensive lineman for the last four seasons, protecting the blindside of Drew Brees into a Super Bowl win in 2009. He left to sign with the Chicago Bears, leaving an opening the Saints are still hoping McKinnie is interested in filling.


(sportige.com)

Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome hasn't closed the door on re-signing free agent LT Bryant McKinnie.

"Could he be our left tackle? He potentially could be," Newsome said Tuesday. "I have a good relationship with (McKinnie's agent). It's a process." McKinnie has been insisting he could return to the Ravens, but this is the first time they've acknowledged as much. Newsome doesn't appear ready to hand the blindside keys over to Michael Oher or Kelechi Osemele. McKinnie has also drawn cursory interest from the Saints and Chargers.


(rotoworld.com)

The Miami Herald reports the Dolphins haven't shown any interest in free agent LT Bryant McKinnie.
The Dolphins have a glaring need at left tackle, but won't be making any signings until after the draft. Multiple reports have Miami targeting Lane Johnson in the first-round, and packaging the No. 12 pick and one of their two second rounders to move up. GM Jeff Ireland is also reportedly open to trading down if the Dolphins don't land one of the top three tackles.


(rotoworld.com)

The Chargers have a glaring need at left tackle, and it appears they’re making a contingency plan if they can’t draft one.

According to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego, the Chargers have reached out to the agent for Ravens free agent Bryant McKinnie, in what have been termed a “couple general discussions.”

He hasn’t visited the Chargers, and no deal appears imminent.

McKinnie has battled weight problems in recent years, but his play in the postseason was such that he should find work somewhere.

He’d easily be a better option than what the Chargers have on hand. Other than signing former Eagles tackle King Dunlap, there’s not an apparent answer on the roster, and he might not be anything more than a stop-gap solution.


(profootballtalk.com)

The San Diego Chargers made a preliminary inquiry to free agent offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.

McKinnie, 33, is an unrestricted free agent who started every game in the playoffs after being replaced at left tackle during the regular season by Michael Oher.
No signing or visit is imminent and it's unlikely that McKinnie will strike a deal with any team until after the NFL draft.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has remained in touch with McKinnie, and the door isn't closed on his potential return with the Super Bowl champions.

What transpires in the draft for the Ravens and other teams that need a left tackle like the Chargers will probably determine what's next for McKinnie, a former Pro Bowl blocker with the Minnesota Vikings who attended the University of Miami.

The 6-foot-8, 354-pound New Jersey native has been working out regularly in South Florida, according to his agent, Michael George. McKinnie has battled conditioning and weight issues in the past.

McKinnie hasn't taken any visits during a slow free agency signing period for himself and other unemployed offensive tackles, including Eric Winston and Andre Smith.

McKinnie was contacted by the Chicago Bears when free agency started, but they quickly reached a deal with former New Orleans Saints and Towson offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod as their new left tackle.

During the playoffs, McKinnie excelled and drew praise from Ravens coach John Harbaugh for stonewalling several top pass rushers during victories over the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers to win the Vince Lombardi trophy.


(batimoresun.com)

Hours before getting sized for his Super Bowl ring on Wednesday, Baltimore Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie admitted it could still be several weeks until it is determined whether he will return to the Super Bowl XLVII champions for the upcoming season.

In an interview with WNST in Baltimore, the veteran offensive lineman indicated that talks with the Ravens on a new contract could be tabled until after the NFL Draft. McKinnie, who will turn 34 in September, is entering his 12th NFL season.

"I definitely want a starting job," McKinnie said. "I want it to be fair for somebody to beat me out of my position instead of saying you want to try something new. Give me the opportunity to actually be fair and let somebody beat me out for the position."

McKinnie (6-feet-8, 354 pounds) is coming off a stellar postseason when he earned rave reviews from Ravens coach John Harbaugh. With a slimmed-down McKinnie in the starting lineup, the Ravens were able to move Michael Oher to right tackle and Kelechi Osemele to right guard. At times during McKinnie's two seasons in Baltimore he has been trapped in Harbaugh's doghouse for a poor work ethic and an inability to keep his weight down.

After starting all 16 games with the Ravens in 2011, McKinnie reported late and out of shape to training camp last summer. McKinnie, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Vikings, was nearly released by the Ravens, but unexpectedly accepted a pay cut of $1 million to remain with the team. Still, he didn't receive his first start in 2012 until the postseason.

McKinnie, Bengals right tackle Andre Smith and former Chiefs offensive tackle Eric Winston remain on the open market.


(cbssports.com)

The Baltimore Ravens never wanted to keep Ed Reed. That was obvious from the outside when we saw the contract proposals which were offered to the veteran safety. Now someone closer to the situation writes that the Ravens only "made it appear" they were bidding to keep him.

"Ravens coach John Harbaugh wanted Reed back as much as he wants a root canal," Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun wrote in a column published Monday.

The Ravens didn't completely back out of the mix for Reed out of respect, but their offers showed that they truly didn't value him. The Houston Texans were willing to pay more money, and they got him easily.

Reed, of course, wasn't the Ravens' only veteran to leave this offseason. Preston notes that offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie remains a free agent, but it appears his chances of returning to the Ravens are slim. There doesn't look to be a lot of interest from the Ravens in bringing back McKinnie.

It's been an offseason of change in Baltimore, but most of the players the Ravens lost either were part-time starters like Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe or veterans that the Ravens simply didn't want to keep, like Reed and McKinnie.


(nfl.com)

The Saints could be preparing to add a couple of former Pro Bowlers — albeit former Pro Bowlers who haven’t played at a Pro Bowl level recently.

Both left tackle Bryant McKinnie and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha are on the Saints’ radar, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

McKinnie hadn’t previously been linked to the Saints, but he said in an interview on WNST in Baltimore that the Saints have shown interest in him. A source told the Times-Picayune that there were “general” talks between McKinnie and the Saints, but nothing more than that. After losing Jermon Bushrod in free agency, the Saints would like to add a left tackle. McKinnie started all four postseason games for the Ravens and is now an unrestricted free agent.

Asomugha has met with the Saints, and the Times-Picayune reports that the Saints view the choice of whether to come to New Orleans as Asomugha’s to make.


(profootballtalk.com)

The Ravens don't expect a new deal with left tackle Bryant McKinnie before the start of free agency, according to league sources.

McKinnie, who has had a rocky tenure with the team but who has also excelled at key times, is a free agent. Baltimore's offense soared, and quarterback Joe Flacco played the best football of his career after McKinnie was put back at left tackle late in the season, with Michael Oher moving to the right side.

McKinnie's weight and dedication have been issues for him, as well as his practice habits, and he was AWOL more or less for the start of last summer camp before agreeing to a scaled-back contract. He was a spare part until injuries forced him back in the lineup, and he became one of the vital players in Baltimore's Super Bowl run.

Left tackle is a big question for the Ravens, though the draft is deep there, and it remains to be seen what the market for McKinnie will look like. If it's soft a return to Baltimore at a modest rate could be possible.

Baltimore's efforts are focused on continued negotiations with Flacco, trying to get a deal done by the March 4 franchising deadline, and the team also expects to have renewed talks with linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who is a priority, team sources said.

Future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed has not talked to the team about a new contract and is another free agent. Those sides could speak soon, and Reed is in the process of discussing signing with an agent after representing himself for the past few years.


(cbssports.com)

Raven's left tackle Bryant McKinnie’s performance during the playoffs has the Ravens interested in trying to retain the veteran offensive lineman and impending free agent, Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times reports.

McKinnie didn’t start a single game during the regular season, but his insertion at left tackle for the playoffs – and the subsequent shuffling that went along with it – helped transform the Ravens’ offensive line from a unit that had struggled in pass protection during the regular season into a group that quarterback Joe Flacco said earlier this week was “unbelievable” in pass protection during the playoffs.

Baltimore’s expected to have only limited money to spend under the salary cap, but McKinnie said Ravens coach John Harbaugh twice approached him during the postseason expressing his interest in having McKinnie return to Baltimore even after the conclusion of the season.

“It was two different times [Harbaugh] mentioned it,” McKinnie said in a phone interview Friday. “One was after like the New England game. He was like, ‘After we play in the Super Bowl, we need to talk about you for next year.’ … And then when we were out at the Super Bowl, he came up to the table with me for lunch or something and he kind of mentioned again, ‘You know, we want to see what’s going on with you after the Super Bowl."

Baltimore’s not expected to have much money to spend under the salary cap and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome hinted Thursday that McKinnie’s play during the postseason could earn the left tackle a bigger payday elsewhere than what Baltimore’s willing to spend.


(theredzone.com)

A Super Bowl victory can serve as a sort of career redemption for a lot of players.

If the Baltimore Ravens prevail on Sunday, it certainly will be that for left tackle Bryant McKinnie, the longtime Minnesota Viking who was released in August 2011 when he was terribly out of shape.

McKinnie is now the starting left tackle for the Ravens and back to being the kind of player he was for a number of seasons with the Vikings, where he wasn’t a stranger to off-field trouble on occasion. McKinnie was a main figure in the Love Boat scandal and he was booted off the NFC Pro Bowl team in 2010 when he didn’t go to practice but used social media to brag about all the time he was spending in a strip club.

McKinnie says he is in a “new chapter” in his life now, according to Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and he certainly is in his career too. Once the party animal, McKinnie says he’s trying to set an example now.

"We'll have our meetings this week and we'll bring up the importance of guys (staying out of trouble)," McKinnie said. "Everybody has to realize what's at stake here. You don't know if you'll ever get back to this point ever again.

"Is it tempting being in New Orleans? I've been here before, but I've never been to the Super Bowl. So it's not tempting. What's more tempting is getting that Super Bowl ring."


(nationalfootballpost.com)

Bryant McKinnie posted this photo of himself and fellow proCanes Ray Lewis and Ed Reed at their last practice before Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Reed and Lewis are not wearing their usual number 20 and number 52 respectively because the Ravens on their Friday practices usually have defensive players exchange jerseys.

NEW ORLEANS – Six-foot-eight-inch Bryant McKinnie, towering above everyone else in the Superdome, smiled and shared a joke about his old college team.

"We used to say if one of us didn't get to the Super Bowl," the former Miami Hurricane and current Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman said Tuesday, "we'd all take a pay cut and play for the Dolphins."

No need for that plan now. McKinnie and his Ravens teammate Ed Reed, another former 'Cane, will both play in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. So will Frank Gore, for the San Francisco 49ers. They were all on the same 2001 Miami Hurricanes roster that many consider the best collection of college talent of all time. And they are all stars.

In a league where the average career lasts four years, these three former college teammates continue to dominate more than a decade later.

And they're hardly alone.

That '01 Hurricanes team, which went undefeated and routed Nebraska in the BCS Championship Game, produced NFL players at just about every position. That Miami roster produced 17 first-round draft picks and 38 players were drafted into the NFL. Andre Johnson was on that roster. So was Vince Wilfork. So was D.J. Williams. So was Jonathan Vilma. So was Antrelle Rolle. So were Willis McGahee and Clinton Portis, who were both ahead of Gore on the depth chart. So was Sean Taylor, who was Reed's backup and made the Pro Bowl twice before being tragically killed in a home invasion. And so was 2012 Pro Bowler Chris Myers, who didn't start at Miami but logged significant playing time as a backup because, in his matter-of-fact words, "We were blowing teams out by 40 points." (That team's average margin of victory was actually 32.9 points.)

"Every now and then you get to coach a great one," says Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Greg Schiano, who helped recruit that Miami team and coached Reed before leaving for Rutgers in 2000. "That team was littered with great ones. I don't know that there will ever be a team assembled with all that talent again."

The heft of the credit for the millennium Hurricanes' success goes to Butch Davis, the head coach who assembled all that talent in one place before bolting to the NFL. "Butch Davis was an incredible, incredible evaluator of talent," says then-assistant Curtis Johnson, who is now at Tulane. Davis' legacy is mixed because of a two-pronged NCAA investigation at North Carolina that resulted in his firing, but in 10 years as a college head coach, he recruited dozens of future NFL players and more than 30 first-round draft picks. Most came at Miami.

"We were looking for athletic, speed guys who loved football," explains Schiano. That was a directive from Davis, who got his start coaching multiple sports and always looked for players who could excel at basketball, track, wrestling, whatever. "When you coach a lot of different sports," Davis says, "you start to appreciate a lot of skills and how they work together." He would assemble his staff in a film room, look at high school games, and wait for preps to "jump off the screen."

The recruiting ground in South Florida was fertile, but a lot of the stars on that 2001 roster came from elsewhere. Reed arrived from Louisiana. McKinnie came from New Jersey. Jeremy Shockey grew up in Oklahoma. Davis didn't much care for five-star guys as much as he wanted those three ingredients: athleticism, speed and love of football. For every Andre Johnson, who probably could have played in the NFL as a college freshman, there was an undersized talent nobody else saw. "Roscoe Parrish was a midget," says Curtis Johnson. (For the record, Parrish is 5-9.)

The "loved football" part was perhaps most important. Gore was a great example, as he came to Miami despite having to wait behind Portis and McGahee. Asked at Super Bowl media day Tuesday why he didn't shy away from that, Gore said, "Competition. If you want to be the best, you have to play with the best. I wasn't scared of competition."

Gore carried a football around campus in those days, held high and tight, because he knew his day would come. "He could care less about anything but school and football," says Mike Rumph, one of those 17 first-round picks. "Most guys are chasing girls, thinking about stuff at home. Not him. First day out to practice, most guys have special sleeves or new shoes. He's out there with no gloves. Just a jersey, shorts, and helmet. He was like Mike Tyson."

There were several players on the team with that mentality. "We had tackling going on in walk-throughs," says Curtis Johnson, and that was on purpose. Davis wanted practices to be more difficult than games, even if it meant grueling workouts and ferocious drills.

"The toughest battle was Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday," says Schiano. "That's the thing I remember – the competition." Asked if it was as intense as the NFL, Schiano said: "In some ways even more so. At the U of Miami, we were trying to bring the program back. There was such a hunger there. That's one of the reasons they practiced so hard against each other."

Schiano remembers being disturbed in his office one spring by "a loud noise" and looking out the window to see a rowdy 7-on-7 game that included Michael Irvin, who had retired from football, and Sinorice Moss (Santana's younger brother), who was 15 at the time. Irvin, Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp had long since left campus, yet there was an unspoken expectation that the bar needed to be raised every single year. There's even a book written about the building and sustaining of the Miami program: Cane Mutiny.

"The level of work ethic was established," says Myers. "We wanted to keep that going. You wanted to prove to yourself you could keep doing what was done before."

Former players credit not only the strength coaches, but also the fact that the facilities weren't all that great. Today, major schools have professional-grade equipment. At that time, Miami had something resembling a boxing gym. That only seemed to motivate players more.

"It was the work ethic," Reed said Tuesday. "With the people we had, we tended to get the best guys."

It all culminated with a one-loss season in 2000, an undefeated season in 2001 and another one-loss season in 2002. But the 2001 team was especially dominant. The final score for that entire year, with point totals from all games added up, was Miami 512, Opponents 117.

"I really felt like we could have beaten the Cincinnati Bengals that year," says Rumph, who played five seasons in the NFL and now coaches at American Heritage High in Boca Raton. "It wouldn't be a blowout game!"

The most remarkable aspect of that team is only now coming into view. Nearly 12 years later, Gore is maybe the most dangerous player on the 49ers roster. The same could be said about Johnson in Houston, and Wilfork is a rare stalwart on a constantly rotating Patriots defense.

Yet when forced to pick a player or two from that '01 squad, two names come up: McKinnie and Reed.

