I think not.

This is yet another move by the league to give the illusion of player safety along a focus on “the children”. I say give me a break. You’re not going to get me with this one. I hope that children understand the difference in tee ball, softball & baseball. Just like at the pro level in football, it’s similar but not the same. Because NFL players don’t wear thigh pads doesn’t means a 12 year old is going to resist.

What a joke all these rules are. Don’t insult me with the children excuse. It’s all about protecting the investment, in the player. With the money teams spend on players they want to make sure they are at max health. But it’s really about giving the fans something to chew on. Something to hang their hat on regarding safety. It’s a total shell game, look over here, look over there but don’t focus on the real issue. If the league is waving the flag for concussion safety, thigh pads won’t fix the issue and we all know it.

Follow me on twitter @gunitradio

On Wendesday, the NFLPA filed suit against the NFL, claiming the NFL and owners of all 32 teams made a secret cap number during the 2010 uncapped year.  Florio explained why the NFLPA would have difficulty winning the case.

“The problem is, that when the new CBA was finalized in August 2011 there were documents signed releasing claims, of you guessed it, collusion, and then when the NFLPA agreed to go along with the cap penalties in exchange of driving the salary cap north of what it was in 2011, the NFLPA was in a real bind,” he said.

Florio also talked about the current suit between former NFL players and the NFL. The suit claims those players were not informed of the dangers playing in the NFL and should be compensated for medical expenses.

“To the extent that the NFL is now standing on the shoulders of the men who made the game what it is, and are not properly taking care of them, I can understand why [the players] would want something,” he said.

Recently, it was announced that starting in 2013, it would be mandatory that players wear thigh and knee pads. Florio said this move benefits the NFL.

“First, of all it helps the league. It helps the teams make sure their players are available. I think there is less concern about the players than it is about the team getting the full return on their investment its making the in the player. But to the extent the NFLPA and the players are speaking out against this, what it does is it poisons the national jury pool in a round-about way. The picture it paints is that the players have no regards for their own safety, so good luck winning those concussion lawsuits.” he said.

Florio also thinks the Baltimore Ravens should not make a large investment on Running Back Ray Rice.

“You just can’t make that kind of investment in a guy who plays a position where on any given play his career could be over.” he said.

-Sarah Davis

Imagine if the Baltimore Ravens had to go through a season without those guys. Suggs is already expected to miss significant time, if not the entire season. Lewis is going into his 17th season. That is considered to be borrowed time by NFL standards.

Ray Rice and Ed Reed are the two you really worry about, if you’re worried at all. Rice is out because the team has placed the Franchise tag on him, to his dismay.

Reed’s situation is that he’s disgruntled. AGAIN. He feels disrespected and unloved. He, the same guy who hears REEEEEED everytime he makes a play at M&T Bank Stadium. But he’s a guy who doesn’t usually show to things like this, so why worry. Right?

Look, this is why I’m a little concerned. This comes off the heels of a very disappointing ending to a season that was so promising. You would expect AND want all of the players to be in camp right now. You would expect them to be chomping at the bit to get back now. The fact that they aren’t doesn’t sit well with some.

We know, it’s a business. We get it. But fans don’t care about the business. They care about the games and when they see some of the best players not in camp, they wonder if the team can get better that way. They knew Suggs couldn’t play, but the “Pollyanna” side of things say you’d like the other stars to shine, even in OTAs.

Rob Long

The bottom line is when you have a player on your team who has been in this league for multiple years they know what they have to do and know what is expected of them. VIDEO OF COACH HARBAUGH.

One leader who was present was Quarterback Joe Flacco. He said it’s definitely important for the “young players” to be around, so they can grow as an athlete. Also Flacco’s presence at camp means a lot to the team. Flacco can help guide some of the rookies and make the transition process smoother for them.

All in all, it was a productive day for the players who were there. The Rookies and Veterans alike are working hard and looking forward to the upcoming season and improving their skills. With it being about a month away from training camp, Flacco claims he will not think about his contract- instead putting his teammates first. By the way, Joe Flacco’s wife Dana is due to have the couple’s first child in three weeks or so. ..JOE FLACCO VIDEO HERE

The award is given to civilians for their exemplary service to the Army, soldiers, veterans and their families.

