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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Ravens in 2012.

Dream scenario (13-3): The Ravens come back more motivated after falling a couple of plays short of getting to the Super Bowl. Baltimore takes care of its biggest distractions before the season by signing quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice to long-term deals. The Ravens go on to produce the best record in the AFC and have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Flacco backs up his claim of being an elite quarterback and finally takes control of the offense. He has a reputation makeover similar to the one Eli Manning had. Flacco gets help in the passing game with wide receiver Torrey Smith and tight end Ed Dickson, who stretch the field even more in their second seasons as starters. Rookie second-round pick Kelechi Osemele is able to make the transition from college tackle to left guard, which is the biggest question mark on the Ravens' offensive line.

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs gives the defense a big boost when the NFL's reigning defensive player of the year is able to return in early November from an Achilles injury. Rookie second-round pick Courtney Upshaw steps up to replace Jarret Johnson as the team's edge setter on run defense. And Baltimore shuts down some of the best wide receivers in the NFL with the league's most impressive pair of cornerbacks in Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith.

Nightmare scenario (7-9): Baltimore can't shake the crushing loss in the AFC Championship Game and fails to make the playoffs for the first time in the John Harbaugh era. The injury to Suggs is too tough to overcome, and Rice isn't the same player after skipping offseason workouts and training camp. Not being at the top of their game hurts the Ravens, who have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL.

The offensive line shows some cracks with declining left tackle Bryant McKinnie and overhyped right tackle Michael Oher. Center Matt Birk begins to show his age (he turns 36 in July), and Baltimore fails to adequately replace Pro Bowl left guard Ben Grubbs. The lack of consistency up front puts more pressure on Flacco, who is forced to rush and throws more interceptions than he has in the past. Anquan Boldin watches his receptions decrease for a third straight season, and Torrey Smith drops more deep passes than he catches.

Defensively, Suggs is able to return late in the season but he doesn't have the explosiveness to be effective. The Ravens drop out of the top 10 in defense for the first time since 2002 because Paul Kruger can't replace Suggs, Ray Lewis' play slows down with his age (he's 37) and Ed Reed stays in a funk because he's unhappy with his contract.

Defense has been the big brother on the Baltimore Ravens for more than the past decade. It's been the one responsible for hard-fought wins, playoff victories and even a Super Bowl title.

Now, linebacker Ray Lewis is 37. Safety Ed Reed "isn't committed" to football this year. And linebacker Terrell Suggs, the best defensive player in the game last season, is out for an extended period with an Achilles injury.

The Ravens can't lean on their defense any longer. It's unfair to ask these defenders to hold teams to 16.6 points per game like last season. If the Ravens want to reach the playoffs for a fifth straight season, the offense has to take charge.

Being an average offense isn't going to cut it. The pressure is on for the Ravens to produce more points and yards than they've done the past 14 years, and quarterback Joe Flacco says he wouldn't want it any other way.

"I hope it does put more pressure on us," Flacco said. "I feel like we need that pressure. I feel like I want that pressure on us. I feel like we need to become a better offense and we need to become somebody that goes out there and puts points on the board week in and week out and is really responsible for winning a lot of games. If it does put pressure on us, I’m all for it."

You have to wonder if Flacco relishes the pressure. He certainly seems to invite it. Flacco is heading into the final year of his contract and is coming off an offseason in which he declared himself the best quarterback in the league.

To his credit, Flacco has played his best when faced with pressure situations. He's won in Pittsburgh the past two years with touchdown passes in the final 32 seconds of the game. He would've thrown the winning pass in the AFC Championship Game if Lee Evans had held onto the ball.

No one can accuse Flacco for lacking confidence. He's played with a chip on his shoulder since coming to the NFL from the University of Delaware, which Flacco himself called the "minor leagues of college football." Then, in early April, Flacco was asked if he was a top-five quarterback. His response: "I don’t think I’m the top five, I think I’m the best."

Flacco has since said the comments have been blown out of proportion. But he has never backed down from them. Maybe this is Flacco's way of putting more pressure on himself.

