Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis frequently exchange text messages. "He texted me last night and things like that,'' Lewis said on a conference call this morning with members of the Pittsburgh media who cover the Steelers. "It's a respect we have for each other, but more importantly it's a respect you got to have for yourself." Lewis said he and Roethlisberger have been in contact since the Pittsburgh quarterback was accused of sexual assault in March. Lewis said he advised Roethlisberger to put his troubles behind him and move ahead. "You're not trying to please the world; if you're trying to please the world you're going to confuse yourself,'' Lewis said today. "If you're going to worry what people say about you, you're going to confuse yourself. "All you can do is move on, live on and whatever he puts behind him as a man, and he puts behind him whatever he's going through, leave it there. Don't let nobody pull you back into it, don't let nobody make you keep talking about it. Once it's done, it's done."

The Ravens deactivated rookie NT Terrence Cody even though he was no longer listed on the team's injury report after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee Aug. 31. "It was real close," Cody said. "They came up to me and said: 'We're going to sit you. You had a real good practice this week, but we just want to be safe and give you another week.'" While denying that he was disappointed with the team's decision, Cody said he planned to be available Sunday against the Steelers, saying: "I'm practicing and playing this week, definitely. That's what I was told."

Baltimore rookie Sergio Kindle fractured his skull shortly before training camp in July when he fell down two flights of stairs. The former Texas standout underwent a series of neurological exams from independent doctors in Baltimore. "He's got some serious issues that he's dealing with," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Friday after practice. "The chances of him playing this year are slim. We're going to be very, very careful. The doctors are going to very careful. Sergio is going to be very careful with that type of an injury."

Ravens safety Ed Reed called the NFLPA last week in an attempt to reduce his mandatory six-week inactive stint on the PUP list. "I thought I could have got it reduced," said Reed, who is recovering from offseason hip surgery and won't be allowed to play before the Oct. 24 game against the Bills. "Maybe I should've called [commissioner Roger] Goodell. It's all in the game. You've got to abide by the rules and all I can do is take advantage of this time, and I know these guys are going to do their jobs."

A woman has filed a restraining order against former NFL player Shannon Sharpe in Fulton County (Georgia) Superior Court. Michele Bundy filed the request on Thursday, according to court records. Sharpe currently works as a television analyst for CBS.

Ravens linebacker Sergio Kindle is optimistic he'll be cleared to play after completing neurological tests on Tuesday. Kindle, the team's top pick in the 2010 draft, suffered a hairline fracture of his skull after falling down two flights of stairs days before the start of training camp. "I'm confident that I'll be cleared," Kindle said. "I thought the tests went well. But I don't have the final say. When the doctors give the results to the team, that will let me know if I can come back."

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is happy to have moved on from Seattle quickly, landing with the Ravens shortly after being released. "It's refreshing, man, to go from the situation I was in and come here," Houshmandzadeh said. "It's hard to explain because you always want to be optimistic and I'm an optimistic person at times, but it's hard to be optimistic when you know what you're going against. I'm coming to play with guys that are similar to me emotionally, the way they play the game and how they love the game. That's where I need to be." The Seahawks let Houshmandzadeh go just one season after giving him a five-year, $40 million contract.

The Rams have traded for Ravens wide receiver Mark Clayton, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Clayton was a No. 22 overall pick by Baltimore in 2005. He caught a career-best 67 passes for 939 yards in 2006, scoring five touchdowns.

Ravens safety Ed Reed says he could have avoided the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which will force him to miss the first six weeks of the season. "I probably could have went out there and kind of maneuvered my way around for a couple of weeks until I really got myself back together, but I didn't know if that was going to be fourth, fifth week or whatnot," Reed said. "It wasn't gonna do any justice to the team after they put in all that hard work this offseason and training camp for that one guy who we probably needed on the roster that was probably 110 percent and could have gave us a special teams play or maybe even a defensive play here or there." Reed said he discussed the PUP list option with team officials, and appeared to be in line with their thinking. "You know, I talked with the organization and they felt the same way, you know, that it was really up to me but they wanted to make sure we were all on the same page. And trying to get longevity out of a career versus playing the first couple of games, maybe even eight or ten games and something happens. God forbid something happens when I come back, but if something happened after eight games and we're still trying to win the Super Bowl come December and January, what am I to help then, you know?"

Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has agreed to terms with the Ravens, according to a Associated Press report. The 10-year veteran was cut by Seattle last week. He signed with the Seahawks as a free agent before the 2009 season and had a team-high 79 catches for 911 yards and three touchdowns. Kennard McGuire, Houshmandzadeh?s agent, says Monday that the receiver ?is excited about playing for such an amazing organization.?