Former 'Canes love to talk about the much-hyped matchup that season between "Mt. McKinnie" and defensive end Dwight Freeney, who starred at Syracuse and is building himself a Hall of Fame career with Indianapolis.

"Bryant is the best lazy player I've ever seen in my life," Rumph says. "He don't like to work out, his back is bothering him, that kind of thing. But even on his laziest day, he would not give up a sack. Dwight Freeney came to town, and Bryant literally rolled him down the field."

Miami beat No. 14 Syracuse that November day, 59-0.

While McKinnie is revered for his strength, Reed is awed for his smarts. The signature play from that championship season came when Miami struggled with Boston College into the fourth quarter and defensive lineman Matt Walters intercepted a pass deep in Miami territory. Reed raced up on his 270-pound teammate, ripped the ball out of his hands and ran 80 yards to the end zone. He was such a ball hawk that he forced his own teammate to fumble. "He had ball skills like an elite receiver and footwork like a top DB," Rumph says. "He was a coach on the field."

Davis, the architect of all this, admits he looks back at his Miami days wistfully. "In retrospect, obviously I would have loved to stay for eight, 10, 12, 15 years and maybe still be there," Davis says. "It was ridiculous how much success we had."

And it wasn't just on the field. Chuck Pagano was a secondary coach who left in 2000. Rob Chudzinski was an offensive coordinator. Schiano was defensive coordinator until the 2000 season. All three are now NFL head coaches.

In the college ranks, head coach Larry Coker is now the top guy at Texas San-Antonio. Mario Cristobal became a head coach at Florida International. Randy Shannon was in charge at Miami for a time. Curtis Johnson is now head coach at Tulane. Mark Stoops is head coach at Kentucky.

And Ken Dorsey, the quarterback on that unbeaten team, is now the quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers.

Ironically, Davis has never reached that level of success again as a head coach. He struggled with the Cleveland Browns before leaving for North Carolina, which is now mired in scandal. Davis never won a national title as a head coach, but hopes to get one more shot. He's now an assistant with Schiano's Bucs.

Other lingering aspects of the Miami juggernaut are more subtle. Every time Myers gets ready to take the field for the Texans, he listens to the same song before he runs out into the din of the stadium: "In The Air Tonight," by Phil Collins. That was the song hand-picked by Davis to signal the entrance of the Hurricanes onto the field at the old Orange Bowl. He picked it to set a tempo and tone, but also to time a pregame stretch.

"The drum roll signified time to break down and go to the next phase of pregame," Davis says. "The tempo and mindset was now in place." Myers is not alone in his ritual. "Everybody still listens to that song before games," Myers says. "It brings me back to a little bit of Miami."

There is a little bit of Miami all over the NFL. In fact, there is a lot. And some of it will be on display in New Orleans on Sunday.

In fact, it's hard not to wonder how good those Hurricanes would have been if they could have experienced McKinnie's joke about playing together in the NFL: Gore, Portis and McGahee in the backfield, Johnson at wideout, Shockey at tight end, McKinnie blocking, Wilfork rushing, Williams at linebacker, Reed, Rolle and the late Taylor in the defensive backfield. And all those coaches.

Asked how good that team would have been in the NFL, Tulane's Johnson lets out a howling laugh before giving a one-word answer:

"Dynasty."


(sports.yahoo.com)

NEW ORLEANS -- Bryant McKinnie stood in the middle of the Superdome on Tuesday, Jan. 29, and marveled at the spectacle that surrounded him.

Behind the Baltimore Ravens' giant left tackle, several of the team's most notable stars were seated individually at raised tables. Each space featured huge nameplates and was surrounded by a blockade designed to keep the throng of interviewers at a reasonable distance. It was, after all, media day at the Super Bowl.

McKinnie looked over his shoulder in amusement. His assignment was to simply to stand among the masses and field questions from people who crowded in with microphones held high to catch a few words from the 6-foot-8, 354-pound former Vikings mainstay.

Those who kept their arms raised long enough to hear McKinnie tell the story of his season were rewarded with quite a tale, one that began with a pay cut and ended with a starting role in his first NFL championship game.

"It's been a long, strange journey, but I like the way it's ending so far," McKinnie said. "One step farther, I can complete it with a ring."

Before starting his 11th training camp in the NFL, McKinnie was asked to accept less money because the Ravens needed to clear salary-cap space. After a good bit of grumbling, he was OK with an incentive-laden contract.

But McKinnie's run of 60 straight starts ended in the opener, when coach John Harbaugh opted to start Michael Oher at left tackle and use McKinnie as a backup.

In his unaccustomed role off the bench, McKinnie hurt his hip in a game against Dallas on Oct. 14. When right tackle Kelechi Osemele got hurt the following week in Houston, McKinnie got the chance to steal a starting spot. But he aggravated his hip injury and ended up back on the bench. One week after another went by without the opportunity to start.

Finally, before the season finale against Cincinnati, McKinnie was told by Harbaugh to prove he was healthy.

"The coach was like, 'Show me that you're healed. Show me that you can move,'" McKinnie recalled. "In the Cincinnati game, he said, 'I'm going to let you play, show me you're back healthy.' "

McKinnie, 33, came off the bench and played well. In that game, left guard Jah Reid hurt his toe and was subsequently placed on injured reserve. So in the playoff opener against Indianapolis, the Ravens put McKinnie back at his old left tackle spot, moved Oher to right tackle and plugged Osemele into Reid's spot.
It proved to be a winning combination. Now 3-0 with McKinnie as a starter, the Ravens look to complete their run Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
"This is a great reward," McKinnie said. "I waited for my time and was able to step in there and help the team go to where it wants to be."

Funny how things work in the NFL.

"What Bryant been through can't be overstated," Ravens center Matt Birk said. "All year, to sit and wait and wait. To his credit, he kept himself ready, kept himself in shape. He kept himself mentally ready to go. He didn't play all year, and here's (Indianapolis end) Dwight Freeney. The next week, here's (Denver's) Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller. The man's done a great job. It's a tribute to his attitude and work ethic."

Maybe it's because of Reid's toe, or perhaps it was just McKinnie's time. Whatever the reason, Baltimore's offensive front is better than it's been all season.

"McKinnie has played well for them, and it had a domino effect," San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. "They put Oher at right tackle, who's playing right tackle better than the guy they had in there. They moved (Osemele) to left guard and he's playing that position better than the guy they had in there."

McKinnie, meanwhile, is feeling the benefit of limited playing time from September through December.

"I'm fresher than anybody else," he said.

His task in the Super Bowl will be to help neutralize 49ers right tackle Justin Smith, a 12-year veteran playing with a partially torn left triceps.

"McKinnie has been a good player in this league for a long time," Smith said. "I think the run they've been on, he's out there playing real good football. The mix of their offensive line right now is really working for them. They're playing the best football when they need it."


(twincities.com)

Matt Birk said that Bryant McKinnie, Birk's fellow offensive lineman with both the Vikings and Baltimore, worked hard all year to get and stay in shape this season. While the big left tackle didn't play much in the regular season, he got his shot in the playoffs. An injury gave McKinnie a chance to start, and Birk said McKinnie was prepared and has played great.

"He started last year for us and didn't start this year," Birk said, "but got his chance when we had an injury the last game of the season. He's making the most of it."

Birk talked about the unique situation of having two brothers coaching against each other in the Super Bowl.

"Obviously you look at [San Francisco coach] Jim and [Baltimore coach] John Harbaugh and what they've been able to do in such a short time as head coaches in this league, it's not a fluke," he said. "They're great football coaches, both of them in their own right. I'm sure there's a lot of similarities between them, but obviously there's also differences.

"They each have their own personalities and kind of put their own stamp on their teams.

"We played [San Francisco] last year, and it was a great game. Their defense is great, probably as good as I've ever seen. Offensively, they're playing well. It'll be a great challenge for us."

Finally, I asked Birk, 36, if there was any talk of retiring after this year. "We'll see, we'll see," he said. "I'm just going to enjoy the present and then I'll make a decision about my future when I have to."


(startribune.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When historians look back on the Baltimore Ravens' 2012 season, they will remember offensive coordinator Cam Cameron being fired and replaced by Jim Caldwell.

They will talk about quarterback Joe Flacco's clutch performances in the postseason and how star linebacker Ray Lewis's decision to retire inspired this team.

But the best move came two weeks ago when Ravens coach John Harbaugh inserted former Minnesota Viking Bryant McKinnie at left offensive tackle and moved Michael Oher to right tackle and rookie Kelechi Osemele to left guard.

That's when the Ravens became championship caliber.

There are always new schemes and philosophies in football, but there is one constant: If your front five can beat the other team's defensive front seven, you win games.

On Sunday night, Jan. 20, the Ravens' starting group of McKinnie, Oher, guard Marshal Yanda, Osemele and former Vikings center Matt Birk were outstanding.
The Ravens had 356 yards of total offense and held a three-minute advantage in time of possession. They were hurt by poor field position in the first half, but once they opened it up in the second, they were nearly unstoppable.

Flacco was 11 of 18 in the third quarter. He finished the game with 240 yards and three touchdown passes. Receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Dennis Pitta kept coming up with clutch catches as the Ravens took control of the tempo and the game.

"We just executed better," Birk said. "In the first half, we had a hard time on offense sustaining anything and getting our rhythm, other than the one drive. We changed things up a little bit in the second half. We got a little up-tempo and got some rhythm and guys started making plays. We just tried to block guys and (game) our playmakers a chance to make plays."

But they wouldn't have been productive without this offensive line. For most of the night, Flacco had time to eat a doughnut, drink a cup of coffee and then go through his progressions.

In three postseason games, Flacco has been sacked four times, which is remarkable because he got banged around so much during the regular season.
It's somewhat ironic that this unit has carried the team because Harbaugh was reluctant to change. Going into training camp, the offensive line was the biggest question mark, and there was even more doubt when McKinnie reported late, out of shape and overweight.

And then the Ravens cut his salary.

It was enough to make a big, old man cry, or at least sulk enough when he practiced poorly, according to Harbaugh (wink, wink). The Ravens tried several different combinations, including Oher at left tackle and Ramon Harewood and Jah Reid at left guard.

Nothing worked.

Neither Osemele at right tackle nor Oher on the left side could handle speed rushers. Privately, certain veteran players wanted McKinnie back as the starter, and there was even speculation that general manager Ozzie Newsome strongly lobbied for McKinnie with Harbaugh.

Finally, the move was made for the wild-card playoff game against Indianapolis, and the Ravens have been a different team.

They've always had weapons, but now they have time to find and use them. Because of their physical style, the Ravens can play smashmouth football with running backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce and control the time of possession to keep their defense off the field.

Flacco has an assortment of weapons in Smith, Pitta, Boldin and Jacoby Jones. If the protection is good, few defenses have the skill or speed to compete with this group.

The Patriots had just five quarterback hurries Sunday night. They had two sacks, and one of those came late in the game after the outcome had already been decided.

Vince Wilfork, New England's giant defensive tackle who has been one major problem for the Ravens the past two years, had only one tackle. He got bounced around by the middle of the Ravens' offensive line.

McKinnie won't remind anyone of former Ravens great Jonathan Ogden, but he still can swallow up most good pass rushers. Birk's best days are behind him, but he still can make blocks into the second level especially against a four-man front and has been a steady presence for Osemele.

Oher was never going to be a quality left tackle, but seems to have found a home on the right side. Osemele is going to be a great player and is versatile and strong enough to play any of the positions on the offense line.

As for Yanda, he is the best of the group, a throwback to the old days when linemen didn't say much, but you were always glad they were on your team.
It's an offensive line that seemed to lose its way at the beginning of the season, but has rediscovered itself just in time to lead the Ravens to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.


(twincities.com)

In all, as many as 212 players will participate in the AFC and NFC championship games on Sunday – four teams, 53 players per team. When including players not on the active rosters of the four teams playing for a shot at the Super Bowl, however, the total jumps to more than 250.

The schools represented on the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens range from college football's elite (Alabama, Ohio State, Texas and Florida) to those situated far outside the national picture (Hillsdale, Bellhaven, Lane and Indiana).

Here are the eight schools most represented by the four teams playing Sunday for a trip to the Super Bowl:

1. Miami (Fla.): 12. P Matt Bosher, OL Harland Gunn, DL Micanor Regis (Atlanta); LB Tavares Gooden, RB Frank Gore (San Francisco); DL Vince Wilfork, DL Marcus Forston (New England); LB Ray Lewis, OL Bryant McKinnie, RB Damien Berry, WR Tommy Streeter, S Ed Reed (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Oregon: 7. WR Drew Davis (Atlanta); RB LaMichael James, FB Will Tukuafu (San Francisco); TE Ed Dickson, DL Haloti Ngata, QB Dennis Dixon (Baltimore).

2. (tie) Florida: 7. LB Mike Peterson (Atlanta); DL Ray McDonald (San Francisco); DL Jermaine Cunningham, RB Jeff Demps, TE Aaron Hernandez, LB Brandon Spikes (New England); WR Deonte Thompson (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Alabama: 6. OL Mike Johnson, WR Julio Jones (Atlanta); DL Brandon Deaderick, LB Dont'a Hightower (New England); DL Terrence Cody, LB Courtney Upshaw (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Iowa: 6. DL Jonathan Babineaux (Atlanta); LB Jeff Tarpinian, TE Brad Herman, OL Markus Zusevics (New England); S Sean Considine, OL Marshal Yanda (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Texas: 6. OL Justin Blalock (Atlanta); CB Tarell Brown, OL Leonard Davis (San Francisco); OL Kyle Hix (New England); CB Chykie Brown, K Justin Tucker (Baltimore).

4. (tie) South Carolina: 6. DL John Abraham, DL Cliff Matthews, DL Travian Robertson, CB Dunta Robinson (Atlanta); S Emanuel Cook, CB Chris Culliver (Baltimore).

4. (tie) Ohio State: 6. OL Alex Boone, WR Ted Ginn Jr., LB Larry Grant, S Donte Whitner (San Francisco); TE Jake Ballard, S Nate Ebner (New England).
Another eight schools have five players on the rosters: Arizona State, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, UCF, Rutgers, Syracuse and Illinois.

Teams with four players: Oklahoma State, Marshall, Michigan, Fresno State, Utah, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Louisville, LSU and Georgia Tech.

Three players: Auburn, Wisconsin, Maryland, California, Wake Forest, Florida State, Penn State, Kansas, Purdue, Northwestern, Texas Tech and Arkansas.

Two players: Baylor, Michigan State, Stanford, Boston College, Clemson, Connecticut, ECU, Oregon State, Richmond, San Jose State, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, Northern Illinois, TCU, UCLA, Notre Dame, Central Michigan, Delaware, Iowa State, Colorado, Tennessee State, Nebraska, Buffalo, Arizona and Washburn.

Luck of the draw plays a role, of course, but it's a bit surprising to see that schools like Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma and Texas A&M only have one player each on the four rosters. Not surprising? That one player represents schools like Prairie View A&M, Lane, Harvard, Weber State, Chadron State (Danny Woodhead), Hillsdale and Hofstra (which no longer has a football program).


(usatoday.com)

Could Bryant McKinnie be the answer for someone? McKinnie's the odd man out in the Baltimore tackle rotation (Michael Oher's taken his old left tackle job, with Iowa State rookie Kelechi Osemele now the right tackle. McKinnie played but 23 offensive snaps in the last three Ravens game. But he'd be a good temporary Band-Aid for the reeling Cardinals, who I hear have some interest in him. They should. Their two starting tackles are the lowest-rated tackles in the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus.com, which has Bobbie Massie and D'Anthony Batiste blamed for the incredible total of 25 sacks and 74 quarterback hits or hurries -- in eight games!