"I believe I'm the best at what I do," Flacco said this week. "I’m not comparing myself to anybody, but I do believe in myself. Just like anybody else that has any pride or feels like they want to be the best would say. What do you want me to say? I’m mediocre. I’d rather take criticism for believing that I’m the best than saying, ‘I’m probably somewhere in the middle of the pack.’ That’s kind of crazy to me."

The reality is Baltimore has been a middle-of-the-pack offense despite its talent. The Ravens have the league leader in total yards in running back Ray Rice. They have one of the most prolific wide receivers in NFL history in Anquan Boldin (the fastest player ever to 400, 500 and 600 catches in a career) and an emerging deep threat in Torrey Smith (five of his seven touchdowns covered at least 25 yards). Their fullback is a Pro Bowl player (Vonta Leach), their two offensive tackles are former first-round picks (Bryant McKinnie and Michael Oher) and their right guard (Marshal Yanda) is perhaps the best at his position.

"We just continue to keep getting better every year, and we flashed some really good things last year," Yanda said. "We just need to be more consistent. I think we’ve flashed tools to be the No. 1 offense."

The problem is their potential hasn't led to production. Baltimore has never had an offense ranked higher than 13th since Vinny Testaverde left in 1998. In four seasons with Flacco and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the offense has ranked 18th, 13th, 22nd and 15th.

"Those are some names that should make this offense more than just a par-for-average offense," said Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL defensive lineman and current ESPN analyst. "This is an offense that is 15th-ranked and should be better than that."

Some might say the Ravens have underachieved because they haven't been put in a position where they've needed to be aggressive. With one of the best defenses every year, Baltimore knows a win is virtually assured when it scores more than two touchdowns. In fact, the Ravens have won 82 percent of their games (46-10 record) since 2008 when they score more than 14 points.

That mindset has to change with Suggs out of the lineup and an imposing schedule that features seven quarterbacks who have totaled 22 Pro Bowls and six Super Bowl titles: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton.

The Ravens have to think touchdowns instead of field goals. They have to attack downfield instead of worrying about a turnover. The Ravens' playoff hopes rest on the offense getting out of the passenger seat and living up to the expectations of being a top-10 one in the league.

"You definitely want to be that," Flacco said. "I think we have the ability to be that. It's just a matter of making our mind up and having the confidence to do that."

The Ravens and running back Ray Rice continue to talk, which is a positive sign. But the sides have not made any progress toward a new deal, a source familiar with the talks told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The deadline for Rice and the Ravens to strike a new deal is 56 days away. If he doesn't sign a contract by July 16, he will play under the $7.7 million franchise tag.

The fact that there's been a lack of progress shows the struggle to find a middle ground. Rice probably believes he deserves a contract closer to the one given to the Titans' Chris Johnson (six years with $30 million guaranteed). In fact, Rice has had more total yards over the past three years than Johnson.

But the Ravens are likely trying to get the money closer to the deals recently signed by Arian Foster (five years, $43.5 million with $20.75 million guaranteed) and LeSean McCoy (five-year, $45 million with $20.76 million guaranteed). Baltimore can argue that is now the market value for running backs.

Until the sides can bridge a $10 million difference in the guaranteed money, there will be no progress made toward a new deal.

There's little sense in taking the bait when San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh tells a radio program Michael Crabtree "has the best hands I've ever seen on a wide receiver."

Anyone with a strong grasp of NFL history would place Cris Carter, Raymond Berry and Steve Largent on a short list for receivers with the surest hands.

Hall of Famer Ken Houston, speaking for a 2008 piece on all-time great wideouts, stood up for AFL stars Otis Taylor and Lionel Taylor.

"Lionel Taylor, I mean, he would catch a BB," Houston said.

Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, speaking for the same piece, said Randy Moss, then with New England, had the best hands in the NFL at that time (2008).

"A lot of guys can catch," Thompson said then. "He can catch on any platform, as we say in scouting. He can adjust and catch it over the top of somebody's head, catch it falling down, and it doesn't matter if he is covered."