Harbaugh will be presented the award at a ceremony by the Army chief of staff Gen. Raymond T. Odierno. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Whipple Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va.

The citation that will be presented to Harbaugh will read: “Your visit to Iraq and your initiatives to show thanks to service members for their service through appreciation days, opportunities to attend Baltimore Ravens practices and games and to meet team members have improved morale and created a sense of pride and appreciation among our servicemen and women.”

Harbaugh is also being recognized for sending care packages to soldiers serving overseas and visiting military installations. He is among five people who will be presented with this award.

Toomey, in his seventh season as head coach for Loyola, was also a player for the team when Loyola was last in the Final Four in 1990. He said the team is planning on making the most of this opportunity.

“This opportunity may never come again for guys in the locker room and so what we’ve been doing is taking it one game at a time and making sure we are as prepared as we can be for Saturday. We’re not looking forward towards anything, this is all about the preparations for Saturday and being the best team we can be when we take the field,” he said.

Toomey also said as long as they can hold Notre Dame to their average of nine goals a game, he is confident in his team’s chances of scoring ten.

“That’s really been our mantra all year: if we can hold a team to eight we fell pretty good we can get to ten, this is going to be a defensive battle, but certainly Loyola’s a team when the ball hits the ground we want to run. We are going to try to stay true to character and play as fast as we can when those opportunities are out there,” he said.

Last Wednesday, Ray Lewis came and talked to the team and inspired them in many ways.

“Our message was ‘guys give something up’ and it was certainly the message Ray Lewis gave us last week, ‘Give something up. Do something different. Prepare, rehydrate, watch more film,” he said.

Toomey said they were able to get Ray Lewis to come and talk to them because of their many NFL connections on the team.

“Pat Moriarty’s son plays for us, Kevin Moriarty, and Pat is the General Manager for the Ravens, so he certainly was in Ray’s ear for probably a month or so saying, ‘Hey, these guys are on a little bit of a run and if you are in town would consider doing it?’ To our good fortune Ray Lewis was kind enough to come over and meet with out team,” he said.

Loyola plays Notre Dame in the Final Four on Saturday, in Boston.

-Sarah Davis

Commissioner Roger Goodell says he plans to make the bounty evidence known to the public. The appeals and grievance processes are still ongoing. Goodell says that the NFLPA told the players not to cooperate with the bounty investigation.

After 23 seasons in Utah, Jerry Sloan resigned as head coach of the team. He now wants to get back into coaching and has expressed interest in taking over in Orlando or Charlotte. Sloan took the Jazz to the finals twice in 1997 and 1998 and ranks 3rd all-time in regular season wins with 1,221. Wednesday on the court, the 76ers will try and stay alive in their series with the Celtics as the two teams play game 6 in Philly with Boston leading the series 2 games to 1.

On the ice it’s a pivotal game 5 between the Rangers and Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals which is knotted up at two games a piece with the swing game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.

Texas Athletic Director Deloss Dodds has admitted to courting Notre Dame to try to join their conference after departures had left the Big 12 with 10 teams. Florida State had also been rumored to try to join the Big 12.

Florio recently wrote an article about how the NFL might release some of the evidence they claim to have in the New Orleans Saints bounty case. He said that the NFL needs to share the evidence with the public.

“We need raw evidence. I don’t want to take anyones word for anything on matters like this, so at some point the NFL has got share evidence with us,” he said.

Florio said the NFL is considering releasing evidence but with the names of the sources concealed, and after the appeals of the four players suspended in the bounty case has concluded. He said that this is not good enough.

“I just don’t think that’s good enough. Put it [evidence] out there so that people can have confidence in what the NFL is doing,” he said.

Florio also addressed the possibility that Baltimore Raven’s Linebacker, Terrell Suggs, might lose money for getting hurt because he did not get hurt at the Raven’s workout facilities.

“I would tell any player out there if they take a penny from Terrell Suggs, the moment the season ends, get yourself a case of pork-rinds,a refrigerator full of beer, but on bowling or golf or whatever, and sit there and get fat,” he said.

Recently, retired NFL Running Back, Ricky Williams, said that he doesn’t believe that there are connections between concussions and brain damage. Florio said that there is evidence to prove otherwise.