(cnnsi.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie says the first he heard that he’s being sued for $375,000 in strip club bills was when he read about it this morning, and he says the owner of the strip club is someone who has repeatedly tried to get money out of him.

“I got no papers, I was never served,” McKinnie told the Baltimore Sun. “I just called my lawyer about this because this is a bogus story. I just read the article. He was working at those places and he’s tried to borrow money from me. People can put anything out there. What strip club gives you a $375,000 tab? It just sounds stupid to me. I’ve never heard of this in my life. This is bogus to me. For it to be even reported is stupid to me.”

The lawsuit claims that McKinnie ran up tabs at strip clubs owned by the plaintiff, Charles “Pop” Young, and that McKinnie promised in writing to pay his bill in full and then broke that promise. But McKinnie says no strip club would let a customer have that kind of bill.

“You could never run up a tab like that,” McKinnie said. “For somebody like that to say something like this, they figure if they go to the media that you’ll pay them, I guess. I would never pay this guy because what he’s saying isn’t true. I just found out about this morning when people started texting me. This is the least of my worries.”

It’s definitely true that McKinnie has greater financial worries: His wages are already being garnished because he failed to pay back a $4.5 million loan he took out during last year’s lockout. If McKinnie is telling the truth when he says this lawsuit is just an unwarranted attempt to get money out of a professional athlete, the financially strapped McKinnie would seem to be a bad athlete to go after.


(profootballtalk.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie owes the father of rapping superstar Trick Daddy $375,000 for bills run up at South Florida strip clubs, a new lawsuit says according to Willard Shepard of NBC Miami.

The rapper’s father, Charles “Pop” Young, filed the lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court Monday afternoon. Young says that McKinnie, who is currently an offensive lineman for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, racked up big bills at the strip clubs between February 2009 and September 2010, borrowing the money from him.

McKinnie frequented clubs at which he was present, said Young, who at the time was the general manager of the King of Diamonds club. He is now the vice president of the Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club and CEO of the Queen of Diamonds strip club, which is located off I-95 just north of Golden Glades.

McKinnie agreed to repay the money but to date he has not repaid any of it, according to the lawsuit. Young is seeking to recover the money plus interest, as well as his costs, through his suit.

(theredzone.com)

After a dramatic day of haggling where his roster spot was in serious danger, Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie held onto his job by accepting a restructured contract that cuts his salary by $1 million.

McKinnie signed off on a deal Tuesday afternoon that reduced his base salary from $3.2 million to $2.2 million and he can recover the $1 million if he triggers a 50 percent playing-time incentive clause, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation.

"Yes, I can still make it with incentives," McKinnie confirmed in a text to The Baltimore Sun.

Six days prior to their regular-season opener at M&T Bank Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens were on the verge of releasing their starting left tackle. Instead, the former Pro Bowl blocker was retained as the Ravens created $1 million in salary-cap space.

"Bryant is with us, he's here," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I just had a great conversation with him. He's been a part of us, he never left us. I'm excited about Bryant, always have been.

"Like I told him, I've got a lot of respect for him as a football player. Love his style of play. We're going to have a strong offensive line, and he's a big part of that."

Earlier in the day, McKinnie answered affirmatively in a text when asked if he was off the team following his announcement on Twitter: "Decision is made! I'm gone!"

Roughly an hour later, though, McKinnie indicated that the situation might get resolved when he texted: "Just got a phone call, it's not officially over as of yet."

McKinnie said he was caught off guard when contacted directly by Harbaugh and informed that the team wanted to address his contract.

Harbaugh acknowledged speaking to McKinnie.

"I'm always involved with all of our players," Harbaugh said. "I had a chance to talk to Bryant. I talk to Bryant, probably every day. I talk to most of our guys every day, so nothing's really changed in that respect."

The Ravens initially requested that McKinnie take a 50 percent pay cut, down to roughly $1.6 million.

If the Ravens had parted ways with McKinnie, they would have gained $2.2 million against this year's salary cap by subtracting his $3.2 million base salary and accounting for $500,000, the prorated amount from his $1 million signing bonus paid last year, and the $500,000 roster bonus already paid to him in March.

"In the end, Bryant wanted to be there," said Michael George, McKinnie's agent. "He wanted to be on a good team that has championship potential. They're a better team with him than without him. Bryant is happy that everything has been worked out now and looking forward to the season."

From a legal perspective, McKinnie's wages are being garnished this year, in accordance with a deal he reached to repay Pro Player Funding for a loan he took out during last year's lockout. He owes more than $4.5 million and would violate the court agreement with Pro Player Funding if the Ravens stopped making payments.

Harbaugh said he wasn't concerned that McKinnie's contract situation would be a distraction for the team.

"I don't think it will be an issue at all," Harbaugh said. "Guys are pros and guys understand the business aspects of all this stuff. He's a great guy, he's a hard worker, he's a pro, he's a Raven. I'm really happy about that, and he seems very happy about it, too. So, it won't be a problem at all."

McKinnie was signed to a two-year, $7 million deal last August after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings when his weight increased to 387 pounds during the NFL lockout.

McKinnie had gotten into better shape after reporting to camp overweight and five days late, and then eventually passing the conditioning test. He was held out of a mandatory minicamp in June due to conditioning issues and asked to get down to a target weight of 345 pounds.

The 6-foot-8 lineman is listed at 354 pounds on the Ravens' official roster.

Prior to the Ravens picking up his $500,000 roster bonus in March, McKinnie met with Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and promised to report in prime condition.

McKinnie also arrived at training camp with a back injury he said he suffered when he slipped on a wet surface at his South Florida home.

The former University of Miami standout started the Ravens' third preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and seemed to hold up fine.

In the locker room following the game, McKinnie said he had regained his starting job after lining up with the second-team offense during the first two preseason games.

If the Ravens had cut McKinnie, they would have shifted Michael Oher back to left tackle from the right side. That would have induced a line shuffle with rookie Kelechi Osemele taking over for Oher at right tackle.

The Ravens didn't announce if McKinnie will start against the Bengals, but it's unlikely they would have kept him as a backup. He's listed first on the depth chart at left tackle.

"Bryant is a hard-working guy, that's our expectation," Harbaugh said. "Our expectation is that guys come out and practice hard, practice fast, give us their best.

"And he's always done that. He continues to work his way back to that Pro Bowl form, he and I agreed that's our goal for him. So, he's working his way back in that direction."


(baltimoresun.com)

ATLANTA – Ravens tackle Bryant McKinnie has been a first-team player in the NFL from the day he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2002.

Of his 148 career appearances, 147 have been starts – and the outlier came a decade ago in his rookie season. Since then, he has started 140 straight regular-season games.

Thus it felt strange, to say the least, when he found himself on the bench for the Ravens’ first four offensive series in their preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons Thursday night in the Georgia Dome.

“Sitting there trying to stay in the game and stay warm (after warming up), that was a little different,” McKinnie said with a smile in the locker room after the Ravens’ 31-17 victory. “Someone asked me when was the last time I didn’t start, and I was like, ‘I don’t know, this might be the first time.’”

Almost.

After watching the first quarter, McKinnie made it onto the field and played left tackle during the second and third quarters.

“I was able to get a lot of reps in the no-huddle. That let’s me know where I am, and I felt good,” he said.

His health and conditioning have been major issues, but competing mostly against rookies and backups Thursday night, he appeared to move well and handle his assignments easily. Asked if he felt he was effective, he said, “I was. I definitely had some aggression I wanted to release. I’ve only had one day of practice in pads.”

McKinnie is penciled in as the Ravens’ starting blind-side tackle but is playing catch-up after reporting late to training camp, reportedly because of a back injury suffered in a fall at his home in Florida. The Ravens have since patched together a “Plan B” offensive line with Michael Oher in McKinnie’s left-tackle spot and rookie Kelechi Osemele on the right side, but it is assumed McKinnie will regain his job in the end as long as he is healthy, in shape and effective. Oher would then switch back to the right side.

Oher and Osemele started Thursday night, but the line struggled early, as quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked twice.

McKinnie, meanwhile, looked solid, albeit against backups.

“I have more confidence in my abilities this year,” he said. “Compared to last year, I just feel a lot better this year.”


(csnwashington.com)

Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie will have 50 percent of his eligible wages garnished this season, according to a settlement he reached with Pro Player Funding.

McKinnie owes the New York-based company more than $4.5 million for loans he took out to cover costs during the NFL lockout last year. According to the NFL players association, McKinnie is scheduled to earn a base salary of $3.2 million this season. Court documents show he was eligible for a $1.5 million performance bonus on March 15, and a roster bonus of $500,000 on March 17. Both were garnished, but it is unclear exactly how much money Pro Player Funding will recover.

“We don’t talk about players’ finances,” Ravens senior vice president Kevin Byrne said.

Attempts to reach lawyers representing McKinnie and Pro Player Funding were unsuccessful.

According to the agreement, Pro Player Funding will take no other action to collect the debt as long as McKinnie’s wages from the Ravens are garnished.
McKinnie missed the first three days of training camp this year, incurring a fine of $90,000. At first his absence was attributed to a personal matter; he has since said a back injury kept him from the field.

McKinnie defaulted on the loans last August in part because the agreement stipulated that the Minnesota Vikings would transfer a payment the team owed him directly to Pro Player Funding. But the Vikings cut McKinnie before they were required to pay it .


(baltimoresun.com)

Ravens tackle Bryant McKinnie was advised by his chiropractor to not report for the first three days of Ravens training camp, he said following Saturday's practice at M&T Bank Stadium.

After falling outside of his South Florida home days before training camp opened, McKinnie said he suffered back spasms. He said he was told to rest instead of potentially aggravating it by riding on a plane for more than two hours.

"I went to the chiropractor and he called up here and told (the Ravens) that they were giving me treatment until he felt like I was well enough to get on a plane," McKinnie said.

Complicating matters is thatt McKinnie is reporting a weight of 360 pounds. McKinnie had been down to 354 in May but said the time spent injured hurt him. His goal this offseason was to get to a playing weight of 348 pounds.

He expressed frustration that he's had to battle weight issues for the past three years and that he's meeting with a specialist Monday to figure out what he can do to drop the additional weight.

"I don't know how to diagnose it until I find out on Monday," McKinnie said. "It's just to better help me with my whole weight thing because this wasn't an issue my whole career until about three years ago, in '09. I think there's kind of like an imbalance or something maybe that is going on with metabolism. We're going to try and work on it."

McKinnie spent the past two practices participating in individual drills and will fully participate when Baltimore returns to practice Monday. He said his back feels fine and that he doesn't anticipate any setbacks.

"If you all check my track record, I don't stay injured at all," he said. "I don't miss games with injuries and stuff like that. The whole being injured thing wasn't a big deal to me. It's just how fast I could recover. I'll be ready by next week or whatever.”


(cbssports.com)

The long wait for the practice returns of Ravens tackle Bryant McKinnie and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata could be coming to an end.

McKinnie tweeted Friday that he and Ngata passed the team’s conditioning test. If true, they’d be ready to start practicing as soon as Friday since the Ravens are holding an afternoon practice.

Ngata has been dealing with a hamstring injury and, per Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, looks heavier than he did last season. It’s not likely to affect his role on the defense, however.

McKinnie’s role is a little less clear. His absence from the start of camp caused him to incur daily fines of $30,000 and then he showed up with a back injury McKinnie says happened when he slipped and fell at his Miami home. If McKinnie doesn’t hit the ground running, the Ravens might opt for keeping Michael Oher at left tackle for the long haul.


(profootballtalk.com)

Bryant McKinnie’s back in Baltimore, with an apparently bad back.

McKinnie told Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times he’s been missing from Ravens camp because he slipped and fell outside his South Florida home and twisted his lower back.

“I had an accident. I’m over it. I’m here to play football,” McKinnie said.

McKinnie’s been MIA since camp opened and was placed on the reserve/did not report list, incurring fines of $30,000 per day.

“Of course, I’m glad to be back,” McKinnie said. “I’m kind of disappointed, though. “I’ve been training hard, I’ve been boxing and doing all this stuff. To have a setback like this is disappointing.

“Why isn’t anybody saying I got hurt? I don’t know what people thought was going on. How I got hurt is running out of the house. It was slippery and I fell and hurt my lower back. You can’t be playing football when your back is hurting. When I fell, I said, ‘I know I ain’t going out like this.’”

McKinnie’s bewilderment at anyone wondering where he was ignores one significant point: With him, it’s always something.

The Vikings ran him off for being overweight, and he’s worked to get that under control with the Ravens. But they’ve moved Michael Oher to left tackle for the moment, and may be inclined to leave him there, if McKinnie can’t get on the field and do something.


(profootballtalk.com)

Bryant McKinnie is scheduled to make his overdue arrival at Baltimore Ravens training camp Monday, but he won't be 100 percent healthy when he gets there.

McKinnie told Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times that he suffered a back injury at his South Florida home last week. The veteran offensive tackle missed the first four days of camp and was slapped with a $30,000 fine for each missed day.

"Of course, I'm glad to be back," McKinnie said Sunday at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. "I'm kind of disappointed, though. I've been training hard, I've been boxing and doing all this stuff. To have a setback like this is disappointing.

"Why isn't anybody saying I got hurt? I don't know what people thought was going on. How I got hurt is running out of the house. It was slippery, and I fell and hurt my lower back. You can't be playing football when your back is hurting. When I fell, I said, 'I know I ain't going out like this.' "

McKinnie will have to pass a physical to get on the field, so we'll soon find out the severity of the injury. Wilson said McKinnie was carrying his own luggage at the airport, a sign the issue might not be serious.

McKinnie is a tough one to figure out. Weight issues cost him his job with the Minnesota Vikings. Now he has opened himself up to heavy fines from the Ravens, this despite deep financial woes tied to a massive loan he took out during the NFL lockout.

McKinnie can play. But he also can drive you crazy.


(nfl.com)

Last summer, Bryant McKinnie had his contract terminated by the Minnesota Vikings when he showed up for training camp at nearly 400 pounds. This summer, McKinnie's roster spot with the Baltimore Ravens may be in jeopardy because, well, he was absent due to an undisclosed issue, Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times reports.

"Well, he contacted us through a representative," Harbaugh said of McKinnie. "He's dealing with an issue right now. I don't really want to speak for him on that. He can speak for himself on that."

The Ravens held McKinnie out of the June minicamp to prevent injury, but also to allow him to focus on improving his conditioning and getting his weight down.
As was the case during the minicamp, the Ravens used 2009 first-round pick Michael Oher at left tackle.

"Until further notice, (Oher) is the left tackle", Harbaugh said on Thursday according to the Baltimore Sun. If the McKinnie situation lingers, or one of the younger tackles steps up on the right side, it would not be a surprise if the Ravens came to the decision that they can live with Oher protecting Joe Flacco's blindside and part ways with McKinnie and his $3.2 million base salary.


(nfl.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie is so big that he describes his weight in just two digits. The “300” is assumed.
McKinnie is still squarely in the 300s, but he says he’s been working to cut his weight in the offseason. The offensive tackle told Tim Brando on Yahoo! Sports Radio on Wednesday that his weight is down to 350 pounds.

That’s down from what he claims was a high of 386 pounds when he played for the Vikings and down 10 pounds from a reported weight of 360 after voluntary workouts.

“Once you just be consistent and keep doing it, you start feeling better and better each day every time you go out and do it,” McKinnie said. “Add in the healthy meals and stuff, it definitely makes it a lot better because you’re putting good fuel into your body.”

The Ravens signed McKinnie before the 2011 season after the Vikings cut him. Minnesota claimed McKinnie weighed 400 pounds at the time, but McKinnie denied that claim on Wednesday.