With Moss now on the 49ers, it is possible Crabtree does not posses the best hands among wide receivers on his own team.

Oops. I wasn't going to take the bait on this one, but now it's too late. Time to regroup.

Bottom line, I suspect Crabtree has impressed Harbaugh this offseason, and Harbaugh would like that to continue for as long as possible. By offering such strong public praise for Crabtree, Harbaugh is setting a standard for Crabtree to meet this season. He realizes Crabtree has the ability to meet that standard, or else he wouldn't make the statement.

We should all recall Harbaugh's calling quarterback Alex Smith "elite" and promoting him for the Pro Bowl last season. Then as now, Harbaugh was standing up for his guy. Smith enjoyed the finest season of his career and even outplayed the truly elite Drew Brees at times during the 49ers' playoff victory over New Orleans. The way Harbaugh backed Smith played a role in that performance, in my view.

Back to Crabtree. He has the ability to rank among the most sure-handed receivers in the game. He has not yet earned that status, but now he has little choice, right?

As the chart shows, Crabtree finished the 2011 season with 12.2 receptions per drop, which ranked 28th in the NFL among players targeted at least 100 times. Larry Fitzgerald led the NFL with 80 receptions and only one drop. Those numbers are according to ESPN Stats & Information, which defines drops as "incomplete passes where the receiver should have caught the pass with ordinary effort."

Crabtree suffered six drops last season by that standard, a few too many for the player with the best hands his head coach has ever seen on a wide receiver.

The Eagles signed running back LeSean McCoy to a five-year, $45 million extension Thursday evening, $20.76 million of which is guaranteed. This continues to provide a framework of the market value for running backs, but this deal might not accelerate the signing of Ravens running back Ray Rice.

The problem is the disparity between the tiers for running backs. McCoy's deal is in line with the second tier like the Texans' Arian Foster (five years, $43.5 million, with $20.75 million guaranteed). But Rice could be shooting for the top tier that includes the Vikings' Adrian Peterson (seven years with $36 million guaranteed) and the Titans' Chris Johnson (six years with $30 million guaranteed).

What will likely get a deal done is finding a middle ground. Rice doesn't belong at the top of the pay scale because he hasn't averaged 13 rushing touchdowns over five seasons like Peterson and he doesn't have a 2,000-yard rushing season on his resume like Johnson.

But, based on the statistics, Rice deserves to get paid more than Foster and McCoy. In his three seasons as the featured back, Rice has produced 5,885 total yards, an average of 1,962 yards per season. That tops the three-year total yards by Foster (4,411) and McCoy (4,241).

That's why a five-year extension with $25 million guaranteed would be a fair deal for Rice.

Rice is currently scheduled to make $7.7 million this season as the Ravens' franchise player. If the sides can't reach a new deal by July 16, Rice will have to play this season under the tag.

He has yet to sign his tender and could skip training camp. Keeping in shape while working out on his own is not a concern for Rice.

"Training is something that I never worried about," Rice told the Carroll County (Md.) Times last weekend. "It's something that you got to want. I actually have the burning to desire to come back, not only for myself, but to come back ready to play. My training has always been part of my routine."

Rice has been training with former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.

"Nobody ever had to beat me in the head to get up and work out," Rice said. "Anybody who knows about my workout regimen, I've probably been through two before noon. Training has never been my issues but obviously, the team camaraderie, the lockout and all that stuff, that's the stuff that you kind of miss with the guys. But as far as being ready, I know I'll be ready."

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice still hasn't signed his franchise tag and apparently doesn't plan to do so for a while. He is not alone.

Of the 21 players who received the franchise tag, 12 remain unsigned. Raiders safety Tyvon Branch signed his franchise tender Monday, becoming only the sixth player to do so. Three players (Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Colts defensive end Robert Mathis and Giants punter Steve Weatherford) did what all franchise players hope to do -- reach long-term deals with their teams.