“It’s just weird to hear comments like that at a time where there is so much evidence to suggest that repeated concussion will eventually cause problems. Ricky’s attitude is ‘don’t bother me with science that gets in the way with everything I feel like saying,’” he said.

Florio ended the interview with saying that players and fans, in the wake of Junior Seau’s death, need to stop complaining about the NFL’s efforts to make the game safer.

“The Seau suicide should be the moment where players and fans say ‘You know what? Maybe we aren’t going to complain about these efforts to make the game safer. Maybe we are going to buy in, instead,’” he said.

On the field: what does he have to improve on and what are his strengths? The impression you get from the rookies can change drastically when you put on the pads. Some guys will fall by the wayside when you start to hit. You find out who you can count on to help come game day Sundays. Lots of times the rookies that shine in rookie minicamp aren’t the ones that stand out in a two-a-day. Bottom line: don’t get too excited about the rookies. The minicamp means little until you see how they react when the hitting starts.

So far, everyone that is in was on the Super Bowl team (with the exception of Earnest Byner, but it’s a joke that he’s in). There are some more to come, Ray Lewis soon, Ed Reed not far behind are for sure. I think Jamal Lewis will be in. I was told that Todd Heap, if he got in, would be ahead of Derrick Mason. Suggs will be in for sure when he retires. Ngata, if he stays with the Ravens will be in there in the next 7-10 years.

I would love to see Derrick make it, but I think Derrick may have to wait and see what happens with some of these upcoming Ravens teams. They have to be careful about diluting the Ring of Honor because in 30 years, you don’t want 40 guys in there.

Former Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw stood above the rest . Upshaw, who was the Ravens top selection at the April draft, in the 2nd round, could be a potential fill-in for Terrell Suggs. Something Coach John Harbaugh addresses along with how the camp went without much preparation.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh was pleased with what he saw from all the rookies but understands they have a long way to go before being “NFL ready “, but thus far they have been “quick Studies”.

Upshaw will compete with Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle and Albert McClellan for the starting outside linebacker position.

The majority of the contracts were finalized Thursday, one day before the start of a three-day rookie minicamp.

Upshaw, a standout outside linebacker from Alabama, was the 35th overall selection in the draft. He received a four-year contract worth nearly $5.3 million, including a $2.292 million bonus.

He is projected as an immediate starter because Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs will be sidelined for a major portion of
the season with a torn Achilles tendon that required surgery.

Upshaw recorded 9 1/2 sacks last season for the Crimson Tide with 51 tackles, 17 for losses, and one interception, earning All-American honors. For his career, Upshaw had 140 tackles and 16 1/2 sacks.

The Ravens also finalized deals with third-round running back Bernard Pierce (Temple) and sixth-round wide receiver Tommy Streeter (University of Miami). The team previously agreed to terms with seventh-round defensive tackle DeAngelo Tyson.

Second-round offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele (Iowa State), fourth-round center Gino Gradkowski (Delaware), fourth-round free safety Christian Thompson (South Carolina St.) and fifth-round cornerback Asa Jackson (Cal Poly) each received a four-year deal.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Jamie Dukes, who is an analyst for the NFL Network, said that Flacco had no business being rated higher than Romo. It’s a fun debate to have and in actuality, I don’t believe there is a correct answer. I have had this argument so many times regarding Manning and Brady. For the longest period of time, Manning had the fantasy numbers and Brady had the hardware. Truth of the matter is that each quarterback is asked to do different things to help their team win.

Flacco isn’t asked to do as much in the passing game in Romo. The Ravens defense controlled a lot of games in the second half. So those are situations where you wouldn’t expect Flacco to throw the ball. I think both QB’s are very good ball players and you really cant go wrong with either one.

In my opinion, I would take Flacco if I were trying to win a game, but I would draft Romo for my fantasy team.

Watch the debate here:

Should-Flacco-be-ranked-higher-than-Romo

…and his top 100 clip below:

Let’s assume for argument’s sake that Suggs comes back in six months. That’s November. 11-12 weeks of the NFL season are over. If the Ravens are sitting at 8-3 (a bye week thrown in there), is there a reason to rush Suggs back? If the Ravens somehow are 9-2 and boast the best defense in the league, do they need him to rush back? In an awful turn of fate, if the unimaginable happens and the Ravens are 3-8 with the worst defense in the league, what will Suggs help? What will change?