“I never was,” McKinnie said. “That was exaggerated by the Vikings.”

McKinnie has never missed a game because of injury in his 10-year career, and joked that he is the most durable player on the field. But his weight began raising eyebrows within the organization and elsewhere, and he said the Ravens wanted him to shed weight so he could be fresh later in games.

“[The Ravens wanted me] to be able to still have that conditioning to get through that fourth quarter, still play at a high level in the fourth quarter as well,” McKinnie said.

 Ravens teammates have been supportive of McKinnie’s efforts to slim down. McKinnie recently posted a photograph of a gift from Ray Lewis. The linebacker bought McKinnie a juicer.


(baltimoresun.com)

When Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie received a $500,000 roster bonus in March, it seemed to indicate that the Ravens were willing to go another season with their returning left tackle.

Then McKinnie was held out of minicamp for conditioning purposes, leading to widespread speculation that the offensive tackle was having trouble getting his weight down. That was a major reason McKinnie was released by the Vikings last August, which ultimately led to his job with the Ravens.

The speculation continues, with NFL.com’s Brian McIntyre saying McKinnie could be a salary cap casualty.

“The Ravens have options at the position,” McIntyre writes, “and if the soon-to-be 33-year-old looks more like a planet than a left tackle when he reports to training camp, his $3.2 million base salary could make him expendable.”

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was vague on the subject when asked about during minicamp.

“That’s something that is an in-house type of thing right now,” he said. “Bryant [McKinnie] has done a good job, he’s worked hard. It’s not as simple as some of you guys want to make it. It’s just a situation where we are going to do what is best for the team, what is best for Bryant. We want him here; there’s no reason he wouldn’t be here.”

There was speculation that McKinnie, listed at 6-foot-8 and 360 pounds on the Ravens roster, was pushing 400 pounds. McKinnie denied that in an interview on WNST Radio in June, saying he left Owings Mills last month weighing 354 and was hoping to play at about 345 this season.

The Ravens do have a few options, but are they better than a 10-year veteran? For all the talk about McKinnie’s conditioning, he has started all 16 games in eight of the past nine years. The only games he missed in that span were while serving a four-game suspension in 2008 for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Assuming for a moment McKinnie is out of the picture, does Michael Oher move back to left tackle? If so, who takes over at right tackle? Jah Reid? Rookie Kelechi Osemele?

The Ravens could also look to the waiver wire after training camps begin and veterans are cut. That, after all, is how McKinnie ended up with the Ravens last season.

It is true that, especially if the Ravens don’t work out new deals with Ray Rice or Joe Flacco, they have very little cap room. To make any moves, they would need to create space. Translation: Someone would need to go.

Until McKinnie takes the field and shows he’s capable of running with the offense, the speculation that could be McKinnie is likely to continue.


(csnwashington.com)

There might be eyebrows raised in Baltimore over Bryant McKinnie’s conditioning, but the veteran offensive tackle said he wanted to make sure everyone knows he’ll be ready by the time training camp starts.

“I’m going to show up at the weight I’m supposed to be and handle my business and get everybody off my back,” McKinnie told Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times. “I want to get this work done, come in at the right weight and shut everybody up. I’m only nine pounds away.

“I’m getting in shape. I’m lower now in my weight than any time last year. I think people got the wrong idea about why I wasn’t out there last week.”
Weight’s been an issue in recent years with the talented blocker, who ate his way out of Minnesota last summer, getting up to a reported 387 pounds.

But the Ravens paid him a $500,000 roster bonus in March when he pledged to general manager Ozzie Newsome that he’d participate in the offseason program and get in shape. Since then, he’s down to 354 pounds, and they want him at 345. That’s why he was held out of last week’s minicamp.

According to Wilson, McKinnie blamed late-night meals while “supervising recording sessions for his music label” for the weight gain.

“For people to say I had a weight issue my whole career, that’s just wrong,” McKinnie said. “That happened one year and that was after the lockout. I’ve still got bitter Vikings fans tweeting me. I feel like that’s uncalled for. It’s not like I’ve struggled with my weight every year. When I was with the Vikings, I didn’t let anybody beat me out.

“They just awarded it to somebody and then you saw they went and drafted somebody this year in the first round, [USC All-American offensive tackle Matt Kalil]. I feel like the Vikings fans are just bitter. They obviously follow me on Twitter, so I’m starting to believe that.”

McKinnie will spend the next six weeks in South Florida working out, in hpoes of dropping those nine remaining pounds.

He’s obviously motivated to prove some people wrong, and if he can get himself conditioned, the Ravens could benefit from him being the right kind of hungry.


(profootballtalk.com)

Last week, the Baltimore Ravens held 6-foot-8, 360-pound offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie out of their final minicamp practices for conditioning purposes. The report hardly came as a surprise considering McKinnie has battled weight issues throughout his career, including prompting his release by the Minnesota Vikings following last year's lockout.

According to a Monday report by Sarah Ellison of BaltimoreRavens.com, McKinnie appeared on WSNT-AM radio last Friday and revealed that he is less than 10 pounds over his target weight for the start of training camp. McKinnie explained that part of the reason he was held out was to guard against injury.

"They just told me when I had the meeting, just for precautionary (reasons), not to go out there and get injured during minicamp and just do the running and the lifting and stuff," McKinnie said. "So I was just in there, lifting and running for the whole two and half hours...We're just trying to work to get there without anything slipping up or going wrong."

The Ravens, who picked up his $500,000 roster bonus in March, are counting on McKinnie in 2012. But they were able to use this minicamp to get a look at the future. With McKinnie held out of last week's training camp, the Ravens moved Michael Oher from right to left tackle and inserted Jah Reid at right tackle with the first-team offense. Reid gave the team a bit of a scare when he was carted off the field with a calf injury, but the ailment is considered minor and he should be ready for training camp.


(nfl.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie was held out of this week’s mandatory minicamp “for conditioning purposes," coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday.

So, I asked Harbaugh on Thursday what McKinnie needs to show the Ravens to be on the field for the start of training camp in late July. His answer: You're not getting an answer.

“We will leave that between us," Harbaugh said. "That’s something that is an in-house type of thing right now."

Let's recap the happenings with McKinnie:

• About 10 months ago, the Ravens signed McKinnie after he was released by the Minnesota Vikings for reportedly weighing 400 pounds.
• Three months ago, Baltimore gave him a $500,000 roster bonus after team officials met with him about getting in better shape.
• Two months ago, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said "all things are positive" with McKinnie after he attended some of the voluntary workouts.
• One month ago, McKinnie said he's down to 358 pounds with a target goal of getting down to 345 pounds.
• This week, he was held out for all three days of the team's final minicamp this offseason.

"Bryant has done a good job, he’s worked hard," Harbaugh said Thursday. "It’s not as simple as some of you guys want to make it. It’s just a situation where we are going to do what is best for the team, what is best for Bryant. We want him here; there’s no reason he wouldn’t be here. He has worked hard, so you try to do what’s most beneficial for every guy in every situation, and it’s always individualized.”

The key words to remember are: "We want him here." There has been speculation that the Ravens could go to Plan B on the offensive line, which means moving Michael Oher from right to left tackle and starting Jah Reid (who had an injury scare Thursday) at right tackle.


(espn.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie didn't practice as the team determined that he was better off working on his conditioning.

"Bryant McKinnie is a guy we held out for conditioning purposes," Harbaugh said. "We're probably going to continue to do that and try to continue to  get him into good shape."


(carrollcountytimes.com)

Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, whose weight and conditioning were scrutinized during his first season in Baltimore, attended this week’s organized team activities and has been a regular participant in the team’s offseason program for most of the past few weeks.

“He’s been working really hard,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s been out here most of the time and conditioning has been a fair amount of a priority. He’s done a good job. We’ll just have to see how he does.”

McKinnie, who is listed at 360 pounds, doesn’t appear to have packed on additional pounds since last season. The voluntary workouts have helped and McKinnie, who rotated with Michael Oher and Jah Reid at tackle on Wednesday, is using the workouts to refine his technique, too.

“Just being here for the workouts and the running and the lifting, and getting a little extra film study in, allows me to be a little more comfortable and know the offense a lot better,” McKinnie said. “I’m here for the OTAs just so I can get a chance to get my technique down. Last year we didn’t have any and I didn’t have a chance to really go through training camp, so this is my chance to get my technique back.”

The Ravens signed him during training camp last season after the Minnesota Vikings released him -- reportedly because he weighed nearly 400 pounds. He started every game at left tackle for the Ravens in 2011. The Ravens picked up a $500,000 roster bonus on McKinnie in March, but team officials wanted him to be in better shape than he was a year ago. He looks to be heading in the right direction.


(baltimoresun.com)

Looking to get back into Pro-Bowl form, Baltimore Ravens tackle Bryant McKinnie is treating the team's voluntary offseason workout as if it was mandatory.

"I feel like I'm on Celebrity Fit Club," McKinnie told the Ravens' official website.

McKinnie's weight shot up to 400 pounds during the lockout last offseason, leading the Minnesota Vikings, the only team the 10-year veteran had known, to cut him.

Now McKinnie is playing at 365 pounds and trying to lose 15 more.

"That would be that perfect weight, because when you get too light people start pushing you around," McKinnie said. "That would take away my advantage."

The Ravens have shown faith in McKinnie, reportedly picking up his roster bonus after meeting with him in March.

"They just wanted to see what I looked like physically, make sure I didn’t balloon up," McKinney. "It was important for them to see me here working and for me to take advantage of the time we have in the classroom."

The 6-foot-9 McKinnie was a first-round pick of the Vikings (No. 7 overall) in the 2002 NFL draft. He played college football at Miami.


(nfl.com)

When the Baltimore Ravens signed free agent left tackle Bryant McKinnie late in the summer of 2012, they wondered if the Minnesota Vikings knew what they were doing by releasing a ten-year veteran and former Pro Bowler. McKinnie went on to start every game at left tackle and while he didn't quite return to Pro Bowl form, he certainly did enough to protect QB Joe Flacco's blind side and open holes for RB Ray Rice.

Once the off-season began, the team also began to worry that Bryant would return to his unhealthy ways and balloon up to the barely sub-400 pounds that led to his release. However, as reported by Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, McKinnie has not regressed to his buffet-attacking ways and has maintained his playing weight deep into the off-season.

According to the story, head coach John Harbaugh said:

"He had done a good job," Harbaugh said. "He's been working in the offseason. He's training. He's in the same shape he was in when he left. We want to improve that from now until the start of next season. I'm talking about weight-wise to finish his career the way he wants to finish it and go on with his quality of life, and he's capable of doing it."

If Bryant is able to keep the weight off and enter Training Camp at his playing weight, this will go a huge way to getting him in tip-top shape and ready to return to Pro Bowl form.


(baltimorebeatdown.com)

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie will participate in the team's voluntary offseason workouts, the Carroll County Times reported Friday.

The Baltimore Sun reported earlier this month that team officials want McKinnie to be in slightly better shape than he was for the 2011 season. Coach John Harbaugh told the Sun at the NFL Annual Meetings that McKinnie was in the "same shape he was when he left."

The 32-year-old McKinnie, listed at 360 pounds, fell out of favor with his previous team, the Minnesota Vikings, because he was in poor shape for camp before the 2011 season.

The Ravens recently paid McKinnie, who is reportedly having trouble with loans taken out during the lockout, a roster bonus worth $500,000. The team is currently set to pay him $3.2 million for the 2012 season.

McKinnie, a first-round pick by the Vikings in the 2002 NFL Draft, started seven of eight games in his rookie season and has been a perennial starter since.


(nfl.com)

Baltimore Ravens lineman Bryant McKinnie took a HUGE gamble on the eve on the 2011 NFL lockout ... but his gamble didn't pay off ... and now he's gotta come up with $4 million QUICK ... or else.

Back when McKinnie was a member of the Minnesota Vikings ... dude must have had a feeling a lockout was on the horizon ... because in February 2011, he took out a $4 million personal loan with Pro Player Funding ... which specialized in "lockout loans" for NFL guys looking to cover their asses during the impending pay freeze.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ ... the loan was VERY high risk ... with high interest rates and a clause that allowed PPF to call in the entire amount due if Bryant missed ONE payment.

And that's exactly what happened in August 2011 ... right after the lockout ended and Bryant was CUT from his team.

But there seems to be an explanation ... according to the docs, McKinnie had directed his paychecks to go directly from the Vikings to PPF. But when Bryant was fired and the paychecks stopped, he never arranged for PPF to get its payments ... and he missed his August bill.

PPF instantly went to the court and obtained a judgment against McKinnie ... ordering the NFL star to pay back his entire loan ... plus interest ... totaling $4.3 million.

During the lockout, several NFL players spoke out against loans of this sort claiming they weren't in the best interest of the players ... and now McKinnie seems to be living proof.

Calls to Bryant's rep have not been returned.


(tmz.com)

The Ravens really could have used an upgrade at left tackle this year, but the free-agent pool was small and Baltimore's salary-cap room was smaller.

The Ravens' best option at improving the blind side is to put all of their efforts into making a better Bryant McKinnie.

Ravens officials acknowledged they are monitoring the McKinnie's weight and want their starting left tackle to get in better shape. This isn't a new issue with McKinnie, who was cut by the Minnesota Vikings after last year's lockout ended when he reportedly showed up weighing nearly 400 pounds.

Baltimore coach John Harbaugh was asked if it was important to see McKinnie before picking up his $500,000 roster bonus on March 16. "It was how much less that we saw of him that was really important," Harbaugh said at the NFL owners meetings last week.

One of the reasons the Ravens signed McKinnie last season was endorsements from safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis. McKinnie wasn't a bust, but he wasn't a total success either.

He was graded as a below-average left tackle by Pro Football Focus. McKinnie struggled at times in run blocking and was uneven in pass protection. He gave up nearly one-third of the Ravens' sacks (8.5 out of 31).

Harbaugh said McKinnie remains at his playing weight from last year (360 pounds), which could be considered a victory considering McKinnie's history. But the Ravens want him to participate in the team's conditioning program and attend the offseason minicamps.

"We still want him to be able to move a little better and get a little quicker," Harbaugh said. "He’s committed to that, he’s excited about attacking that and it’s a big goal of his.”

These are the times when the Ravens really miss Jonathan Ogden. For 11 years, the Ravens never had to worry about the most important position on the offensive line.

The Ravens didn't have to worry about his weight. They didn't have to worry about his work ethic. Ogden, who lived in Las Vegas for most of his playing career, would make the occasional appearance at the team facility during the offseason. Come training camp, Ogden was ready for another Pro Bowl season.

McKinnie, who is entering the final year of a two-year, $7.5 million contract, is the fourth player to start at left tackle for the Ravens since Ogden retired at the end of the 2007 season. Based on what he's given the Ravens so far, the team's search for long-term stability at left tackle will continue next year.


(espn.com)

Ravens officials obviously were optimistic after their visit a couple of weeks back with Bryant McKinnie, but that hardly means the pressure is off the big left tackle. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at last week’s owners meetings that McKinnie was in the “same shape he was in when he left.” Obviously, you can take a positive out of the fact that there has been no offseason regression, but team officials want McKinnie to be in better shape than he was in last year. They want him to be able to move better and be a little quicker.  The next couple of months will be huge for McKinnie because I’d be surprised if the Ravens, at some point of the draft, don’t draft an offensive tackle. They also appear to be pretty high on Ramon Harewood, who spent last season on injured reserve. McKinnie is locked in as Joe Flacco's blindside protector this season after the Ravens recently exercised his $500,000 roster bonus, but he isn't signed beyond 2012.


