Since the Baltimore Ravens took flight in 1996, a visit to the team's training camp in Westminster has become as much of a summer tradition for some as steamed crabs and Ocean City.

The month of July has come again, and Carroll County residents -- as well as visitors from across the region -- will flock to McDaniel College over the next several weeks to watch a franchise that has emerged as one of the NFL's best.

One of 14 NFL teams that hold training camp on a college campus, the Ravens begin their 15th year at McDaniel with a pair of practices Tuesday, July 27. Coach John Harbaugh and his staff will lead the team through a 26-day camp concludes Aug. 20.

The Ravens will hold 33 open-to-the-public practices at McDaniel, as they try to build on last year's 10-8 record that included a second consecutive playoff berth.

Quarterbacks, rookies and selected veterans will report to the Best Western Hotel and Conference Center Monday, July 26, with the first practice scheduled for the following morning at 8:45 a.m.

The first full-squad practice is slated for Friday, July 30.

The Ravens have made one change that will affect many in attendance at McDaniel: a new autograph policy.

The team announced this month that players will sign autographs for children only following the morning practice. There will be no autograph session following the afternoon workout.

After the morning practice ends, children between the ages of 6 and 15 will be allowed on the field and given a wristband by Ravens officials that will allow them to enter a designated autograph area.

Children may bring one item to be autographed. Adults will not be allowed to enter the autograph area. Due to weightlifting and workout commitments, only a third of the players will be available to sign autographs after each morning practice.

In a release from the Ravens, team President Dick Cass said safety was the key factor for the change.

"We have considered changing the way we do autograph signings for a few years," Cass said. "Our crowds for the morning practices have become so large that we've had safety situations with people pushing each other to try and get closer to the players."

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TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE

SEASON SCHEDULE

PARKING INFORMATION and

Details about THE NEW AUTOGRAPH POLICY.

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2010 RAVENS SEASON OUTLOOK

Last season, the Ravens made a second straight appearance in the playoffs. Can they clinch a third consecutive berth for the first time in franchise history? More importantly, can Baltimore reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 10 years?

Quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice continued their development last season. Derrick Mason returned to have one of his best seasons, and a healthy Ray Lewis had twice as many tackles as any other Raven. Still, the Ravens have several significant questions as they begin their 15th season in Baltimore.

Offense: Remember when the Ravens put the outcome of games in the hands of their ferocious defense, and hoped to score just enough points to win?

Ancient history. The Ravens' running game ranked fifth in the league last season. In just his second year, Rice rushed for a team-leading 1,339 yards and a 5.3-yard per carry average. He also was the team's top receiver with 78 catches.

Veteran Willis McGahee, who scored a team-best 12 touchdowns last season, gives the Ravens a strong second option in the backfield. Both Rice and McGahee follow the blocks of 260-pound fullback Le'ron McClain.

This running attack helps take the pressure off of Flacco. Last year, when he wasn't handing off, he completed more than 63 percent of his passes for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season.

Flacco's continued development will be aided by the acquisition of veteran Marc Bulger, who quarterbacked the St. Louis Rams for the past six seasons. Bulger will back up Flacco, with Troy Smith and John Beck battling for the third QB spot.

But the most important addition to the Ravens' offense was wide receiver Anquan Boldin. While not a major downfield threat, Boldin brings toughness and good hands to the Ravens' receiving corps. The former Arizona Cardinal will team with Derrick Mason, who caught 73 passes for a team-high 1,028 yards and seven scores last fall.

Donté Stallworth, who was suspended from the Cleveland Browns last season after being convicted of DUI manslaughter, is a speedster who seems eager to take advantage of his fresh start in Baltimore. Tenth-year tight end Todd Heap remains a threat after catching 53 passes last season, while draftees Ed Dickson (Oregon) and Dennis Pitta (Brigham Young) will be groomed to take over for Heap, who is the Ravens' all-time leading receiver.

On the offensive line, Michael Oher was a standout at right tackle in his rookie season. The second-year pro will move to the left side in 2010.

Jared Gaither, one of the NFL's largest linemen at 6-foot-9, 340 pounds, will be the right tackle. Ben Grubbs and Marshall Yanda are solid at guard and the line is anchored by center Matt Birk, a perennial Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings who came to Baltimore last season. Birk is a 13-year veteran, and will be the leader of a line that has just 14 years of experience combined between the other four starters.

Defense: Despite its No. 3 ranking last season, the Ravens' defense is no longer one of the most feared units in the NFL.

