Original Ravens Coach Dies at 85

AUG 20 COACH FROM ORIGINAL RAVENS DIES AT 85 The Philadelphia Eagles announced the passing of linebacker Maxie Baughan, who later served on the original Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff. at the age of 85 over the weekend. Baughan was an All-American linebacker at Georgia Tech before embarking on a 12-year NFL tenure (1960-70, 1974) mostly spent with the Philadelphia Eagles.

After earning nine Pro Bowl invites, Baughan was a sideline staple for over two decades, which included stints as a defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Colts, Detroit Lions, and his alma mater Georgia Tech. The Ravens served as the final stop in that journey, as he coached linebackers from the team's inception in 1996 through 1998. 

“Maxie is one of the most legendary figures in our program’s history and a shining example of what a Tech Man is," second-year Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said of Baughan. "We are heartbroken by his passing.'

AUG 18 SHARPE MOVE? Stephen A. Smith is now saying the Shannon Sharpe deal to join him on ESPN is not a done deal, Smith saying of the report, "It's a bit premature. Shannon Sharpe has yet to sign on the dotted line to be a member of First Take. It has not happened yet."

Smith is making it clear that he thinks Sharpe, the former Ravens star, will join the cast of the debate show be eventually. And Stephen A. said so with his usual poetic over-wordiness.

"I'm still confident it will happen. I still believe it will happen. I think it needs to happen. And I have no doubt I'm going to exhaust any means I have available to me to make it happen," Smith said. 

AUGUST 17 SHARPE TO 'FIRST TAKE' Former Ravens TE and "Undisputed" host Shannon Sharpe will join Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's "First Take" as reported on Thursday.

Sharpe will appear on Mondays and Tuesdays each week during the football season. Sharpe left "Undisputed" and Skip Bayless back in June after the NBA Finals.

Sharpe’s “First Take” role has seen the former Raven come full circle. It was his guest appearances on the program with Bayless on ESPN2 that gave Bayless and former FS1 boss Jamie Horowitz the idea to pair Sharpe and Bayless in the first place.

AUGUST 17 RAVEN DARBY Former Bills, Eagles, Commanders and Broncos cornerback Ronald Darby has agreed to a one-year, $3.2 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The former second-round pick from 2015 spent the last two seasons in Denver, missing all but five games last season after tearing an ACL in October.

In 89 games played over the past eight seasons, Darby has registered eight interceptions, one forced fumble along with 373 tackles.

AUGUST 16 VITALE ON OHER Dick Vitale, the legendary college basketball sportscaster, is bothered by the twists and turns of the Michael Oher said, having tweeted: "One of my fav sports stories has now become a soap opera. Really, really sad!"

As Ravens fans know, the retired NFL lineman is alleging that the Tuohy family that took him in raked in millions of dollars while profiting off of his life story - made into the $300 million-grossing film "The Blind Side'' - without Oher himself benefiting.

The Tuohys' legal team asserts that Oher received "an equal cut of every penny they received'' and is calling the lawsuit an orchestrated "shakedown."

AUGUST 13 RAVENS SIGN HAYES The Baltimore Ravens have brought in reinforcements at cornerback after their preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Ravens have claimed cornerback Tae Hayes off waivers following his release from the Detroit Lions.

Hayes, 25, has made his way around the NFL since going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Appalachian State. Since being signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, Hayes has played for seven other teams, not including the Ravens.

After starting last season in the USFL with the Birmingham Stallions, where he even won the league's championship, he'd end up signing with the Carolina Panthers for a second time in his career. After Hayes was promoted and then demoted to and from the practice squad, he was released and signed by the New England Patriots in December.

Despite re-signing with the Patriots this past offseason, Hayes was released in June and then signed by the Lions in August, where he was then waived just seven days later.

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