Franchise players have until July 16 to sign new deals with their teams or they'll play the season under their tag. Here's the updates on the 21 players who received the franchise tag:

QB Drew Brees, Saints: Remains unsigned. Reportedly no progress in talks for long-term deal.

RB Matt Forte, Bears: Remains unsigned. Skipped first voluntary workouts.

RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

WR DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Signed five-year, $47 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed.

WR Wes Welker, Patriots: Remains unsigned. Welker said he's "probably not going to" attend mandatory minicamp in June.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Remains unsigned. Chiefs reportedly have no intentions of trading him.

TE Fred Davis, Redskins: Signed his franchise tender of $5.446 million on March 16.

DL Cliff Avril, Lions: Remains unsigned. Sides reportedly are at an impasse in contract talks.

DE Calais Campbell, Cardinals: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

DE-LB Robert Mathis, Colts: Signed four-year, $36 million contract that includes $15 million signing bonus.

LB Anthony Spencer, Cowboys: Signed his franchise tender of $8.856 million last month.

CB Brent Grimes, Falcons: Signed his franchise tender of $10.281 million last month after reports surfaced that the Falcons were interested in trading for Asante Samuel.

S Tyvon Branch, Raiders: Signed his franchise tender of $6.212 million on Monday.

S Dashon Goldson, 49ers: Remains unsigned.

S Michael Griffin, Titans: Remains unsigned. Plans to sign injury waiver and attend offseason workouts.

K Connor Barth, Buccaneers: Remains unsigned. Didn't attend start of voluntary workouts.

K Phil Dawson, Browns: Signed franchise tender of $3.81 million on March 13.

K Mike Nugent, Bengals: Signed his franchise tender of $2.654 million last month.

K Matt Prater, Broncos: Remains unsigned.

K Josh Scobee, Jaguars: Remains unsigned. Talks have reportedly stalled between the two sides.

P Steve Weatherford, Giants: Signed a five-year, $12.75 million contract.

TAMPA, Fla. -- General manager Mark Dominik and coach Greg Schiano just spoke about Boise State running back Doug Martin, who they drafted with the 31^st overall pick Thursday night.

Funny, but they described him pretty much the way they did when talking about Alabama safety Mark Barron, who they took at No. 7 overall. They described him as a leader, team captain and a guy who played for a very successful college program. In other words, he fits the profile of the new "Buccaneer Man."

That’s great. The Bucs needed to add things like character and leadership. They also needed to add something to a backfield that had LeGarrette Blount and not much else.

Schiano used the phrases “all-around back’’ and “the totality of what he can do’’ in describing Martin. That’s significant. Blount has some good qualities (power running), but struggled as a pass blocker and receiver the past two seasons. Schiano also used the term “three-down back’’ about Martin. In other words, Blount will still have a role, but Martin is going to spend more time on the field.

Schiano smiled as he was asked if Martin reminded him of Baltimore’s Ray Rice, who he coached at Rutgers.

“I do see some of it,’’ Schiano said. “To tell you the truth I do. I see a guy who runs hard and plays hard.’’

There was one other ulterior motive in giving up their second-round choice and a fourth-round pick in return for the right to take Martin at the end of the first round, while sliding down to later in the fourth round.

Dominik pointed to the new collective bargaining agreement. In that, first-round picks can sign five-year contracts. Players taken after the first round can’t sign deals longer than four years.

Sounds like the Bucs are planning on having Martin around for a long time.

This is the time of the offseason when the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers shine. They build the foundation for Super Bowl-contending teams by finding players in April and not in March.

When it comes to drafting Pro Bowl players, the Ravens and Steelers rank among the top four since 1996, according to the Ravens' public-relations department. Baltimore and Pittsburgh have each selected 15 Pro Bowl players during that span, tied for third-most in the league. Only the New England Patriots (17) and Green Bay Packers (16) have produced more.

