Ray Rice had high praise for how Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco performed in the playoffs this past season. "It was his show," Rice told WQXI-AM in Atlanta. "It was his show on offense, and as much credit that I was getting and as much respect I was getting from defenses, all Joe really had to do is prove that we can drive the ball down the field and score, and he did that. Quite frankly, he outplayed Tom Brady the last game." Brady's Patriots won a tight AFC Championship Game. Flacco was 22-of-36 passing, amassing 306 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. "He outplayed Tom Brady, and Tom Brady -- he's the trademark for a quarterback," Rice said. "So Joe Flacco feeling the way he feels is only right, because he did it on a high level. He did it on the peak of his performance."

Terrell Suggs has backed away from his assertion that he will return from a torn right Achilles tendon in November, but insists he will play in 2012. The Ravens linebacker had surgery on May 8. He recently discarded his crutches and now walks in a protective boot.

Ed Reed skipped the first day of Baltimore's mandatory minicamp and the team is unsure what prompted his unexcused absence. "I have not communicated with Ed, so I'm not sure what the situation is on that," coach John Harbaugh told reporters. The Ravens can fine Reed as much as $63,000 for missing the mandatory three-day minicamp. Ray Lewis told reporters that Reed has a family issue and will report to training camp in late July. "People across the world never worry about minicamps or whatever," Lewis said. "Whatever him and coach talked about, they talked about. I don't think it's an issue at all. Ed has other things going, a baby boy, and he's really trying to focus on things like that. Sometimes, life calls you away from the game. These three days won't take away from what Ed Reed's focus is, and that is to come back and help our defense be the best defense there is in football. I don't think it's an issue at all, not for us."

Derrick Mason will retire as a member of the Ravens. The wide receiver will be joined by Baltimore general manager Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh at a news conference announcing his retirement Monday afternoon. He is the franchise leader in receptions (471) and yards receiving (5,777).

The Ravens have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with veteran guard Bobbie Williams. Williams, 35, was a mainstay at right guard for the Bengals since 2004.

The Ravens won't take money away from Terrell Suggs even though the linebacker was injured away from the team's facility. Baltimore team owner Steve Bisciotti called the idea of not paying Suggs for the games he would miss "nonsense" and pointed out that football players play basketball all offseason.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he doesn't care how Terrell Suggs injured his Achilles tendon. Suggs has denied reports he suffered the injury playing basketball in Arizona, insisting he got hurt during a conditioning session. The linebacker has surgery last month. Asked whether Suggs got hurt playing basketball, Harbaugh replied: "That's not a conversation we're even having." Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, the Ravens have the right not to pay Suggs for a non-football injury. "It's not relevant to anything or has anything to do with what we're trying to accomplish," Harbaugh said. "If it were, I guess we'd think about it. The relevant conversation with Terrell Suggs is going to be rehab."

Terrell Suggs injured his right Achilles playing basketball in April, according to staff members who attended a three-day basketball tournament in which the linebacker played that weekend. "He got hurt Sunday prior to the (basketball tournament) championship game," said Herman (Sonny) Hoffman, the director of the Akchin Gymnasium in Maricopa, Ariz., where the tournament was held. The Baltimore defender continues to maintain that he suffered the injury during conditioning drills. Asked if he believed that was when Suggs injured his Achilles, Hoffman said: "More than likely it was. My staff saw the whole incident. It was the condition you'd describe for a torn Achilles. He had no movement, no step, and it swelled up right away."

There is no guarantee that Terrell Suggs will play in 2012, but the Ravens linebacker is intent on returning by November. "I'm going to shock a lot of people when I'm coming out of that tunnel," Suggs told The Baltimore Sun. "I'm in a boot already working on flexibility, getting back that range of motion. Next week, we're going to start a little walking and working side to side." Suggs partially tore his Achilles' tendon last month during a private workout in Arizona.

With training camp approaching, the Ravens and Joe Flacco are not close to a long-term contract agreement. The Carroll County Times writes that the Ravens "aren't anywhere close" to negotiating a long-term deal with the quarterback. A deal with Ray Rice appears to be the team's top priority. "I'm not worried about it at all," Flacco told the Baltimore Sun. "It's either going to get done or it's not. It's not really up to me."