[Ruhskins]

I just got this from ESPN Rumors. Very interesting situation on what they report in regards to the Ravens being interested in Heyward-Bey, and possibly wanting to move up in the draft to get him. If this were to happen, I wonder if getting their #26 and another round pick from them would be worth pursuing. The Ravens desperately need a vertical receiver, and Hey-Bey could provide that to them, not to mention the marketing part of having a former Terp play for them. Any thoughts?

Baltimore Ravens
Will Ravens trade up to draft Heyward-Bey?
Representatives from 25 NFL teams came to the University of Maryland on Wednesday to watch the school's "Pro Day" event, according to the Baltimore Sun. But really, they were there for just one player, wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.

After running the fastest time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL draft combine, Heyward-Bey will now begin the process of being further vetted by specific teams, as was the case on Wednesday. In addition to the workouts at his alma mater, the Baltimore Ravens have already scheduled an appointment with Heyward-Bey for a session where he'll catch passes from their quarterback, Joe Flacco, and the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have also extended invitations to the wide receiver for similar in-depth workouts.

Although the Ravens are not in desperate need of a wide receiver, their top three options from 2008 - Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams - are all set to become free agents after 2009, and Mason has even asked for his release if the team does not plan to sign him to an extension. Furthermore, in the days following the Super Bowl victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens were among many teams who coveted the game-breaking abilities of a player like Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, and the speedy Heyward-Bey could potentially blossom into such a star.

The problem now for the Ravens is that Heyward-Bey, who grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, is unlikely to last until their first pick in the NFL draft at No. 26 overall. The New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Eagles and Vikings all pick ahead of the Ravens, and all are in need of an upgrade in the receiving corps. A move to one of the middle ten picks of the first round could be developed, and this would ensure the Ravens could tab Heyward-Bey if they so desired.

The 6-foot-3 Heyward-Bey seemed genuinely excited when asked about the prospects of playing for his home-state franchise, telling the Sun, "That will be great. I could go there and be a weapon for them. We [Heyward-Bey and Flacco] could grow together... write that." We'll have to wait another month to find out if the Ravens are just as excited about the youngster as he is about them.