All Signs (Kinda) Point to Ogden Returning for 2007

Well, this has the potential to be really good news for the Ravens, especially heading into the draft: all signs point to Jonathan Ogden coming back for at least one more season. From the Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston:

No word yet on whether Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden is going to retire, but it seems likely he'll play in 2007. In two separate conversations with Ogden within the past year, including one several weeks ago, he said he would definitely let the Ravens know by the draft in case they wanted to pick a tackle. The draft is only two weeks away... If he was going to retire, I think he would have told the team by now.

Okay, that's not definitive -- it's not even close, really -- but Preston does make a good point: you think Ogden would've given somebody in the front office a heads up if it looked like he was leaning towards calling it quits.

Ogden understands how this whole NFL things works, and that the club is knee deep in draft discussions. The offensive line is probably Baltimore's biggest team need, but their thought-to-be target is Texas' Justin Blalock. Blalock played tackle in college, but some scouts project him as a guard in the NFL because of his short arms and lack of height. If Ogden retires, you'd have to think GM Ozzie Newsome might target LT Joe Staley, who shot up draft boards following a stellar Pro Day workout.