The secret to the Ravens' and Steelers' drafting success is establishing a vision of what type of player fits their teams. That philosophy comes from the stability of the organizations. Ozzie Newsome has been the Ravens' chief decision-maker since the team relocated to Baltimore in 1996, and Kevin Colbert has been the Steelers' general manager since 2000. The teams each have had two head coaches (Mike Tomlin and Bill Cowher for the Steelers, and John Harbaugh and Brian Billick for the Ravens) for the previous 13 seasons.

That type of cohesion builds a relationship to the point where the scouting department knows what players the coaches want. The front office has insight on what players succeed in their teams' offensive and defensive systems.

"I think that's one of the enjoyable things about Pittsburgh," Tomlin said at the Steelers' pre-draft press conference this week. "We don't get caught up in draft grades and the evaluation of the draft, and things of that nature like a lot of other things that could distract you. It's simply measured in terms of how we perform."

The Steelers have drafted four Pro Bowl players in the past five years: linebacker LaMarr Woodley (2007), wide receiver Mike Wallace (2009), center Maurkice Pouncey (2010) and receiver-returner Antonio Brown (2010).

Last season, seven of the Ravens' eight Pro Bowl players were drafted by the team: inside linebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, running back Ray Rice and guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda.

This type of consistent success is more amazing when you consider the level of difficulty. The Steelers and Ravens are finding these Pro Bowl players despite annually picking toward the bottom of each round.

These division rivals don't like each other, but they tend to like the same type of player. The Ravens and Steelers target tough, physical and competitive players.

“His motor in the fourth quarter is really, really important,” Ravens director of player of personnel Eric DeCosta said. “A lot of the guys who impress me are the guys who are getting their butts kicked in the fourth quarter, losing by 20, 25 points, and he’s still making plays or trying to make plays."

DeCosta added, "How does a guy tackle? If it’s a cornerback, does he face up and use his facemask? Does he bring you down? Does he miss a lot of tackles? If he’s a running back, does he run through contact? Does he lower his pads and try to break tackles? You get a sense. When you talk to people, you get a sense. Then when you interview a guy, you get a sense for his toughness.”

The true measure of draft success isn't the number of Pro Bowl players produced. There is a higher standard.

"Super Bowl championships," Colbert said. "That's it. There is no scorecard. Never will be, never has been."

The Baltimore Ravens may have contract issues with Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, the NFL is getting closer to removing kickoffs, and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark says he wants to be the first black head coach at LSU.

In a move that should surprise no one, running back Ray Rice won't report Monday when the Ravens' voluntary offseason workouts begin, a source told the NFL Network.

This would have been bigger news if Rice had decided to show up Monday. Rice has yet to sign his franchise tag and isn't expected to do so anytime soon.

He recently expressed a desire to attend the workouts, but this is strictly a smart business decision. By putting the tag on Rice, the Ravens are only on the hook for this season. The team has given no long-term security to Rice, so why should he risk long-term consequences by participating in any team-related activity this spring?

Rice's absence shouldn't hurt the team even if it extends into training camp. He has always reported to camp in shape, so there's no concern about his conditioning. This is also Rice's fifth season in the same offensive system, which means he won't be behind in the playbook once he returns.

Ravens officials have been resigned to the fact that Rice would skip the workouts.

"Up until a guy actually signs his franchise tender, he's not under contract and we're not even allowed to ask him to our mandatory minicamp," general manager Ozzie Newsome said earlier this month. "We understand those things and lived them through [Terrell] Suggs, Chris [McAlister] and even Wally Williams. We've experienced that before. Would Coach [John] Harbaugh want 100 percent participation in every offseason program and every OTA and every minicamp? Yes he would. But he knows that unrealistic also."

The date to watch isn't Monday. It's July 16. That's the deadline for teams to reach long-term deals with players who received the franchise tag. Otherwise, Rice will play the entire season under the tag, which pays him $7.7 million this season.

In related news, cornerback Cary Williams is also expected to be a no-show Monday, according to the NFL Network. Williams, a restricted free agent, is in talks for a new deal with the team.

This is hardly news. He is still recovering from hip surgery and he wouldn't be able to participate even if he wanted to do so. Unlike Rice, it's in Williams' best interest to report as soon as he can. His absence only increases the likelihood that Jimmy Smith takes over the starting job next to Lardarius Webb.

