As soon as Baltimore’s signing of wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh became official, it was only a matter of time before fellow receiver Mark Clayton found himself on his way to another team.

That moment is now, with the Rams reportedly sending “late round considerations” to the Ravens to acquire Clayton, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

Clayton has been a disappointment from day one in Baltimore, incapable of staying healthy throughout an entire season and putting up insignificant numbers in the process.

In St. Louis, he’ll be relied on to provide some measure of a threat alongside Laurent Robinson and Danny Amendola.

Former Seahawks wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been the source of much speculation over the past few days, but until now, the expectation was that his home for this season would be in one of three locations: Washington, Oakland, and potentially Minnesota.

All of that is over now, with the Ravens sneaking in seemingly at the last minute to snag Houshmandzadeh on a one year contract for the veteran minimum.

Houshmandzadeh will join a talented, yet aging receiving corps in Baltimore, and will likely handle the slot duties alongside Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason this season.

Given quarterback Joe Flacco’s arm strength and overall ability as a passer, there’s little doubt that Houshmandzadeh should be productive for the Ravens, making it likely that he’ll earn himself a nice contract in the off-season as a free agent.

Here’s the latest on each team’s moves to reach the 53 man roster limit in the AFC North. We’ll be updating this with any additions that we find throughout the night, so be sure to check back often.

Feel free to leave any thoughts you may have in the comment section.

Baltimore Ravens

• QB – Troy Smith
• RB – Curtis Steele
• WR – Eron Riley, Justin Harper, Demetrius Williams
• TE – Davon Drew
• OG – Bryan Mattison
• OT – Joe Reitz
• OL – Devin Tyler
• DT – Albert McClellan
• CB – Prince Miller, Travis Fisher, K.J. Gerard, Brad Jones
• K – Shayne Graham

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This time of year can be enjoyable for some and miserable for others, as teams are beginning to decide who to cut from their roster to meet the 53 man maximum by Saturday’s deadline.

While most of the players sent packing this week tend to be unknowns, brought in for the sole purpose of providing adequate bodies to get through training camp and the pre-season, there will be quite a few names hitting the street that people around the league and elsewhere will recognize immediately.

One player that will likely fall into the latter category is Atlanta cornerback Chevis Jackson, who was a well regarded prospect coming out of LSU in 2008 and was selected 68th overall. Jackson has struggled mightily thus far in his career to distinguish himself on the field, and given his poor play through three pre-season contests this year, he’s expected to be among the cuts this weekend.

Given his potential, Jackson won’t be out of work for long, but his inability to contribute much on special teams will hurt him significantly in finding a club willing to offer playing time.

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After losing their starting cornerback this off-season in Dominique Foxworth, the Ravens pass defense looked to be the one glaring weakness on a team expected by many to contend for the Super Bowl this year.

But true to form, Baltimore’s general manager Ozzie Newsome worked the phones and came up with a plan to strengthen that group, acquiring speedy cornerback Josh Wilson from Seattle in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick next year. The selection could increase to the fourth round if specific playing time conditions are met, which could be likely given the Ravens need right now at his position.

Wilson isn’t known for being for his coverage skills, but once he gets his hands on the football, he knows exactly what to do with it, returning three interceptions for touchdowns in his career thus far. He also has the ability to contribute on special teams, with experience in returning kicks, which should be a big plus for him with the Ravens.

Familiarity with the area should be helpful for Wilson as well, having spent his collegiate playing days at nearby College Park, with the Maryland Terrapins. He is expected to be in uniform and on the field for the Ravens on opening day against the Jets.

First Glance: The Ravens offense flipped the script quite a bit last season, turning their focus away from the power running game and towards a a more pass happy game plan, thanks in large part to the strengths displayed by quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice. Combined with their always outstanding defense, Baltimore presents a formidable threat to any opponent they face.