Age, injuries and defections have taken a toll. An infusion of young talent, such as draft picks Sergio Kindle (Texas) and Terrance Cody (Alabama) and second-year players Ladarius Webb and Danell Ellerbe, could make this a top 10 defense again. But with Webb returning from a knee injury and the status of veteran safety Ed Reed in question, can the Ravens produce like they have in the last decade?

Middle linebacker Ray Lewis remains an ageless wonder. The same can't be said for Reed, whose lingering neck ailment has affected his ability to tackle, and who is trying to rebound from off season hip surgery. Reed is likely to miss at least the first six games.

Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson enjoyed a breakout season (70 tackles, six sacks) last year, and rookie free agent Ellerbe surprised everyone by earning an inside linebacker spot.

But the coaching staff will face a challenge with outside linebacker Terrell Suggs. The eight-year veteran, who became the highest-paid defensive player in league history when he signed a new deal last year, was sixth on the team in tackles and recorded just 4 1/2 sacks.

The defensive line took some hits when veterans Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards left in free agency. But they still should be strong up front, with tackle Haloti Ngata and noseguard Kelly Gregg returning.

Veteran Trevor Pryce, who may be a situational pass rusher in his 14th NFL season, led the team with 6 1/2 sacks last year and has plenty left in the tank. They will be joined by former Seattle Seahawks lineman Cory Redding.

That leaves the backfield, which was ineffective for most of 2009. One consistent bright spot was strong safety Dawan Landry, who rebounded from a neck injury in 2008 to tie for the team lead with four interceptions and was the Ravens' second-leading tackler.

Webb should start at corner, along with veteran Domonique Foxworth. If Reed is out, the Ravens have backups in third-year safety Tom Zbikowski and former Dallas Cowboy Ken Hamlin.

The Ravens know that this defense is in transition and took steps to address the situation in the draft. In the second round, Baltimore chose Kindle and Cody.

Special teams: Punter Sam Koch is one of the NFL's steadiest specialists. Last season, he averaged 43.7 yards per punt, with 26 kicks landing inside the 20-yard line and only five touchbacks.

But the placekicking position may come down to the last preseason game. Free agent Billy Cundiff was signed six games into the 2009 season and did fine. But the Ravens signed 10-year veteran Shayne Graham in the off season, and he will battle Cundiff for the job.

Ladarius Webb and Chris Carr give the Ravens a strong kickoff return team. Carr will be the main punt returner.

Coaching: In his third year, Coach John Harbaugh will be expected to get the Ravens a step closer to the Super Bowl.

Coordinator Cam Cameron has diversified the offense, which scored more than 30 points in eight games last year. He'll utilize Rice even more in 2010.

On defense, second-year defensive coordinator Greg Mattison must find a way to improve the Ravens' pass coverage, which surrendered more than 3,300 yards during the regular season. 

Schedule: The Ravens play just five games against teams that reached the playoffs last season, including the New York Jets, Cincinnati, New England, and the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.  But they will need to start fast against a difficult early-season schedule.

Baltimore begins the regular season on Monday Night Football against a Jets team that reached the AFC title game and will be playing its first contest in the new Meadowlands Stadium. A visit to Cincinnati, where the Ravens have won just once in the past five seasons, presents another stern early-season challenge. 

The Ravens open their home schedule against Cleveland, then travel to Pittsburgh for their first meeting with a Steeler team that has won nine of the last ten games played at Heinz Field between the AFC North rivals. Home games against Denver and Buffalo, sandwiched around a trip to New England, precede the team's bye week in late October.

The second half begins at home against the much-improved Miami Dolphins, followed by road games at Atlanta and Carolina. 

Following Tampa Bay's first-ever visit to M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens face several potential playoff teams in the final five games. A Sunday night home game against the Steelers precedes a trip to Houston. After a visit from the world champion Saints, the Ravens close with a pair of AFC North games at Cleveland and against Cincinnati. 

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STEVE SAYS ...

Here's Carroll Eagle sportswriter Steve Jones' prediction for the Ravens 2010 season and the NFL postseason:

The Ravens will have a slow start, with road losses to the N.Y. Jets, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers, then rally to make their third straight postseason appearance. Baltimore's 10-6 regular season mark will edge Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

The Ravens will be joined in the AFC playoffs by division champs Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and Jets, with the Houston Texans and Bengals in the wild-card spots. The Ravens will beat the Texans in the opening round, but will once again end the season with a loss to the Colts in the AFC Divisional round.

The Colts will beat the Chargers to repeat as AFC champs, and edge the Green Bay Packers to win Super Bowl XLV.

REALLY?!? What do you think? Give us your Ravens predictions below, or tweet us twitter.com/explorecarroll.

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