Outside linebacker Keith Rivers, who was traded today to the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick, wasn't the only disappointment in the Bengals' 2008 draft class.

Cincinnati failed to find a long-term impact player out of its 10 picks that year. Rivers, the ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft, finished with the most starts in this class with 33, and the only players that remain with the team are two backups: defensive tackle Pat Sims (third round), and offensive tackle Anthony Collins (fourth round).

Wide receiver Jerome Simpson (second round) produced a career-high 50 catches last season as the team's No. 2 wide receiver, but he now faces 15 days in a Kentucky jail after pleading guilty to a drug charge. The Bengals haven't ruled out bringing him back.

Wide receiver Andre Caldwell (third round) showed promise in 2009 when he made a career-best 51 catches. But he followed that up with a combined 61 receptions the past two seasons. Caldwell signed this offseason with the Denver Broncos.

There were two players -- defensive tackle Jason Shirley (fifth round) and safety Corey Lynch (sixth round) -- who played a handful of games for Cincinnati before going elsewhere for reserve roles. Shirley played last season for Carolina, and Lynch was with Tampa Bay.

The last three players taken in the Bengals' 2008 draft -- tight end Matt Sherry (sixth), defensive end Angelo Craig (seventh) and wide receiver Mario Urritia (seventh) -- never played a regular-season game for Cincinnati and are out of the league.

In comparison, the Ravens drafted quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice that season, and the Pittsburgh Steelers selected running back Rashard Mendenhall. Even the Browns, who had limited picks after trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, got underrated defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin in the sixth round.

There's only a week remaining for a team to sign restricted free agent Mike Wallace to an offer sheet. It doesn't seem like Wallace is going anywhere, but there's still a question of when he plans to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wallace doesn't intend to sign his restricted free-agent tender, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. That's a strong indication that he won't show up for Pittsburgh's offseason workouts unless he gets a long-term deal. If he doesn't sign his tender, he can't be fined for missing any offseason training activities because he's technically not under contract.

The next date to circle for Wallace is June 15. That's the deadline for Wallace to sign his tender or risk losing a lot of money. If Wallace remains unsigned by June 15, the Steelers can reduce his tender to 110 percent of last year's salary and still retain his rights. No team can sign Wallace to an offer sheet at that point because that deadline would have passed. Wallace's tender of $2.742 million can get cut to $577,500 -- a loss of $2.1 million. So, if Wallace wants to make a stand, the Steelers can take a bigger one.

All the Steelers have to do is notify Wallace of this possibility in a letter leading up to that deadline. This is what happened in 2010 to guard Logan Mankins in New England and wide receiver Vincent Jackson in San Diego. They chose not to sign their tenders to protest the restricted free-agency rules in the uncapped season and reported to their teams two months into the regular season.

I don't see Wallace taking it this far. He wants to show his displeasure for not getting a long-term deal, and he can do so by skipping most of the offseason workouts. The Steelers would prefer to have their No. 1 wide receiver at these practices because it's their first season under offensive coordinator Todd Haley, but it's more important that Wallace is there in training camp.

Everyone will know whether Wallace plans on showing up for training camp by June 15. That will reveal whether the sides are in for a long standoff. Again, I don't see that happening. When the time comes in June, Wallace should sign his tender, play this season for $2.7 million and get ready for free agency in 2013 if he doesn't have a new deal from the Steelers.

The Baltimore Ravens' Joe Flacco created a stir last week when he said he thinks he is "the best" quarterback in the NFL.

When asked about those comments, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh never said Flacco was the best quarterback in the NFL but he made it clear he wants to help his quarterback reach that level.

"I will stand behind him and I think I understood what he was saying but sometimes you shrug your shoulders and you just have to laugh and say ‘all right let’s go prove it then,'" Harbaugh told a Baltimore radio station, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "If that’s how we feel about it, then let’s go prove it. Let’s make them acknowledge that. We have not obviously done that yet and I think that’s what Joe is saying so I’m going to work as hard as I can so that a year or two or three from now the rest of the world can actually say ‘you know what maybe he was right, maybe he is the best quarterback out there.’ That’s our job, that’s Joe’s job and that’s what we need to work on doing.”

