BALTIMORE RAVENS ROOST #64

BALTIMORE RAVENS ROOST #64

Welcome to the Columbia Ravens Roost!

This is the homepage for the Columbia Ravens Roost. On this page you will find all the information needed to join this roost and learn what we are all about. We meet once a month at TGIFridays in Columbia. We always have a good turnout of fans and members and always have a great time. Come and join us when we have a meeting and get inside one of the greatest fan clubs in the area!

*ATTENTION* Our next meeting is on March 17th at TGI Fridays in Columbia. 12pm sharp! Be there to help us plan our next roost function.

Ravens News

03/07/02

Art The following is a letter from owner Art Modell to Ravens' season ticket holders, addressing issues surrounding the 2002 team.

Dear Season Ticket Holder:

Im sure some of you had questions about our thought process when we recently released a good number of veteran players who helped us win Super Bowl XXXV and were instrumental in getting us back to the playoffs last season. And you deserve answers from us.

As we studied our team during the 1999 season, we decided that if we kept the core of those players, drafted well again in 2000 and signed a couple of key free agents, we could be a Super Bowl favorite by the 2001 season. Frankly, we thought we would be better in 2001 than 2000, but you saw what a couple of key injuries could do to a master plan last season.

We realized that contractual commitments we made in 99, 00 and 01 were going to put us significantly over the salary cap for the 2002 season. We felt it was worth the risk, and it worked. Our 27-11 record over the last two seasons is second only to the Rams 26-10 in 2000 and 2001.

So, where does that put the Ravens today and in the upcoming seasons? It definitely means we will be a younger team this year. It also means that we will be in very good shape with our cap entering the 2003 offseason. Does that mean we cant compete at a high level this year? No. Well need to stay healthy, and well need young players like Todd Heap, Travis Taylor, Edgerton Hartwell and Gary Baxter to step up. Theyll line up with championship quality players like Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Chris McAlister, Peter Boulware, Edwin Mulitalo, Mike Flynn and Jamal Lewis, to name a few.

Importantly, the Ravens have an organizational structure that knows how to win at the championship and playoff levels. I consider Ozzie Newsome and his scouting staff and Brian Billick and his coaches to be the best in the NFL. We know how to find talented players, and we know how to coach them to higher levels.

Our ride back to the top will be exciting, and it will be filled with compelling games played out by energetic and talented players. Your support and passion over the last six years has been wonderful, and we thank you for that.

Sincerely,

ABM

03/07/02

Ravens' DE Adalius Thomas received the Ed Block Courage Award on behalf of S Corey Harris, who could not attend the 24th annual event due to family emergency. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation's event took place at Martin's West in Baltimore.

A recipient from each of the 31 NFL teams received an Ed Block Courage Award. Each March for the past 17 years, the Foundation has honored one player from each NFL team who, in the eyes of his teammates, exemplifies a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.

03/07/02

Important dates
March 1:Veteran free agency signing period and trading period begins.
April 15:Signing period ends for restricted free agents.
April 19: Deadline for right of first refusal to restricted free agents.
April 20-21: NFL Draft
June 1: Deadline to send tender to unsigned unrestricted and restricted free agents.
July 22: Signing period ends for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender

03/07/02

Glossary
Restricted free agent: A player who has completed 3 accrued seasons and has an expired contract. A team can match other teams' offers for RFAs and retain them with "right of first refusal."
Unrestricted free agent: A player has completed 4 or more accrued seasons has an expired contract.
Accrued season: Consists of at least six regular-season games where the player is on the club's inactive/active, reserved-injured or "physically unable to perform list."
Salary cap: The maximum a team can spend on salaries and benefits in a capped year.

03/07/02

Elvis has left the building. Unfortunately for the Ravens, his cap number has not.

Ravens coach Brian Billick said yesterday that the Ravens are limited in their attempt to re-sign free-agent cornerback Duane Starks because quarterback Elvis Grbac refused to agree to a $5 million pay cut last week.

03/03/02

Elvis has left the profession


	Grbac

Elvis Grbac's agent, Jim Steiner, told ESPN.com's John Clayton that the free-agent quarterback is retiring. Grbac, 31, did not want to ask his wife and three kids to move to another city and decided it was time to call it quits after nine NFL seasons. The Ravens' released Grbac on Friday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a restructured contract. Grbac was willing to take a $3.5 million paycut, but the Ravens wanted him to go from a total of $7.5 million this season to $2.5 million. Steiner negotiated with the Bengals on Saturday and Cincinnati offered more than $3.5 million, but it wasn't enough to convince Grbac to continue his career.

03/03/02

Chopping block


	Will Sharpe end up in the Big Apple?

More than $20 million over the salary cap in mid-February, the Ravens completed their purge on Feb. 28, waiving Pro Bowlers Shannon Sharpe and Rod Woodson along with five other starters. Sharpe is the NFL's all-time leader for tight ends in catches and yards and Woodson was named to the league's 75th Anniversary Team at cornerback before making the switch to safety. But age and high salary cap tags ended their days in Baltimore. The Giants will be one of the teams interested in signing Sharpe, the New York Post reported. The Ravens also waived receiver Qadry Ismail, fullback Sam Gash, defensive end Rob Burnett, tackle Kipp Vickers and defensive tackles Larry Webster and Sam Adams. Defensive tackle Tony Siragusa had already announced his retirement.

02/28/02

OUCH!

Player lost
	LB Jamie Sharper (Texans)
	WR Jermaine Lewis (Texans)
	TE Shannon Sharpe (released)
	WR Qadry Ismail (released)
	DB Rod Woodson (released)
	FB Sam Gash (released)
	DE Rob Burnett (released)
	DT Larry Webster (released)
	DT Tony Siragusa (released)
	OT Kipp Vickers (released)
	OT Leon Searcy (contract voided)
	DT Sam Adams (contract voided)
	QB Elvis Grbac (released)

Roost Information

Well we sold roughly about $500 bones for our raffle. Not great but good for our first time I would say. We will be trying to contact a Raven player to donate the check for us to Bear Tracks.

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