2009 Record: 9-7 (2nd AFC North)

Key Additions: QB Marc Bulger, WR Anquan Boldin, WR Donte’ Stallworth, DE/DT Cory Redding, CB Walt Harris, FS Ken Hamlin, K Shayne Graham

Key Losses: WR Frank Walker, TE Quinn Sypniewski, OT Adam Terry, DE/DT Dwan Edwards, DE/DT Justin Bannan, CB Samari Rolle, CB Walt Harris

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Throughout his long and successful NFL career, former Ravens and Browns running back Jamal Lewis was well known for his tough style of play, leaving many opponents battered and bruised, feeling as if they’d tried to tackle a freight train.

But after admitting to spending a significant amount of time in the care of Dr. Anthony Galea, a noted supplier of performance enhancing drugs for athletes in multiple professional sports, the spotlight is shining brightly on Lewis once more, and not in a positive way.

Lewis was quick to emphasize that he never allowed Galea to inject him with any substance, but other athletes have said similar things, only to later rescind those statements after having multiple sources prove otherwise.

There’s certainly no crime in seeking a second opinion, and while at first glance, such a relationship would seem to be problematic for Lewis, at this point, nothing is certain.

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One of the worst things that can befall an NFL team prior to the season beginning is to have their top draft pick off the field with a major injury.

Baltimore was dealt an even worse fate this morning, however, with rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle suffering a serious head injury after falling down multiple flights of stairs while visiting friends in Austin, Texas.

According to ESPN’s news service, Kindle is in stable condition at University Medical Center Brackenridge, and while doctors seem to be comfortable with his current status, more tests and observation is needed to determine the extent of his injury.

The Ravens are scheduled to begin their training camp tomorrow morning on the campus of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.

In a quiet but likely effective move earlier this afternoon, Baltimore agreed to terms with former Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, providing incumbent starter Joe Flacco with a quality backup next season.

The deal is for just one season, and is expected to be worth $3.8 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Bulger has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, leading his former club to release him this off-season and draft Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the number one overall pick last April.

This is the second part of our series, looking at how each team stacks up headed into next week’s draft. In case you missed it, you can find part one covering the AFC East here.

As always, feel free to let us know what you think via the comment section.

Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

Analysis: The Ravens have done an excellent job over the years of identifying talent, regardless of position or need, and finding ways to get those players on their roster. This off-season has been no exception thus far, with Baltimore adding several quality playmakers on offense to help their young quarterback, Joe Flacco, next season. That said, they still have some work to do next week in the draft, especially on defense, where the majority of their stars are getting up there in age. Read the rest of this entry »

After they spent a first round pick last season on tackle Michael Oher, many felt Baltimore would be set for the foreseeable future at both bookend spots along their offensive line, with tackle Jared Gaither manning the left side.

But lingering injury concerns for Gaither and a need for upgrades at other positions have  given the Ravens pause in their decision making process this off-season, and for the time being they seem to be open to the idea of trading Gaither if the price is right.

According to Jason LaCanfora of NFL.com, Baltimore has apparently made it known around the league that Gaither could be had for a second round selection at this point, although it’s doubtful they would accept anything less than pick near the top of the round, given the first round tender offer they gave Gaither earlier in the off-season.

Teams reported to be interested include Washington and Oakland, and it’s possible that Kansas City, Seattle, and Detroit would be open to such an offer as well.

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Seemingly overnight, the biggest weakness on the Baltimore Ravens roster has now become one of their biggest strengths.

The Ravens have re-signed savvy veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason to a two year deal, further bolstering a unit that has already added new No. 1 receiver Anquan Boldin, and former No. 1 receiver Donte Stallworth, this off-season.

The cupboard was somewhat bare behind Mason last season, but with the new additions and the re-signing of Mason, the Ravens now have arguably one of the deepest four wide receiver sets in the league when you throw in last seasons No. 2 receiver Mark Clayton.

This move balances out their offense well, giving the quarterback Joe Flacco plenty of weapons to work with. They have one of the most heralded rushing attacks in the league anchored by arguably the best young offensive line in the game. If everyone in the bolstered receiving corps can stay healthy and be productive, there is no reason to count this team out of playoff contention next season under any circumstance.