The Ravens’ starting lineup for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati still is blurry, but it’s starting to come into focus.
The team had 51 players at practice for the first time in weeks, as defensive tackle Kelly Gregg (knee injury) and quarterback Troy Smith (tonsil infection) were the only Ravens who did not practice on Thursday.
Cornerback Chris McAlister and running back Willis McGahee, who have both missed substantial portions of training camp recovering from injuries, are optimistic about playing the Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. McAlister said he “definitely” plans to play, and his decision was not impacted by the suspensions of cornerbacks Fabian Washington (personal conduct) and Derrick Martin (substance abuse violation).
“I can’t sit here just because guys are playing or not playing.” McAlister said. “I can’t use that as a reason to come out early. Ultimately, at the end of the day, there’s no pressure on me to do it because the defense is good, so we’re just taking it day by day.”
Still, questions remain regarding the availability of McGahee and safety Ed Reed.
Reed, who is suffering from a nerve impingement in his neck and shoulder, tested himself by going against 6-foot-4, 345-pound defensive tackle Haloti Ngata during practice.
“It’s just listening to the doctor and trying to be smart about it as much as you can,” Reed said. “If they tell you it’s going to be a couple of weeks, then you’ve got to take a couple of weeks. But you want to evaluate it and see how you feel. If I can get out there, I’m going to try to be out there.”
If Reed can’t play, he’ll be replaced by veteran Jim Leonhard. As for McGahee, he continues to recover from last month’s knee surgery, and could be replaced by rookie Ray Rice, who has rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries in the preseason.
“That’s the plan [to play], but it all depends on how the knee reacts on Saturday,” McGahee said. “If it’s not ready to go, then it doesn’t make any sense to go out there and play on it. So it’s about 50-50.”
But Coach John Harbaugh isn’t anticipating having McGahee against the Bengals.
“Willis is a bonus in my mind,” he said. “If he gets out there, it’s going to be great to have him out there. We’ve got to play on Sunday with the guys we’ve got.”
And that includes Todd Heap. The Pro Bowl tight end, who missed 10 games last season with a hamstring injury, said he expects to be on the field on Sunday. Last season, the team’s players miss a combined 77 games to injury, which played a major factor in finishing 5-11.
“My mindset was I was trying to get healthy, Heap said. “If I was healthy for the preseason then I would’ve played. When I wasn’t, I was like ‘I’ve got to get healthy.’ Now that I’m healthy, I’m ready to go.”
NOTES
Quarterback Kyle Boller will have season-ending surgery today to repair his injured right shoulder after being placed on injured reserve Wednesday. The Ravens signed cornerback Evan Oglesby Thursday, two days after the Dallas Cowboys waived the three-year veteran. The 5-foot-10, 188-pounder played for the Ravens from 2005-06 before signing with the Cowboys last season. To make room for Oglesby, the Ravens waived cornerback Anwar Phillips.
Watch for: Willie Anderson
The four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle is expected to sign a three-year, $11 million contract with the Ravens today, according to his agent, Terry Bolar. The 33-year-old will receive a $1.67 million signing bonus after recently being cut by the Cincinnati Bengals for refusing to take a pay cut. The 6-foot-5, 340-pounder decided to sign with the Ravens after contemplating joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers. He visited the Ravens on Wednesday. Coincidentally, Anderson’s former team opens their regular season on Sunday against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bengals originally selected Anderson with the 10th pick overall in the 1996 NFL Draft.
CATCH IT
Ravens vs. Bengals
When: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Where: M&T Bank Stadium
TV/Radio: WJZ/ 1090 AM, 97.9 FM
