OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is getting ready for an NFL draft unlike any he's ever experienced.
Because of the NFL lockout, teams have not been allowed to sign free agents during the offseason. So Newsome and the Ravens will head into the draft on April 28 without having the benefit of addressing any pressing needs.
Newsome said Tuesday that the last time he can remember a draft coming before free agency, he was still a player. That was more than two decades ago.
Newsome says the unusual situation hasn't changed his approach or altered the team's draft board. Newsome plans to stick with the same plan that has proven to be successful in the past, meaning he will pick the highest-rated player on the draft board rather than stretch to fill a need.
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