(baltimoresun.com)

The Dolphins will check out UM draft prospects on Wednesday and Thursday, which reminds us that they have selected only two Hurricanes in the past 20 drafts (Yatil Green in 1997 and Vernon Carey in 2004). “It’s mind-boggling,” Ed Reed said at UM’s Hall of Fame inductions Thursday. “We’re right here!” Bryant McKinnie said. “You would think they would know us better than anybody.”

If the Dolphins sign McIntosh, he would be the only Hurricanes player on the roster - for now - because Carey is not expected to return.
The Dolphins insist they have no objection to drafting UM players, and they are believed to like a few departing Canes, including receiver Tommy Streeter.

Keep in mind this is a franchise that took John Jerry at 73 over Jimmy Graham (who went 95th) in 2010 when Bill Parcells mistakenly thought he could draft Graham in the fourth round; Jamar Fletcher (26) over Reggie Wayne (30) in 2001; selected Jason Allen 16th and traded the 51st pick for Daunte Culpepper in 2006 (instead of signing Drew Brees), thus eliminating any chance of drafting Devin Hester (57) or Eric Winston (66); and took Anthony Alabi over Chris Myers in 2005, among other moves. Choosing solid pro Daryl Gardener at 20 instead of Ray Lewis (26) in 1996 would have been regrettable if Jimmy Johnson hadn’t found a gem in Zach Thomas at No. 154 that year.

McKinnie said he, Reed and Jeremy Shockey used to talk about finishing their careers with the Dolphins, but “the Dolphins wouldn’t do that. In college, we all said we would take pay cuts to come to the Dolphins.”

McKinnie said he doubts that would happen now. "I don't know what direction this team is going in," McKinnie said.

Miami didn’t try to sign McKinnie or Shockey when they were free agents last year, opting for Marc Colombo and Jeron Mastrud. Wayne would have considered the Dolphins last month, “but it didn’t seem like they wanted me.”


(miamiherald.com)

University of Miami Sports Hall Of Fame 2012 Inductees: Ed Reed, Robbie Morrison, Richard Mercier, Ray Bellamy, Bryant McKinnie, Patrina Allen, Desma Thomas Bateast, Paige Yaroshuk Tews

Ed Reed, Robbie Morrison, Richard Mercier, Ray Bellamy, Bryant McKinnie

Ed Reed

Bryant McKinnie

Ray Bellamy

Bryant McKinnie

Bryant McKinnie

Bryant McKinnie

Art Kehoe, Bryant McKinnie, Ruben Carter

Richard Mercier

Ray Bellamy

Ed Reed

Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, Greg Mark

Richard Mercier, Jason Fox

Robbie Morrison and “The Beast” on All Canes Radio.

Robbie Morrison

Randall “Thrill” Hill, Darrin Smith

At the University of Miami, athletes are famous for coming back home and supporting the school.

Thursday night, some very special athletes came home, and this time it was the University of Miami that was honoring them as they were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in a dinner ceremony at Jungle Island.

None of them needed that traditional swagger UM is so noted — and criticized — for. They, in fact, were downright humbled about being honored.
Here’s what those eight athletes had to say Thursday night about being inducted and what UM meant to them.

• Ray Bellamy, 63, a wide receiver who was the first black athlete to be awarded a scholarship to UM: “UM was a combination of people, places and time that worked just perfectly for me,” said Bellamy, who became the student body president at UM. “The UM did the right thing by signing me — the UM was the one that did it. Being inducted means everything. I can’t believe this day has come. This school has shown me love.” Bellamy is now an academic advisor at Florida A&M University.

• Ed Reed, 33, a standout defensive back at UM who went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens and has been named an NFL All-Pro eight times and is a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ranked being inducted among his top honors: “It’s special, man, it’s special. To be a part of this family is a blessing. This school was the doorway to the NFL. This school was also the doorway to being a collegiate student. This school prepared us.”

Bryant McKinnie, 32, an Outland Trophy winner who didn’t allow a sack in his UM career and went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings before joining Ed Reed in Baltimore last season: “It feels good, really good,” McKinnie said of his induction. “This is a blessing. UM is like a fraternity, and to be a part of that means a lot to me.” The Ravens now have three UM Hall of Fame members on their roster — McKinnie, Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis, who was inducted in 2006.

Rich Mercier, 36, who had a UM record-tying mark of 48 career starts: “When your name is mentioned in this class, you did something right.” Mercier is now a money manager.

• Robbie Morrison, 35, the UM record-holder for strikeouts per nine innings who now runs an indoor baseball facility near Atlanta: “It’s an unbelievable thing to be inducted. I hoped for it, but only thought I had a chance. Now it’s an awesome feeling.”


(miamiherald.com)

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line was far from a detriment last season as quarterback Joe Flacco wasn’t regularly bashed into the ground and running back Ray Rice piled up yards.

Four of five starters are slated to return, including Birk, 35, and McKinnie, 32, after the team picked up his $500,000 roster bonus as well as right tackle Michael Oher and right guard Marshal Yanda.

McKinnie is heading into a contract year and the Ravens brought him in to for a meeting at team headquarters recently to evaluate his conditioning and outlook prior to picking up his bonus.

McKinnie didn’t grade out highly for his run blocking last season, but the 6-foot-7, 360-pounder had to drop weight in a hurry after ballooning up to 387 pounds during the NFL lockout and being cut by the Minnesota Vikings.

“He had done a good job, he’d been working in the offseason, he’s training,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in the same shape he was in when he left. We want to improve that from now until the start of next season. It’s going to be really important what he does between now and when the offseason program starts on through June that he gets in the kind of shape he needs to be in. It’s not like he’s a big, fat guy. He’s a big guy. We still want him to be able to move a little better and get a little quicker.”


(hometownannapolis.com)

OWINGS MILLS -- Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie met with general manager Ozzie Newsome today, and is expected to be retained by the defending AFC North champions.

It was regarded as a very positive meeting.

McKinnie, 32, is due a $500,000 roster bonus later this week. He's due a $3.2 million base salary next season and carries a $4.2 million salary-cap figure.

McKinnie has dropped some more weight since the end of last season.

The 6-foot-8, 360-pounder was cut by the Minnesota Vikings last year after reporting at nearly 400 pounds.

McKinnie got in better shape quickly and started every game for the Ravens.

Although his run blocking didn't grade out as high as the team would prefer, McKinnie is still regarded as a blocker the Ravens want to keep.

The Ravens have scheduled Houston Texans free agent offensive tackle Eric Winston for a visit later this week, but it's after his trips to the Kansas City Chiefs today and the St. Louis Rams.

He has visited the Miami Dolphins and has a visit scheduled with the Detroit Lions after Baltimore.

Winston plays right tackle.


(carrollcountytimes.com)

The Baltimore Sun expects the Ravens to waive LT Bryant McKinnie if free agents Ben Grubbs and Matt Birk are retained this offseason.

McKinnie worked his way into playing shape last season, but was a liability in run blocking and finished as a below-average left tackle in Pro Football Focus' 2011 rankings. The Ravens have until March 18 to decide whether to pay McKinnie's $500,000 roster bonus.


(rotoworld.com)

The Bears were questioned last season for not picking up massive tackle Bryant McKinnie after he was let go by the Minnesota Vikings. McKinnie went on to have a superb season as Baltimore’s left tackle, so the easy blast was that the Bears failed to grab a huge (literally) upgrade for their offensive line.

It’s not that simple. At the time it struck me as telling that Mike Tice, who was the Vikings head coach when they drafted McKinnie in Minnesota, wasn’t pounding the table to grab McKinnie again.

And a longtime NFC pro personnel executive said that McKinnie pulled himself together in Baltimore only after getting whacked in Minnesota and finding only sparse interest in the market initially. My source said flat out that he wouldn’t have taken a flyer on McKinnie.

The Ravens scored with the gamble on McKinnie, who was fat, a character risk, and had been sliding precipitously over the past couple of seasons. But the Bears, with a coach who knew him well, weren’t the only ones who passed.


(csnchiago.com)

LT Bryant McKinnie: B-plus. Essentially deemed trash by Minnesota, McKinnie became treasure in Baltimore. Needing a final piece to a struggling OL during the preseason, the Ravens signed McKinnie, who stabilized the unit for the 2011 season. 




(cbssports.com)

Ravens LT Bryant McKinnie envisions himself in Baltimore for a long time as long as he can "stay fresh."

The 32-year-old is signed through the 2012 season. Cut from the Vikings for arriving to camp near 400 pounds, McKinnie solidified Joe Flacco's blindside even if he graded out well below average in run blocking, per Pro Football Focus. He wants to stay with the Ravens because his teammates are "professionals" and "act as a team."


(rotoworld.com)

When the Ravens and Indianapolis Colts meet Sunday, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie and defensive end Dwight Freeney figure to tangle early and often.

But their tete-a-tete hasn’t been limited solely to the NFL.

In what would be their final years in college, Freeney, who amassed 16½ sacks in 2001 for Syracuse University, was blanked by McKinnie, who suited up for the University of Miami.

The Hurricanes won that November 17, 2001 meeting quite easily, running away with a 59-0 rout. But it was only the second time in his last 19 games that Freeney had finished a contest without a sack. Freeney didn’t even register a tackle.

“Yeah, Bryant is probably one of my first marquee matchups,” Freeney recalled during a conference call with Baltimore media Wednesday. “It goes back to college with Syracuse vs. Miami. He was the offensive tackle. He did a great job. I had a bunch of sacks going into that game, he had never given up [a sack]. They ended up winning the game, and I ended up not getting a sack. From a historical standpoint, me and him go back, and I had a game with him when he was with the Vikings. I had a couple of good games against him. Bryant is Bryant, and there is a reason why he is still playing after 30.”

Said McKinnie: “There was a lot of hype behind that game. They had a picture of him with an actual sack with all the different college helmets in it, all the teams he got sacks against. It was towards the end of my senior year, and I hadn’t allowed a sack. So they were kind of like, ‘Something is bound to happen. He’s either going to get a sack or you’re going to continue to not allow the sack.’ The [Syracuse] team was OK that year, but it was more of a focus on our battle. I was home, so I managed to get through that game without a sack.”

Freeney has enjoyed better success against McKinnie in the NFL. In two meetings between Indianapolis and the Minnesota Vikings, Freeney has accumulated three sacks and six tackles. More importantly, Freeney’s team won both contests.

McKinnie acknowledged that he is looking forward to matching up against Freeney Sunday.

“You just want to be competitive,” he said. “We both bring our A-game against one another. We don’t go against each other that often, but when we do, it’s going to be high intensity. There’s a lot of focus out there.”

(baltimoresun.com)

Bryant McKinnie said he's happy, healthy and 28 pounds lighter than the day his nine-year Vikings career came to a surprise end on Aug. 2.
"I was 383 pounds when I showed up in Mankato for training camp," said McKinnie, now the starting left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens at what he calls his normal playing weight of 355. "Yes, I was heavy. No, I wasn't 400 pounds.

He once was a larger-than-life-size symbol of the baggage the Vikings needed to purge for the good of the team. Now, he's atop the AFC North with his 4-1 Ravens while the Vikings are last in the NFC North with a 1-5 record and some serious pass protection issues.

"When we signed him (Aug. 24), I told him this isn't our first rodeo as far as dealing with players that have issues," said Ozzie Newsome, Ravens general manager. "We will take on some of the issues if that player is willing to work with us. Bryant was more than willing. He's met every (weight) mark he was supposed to make and has actually been even better than we thought in making those marks."

McKinnie has started every game this season for a team that's fifth in the league in scoring. He's improving with each game, said Newsome, and gives Baltimore a 10-year veteran and former first-round draft pick who, like him or not, has never missed a game because of injuries or health issues.

"I wish the Vikings well," McKinnie said. "They did what they felt they had to do. I did what I felt I had to do. I'm doing fine. I look around and I can't help but think that things happen for a reason."

McKinnie said he knew his release was coming when his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, threatened to file a grievance against the Vikings for putting McKinnie on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. McKinnie said he had already rejected an offer to restructure his contract, per Rosenhaus' advice, in part because the team wanted to move some of his guaranteed money to incentives to reduce his $5.4 million salary cap figure.

"I was on the NFI, but I wasn't injured," McKinnie said. "Knowing the grievance was coming at 3 o'clock the day I was released, and knowing that they had to be under the cap two days later, the only option was to release me."

Coach Leslie Frazier never once said McKinnie was released because of his weight or poor conditioning. He simply said McKinnie was released "in the best interests" of the team.

Because of McKinnie's appearance, however, it was assumed Frazier had used the opportunity as a first-year head coach to take a stand against an out-of-shape player with a checkered past off the field.

The assumptions continued during the three weeks that McKinnie went unsigned. There was speculation that he needed a year to get back in shape and lower his cholesterol to a safe level.

"A year?" said McKinnie, apparently not aware of the rumors. "I played in Week 1. I played well. Against a good player, (Pittsburgh's) James Harrison. And we won the game, 35-7.

"As for my cholesterol, it's been high since I was 22, and they checked me at the combine. It's hereditary. I take medication to control it."

Finding a home
Newsome said it took some time to investigate McKinnie and to then secure the team's preferred two-year deal. Ravens coach John Harbaugh got a positive report from former Vikings coach Brad Childress, with whom he had coached under Andy Reid in Philadelphia. Newsome also got a couple of strong endorsements from two current Ravens who one day will join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Safety Ed Reed and linebacker Ray Lewis lobbied Newsome hard. Reed and McKinnie were teammates at the University of Miami. Lewis was a Hurricane before them.

"I have a lot of confidence going to the players and asking them about former college teammates," Newsome said. "Ed was giving Bryant a raving endorsement when Ray overheard the conversation.

"Ray comes over to me and said Bryant would fit in with us. When you get Ray and Ed saying, 'Hey, look, if there's additional work that needs to be done with this guy, we're going to do it with him,' that makes the decision easier."

Newsome also liked that McKinnie offered to play right tackle for the first time in his life if Michael Oher, another former first-round draft pick, wanted to stay at left tackle. But Oher, who has experience at right tackle, said it would be best for the team for him to move to right tackle.

Newsome said he'd ideally like to keep McKinnie beyond two seasons and see the younger Oher move back over to left tackle when McKinnie retires.

"That's a comforting factor for me," Newsome said. "But, more importantly, it's also a comforting factor for our young quarterback, Joe Flacco."

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercedsunstar.com)

It's hard to appreciate just how large Bryant McKinnie truly is unless you've stood next to him.

McKinnie weighs upward of 350 pounds and stands just three inches short of being seven feet tall. He's not fat, despite what you have heard. He's just gigantic, from his toes to his calves to his shoulders.

He was leaning against his locker and fiddling with his BlackBerry this week. Cupped in his enormous right hand, the BlackBerry looked like it could have been the size of walnut.

There are a number of reasons why the Ravens decided, late in the preseason, to gamble on McKinnie and make him their starting left tackle even though he was cut by the Vikings, with the team expressing concerns about his attitude and fitness. The Ravens felt a simple change of scenery might help him re-boot his commitment, and they were also desperate for whatever help they could get after watching their offensive line look shaky, at best, during the preseason.

But none of those reasons outweigh the most obvious truth about McKinnie: No matter what kind of shape he was in during the lockout, it was still going to be hard for a defender to get around someone built like a Kodiak bear.

Thought it's only been four games, it's probably fair to say the Ravens gamble has paid off remarkably well. McKinnie has started every game and, if you throw out one bad half he had against the Tennessee Titans, he's been pretty good in both pass protection and run blocking. He managed to set the tone for a dominant day against the Steelers when he made two blocks on one play and sprung Ray Rice for a huge gain.
"I think he and Shaq are about the same size," said Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. "Trying to find Ray Rice when he's running behind [McKinnie] is pretty hard to do."