I think everyone can agree Flacco isn't the best quarterback in the NFL. But I think everyone can also agree Flacco will have a tough time reaching that elite status in the Ravens' current system. The best quarterbacks in the NFL -- Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger -- carry their teams week after week and to Super Bowls. They win games with their arms and rarely have to share the spotlight with a running back.

The Ravens don't consistently have to rely on Flacco that same way because they have Ray Rice. Last season, Rice accounted for 38 percent of the team's offense, leading Baltimore in rushing (1,364 yards) and catches (76, which is 19 more than any other Raven). If the Ravens really wanted to help Flacco, they could loosen the reins on him a little bit. Of course, Flacco has to earn that right by becoming more consistent and avoid dud games like the ones against the Jets and Jaguars last season.

Like I wrote on the blog last week, Flacco said these words and it's up to him to back them up. And there are ways Flacco can elevate himself into the conversation of being a top quarterback. He beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh last year with a last-minute touchdown throw. He nearly led the Ravens to the Super Bowl if Lee Evans didn't have the ball stripped away in the end zone.

So, Flacco can distinguish himself when he comes through in the clutch and in the playoffs. That's where quarterbacks shine. But there's an increased level of difficulty to reach the top tier of quarterbacks when you play with a top-tier running back.

Harbaugh, though, admires Flacco's self-confidence and honesty.

"He’s not really interested in I don’t think in finessing an answer in a way that we all, we know what he was saying but then they parse it and take the part and say ‘Joe Flacco thinks he’s the best quarterback in football,'" Harbaugh said. "Joe Flacco is working to be the best quarterback in football and in his mind he’s capable of being that. That’s what he is saying. I don’t know. Joe is Joe, we do talk to him about that, but you have to love Joe, you have to love his mindset, his attitude, he’s a fierce competitor, I’ve always said that and he’s our quarterback and I love the guy."

Here are other topics covered by Harbaugh in the interview:

• Ravens safety Ed Reed, who is entering the final year of his contract, said he has been unable to get a new deal from the Ravens. Harbaugh said he isn't concerned about Reed's future in Baltimore. “Obviously we have utmost respect for Ed, he and I have a tremendous relationship," Harbaugh said. "We’ve been texting back and forth, it’s been really positive, I know he is working really hard because he always does and last year I thought he was in the best shape of his whole career, at least the career I’ve seen, the last four years let me say that. He was in tremendous shape, he played very, very well, and I agree with him, I think he has plenty of years left to play and the rest of it is part of the business part of it and that’s part of the way it goes. That stuff has a way of working itself out so I’m not worried about it that way.”
• The Ravens are also in talks on a long-term deal with Rice, who received the franchise tag. Asked whether he would be surprised if a new deal doesn't get worked out with Rice, Harbaugh said, “I’d be surprised, not be surprised and you get to the point where you’re not surprised by anything. It’s the business part of it and you just don’t know which way it’s going to turn. Ray’s got to do and his agents and his representatives have to try to do the best they can for Ray. That’s got to fit within what is smart for us to put the best team together in the end because the team, the team, the team does apply to your salary cap situation. You have to build the strongest team that you possibly can for the resources that they give you. Obviously you have to pay your best players, your most productive guys as well as you possibly can. We want everybody to make as much money as they can, that’s the American way but there are limitations and parameters there and hopefully we can come out to the best possible answer.”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Ravens have the 29th pick in the NFL draft, so there's not a lot of drama surrounding the team's first-round pick. Here are my impressions from Baltimore's pre-draft press conference:

• The Ravens are open to trading up or down in the first round, and their history suggests they will do it again. Over the past four drafts, Baltimore has made a trade in the first round three times and nearly did it for a fourth straight year if not for the draft-day debacle with the Bears last year. The Ravens, though, won't trade up more than 10 spots. “It’s really who the player is and who the other players are around him,” said Eric DeCosta, Baltimore’s director of player personnel. “You’ll never see us trade up to get a player unless we think clearly he’s by far he’s the best player there.”