This is very much a wait and see situation. If the Ravens are hovering around .500 and starting a push for a playoff spot, that’s where Suggs can make the most difference. Furthermore, even at that, if they end up matching up in week 13 with a very week opponent, regardless of the situation, it’s probably wise to give him one more week to rest.

While Suggs’ adamant predictions are nice and comforting, it’s something that isn’t really up to him. It’s up to the other 52 “Mighty Men” to determine how badly he is needed.

Zinno

As Mary Bubala reports, it’s all in the name of fitness.

Old Mill Middle School in Millersville showed off school spirit as one of the Ravens’ biggest stars, Ray Rice, came to congratulate students on their efforts to eat healthier and play harder as part of the NFL Play 60 initiative.

“What you put in your body is what you get out of your body. You eat junk, your body is going to perform like junk,” Rice said.

Rice spoke to the middle and high school students, many of them from the football team that won the state championship. Players were able to ask Rice questions and get his advice.

“I have seen some guys who had the same dream as me, same dream to make it to the NFL, but they made one or two bad decisions in their life and their dream became a total nightmare,” Rice said.

Rice then moved to the school’s gym with a different group of students to get active. The main theme behind the NFL Play 60 campaign is tackling childhood obesity by encouraging kids to be active for 60 minutes a day. Rice showed students some training camp basics, and the students followed in the running back’s footsteps.

Rice attends Play 60 events throughout the year, including during the season.

The NFL is in the midst of looking for potential replacement officials as the league negotiates a new deal with the current referees.  The league used replacement officials for 2 weeks during their last contract negotiation in 2001.  .

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com joins The Norris & Davis Show each Thursday morning at 8am on Baltimore’s 105-7 THE FAN.  Florio said the league should want to blow any dark clouds associated with these negotiations off the horizon, ‘I don’t think that the league should just casually ditch the regular officials and bring in replacements if the league’s goal is to enhance player safety.  The NFLPA hasn’t said anything about this specific dispute yet but I can’t imagine that the players would want anything but the best of the best officials.  It’s something to keep an eye on but we’re still 4 months from the start of the season.’

When asked about fallout from the NFL bounty scandal and the lack of evidence the league has provided regarding Saints players penalized in the mess, Florio responded, ‘I gotta huge issue with this.  The NFL is more than willing to make conclusions and offer summaries of evidence and point fingers through press releases and media leaks.  But, when the time comes to put evidence on the table the NFL won’t do it.’

Listen to the entire interview here:

Florio does not believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should be judge, jury & executioner in any or all controversy.  An independent examiner is needed.  ‘At some point, if you’re going to have a meaningful process, you have to give the people accused of any wrong doing the evidence on which you’re relying.  “Take our word for it” is not good enough,’  Florio said.

Williams spent ten seasons in the NFL, two with the Ravens, and like Suggs, suffered an Achilles injury. He explained the kinds of feelings Suggs might be going through post surgery.

“Doubt. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you have a significant injury. Especially Achilles. It is a part of your body that you definitely miss when it’s not working,” he said.

However, unlike Suggs who only has a partially torn Achilles, Williams had a fully torn Achilles. He gives Raven’s fans hope when he explained his recovery time.

“I was back, from the day I had surgery, to on the field in six months,” he said.

Williams also said that Suggs’ injury will allow a younger player to have an opportunity to show of his talent.

On the show Williams also discussed the Chris Carter situation in which Carter admitted to having a bounty on Linebacker Bill Romanowski to protect himself. Williams played against Romanowski and said he was a really intense player.

“He was as intense of a player as you wanted to see. If he could get under your skin, whether it be an extra punch here, a shot in the back there, he was gonna do it,” he said.

Williams also said bounty or not, as a player your objective was to shut down the best players on the field.

“If you were a good player the objective was to try to shut you down by any means necessary. You learn that mentality in high school,” he said.

Williams goes on to say that he does not think this type of mentality will change.

