Ogden will toe the line one more time

By Darrell Laurant  |   Thursday, June 07, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Baltimore Ravens
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In the end, Jonathan Ogden's ring finger carried more weight than his hyperextended left big toe.

The toe is still sore, and it may take months to heal. It hurt bad enough for Ogden to consider ending his NFL career after 11 seasons.

The ring finger, however, is itchy. Although he already owns one Super Bowl ring from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, Ogden would love to get another. And the 15-6 loss to Indianapolis in the second round of the playoffs last January -- a game in which the Ravens' offense remained stuck in neutral -- rankled especially.

"I just decided I felt I could do some good one more year, at least," the 6-foot-9, 345-pounder told the Carroll County Times during last week's mandatory minicamp. "This is 12 years coming up, and that's a long time, not to mention college and high school. So, you've got to examine, 'Do I want to do it still?'

"I came to the conclusion that it still can be fun. It was gradual as the offseason progressed and as the toe was starting to feel better. I woke up one day, saying, 'You know what? Let's give it one more go.'"

That didn't surprise teammate Jason Brown, who noted: "I knew he was coming back. I've been around him enough, and know his personality."

Ogden also talked about retirement last year after his father died. But the Ravens' mountainous No. 75 finally emerged from his grief to anchor the left side of the offensive line as always.

"The guy's a Hall of Famer," center Mike Flynn said. "We can all learn from him."

Ogden even showed up for some of the optional OTAs, although his mobility was limited. And head coach Brian Billick no doubt breathed a sigh of relief.

Without Ogden, the Ravens would be young and thin at tackle. Third-year man Adam Terry (6-8, 330) will probably start on the right side, giving Baltimore the largest (or, at least, the tallest) tackle bookends in the league. Behind them, however, are only second-year players Michael Kracalik and Chris Pino (both from San Diego State) and draftee Marshal Yanda from Iowa, who played guard in college. Had Ogden not returned, either Jason Brown, Chris Chester or veteran Keydrick Vincent might have changed positions.

Ogden will miss longtime linemate Edwin Mulitalo, released after the season, but may be able to feed off the enthusiasm of his younger co-workers. In return, he provides the experience earned from 10 Pro Bowl seasons. There isn't a pass rusher in the league Ogden hasn't done battle with since he was drafted out of UCLA in 1996.

"He's a guy you look up to," Brown said.

In more ways than one.

Weekly Baltimore Ravens insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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