His arrival also allowed the Ravens to put Michael Oher back at right tackle, re-teaming him with guard Marshal Yanda. Rice running to the right side has consistently been one of Baltimore's best plays in 2011.

Plus, if you believe Ravens coach John Harbaugh, McKinnie's biggest impact hasn't been felt yet. It's likely going to come in the second half of the season, when the Ravens will need it the most.

"We are really happy with him," Harbaugh said of McKinnie. "We really like where he is, no doubt. He's played well. He's a premier player. We knew he was one of the premier tackles in football. I just think he's only going to get better as the season goes on, because he's going to get to work with our guys in our system and he's going to continue to get in better shape."

Two types of shape
Just what kind of shape McKinnie was in during the NFL lockout is still somewhat in dispute. When the Vikings decided to release him after eight seasons, an NFL source told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune it was in part because McKinnie showed up weighing nearly 400 pounds.

McKinnie has no problem admitting he wasn't in football shape when he reported to camp. But he contends whomever spoke anonymously to the Star-Tribune was exaggerating how much he weighed. And it only made him all the more happy to leave town.

"I was heavy, but there were reports saying I couldn't even move," McKinnie said. "It just wasn't accurate. I could see where Baltimore might have thought I was a risk because they weren't sure how that would pan out, but it just wasn't accurate. I'm not somebody who can run a whole bunch of sprints. That's never been me. But I always know how to play football. Those are two different types of shape, anyway."

The marriage between McKinnie and the Vikings could never exactly be described as idyllic, even though he played fairly well and the team — which drafted him No. 7 overall in 2002 — had success with him in the line-up. McKinnie was involved in a scuffle outside a Minneapolis gas station in 2005, and he was one of the Vikings fined for his participation in the embarrassing "Love Boat" sex party scandal in 2006. In 2008, he was arrested for his participation in a brawl outside a Miami night club, and he was also openly critical of the team's decision to trade quarterback Dante Culpepper. In 2009, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time but was kicked off the team for skipping practices prior the game.

All those incidents gave the Ravens pause when McKinnie was released by the Vikings. But when general manager Ozzie Newsome spoke with Ed Reed — a college teammate of McKinnie's at Miami — the Ravens Pro Bowl safety didn't hesitate to vouch for his fellow Hurricane.

"I don't know why it didn't work out," Reed said of McKinnie's time with the Vikings. "It's really not my choice, but once he hit the market, Ozzie came to me and asked me about him. It was a no-brainer. You need a left tackle, and he's one of the best. I've seen him go against some of the greatest rush ends in this league right now, and he's proven it. It was just a matter of him getting in shape."

A fresh start
McKinnie says he's not interested in making excuses about his time with the Vikings. If the organization grew weary of him, well, the feeling was mutual.

"Sometimes when you're in a place for so long, you kind of feel like you're not appreciated," McKinnie said. "I'll be straight up and admit that's kind of how I felt. I wasn't being appreciated so it was time for me to go. I felt like saying 'When I leave, you'll appreciate what I've done as soon as I'm gone.' And I feel like some of that is going on now."

Although their time in Minnesota, and their departure from the organization, was certainly different, even Matt Birk said he can understand some of what McKinnie says about the need for a change.

"I think it did rejuvenate him," Birk said. "I know from personal experience that change is good for the soul. It's a fresh start. Sometimes during your career, if you play one place for a long time things can get a little bit stale. When you change all your surroundings, your teammates, your facilities, where you live, I don't think it can do anything but re-energize you. Late in your career, people tend to say 'Oh, his play has fallen off.' And going somewhere new is a chance to prove those people wrong.' "

McKinnie said the Ravens were appealing in part because they told him he wouldn't have to conform to the organization and act a certain way. For years, the Ravens have thrived on having a locker room full of loud and colorful personalities, and McKinnie — who loves to laugh and tell jokes — felt right at home.

"I'm not going to lie, I felt like in Minnesota, people were a little up tight and weren't always allowed to be themselves," McKinnie said. "They were being who the coaches wanted them to be and weren't able to express their true personality. One of the first things Coach Harbaugh said to me was 'Express your personality. We're all about that here. We're about going out there and enjoying ourselves.'"

McKinnie knows he tends to say and do things that would make a lot of head coaches nervous. But what he appreciates about the Ravens, at least thus far, is they're not hung up on appearances. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? In his mind, it's silly question. All the Ravens care is that he does his job.

"I've had coaches in the past that made you dread things, whether it's because they're always complaining or because they're not making it fun," McKinnie said. "The coaches here know I didn't get a chance to learn technique because I wasn't here for camp, so at the end of the day, all they care about is getting the play blocked. I feel like the joy of playing football has returned for me."


(baltimoresun.com)

Comments

In July, the Vikings gave up on a left tackle who had weight and conditioning issues.  Now, the Vikings are taking a look at a left tackle who has weight and conditioning issues.

Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com reports that the Vikings will visit with free-agent Max Starks, who was dumped earlier this year by the Steelers.  Starks was attempting to recover from a neck injury that ended his 2010 season prematurely.

The Vikings cut Bryant McKinnie days after he showed up pushing four bills.  He has since landed with the Ravens, and he has started all three games.

The Vikings replaced him with Charlie Johnson, who has struggled at times.

Frankly, we’re not sure that beefing up the tackle position will help the Vikings not blow double-digit leads.  But it can’t hurt.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballtalk.com)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce its Class of 2012 inductees, featuring NFL stars Ed Reed and Bryant McKinnie, along with women's tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews and the school's first African-American football player Ray Bellamy. Also selected were All-American pitcher Robbie Morrison, Olympic hurdler Patrina Allen, basketball star Desma Thomas Bateast and All-American lineman Rich Mercier.

This year's class will be officially inducted at the 44th Annual UM Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet to be held Thursday, March 29, 2012 at Miami's Jungle Island.  For information on tickets, go to UMSportsHallofFame.com or call 305-284-2775. 

Richard Mercier: First Team All-America selection by The Sporting News in 1999 ... Two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection (1998-99) ... Team leader in pancake blocks in both his junior and senior seasons ... Tied Mike Sullivan for the UM record in career starts (48) ... Invited to play in the Senior Bowl, Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and Florida Citrus All Star Gridiron Classic ... Fifth round NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2000.

Bryant McKinnie: Outland Trophy winner as college football's outstanding interior lineman in 2001 ... Named a First Team All-American by The Football News in 2000 and a consensus first team Al-American by every national service in 2001, including the Associated Press, Football Writers Association, The Football News, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp and the National Football Foundations ... The 2001 National Player of the Year by CNNSI.com ... The 2001 College Football Offensive Player of the Year by The Football News ... Did not allow a quarterback sack during his entire UM career ... A two-time unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selection at left tackle ... First round NFL pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2002.

Ed Reed: Consensus First Team All-America and All-BIG EAST selection in 2000 and 2001 ... Set UM career records for interceptions (21) and interception return yards (389) ... His nine interceptions in 2001 is the second-highest single-season total in UM history ... Recorded eight interceptions in 2000 (third-best in UM history) ... Key factor in a defense that recorded a record 45 takeaways during the 2001 National Championship campaign ... Also excelled in track & field, winning the javelin at the 1999 BIG EAST Outdoor Track & Field Championships ... A first round NFL draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2002.

Click Here To Read About the Other Inductees.

Did you have any apprehension about your first regular-season start with the Ravens after spending the first nine seasons of your career with the Minnesota Vikings?
No. When Ray [Lewis] hit me up, I checked out the team to see where I would fit in. I kind of looked at it from that standpoint to see if it would be a good fit for me, and I thought it would be.

What about this offensive makeup convinced you to sign with the Ravens?
One thing was that [center] Matt Birk was already here. So there was somebody that I was already familiar with. He calls out the defense, and his communication levels are pretty good.

On your first play as a Raven, you had a key block on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel and then inside linebacker James Farrior that sprung running back Ray Rice for a 36-yard gain. How good did that feel?
It felt pretty good because you have to set the tempo. I think a lot of that came from the anxiousness and nerves from just not playing for a while. But it felt good and it allowed us as an offense to set the tempo.

Were you nervous about your debut as a Raven?
I'm not going to lie, but just a little because there was a lot going into the game. Ever since I first got here, there was all this talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers and how it's a big rivalry and how basically you just don't like them around here. I saw that on my Twitter account when I first signed and just being out and about — like when I'm picking up my stuff from the dry cleaners or when I turn on the radio. Everywhere I turned, there was something about Pittsburgh.

What would you compare the Ravens-Steelers rivalry to?
Kind of like the Vikings-Packers. Or if you want, go back to the U [University of Miami] and Florida State. Just two teams that don't like each other. Two good teams that have to beat each other to be the best.

Who is the toughest pass rusher you've faced in your career?
I can name you three. Dwight Freeney's good, Julius Peppers is good and James Harrison is actually pretty good. Those are three pretty good pass rushers.

Are they similar in the way they play?
They are different. Dwight and James are a little more similar because they''e both shorter and they use the dip move to try to dip under taller blockers and things like that. James likes to dip in real quick and then come back outside to get the edge on you, whereas Dwight will run up to you and do the spin move inside. Julius is about strength and his arms are about as long as mine. I rarely go against somebody whose arms can touch me when I'm locking mine out. It was definitely a weird feeling.

More important to you: a Super Bowl ring or a Hall of Fame bust?
I'd rather have a ring. I got one in college, and I feel like the ring can possibly set you up to get into the Hall of Fame. But just to get a ring, I know what it felt like to be a national champion in college. So I'd like to get that feeling back.

Did you ever have a nickname? If so, what's the history behind it?
Big Mac. It's funny. [Former Miami teammate and current Washington Redskins wide receiver] Santana Moss gave me that during his junior year when I got to Miami. He said, "I'm going to call you Big Mac." And it stuck. Everybody just started calling me Big Mac, and it carried over to the league. Some people have abbreviated it and called me B-Mac, but Big Mac has stuck with me from college to here. But a lot of people probably don't realize that Santana Moss gave me that nickname.

I read somewhere that you started a music label called "Swagga Entertainment."
It's called B Major Music Group now. The old name was Swagga Entertainment, but I felt like swagga was kind of trendy, and I wanted something that was easier to brand. So I felt like B Major Music Group was better and a little more global. Swagga sounds a little more urban.

What does music mean to you?
A lot. I think music is a form of therapy. When you're going through stuff and someone has a song that you can relate to, you use that. When you're getting ready for games, you're playing music and you get yourself hyped. When you're cleaning your house, you're playing music to get yourself going. So it serves as motivation.

If you could listen to a musician live — past or present — who would you listen to?
I would say Biggie Smalls. I didn't get a chance to see him in concert, and I don't feel like he got a chance to reach his full potential as an artist.

What's your worst habit?
The worst habit I have is probably procrastination. I tend to wait until the last minute to do things, but for some reason, I feel like I perform better when I've got the pressure on me.

If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be?
It would be someone like [entrepreneur] Russell Simmons. From a business standpoint, I would just ask him about different strategies that he took in music.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

BALTIMORE — There is a new bully on the AFC North block.

This changing of the divisional guard coincides with the upgrade at left tackle the Baltimore Ravens made in signing former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Bryant McKinnie off the scrap heap Aug. 26.

It was hard to tell the newest Raven was shucking off rust following his first game in eight months considering how "Mount" McKinnie served an eviction notice to former AFC North bully, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison. It happened from the outset of Baltimore's 35-7 season-opening beatdown of the 2010 AFC North champions.

The 6-8 McKinnie is politely listed at 360 pounds. Small wonder why McKinnie literally made the biggest difference in the latest installment of the Steelers-Ravens blood feud Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis calls "hit or be hit."

McKinnie was released by the Vikings when he reported to training camp at 387. He's gone from eating his way out of Minnesota to devouring Harrison with a play that may have signaled an AFC North seismic shift.

On the game's first play from scrimmage, McKinnie, tight end Ed Dickson, left guard Ben Grubbs and fullback Vonta Leach rumbled around the left side on first-and-10 from the Baltimore 34-yard line.

Harrison was erased by McKinnie and Grubbs. Then, McKinnie took out linebacker James Farrior while center Matt Birk blunted nose tackle Casey Hampton to spring running back Ray Rice for 36 yards.

Two plays later, quarterback Joe Flacco fired a 27-yard scoring strike to Anquan Boldin and what Rice called a "beatdown" was on.

"Bryant blew up two guys on that first play," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. ""Like Ray Rice said, 'This is the 2011 Baltimore Ravens.
"All that stuff that happened last year doesn't matter."

Harbaugh was referring to the Steelers beating Baltimore two of three times last season, making it six Pittsburgh wins in eight meetings with last January's 31-24 Ravens playoff ouster.

In those losses, Harrison, linebacker LaMarr Woodley and safety Troy Polamalu seemed to make the biggest plays when it mattered most.
The signature play came when Polamalu raced in unblocked and strip sacked Flacco late in Pittsburgh's 13-10 win last Dec. 5 when neither tackle Michael Oher nor Flacco glanced Polamalu's way.

That set up the winning touchdown and, in effect, the offseason changing of Ravens tackles.

Oher, the 2009 first-rounder who's life story was featured in the book and movie The Blindside, was switched to the right side after Lewis and others lobbied general manager Ozzie Newsome and Harbaugh to sign McKinnie.

Flacco and Rice combined for 331 of Baltimore's 385 yards with Flacco throwing for three scores and Rice running for a fourth.

Rice's 107 rushing yards were 23 more than he gained in three games against Pittsburgh's top-ranked 2010 rush defense in three games last season. He said offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's plan was "to establish the run game running behind Bryant McKinnie."

"It was definitely a statement to let them know we're coming at them and were going to be physical," McKinnie said of that first play.

"We wanted to make sure we landed more of our punches than they did. We watched film clips of them bullying people. We had to take on that same attitude."

The question was how soon the re-constituted Raven line would mesh given McKinnie had only been there two weeks while Birk and right guard Marshall Yanda missed the preseason due to knee and back issues, respectively.

"Right from the beginning, McKinnie made his presence felt," Ravens analyst Qadry Ismail said. "James Harrison was trying to get low and around the edge. But McKinnie had his left hand in Harrison's chest and really just pancaked him.

"Bryant McKinnie is able to use his leverage so well, whereas Michael Oher is more of a dominant, proven right tackle.

"What the line did against Dick LeBeau's defense without playing a game together was quite remarkable."

The Steelers had the look of an aging defense suffering a Super Bowl hangover — a Super Bowl XLV-losing hangover following their 31-25 loss to Green Bay.

"We're not shell shocked," defensive captain Farrior said. "We got beat into submission.

This time, his front five gave Flacco time to hit for 224 yards and show why he's one of the game's best touch passers against the nemesis that had gone 6-0 against him with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback.

"Everybody asks, 'Is this the year Joe's going to take that next step?"' Harbaugh said . "Joe sure looked like he took that next step didn't he?"
At least for one week, Flacco's bigger, better protectors had everything to do with that next step.

McKinnie hopes for another, having reached the Super Bowl brink with the 12-4 Vikings before losing the NFC Championship game in overtime to New Orleans.

"The Vikings said I lost it. But I never had a chance to display it," said McKinnie. "They're in my rear view. And the Ravens are in my clear view.
"This certainly looks like a Super Bowl team."

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(usatoday.com)

BALTIMORE- Bryant McKinnie fired off the line of scrimmage, bashing Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison before rumbling downfield to pick off middle linebacker James Farrior.

The blocks paved a path for Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice to gain 36 yards on the first play from scrimmage Sunday, setting up a touchdown.

"I got my man," McKinnie said. "So, I thought, ‘Why not go block somebody else?'"

