Mason Works Out With Titans
The Tennessee Titans’ best player, running back Chris Johnson, pleasantly surprised his teammates by showing up for their player-only workouts yesterday.
Sure, not a big deal for Ravens fans. But one participant you might find surprising: wide receiver Derrick Mason.
“Did some 60′s today which was great then went into the lions den and workout with titan players!” tweeted Mason. “Lol it went well.…
“Big thanks to rusty (titans QB) for the invite! Dnt read nothing into it ppl ! It was just me getting together with guys that love the game.”
There really isn’t much to read into.
Mason wasn’t the only non-Titan at the workouts. Seahawks receiver Golden Tate and Jets receiver Patrick Turner were also participating. All three have lived in the area.
After playing for the Titans for eight seasons (1997-2004), Mason still owns a home in the Nashville area and his foundation continues to help at-risk children and families in the community.
The 15-year veteran was the main force and leader behind the Ravens’ player-only workouts at Towson University in late May. If the lockout persists, Mason plans on holding more football activities with his Baltimore teammates.
Mason: Glad Kirwan Isn’t A Scout
Mason didn’t seem to agree with the wide receiver rankings NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan published this week.
As he does with all his rankings, Kirwan lists five players in alphabetical order after they are grouped into one of 10 tiers. Thus, instead of getting an individual ranking, players get a tier ranking.
Kirwan placed Mason in Group H (the eighth of 10 tiers) and receiver Anquan Boldin in Group D (the fourth of the 10 tiers). The analyst also added that he thinks both receivers are on the decline.
“I’m glad pat kirwin from nfl.com is not a scout.. Enough said!!” tweeted Mason.
While creating his list, Kirwan said he only considered stats from the last two seasons to “get a better picture of consistent production.”
Boldin amassed 148 receptions and 11 touchdowns for the Ravens and Cardinals the last two years while Mason churned out 134 receptions and 14 touchdowns since 2009.
Mason didn’t agree with Kirwan’s logic, however, implying that people can’t predict what a receiver will do in the future based off two seasons of stats.
”Pat kirwin says 2years means consistency.. So if it’s 70degrees mon and tues then the rest of the week will be 70degress.”
Should Ravens Consider QB Terrelle Pryor In Supplemental Draft?
Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor became the newest NFL lockout hot topic after announcing Tuesday that he will not play for the Buckeyes his senior season. The young man was scheduled to be suspended five games for breaking NCAA rules by accepting improper benefits from a tattoo parlor and he could still be facing punishment for other possible infractions.
Depending on what happens with the labor uncertainty, Pryor may try to make it onto a 2011 NFL roster by entering the supplemental draft.
If that’s the case, The Sun’s Matt Vensel asks fans if they think the Ravens should be interested in Pryor.
Beyond his off-the-field troubles, analysts believe Pryor still needs a lot of development in order to become a successful NFL quarterback, citing accuracy, football intelligence and footwork as areas needing improvement.
“Pryor carried a third-round grade following last season (and remains in that area now) based mostly on his potential to move to receiver if he does not make significant progress as a quarterback early in his NFL career,” ESPN’s Todd McShay wrote, “and the odds are stacked heavily against him doing so.”
Even if Pryor’s abilities weren’t questionable, it would still be a surprise to see the Ravens add another rookie quarterback after drafting Tyrod Taylor in the sixth round last April. The team has also been clear that it wants to add a veteran to backup quarterback Joe Flacco when free agency opens.
But what about considering Pryor as a receiver?
“Pryor is a unique athlete the Ravens can attempt to mold into whatever they want,” wrote Vensel. “Let’s face it, a team is going to think exactly that and take Pryor if he enters the supplemental draft. His role in the implosion of the Ohio State football program won’t be enough to scare some teams away.”
Considering the Ravens just drafted wide receivers Torrey Smith and Tandon Doss in April and they have other young developing talent on the roster like David Reed, Marcus Smith, James Hardy and Justin Harper, I’m just not seeing it happen.
Quick Hits
- TorreySmithWR: Check these out..the look cool for the first event [Twitter]
- MikeMcCartney7 (Priority Sports management): Beast alert: Haloti Ngata is in great shape. Has never looked better or moved quicker. He’s going to have a monster year for the Ravens! [Twitter]
- The date for NFL owners to argue for a dismissal of the antitrust lawsuit filed by a group of locked-out players has been moved up by two weeks to Aug. 29. The original hearing date was Sept. 12, four days after the regular season is supposed to begin. [Associated Press]
- The league and the NFL Players Association released a joint statement on Wednesday confirming that the sides had engaged in talks under the direction of U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan this week. The sides pledged that the details of the talks will remain confidential, but said the discussions will continue. [USA Today]