“The mentality is not going to change. Look, you don’t go into a game saying we are just going to tackle and block you and do the best we can. No. We are here to impose our will on the opponent and if you understand the definition of that you know that this is a rough and tough gladiator mentality type of sport and you’re there to take the King down.” he said.

Also making headlines recently is the concerns over the long term effects of concussions. Williams said as a player you have an idea of the risks you are facing but not necessarily the long term effects.

“What you may not know is the long term effects of all these things. A lot of people don’t. We just learned a lot of this research.” he said.

Williams says the NFL should be more conscious of this research and do more to help provide health benefits for NFL players.

-Sarah Davis

Brian is always a great guest.  He pulls no punches.

Listen to the entire interview here:

He has never seemed to satisfy expectations in Houston and has been deemed to have maturity issues. Glenn Younes and I caught up with him this morning on the show and I was pleasantly surprised. He was fun to talk to and seemed genuinely happy to be in Baltimore. And for those of you who think that is standard for players when they come to a new team you obviously never heard my interview with Kevin Millwood when he was a new Oriole.

Jones is a burner with return skills and if he has indeed matured as he told me this morning I think he is a great pick up. You can make your own decision by listening to the interview HERE.

Listen to interview here:

The Ravens didn’t indicate whether Suggs will be able to play this fall, or if it was a full tear or partial tear.

“Terrell had a successful surgical procedure done on his Achilles tendon this afternoon by Dr. Bob Anderson,” general
manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “After some recovery time, Sizzle’ will begin the process of rehabbing the area. We know he will work hard to get back on the field with his teammates as soon as the doctors and trainers allow. We’re confident that he can make a full recovery.”

Suggs suffered the injury in a conditioning workout in Arizona during the NFL draft. Suggs has said that he expects to return later in the season.

The Ravens are expected to line up second-round pick Courtney Upshaw at Suggs’ rush linebacker spot and have Paul Kruger take over at strongside linebacker, Jarret Johnson’s former position. Suggs had a career-high 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles last season.

Meanwhile, the Ravens signed veteran strong safety Bernard Pollard to a three-year contract extension and wide receiver/kick returner Jacoby Jones to a two-year, $7 million contract.

In his first season in Baltimore last year, Pollard had 75 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

“Bernard showed last year that he is a Raven,” Newsome said. “He’s smart, tough and brings a passion to the games, our
practices and in the weight room. His physical presence on the back end is very important to the way we play defense. He has indicated since the first day he stepped into our building last training camp that he wanted to be a Raven for the long haul.”

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Jones was cut by the Texans last week. He caught 31 passes for 512 yards and two touchdowns last season, but he also fumbled twice in Houston’s playoff loss to the Ravens.

Jones, 27, gives depth to Baltimore’s group of receivers. The Ravens have two established starters in Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith, but have no proven option at the third receiver spot.

Jones has 127 catches for 1,741 yards and 11 touchdowns over five NFL seasons, all of them with the Texans.

Jones also provides an option to cornerback Lardarius Webb as a punt returner. Jones has three career punt returns for touchdowns and averages 23.3 yards on kickoff returns.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

A deal to keep the Vikings in the Land of 10,000 Lakes is being worked on by Minnesota politicians.  The Vikings have been trying to get a new stadium for more than a decade.  But, the state legislature or the governor have said “y’know what? Wait your turn,” according to Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press.  The Vikings have waited and waited while the Twins and The University of Minnesota have built new homes courtesy of taxpayers.

Listen to the entire interview here:

Krawczynski joined The Norris & Davis Show on Baltimore’s 105-7 THE FAN to discuss the fate of the team and the drama surrounding the political process in which the State House of Representatives “passed a form of the bill (to fund a new stadium) but are asking for naming rights go to the state from the stadium.  That really would bring about another $100 million to the state side of the portion and take it away from the Vikings.  The Vikings have already said that that probably isn’t going to work.”

Will the Vikings pull a Colts?  Will Minnesota be left the way Baltimore once was?  The economic times may not allow for any other outcome.  According to Krawczynski, “That’s kind of been the writing on the wall and the concern with a lot of people.  That if this doesn’t happen that the Vikings will be heading out to Los Angeles or some other market.  But the Wilf family has steadfastly refused to fire that bullet and really turn up the heat on the legislature to get something done.”