• General manager Ozzie Newsome was honest when he named the team's biggest draft needs: offensive line, wide receiver, depth in the pass rush and strong-side linebacker. Even though coach John Harbaugh once again spoke about how Jah Reid can take over at left guard, I'm thinking the Ravens want a highly rated prospect like Georgia's Cordy Glenn to fall to them. When asked about interior linemen, DeCosta mentioned four names: Glenn, Stanford guard David DeCastro, Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler and Wisconsin center-guard Peter Konz.

• The Ravens acknowledged they probably won't sign another player in free agency until after the draft. Baltimore only has $1.7 million in salary-cap room (third smallest in the NFL), but Newsome said that won't stop them from making a move. "Regardless of what the number we are at the cap, we have a plan," Newsome said. "We talk about the cap every day. If there is a good player that can come in and help our football team, we will be able to fit him under our cap."

• Baltimore officials appear resigned to the fact that running back Ray Rice won't be attending any offseason team activities. Rice, who has yet to sign his franchise tag, said yesterday that he hasn't decided if he will skip team workouts. "Up until a guy actually signs his franchise tender, he's not under contract and we're not even allowed to ask him to our mandatory minicamp," Newsome said. "We understand those things and lived them through [Terrell] Suggs, Chris [McAlister] and even Wally Williams. We've experienced that before. Would Coach Harbaugh want 100 percent participation in every offseason program and every OTA and every minicamp? Yes he would. But he knows that unrealistic also."

• I get the feeling that the Ravens are privately pleased by Joe Flacco's comments that he is "the best" quarterback in the NFL. There was talk last year that the Ravens waited to start negotiations on an extension with Flacco to motivate him for the 2011 season. Now, by making such a bold statement, Flacco has to live up to those words this year. "I don't think there is any player, any coach and any GM who doesn't think they're not the best at what they do," Newsome said. "If you make a statement like that, you have to prepare yourself to be the best. I am sure Joe is also doing that."

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice said he wants to attend the team's offseason workouts and training camp. Whether he actually participates in them hasn't been determined.

Rice, who has yet to sign his franchise tag, isn't obligated to show up for any team activity. Many players choose not to attend to protest the tag, and others skip them to avoid getting injured while playing under a one-year contract.

“Me and my agent have been going over things and what we’re going to do is figure out what’s best for us going forward,” Rice told the team's official website. “We haven’t made a decision. As far as we know, we look forward to being [at offseason workouts]. Maybe it will be under some terms, whether I sign the tag or not. But I want to be there. I like to be around my guys.”

Rice made it clear he's due for a new contract. “Everybody knows I outplayed my contract," he said. "It’s not a hidden agenda. I think the Ravens have a history of taking care of their guys.”

ESPN.com's Andrew Brandt wrote an interesting piece on how negotiations with running backs can be tricky because there's no position with a shorter average career.

Of course, Rice figured into the discussion along with the Bears' Matt Forte. What stood out is how Rice could hold the key in whether he gets a long-term deal or gets the tag again next season. Here's what Brandt had to say:

"My sense is the Ravens and Bears would be willing to commit to the level of contract [Marshawn] Lynch and [Arian] Foster commanded. But if Rice and Forte are intent on reaching the level of the [Chris] Johnson and [Adrian] Peterson deals, the tag might persist."

The ballpark for Lynch and Foster is around $20 million guaranteed. The neighborhood for Johnson and Peterson is much pricier at $30 million.

Rice denied a previous report that he's seeking a deal similar to the one signed by Peterson but he did allude to contracts recently signed by other running backs.

“I didn’t set the number for what the running backs got paid,” Rice said. “There’s other guys that got paid before me with lesser stats, lesser numbers, or maybe the same productivity. I didn’t set that number.”