For a hefty offensive tackle that was expected to struggle with the Steelers' formidable defense, McKinnie defied expectations.

"To come in for the biggest game for them, I felt a little pressure and I feel like I play well under pressure," said McKinnie, a 6-foot-8, 360-pound former Pro Bowl left tackle signed by the Ravens in August after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings when he reported at 387 pounds. "For somebody who hasn't played in eight months, any games since January, I feel like I did a pretty good job."

And the Ravens' new-look offensive line that didn't play a single snap together during the preseason allowed only one sack during the Ravens' 35-7 victory Sunday over the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns against the NFL's top-ranked run defense from a year ago.

"The protection was fantastic, that's something against this football team that you have to be concerned with," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I know everyone in this room who follows this team had a concern with that, and I guarantee you I had a concern with that, too. I think we did a good job of game-planning the protection.

"The main thing was the one-on-one battles, the one-on-one battles across the board that we won. The offensive line was a big part of that. That's how you win football games."

Six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk didn't play any preseason games after having surgery on his left knee at the start of training camp. His knee appeared to hold up against beefy Steelers nose guard Casey Hampton.

"It feels great," he said. "Every time you win, you feel a lot better than when you lose."

Michael Oher was moved back to right tackle for the first time since his rookie year. And right guard Marshal Yanda missed most of the preseason with back spasms. The only starter that played at his usual spot during the preseason was left guard Ben Grubbs.

Most of the pressure was on McKinnie because he had to block Harrison, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

"I told my mom, ‘I haven't played since Jan. 2,'" McKinnie said. "I just felt like I was the weakest link, so I wanted to make sure I held down my part."

Last season, the Steelers led the NFL with 48 sacks. Their pass rush is headlined by Harrison and outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who combine for 20 ½ sacks last season,.

However, Harrison was limited to nine tackles and one quarterback hit on Sunday as Woodley registered the Steelers' lone sack.
Quarterback Joe Flacco took advantage of the increased time, connecting on 17 of 29 throws for 224 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"Those guys did a great job," Flacco said. "I've been saying all week, I'm really confident in the way these guys are going to play. It's a great group of guys. Bryant is the only guy who hasn't been there. ‘

"I wasn't worried about that. I know Bryant is a really good left tackle. So, why worry about it anyway? I felt comfortable back there all day."

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(carrollcountytimes.com)

Bryant McKinnie was cut by the Vikings for a number of reasons. And perhaps even about 400 of them -- McKinnie's weight was absolutely out of control and the Vikings were reportedly concerned about his conditioning.

And according to CBS Sports' Charley Casserly, the Ravens -- who signed McKinnie as a free agent -- were wise enough to build a "weight-loss clause" into McKinnie's contract and the tackle earned $75,000 for getting his weight down to the "prescribed weight of 372" pounds.

Is it kind of nuts that McKinnie's getting paid more for getting just under 400 pounds than most Americans make in a year? Yeah, it's pretty bananas.

But the Ravens were clearly worried too his weight too -- their desperation for offensive line help outweighed the concern. They did the smart thing, though, by giving McKinnie some motivation to get in decent shape.

Even if it costs them a wad of cash, it was immediately worth it on Sunday, as on the Ravens first play from scrimmage, McKinnie made a crucial block at the next level to spring Ray Rice for a big 36-yard gain.

He's got the talent to be a difference maker in Baltimore and now it looks like he might have the motivation too.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(cssports.com)

Ravens LT Bryant McKinnie will open the season in the 360-pound range after showing up to Vikings camp at 386 in late July.

The Ravens aren't wasting time with McKinnie, installing him at the left tackle spot that's been a revolving door since Jon Ogden's retirement. McKinnie was 370 pounds when he initially reported to Baltimore on August 27, so the weight is coming down. We expect him to be an upgrade at the position regardless.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

Considering some of the deficits along the Ravens offensive line, signing a left tackle with the resume that Bryant McKinnie boasts might not be considered a huge leap for the organization.

But in his remarks confirming an agreement with McKinnie on Tuesday, general manager Ozzie Newsome noted that several University of Miami standouts like inside linebacker Ray Lewis and free safety Ed Reed vouched for McKinnie.

McKinnie, a former Hurricane himself, said he appreciated the endorsements from his new teammates.

“I definitely like to hear that from my guys from the ‘U,’” McKinnie said prior to Saturday’s practice at the team’s training facility in Owings Mills. “They have my back and supported me and led me to this team and this organization.”

McKinnie, who has a history of off-field troubles, was then asked if he needed the players to keep an eye on him.

“It’s just good to have somebody keep you competitive and things like that,” he said. “We have a good bond between us.”

McKinnie, the seventh overall pick in the 2002 draft who is entering his 10th year in the NFL, said he has become more laidback as he has matured and doesn’t intend to rock the boat with his new team.

“I’m not real vocal, but I’ll pull people to the side and give them tips on stuff that I’ve learned from my past,” he said. “Just try to make us better.”

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Still massive at roughly 370 pounds, new Baltimore Ravens left offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie says he’s working hard to get down to his usual playing weight of 350 pounds.

“I play at like 355, not 335,” McKinnie said Saturday. “I haven’t been that since college, my junior year.”

Cut my the Minnesota Vikings after reporting to training camp at 387 pounds, McKinnie signed a two-year contract with the Ravens last week and is eager to start the next phase of his career in the NFL.

“I have a lot of motivation,” he said. “So you are definitely going to see a lot of pancake (blocks) this year.”

McKinnie played left tackle with the Vikings, and the Ravens have every intention of keeping him there. So Michael Oher will shift back to the right side, where he played as a rookie two years ago.

Oher took the change in stride.

“I just like playing football,” he said. “I am going to work hard at any position that I’m at. I’m going to work hard and be the best player that I can be at any position. We are going to be a great team with him, and that’s exactly what we needed.”

If McKinnie can regain his Pro Bowl form from two years ago and Oher is solid on the right side, a patchwork offensive line could potentially become a formidable group.

“He is a pro, he will be ready to go,” offensive line coach Andy Moeller said. “He is a great player. He is plenty bright enough. He just comes from a little bit of a different system, so the terminology and stuff will take a little bit of time. He will be ready to roll.”

Asked what Ravens fans can expect from him, McKinnie replied: “A dominant player that is trying to be the best at his position.”

McKinnie has had off-field issues in the past, including his involvement in the infamous “Love Boat” scandal while he was with the Vikings several years ago. He downplayed any perception of that character issues would be a factor in Baltimore.

“I am actually more quiet and laid back than people think,” McKinnie said. “It’s just little things here and there that used to pop up in my past. It’s nothing like that I see happening anymore. I was kind of in my younger days anyway.”

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonpost.com)

Ravens coach John Harbaugh confirmed that the team’s plan is to start newly signed Bryant McKinnie at left tackle and move Michael Oher to the right side.

McKinnie, who signed with the Ravens on Tuesday, has started at left tackle for the past eight seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. Oher started at right tackle as a rookie before moving to the left side, where he has played for the 2010 season and all training camp this year.

“We’ll see how it goes. Everything is fluid,” coach John Harbaugh said after the Ravens’ 34-31 preseason win over the Washington Redskins. “I would love to say that’s set in stone, but that’s not set in stone. Michael Oher is about as good a person, great as a team guy as I’ve ever been around in my career. Ozzie and I brought him in and talked to him the night before last night and he said it before we said it: ‘Whatever I need to do to help this be the best football l team and the best offensive line that it can be.’”

McKinnie was reportedly cut by the Vikings earlier this month because he reported to training camp out of shape. Harbaugh said he was impressed by his first meeting with the 2009 Pro Bowl player.

“He’s been working out and he’s been eating right,” Harbaugh said. “I’m very impressed with him. He’s a very mature guy. He’s very excited to be here. He’s a very intelligent guy. I’m looking forward to getting him in the fold.”

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

The big question surrounding the Ravens' decision to sign offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie - I'll spare everyone yet another play on words with the word "big" - is whether the former Viking will play left or right tackle once he's ready to suit up in Baltimore.

McKinnie has played left tackle, and played it at a pretty high level, throughout his entire nine-year career. But leading up to this season, the Ravens said publically that they're committed to sticking with former first-round pick Michael Oher at the left tackle spot.

Well, according to McKinnie, Oher will be moving over to right tackle, where he played during his rookie season in 2009, and the newest Raven will take over on the left side.

"Yeah, they told me I'm going to play left, and I guess slide Oher over to right," McKinnie said on ESPN Radio's "The Brian Kenny Show".

If true, that alignment might give the Ravens the best chance to succeed in the short-term. Oher had a strong rookie season at right tackle, but hasn't carried that level of play over to the left tackle spot in his year-plus at that position.

If McKinnie can lock down Joe Flacco's blind side (there's a joke in there somewhere), Oher can get back to his 2009 form at right tackle and Marshal Yanda can return to right guard, the Ravens have the makings of a quality offensive line.

But McKinnie will turn 32 in less than a month, and isn't in the Ravens' long-term plans. Moving Oher back to right tackle could shake the confidence of a guy who those in the organization viewed as a rising star just a year and a half ago.

The other question everyone is asking about McKinnie is: What type of shape is he in?

Cut by Minnesota after allegedly reporting to camp close to 400 lbs., McKinnie acknowledged he showed up above his normal playing weight, but said he's been training in Florida the last few weeks and is ready to go.

"Well, honestly, we never took any conditioning tests in the two days I was (at Vikings camp)," McKinnie said. "We had two walk-throughs, so I wasn't really able to do anything. I never participated in any, ... there was never any conditioning test, so there was nothing to kind of determine where my conditioning was. But, I did come in heavy. I did come in heavier than I normally am.

"I feel like I've been in shape the whole time. But I was out here training the whole time. I'm pretty ready to go."

The Ravens will put McKinnie through a physical today, and if he passes, his two-year contract worth up to $7.5 million will become official.
McKinnie indicated that he thought he was let go by the Vikings more for monetary reasons than physical ones. The Miami product did acknowledge that he does have high cholesterol, but said that was something the Vikings were aware of.

The Vikings reportedly saved $5.4 million against the salary cap by cutting McKinnie, and avoided paying him workout and roster bonuses by letting him go.

"Minnesota, it was honestly more of a numbers game about having their salary cap at a certain point," McKinnie said. "That's what it was really about, restructuring my contract, stuff like that. And I didn't really agree with it, so we chose for me to be released."

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(masnsports.com)

The Ravens made a risky move to bolster their offensive line  Tuesday, signing offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie to a two-year deal. The 6-foot-8, 350-plus-pound lineman was technically a Pro Bowl player for the Vikings in 2009 even though he didn't bother showing up for any of the Pro Bowl practices and was kicked off the NFC squad.

The talent is there for McKinnie to be the Ravens' short-term answer at right tackle -- or maybe even left tackle -- but there are a few reasons why the soon-to-be 32-year-old was still on the free agent market.

For one, he has been charged in three different incidents since entering the NFL in 2002, once for a street fight, once for a bar fight and once for allegedly performing and receiving sex acts in public in the infamous Vikings Loveboat scandal in 2005, when a bunch of players went wild on a boat with strippers and sex toys.

He also was cut by the Vikings this summer for showing up to camp in awful shape, reportedly more than 50 pounds overweight (no word on how much excess weight was edible underwear).

All these incidents -- even something as simple as skipping the Pro Bowl -- make you seriously question McKinnie’s dedication to his craft. I can guarantee you this: If someone says this guy plays like a Raven, they’re lying to you.

Well, that’s assuming he passes his physical.

But the offensive line is so unsettled right now, some have already suggested that some guy named Mark LeVoir, who was signed over the weekend, could be the team’s answer at right tackle in 2011.

Maybe the Bryant McKinnie experiment will work out. Maybe he and Michael Oher can be the bookend tackles the Ravens lost when Jared Gaither went AWOL. And maybe his off-field issues are behind him.

But if this large man finds the slightest bit of trouble in Baltimore, the Ravens need to cut ties instantly.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(baltimoresun.com)

The Ravens reached two-year agreement with offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, the team announced. The deal can be worth up to $7.5 million and includes a $1 million signing bonus, a source familiar with the deal told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

To fill the void at offensive tackle, the team is bringing in one of the most talented and troubled free agents available.

“Through the years, we’ve been fortunate to obtain players late in training camp or just before the start of the season who help us win,” Ravens general manager/executive vice president Ozzie Newsome stated. “A couple of years ago, it was Willie Anderson. Last year, it was Josh Wilson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who each made big plays at the end of games that gave us wins.

“Bryant falls in this category. He’s been a productive player at one of the hardest positions to play, and he has been in sync with Matt Birk when Matt was a Viking. Plus, he has a relationship with Michael Oher and our Miami players."

The deal is pending tomorrow's physical, which could remain a hurdle. The Minnesota Vikings released the Pro Bowl offensive tackle on Aug. 2 after he reported to training camp out of shape.

It's not surprising that the Ravens added an offensive lineman. It is surprising that the the Ravens are taking this gamble with McKinnie after parting ways with another character risk in Jared Gaither.

"Ray [Lewis] and Ed [Reed] vouch for him as a person and as a player who can help us," Newsome said. "I know these veteran players are happy we’re adding Bryant.”

McKinnie's role is uncertain at this point. He started eight years at left tackle for the Vikings. The Ravens could insert the 6-foot-8, 386-pound McKinnie at right tackle (which has had three linemen start at that position during training camp) or start McKinnie at left tackle and move Michael Oher to the right side.

McKinnie was voted to the Pro Bowl after the 2009 season, but he did not show up for practices and was scratched from the game, eventually having to pay back almost $5,000 in travel expenses to the league.

He has been charged in three different incidents since being the seventh overall pick of the 2002 draft.

In 2005, McKinnie was arrested along with former Vikings guard Marcus Johnson on suspicion of disorderly conduct in a street fight. Also that year, he was involved in the infamous “Love Boat” incident, eventually pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge.

In 2008, he was charged with aggravated battery, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after taking part in a brawl outside a Miami nightclub.
But he has at least one staunch supporter among his new teammates.

“Some people look for speed, some people look for youth," Lewis said. "But give me heart, wisdom and the will to play and win the game, and I will take that player on my side any day of the week. That is what Bryant has. I have played against him, and I know from experience how tough he is. He has a proven track record as a winner, and he is a Raven. He is one of us, and I know he will make us better.”

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Drew Rosenhaus, agent for free-agent OT Bryant McKinnie (Vikings), said McKinnie has been working out and is down to 365 pounds. McKinnie usually plays at 355 pounds. Rosenhaus said McKinnie has received a few offers but has not accepted any of them.




(kffl.com)

What do Bryant McKinnie and Steve Smith have in common? Not the Steve Smith who did his best impression of boat rowing on the same day Daunte Culpepper’s life took a severe downward turn. The “other” Steve Smith.

A funny thing happened last week. The Eagles signed former Giants wide receiver Steve Smith, who just two years ago set a franchise record in New York with 107 catches. He was an unrestricted free agent and, thanks to trying to come back from a significant knee injury, he may not be ready by the start of the season. Philadelphia technically made two roster moves with the signing of Smith – one to announce the signing and one immediately following that placed him on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

In the foamy-water feeding frenzy the Eagles undertook when the lockout ended – signing one big-name free agent after another and being linked to interest in many more – Smith went largely unnoticed.

Why? Because, at the time he was signed, he wasn’t close to being in physical condition to play football. Yet, the Eagles, with their eyes rolled back like a great white shark taking yet another bite out of the bloated free agent market, signed Smith.