The Wilf family has stepped up and offered $427 million to help defray the cost of a new stadium.  “But this $100 million (extra) figure that is being asked of them in the latest version of the bill is simply too high.  That’s going to have to come down or else,” Krawczynski said.

Follow Jon on Twitter @APkrawczynski

“We are giving Ryan the opportunity to compete and make our 53-player roster,” General Manager Ozzie Newsome said. “We’ve done our research and consulted with the league office about Ryan and then signed him.”

McBean spent the last three seasons with the Denver Broncos and is coming off a career season that included 19 tackles and four sacks. During his time in Denver, McBean played in 46 games and registered 77 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery.

He was a periodic starter for the Broncos, but the team allowed him to leave as a restricted free agent this offseason. Denver initially offered him a $1.3 million free-agent tender, but then rescinded the offer after adding veteran defensive tackle Justin Bannan.

The NFL handed down a six-game suspension to McBean in March for violating the league’s performance-enhancement policy, but he is disputing the finding.

The former Denver Bronco was added for depth along the defensive line and signed a one-year contract.

The Ravens lost defensive end Cory Redding and defensive tackle Brandon McKinney during free agency to the Indianapolis Colts. Over the past week, the Ravens have signed McBean and another veteran defensive tackle, Ma’ake Kemoeatu.

Cornerback Cary Williams has signed his $1.927 million second-round restricted tender.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Adam May has the story.

“My daughters Cara, Megan and Gloria lost a sister, and Kris and I lost a daughter,” David McComas, Grace McComas’ father, said.

A heartbreaking speech from the father of 15-year-old Howard County teenager, Grace McComas.

After being bullied on social media websites, she took her own life on Easter.

“It’s a form of torture. Grace lived in that torture. Grace lived in a torture,” David McComas said.

At a town hall meeting in Howard County, parents and students also heard from Ravens running back Ray Rice.

“It’s about saving lives, because this bullying thing has really gotten out of hand. There’s so many touching stories, and it’s like, why?” Rice said.

Rice shared that he dealt with putdowns as a child and he hopes victims of bullying remember, it gets better.

“A lot of kids can relate to me. I’m not a prototype NFL guy. I’m a little guy from a small town who paved my way through life, and I just want these kids to know they’re not alone,” he said.

In the McComas case, police say there is an ongoing investigation. Her father is calling on people to be leaders.

“In whatever circles of influence you have, do it with a ray of hope and touch of grace,” David McComas said.

A recent survey of middle school students found almost nine out of 10 say they’ve been cyberbullied.

Sports Director Mark Viviano caught up with coach John Harbaugh as he attended the Fallen Heroes Ceremony honoring police and firefighters in Timonium.

“He will be OK. Terrell Suggs will be fine. He will be back. He will go to work on that rehab like no other. He will continue to be a huge part of what we are doing, continue to be a leader and then the young guys will step up. They will step forward, and you are a football team first. You are a team. Team is not one guy,” he said.

Harbaugh says Suggs was devastated by the news. They spoke on the phone this week. The Achilles tear will keep Suggs out for half of the upcoming season and he may miss the whole year, though he vows he’ll be able to play this season.

“My heart went out to Terrell because he was so down about it,” he said. “It was so hard for him to actually spit out what had happened. He didn’t want to tell me because he felt so bad about it. Once we got past that, then I felt bad about it. Once I got past feeling bad about how he felt bad about it, then I felt bad about it. We are going to be fine. I got a chance to talk to Ray and a lot of the players and you move forward. That’s what it’s all about. You just move forward and the next guy steps in.”

Harbaugh has a positive outlook on what’s ahead for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Viviano has more.

A visit to a specialist next week will determine just how long Suggs will be out. So who will fill in for the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year?

One of the prime candidates is a guy who’s yet to play a single down as a pro. He’s Ravens top draft pick Courtney Upshaw who was selected in the second round of the draft just last week.

He plays linebacker and can move up to the defensive line where he showed in college he can be a ferocious pass rusher. Upshaw had no idea he might have to fill in for Suggs when he was asked about living up to the comparisons of how the two of them play.