Initially, the rationale given was that the mystery mononucleosis type setback suffered by Jeremy Maclin, who has yet to practice, was the impetus to sign Smith. But, after saying that out loud, those same rationalists had to ask themselves, “Why would you replace a guy who would potentially miss the start of the season with a guy who is just as doubtful?”

The reasonable inference is that the Eagles had the money and saw Smith as a commodity. In the previous version of free agency and the salary cap in the NFL, it’s doubtful that any team would have signed a player that couldn’t pass a physical to a contract.

But this is 2011, where presidential hopefuls mistake the anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley with his death. In the Bizarro world of the NFL in 2011, things are taking place that don’t make rational sense. Which leads us to the comparison between Smith and McKinnie.

McKinnie showed up at Winter Park in dismal shape before heading to Mankato and was summarily dismissed from the team that had him as a building block at left tackle for over the better part of the last decade. McKinnie turns 32 in September. He would be over the hill at most positions, but savvy offensive tackles are a notable exception to that rule. A top-end offensive tackle routinely plays into his mid-30s. A player at McKinnie’s age and experience could expect to have up to five years left on his career.

However, McKinnie needs someone to champion his cause. Enter Mike Tice, stage left.

Tice was the head coach when the Vikings drafted McKinnie, even though they momentarily thought they had DT Ryan Sims – in hindsight a stroke of luck that changed the franchise for the better. Tice, a former offensive line coach turned head coach, knew talent when he saw it. He was able to push McKinnie to become acclimated to the game quickly after he held out until the 11th hour to sign a rookie deal. He has been a starting left tackle ever since.

If McKinnie has any desire to reclaim his career, Tice may be the guy that can get that done. Few people in the NFL know McKinnie better than Tice and, if anyone can talk sense into him to get the most out of his potential, it might be the guy who brought him into the league.

Given their current space under the 2011 salary cap, the Bears could sign McKinnie to a team-friendly deal, put him on the PUP list and have a couple months to see if the reclamation project is worth undertaking. If it works, it could be a masterstroke for an offensive line that allowed nine sacks in its first preseason game – prompting the family of Jay Cutler to begin a prayer vigil for his health during the regular season.

We likely haven’t seen the last of McKinnie. He won’t be a Viking again, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be potentially hanging out in the NFC North this autumn.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(min.scout.com)

Bryant McKinnie still wants to play football in 2011 following a murky exit from the Minnesota Vikings due to his friendly physique. According to NFL.com's Jason La Canfora, McKinnie agent Drew Rosenhaus sent an email to teams putting the player's price tag for the upcoming season at $2.5 million. 

Bonuses included, McKinnie hasn't made that little (little!) in a season since 2003, when his cap figure reached $2.48 million.

Free agency isn't yet over by any means, and teams are finding out that their players are arriving for camp with, shall we say, injury-prone tendons and whatnot. Should a club suddenly find itself in need of a seasoned tackle, Rosenhaus might just find himself with a brand new Re: in his inbox.


(sbnation.com)

Free agent LT Bryant McKinnie reported to Vikings training camp at 386 pounds before his release.

It's not quite the rumored 400 pounds, but still an unacceptably high number for a player whose playing weight is 335. The National Football Post's Dan Pompei reports McKinnie is "so grossly out of shape that he would endanger his health by suiting up." Unless he suddenly develops an affinity for fitness he's lacked his entire career, the 32-year-old's playing days may be over.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

MANKATO, Minn. -- I came up about, oh, 85 players short Wednesday of talking to everyone on the Minnesota Vikings roster. So I can't say for sure that no one was upset by the decision to release longtime left tackle Bryant McKinnie, who reported to training camp weighing nearly 400 pounds.

Here's what I can tell you, however: Some players would have been upset if the Vikings hadn't released McKinnie.

Cornerback Antoine Winfield, for one, said he thought coach Leslie Frazier would give McKinnie a chance to get his weight and conditioning under control. But ultimately, Winfield agreed, "no one is untouchable."

Winfield added: "We all understood, everyone as professionals, that all we had to do is come in and come in shape. Coaches really had no choice but to do what they did."

The Vikings have a predominantly veteran roster, most of whom went to great lengths to stay in shape during the lockout. Winfield looked as fit and trim as ever. Left guard Steve Hutchinson said he is "in the best shape I've been in the last seven or eight years" after participating in Twin Cities workouts with six teammates. Defensive end Jared Allen, meanwhile, laughed when asked about his approach to working out this offseason.

"My philosophy is this is my job," Allen said. "This is my livelihood. You've got to assume the lockout is going to be done at some point, so it's your job to stay in shape. Everybody can find a gym."

No one blasted McKinnie nor expressed disappointment that he had left them searching for a left tackle in the first week of August. In my opinion, after watching McKinnie's immature behavior and dispassionate play for years, few of them counted him as part of the trusted core of veterans.

"You can't be mad at him," Winfield said. "I'm sure he's disappointed in himself. That's kind of embarrassing. But I think he's going to have to deal with it."

In the offseason, Winfield said, "guys do different things. Some guys relax, some guys travel. Some guys like to party. But you have to be disciplined. All you have to do is go work out, stay in some kind of shape, and perform."

McKinnie wasn't a disciplined teammate or player. That's why I don't think anyone who works as hard as Winfield, Allen or Hutchinson was really ruing his departure.

"Realistically," Hutchinson said, "if you came and showed up at camp with the hope that every player was in tip-top shape, I don't think anybody can whole-heartedly say, 'Yeah, everyone is going to be in the best shape of their life.' I'll admit, as you get older, you're not 23 years old anymore. It's hard to kind of get up maybe sometimes on your own and go run in the heat of the day, and push yourself to do the things that you would do when you're in an offseason conditioning program with all of the guys."

But that's just the point, isn't it? Hutchinson got a group together that included center John Sullivan, linebacker Heath Farwell and linebacker Chad Greenway, among others, to push each other on days when there were no conditioning coaches on top of them and no football coaches getting reports on their progress.

If you are a player who has paid the proverbial price, how much do you care about what happens to someone who didn't? And how would you have felt if that person got a free pass from training camp to do the work he should have done before it started?

You might be upset, and it's a double standard that coach Leslie Frazier avoided by quickly dispatching McKinnie. Frazier wouldn't discuss his reasoning behind the decision while speaking with reporters other than to say: "We made a decision for our organization for our organization that we thought was the best thing as we're trying to bring a world championship to Minnesota."

The Vikings could have left McKinnie on the non-football injury list for a while, hoping he would lose enough weight to regain his effectiveness by the start of the season. Frazier had a choice between extending McKinnie's career-long coddling session or standing up for the veterans who don't need or want to work in that kind of environment.

He chose the latter, and it needs no further explanation.

"Guys need to be on their jobs," Winfield said. "They're not untouchable."

Nor should they be.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

MANKATO, Minn. - The state of the Vikings' aging and regressing offensive line was a major story entering training camp. Bryant McKinnie's release Tuesday deepened the intrigue.
The Vikings ran out of patience with McKinnie, the former No. 1 draft pick whose difficulty maintaining a reasonable weight had become an issue with the front office since he arrived in Minnesota last week.
Coach Leslie Frazier is showing his muscle early in his tenure, but with the move comes risk.
A team already facing injury problems up front just gave up one of its most talented, though underperforming, pieces. Despite playing at close to 360 pounds at the end of last season, McKinnie started 131 of 132 games since being selected seventh overall in 2002 and made a Pro Bowl in 2009.
McKinnie told celebrity gossip website TMZ after being released: "I'll definitely be ready for next season. That's not even a question."
McKinnie also told TMZ that he was placed on the reserve/non-injury list Monday after doctors said his cholesterol was too high and he had to lose weight. He spent his two days in camp doing conditioning drills on the sidelines with guard Anthony Herrera, who is rehabilitating from reconstructive knee surgery.
"This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interests of our football team," Frazier said.

“Its been fun,” McKinnie wrote on Twitter.

Ultimately, dealing with McKinnie was no longer fun for Minnesota. He reportedly showed up to camp “extremely” out of shape and overweight, which forced the Vikings to place him on the “NFI” (non-football injury) list.  He was due $5.6 million in total pay for 2011 and his play had fallen off quite a bit in 2010.

Recently acquired Charlie Johnson is poised to replace McKinnie at left tackle later this week, although the Vikings might be in the market for more depth.

Fourteen unrestricted free-agent tackles remain on the open market, including Alex Barron from the Cowboys, Sean Locklear from the Seahawks and former Vikings tackle/guard Ryan Cook.

Before making the roster move, Frazier confirmed that Johnson, a former Indianapolis Colts lineman, would start practicing in McKinnie's place Thursday when free agents can start training camp with their new teams.
Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(twincities.com)

MANKATO, Minn. - Some of training camp's most pivotal moments will occur away from the action, in an empty end zone where a few orange cones rest.

Bryant McKinnie was working between those cones Monday, and he might be there for a while unless he satisfies what the Vikings are expecting from him.

Those expectations are unclear as the Vikings placed McKinnie on the non-football injury list to make sure he's "ready to play when the season rolls around."

Frazier was vague after practice about whether McKinnie has an injury or if he's concerned about something else. But when asked about the weight of McKinnie, who looks out of shape upon his return from the NFL lockout, Frazier said, "we're working on that. We're working on that."
McKinnie did not practice and spent the last part of practice running sprints between the cones with right guard Anthony Herrera, who's on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in November.

When walking off the practice field, McKinnie said he has "issues" and that conditioning would help those issues. Asked to elaborate, McKinnie said he could not discuss it further.

McKinnie is listed at 335 pounds, but his weight became an issue last season after he admitted he was closer to 360.

For insurance, the Vikings have signed former Indianapolis offensive lineman Charlie Johnson to a three-year contract. Johnson, 27, started 54 games for the Colts since 2006.

Early indications are that the 6-foot-4, 305-pound Johnson can provide depth at tackle or guard, but the Vikings also could be trying everything possible to push McKinnie, who is due $4.9 million in salary this season.

This wouldn't be the first time they tried that since the lockout was lifted in late July. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that the Vikings were making a run at New Orleans left tackle Jermon Bushrod, possibly a ploy to motivate, or even release, McKinnie.

With Herrera's uncertainty and left guard Steve Hutchinson approaching 34, the Vikings need a versatile lineman such as Johnson who can play inside or out.

Just in case.

"(McKinnie's) going to be fine," Frazier said. "We've just got to go through some things and get him ready for the things that are ahead."
Meanwhile, another high-profile Viking isn't practicing, but only for contractual reasons.

The Vikings have restructured the contract of wide receiver Bernard Berrian, who caught 28 passes last season and whose salary came with a $6-million-plus cap hit.

Berrian said he's pleased with a contract restructuring that will make him a free agent after the 2012 season. His previous deal, slated to pay him $3.9 million this season, expired after 2013.

Berrian can't practice until Thursday, when the new league year begins, because of the restructuring. Quarterback Donovan McNabb, whose deal was redone after a trade with Washington, and all Vikings free agents must wait until Thursday to hit the field.

"No, not at all," said Berrian when asked if he was upset by the thought of a restructure that often results in less money. "It was kind of up in the air. I knew in meetings they were talking about it, but when I got word from them that's when we went in and met."

Berrian declined comment on the terms of the deal, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was unavailable for comment.

After failing to score a touchdown for the first time since 2005 last season, Berrian and Frazier met about the possibilities in coordinator Bill Musgrave's new offense.

"I'm convinced that he knows this is the best place for him," Frazier said. "He knows we have some things around him, we have his best interest at heart. And he has a chance to really thrive in our offense."

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(twincities.com)

There were a few reports that emerged Thursday afternoon about the Vikings having an interest in Saints free-agent left tackle Jermon Bushrod.

The buzz about this didn't last long as the Saints were able to retain Bushrod by agreeing to a two-year contract. However, it did seem curious the Vikings were even mentioned. Minnesota has many needs and current left tackle Bryant McKinnie's play can be inconsistent, but in the free-agent frenzy of this week offensive tackle does not seem to be an area the Vikings should be spending a lot of time on.

That is unless they are looking for some type of leverage when it comes to McKinnie and his contract situation. The Vikings and all other NFL teams are going to need to be in compliance with the $120.3 million salary cap by Aug. 4, and it's likely the Minnesota brass is going to get creative to clear as much cap space as possible.

Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings vice president of football operations, is one of the best when it comes to the cap, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him exploring any means necessary to get this done. The Vikings started this process Thursday by releasing safety Madieu Williams (that move is believed to have saved the Vikings about $3.5 million in 2011 cap room) and defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy ($250,000).

The assumption has been -- and still should be -- that the Vikings are going to need to extend the contracts (and lessen the 2011 cap hits) of running back Adrian Peterson and linebacker Chad Greenway.

But McKinnie could be a prime candidate to have his contract re-worked, along with wide receiver Bernard Berrian. Both are clients of agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

McKinnie, who is entering his 10th NFL season, signed a seven-year, $48.5 million extension in September 2006 that included $17.25 million in new guarantees. It was a major investment and sometimes McKinnie is worth it.

McKinnie's cap number for this season is $5.4 million and he has a base salary of $4.9 million with a $500,000 roster bonus. His base salaries for the final two seasons of the contract (2012 and 2013) are $4.5 million and $4.0 million with cap numbers of $6.5 million in each year.

Could the Vikings be trying to alter those figures? Some of that may depend on what new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and offensive line coach Jeff Davidson think of McKinnie and have told coach Leslie Frazier and vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman.

It just seems interesting that the name of a left tackle would suddenly come up if the Vikings were completely content with McKinnie at his current price.

Click here to order Bryant McKinnie’s proCane Rookie Card.


(startribune.com)

You know, I hate to keep hammering on the series that Pro Football Focus is doing on pass blocking, but it flies so directly in the face of what I and so many others said about the Minnesota offensive line during the course of the season that I can't help but do it. It's got a Rosemary's Baby sort of appeal. . .I just can't look away from it.

Today the folks at PFF have started getting into individual pass blocking numbers, starting with offensive tackles. Now, I know what you're thinking. . ."Okay, how awful were Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt, exactly?" The answer is "not nearly as bad as we all think they were."

The formula that PFF uses to compute their "Pass Blocking Efficiency" looks like this:

((Sacks + (0.75 * Hits) + (0.75 * Hurries)) / Pass Pro Snaps) * 100

So, starting over on the left side with Bryant McKinnie, PFF gives him a Pass Blocking Efficiency rating of 4.57 (lower numbers are better, in this case). That puts him in the top ten in left offensive tackles in the NFL, tying him with Chad Clifton. . .who, if you buy into the stupid, non-sensical list that the NFL Network has been running for the past couple of months, is one of the top 100 players at any position in the NFL. Don't get me wrong, we know that McKinnie gets beat. . .and usually when he gets beaten, he gets beaten badly (see also: Corey Wootton damn near decapitating Brett Favre during last year's game at TCF Bank Stadium), but most of the time he's actually not that bad.

Now it's entirely possible that you're saying to yourself, "Okay, so McKinnie might not be terrible. . .but Phil Loadholt was a disaster, wasn't he?" Well. . .not really. His PBE in 2010 was 5.14, which puts him at 14th, or in the top half of offensive right tackles in the NFL. Given that Loadholt suffered a pretty serious shoulder injury at the end of 2009, played through it, had surgery in the off-season and wasn't able to lift weights until a week or so before 2010's training camp got started, his drop-off in performance from a pretty good rookie season is understandable. As long as he doesn't suffer anything significant this off-season or anything, I would expect the 2011 Loadholt to be closer to the 2009 version than the 2010 version.

Tomorrow, PFF is going to bring us the interior lineman rankings. . .and I'm afraid that this is where it could start getting a bit ugly for our favorite team.


(dailynorsemen.com)