“I actually feel like I can’t be Terrell Suggs,” Upshaw said. “He’s Terrell Suggs, no other. And I’m just trying to come in and learn from him. I’m sure he can help me out become a better football player overall and the things you do, and the position I’m asked to play here. I want to come in and learn from the best and Terrell Suggs is one of the best.”

Upshaw had 9 and a half QB sacks in helping lead Alabama to the national title this past season.

Mary Bubala has more on the questions being raised about his sudden death.

Seau’s body was found Wednesday in his California home. His death has many talking about the lingering effects of football’s hard hits.

No conclusive medical evidence links concussions and suicide but a leading university with ties to a Baltimore Ravens player is gaining ground.

In a 20-year career in the NFL, Seau made more than 1,800 tackles, becoming one of the most feared linebackers in the game.

Seau was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

His death comes after the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson. He shot himself in the chest so his brain would be preserved for science.

Boston University researchers concluded he suffered from degenerative disease of the brain that can lead to depression.

“Your brain, it is just being constantly jostled around,” Ravens center Matt Birk said.

Birk has pledged to donate his brain to the same research at Boston University some day.

“What concerns me is the repeated trauma, hard hits. I have had three concussions,” Birk said.

More than 1,500 former players are now suing the NFL, claiming that for years, it ignored evidence that repeated blows to the head trigger CTE, linked to memory loss, depression and dementia.

That includes the family of Baltimore Colts legend John Mackey who passed away after suffering from dementia for years.

Just last month, former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling committed suicide. He was suffering from dementia at age 62.

Former tackle Kyle Turley, who knew Seau, speculates that he may have paid a price for being a football great.

“He played hard, tough and resilient, and there is no doubt that the toll his brain took at the position he played, it will most undoubtedly show as a factor,” Turley said.

Seau’s ex-wife is confirming that her former husband did sustain many concussions during his 20-year NFL career.

Suggs reportedly tore his Achilles tendon while playing basketball, according to  multiple reports on Twitter (one of which was re-tweeted by the Ravens). But Suggs denies this, saying the injury happened over the weekend in Arizona during a conditioning test.

Typically speaking, an Achilles tear requires a year’s worth of recovery, so it seems unlikely that Suggs can make an impact in 2012. However, according to some sources, Suggs believes he can return sometime during the season.

The Ravens released this statement:

“We are in contact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week, and we’ll know more at that time.”

Sources say he is scheduled to have surgery next week.

The outside linebacker had a career high in sacks with 14 and a career high in forced fumbles with seven and was  named the NFL’s 2011 Defensive Player of the Year.

He’s arguably one of the most important players on Baltimore’s roster.

“Yall kno i strongly dislike the ravens, but i hate hearing about an injury like the suggs 1,” Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley tweeted on Thursday. “Wishing him a fast recovery.”

The one saving grace to this is that the Ravens used their first-overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft on Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw. Upshaw won’t replace Suggs’ production, but he’s likely to become a better replacement than someone who came in off the street.

“I keep getn these ‘it’s time to man up’ tweets…I mean it’s the NFL…with T. Sizzle healthy I wud have to man up its big boy ball,” Upshaw tweeted on Thursday.

Upshaw, Sergio Kindle (Ravens first-round pick in 2010) and Pernell McPhee (fifth-round pick in 2011) will be charged with attempting to replace Suggs’ production. McPhee, who had six sacks and one forced fumble in 2011, is the sneaky pick to step in for Suggs.

The Ravens went 12-4 and won the AFC North last season.

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NBA … Amare Stoudamire will miss game 3 of the Knicks/Heat series, which is now back in New York. Chris Bosh will most likely miss the game as well because his wife is giving birth. The Heat lead the series 2 games to none. The Thunder have a 2-nothing series lead as well over the defending champion Mavericks. Game 3 is in Dallas Thursday night.

On the ice, the Flyers jump across the river to New Jersey to face the Devils with the series knotted up at a game apiece. The LA Kings, who lead 2-games to none in their series, can push the St. Louis Blues to the brink of elimination with a win in game 3 in Los Angeles.

The Orioles are off Thursday but start a weekend series with the Red Sox in Boston Friday. Wei-yin Chen will make his first ever start at Fenway.