Sometimes midseason moves and late additions to rosters smack of desperation and the urge for a team to do something, anything.

But there are those occasions when they make their presence felt.

A trade deadline deal sent sweet shooting Lou Williams from the lowly Lakers to a Houston team trying to crack the upper echelon of contenders and wasted no time making an impact, nailing 7-for-11 behind the 3-point line in his first game with the Rockets. Hes shooting 21-for-42 and averaging 24 points per game as the Rockets enter Wednesday nights game at L.A. against the Clippers (10:30ET, ESPN). The former Sixth Man of the Year joins this seasons likely leader for the award, Eric Gordon, to make a Rockets team that was already difficult to guard more potent.

The Cavaliers are now stirring Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut into the mix of the defending champions after being cut loose in Dallas and Philadelphia.

Will the additions have an impact?A look back shows seven top players that definitely made a difference:

Read the original:
From Rasheed Wallace to Pau Gasol, these midseason additions ... - NBA.com

A weekend house fire on Cooper Lane resulted in the death of an elderly Cody man.

Firefighters found his body on the second floor of the historical home at 3704 Cooper Lane about an hour after they were notified of the fire at noon Sunday. The victim was the sole occupant.

On Wednesday morning officials had not yet shared the victims name, saying while they believed it was the 74-year-old white male occupant, his identity could not be confirmed until a coroners autopsy Thursday.

The 1910 log house was built on a homestead on several acres just outside current city limits. Several additions were later added.

According to Sam Wilde, Cody Fire Department marshal, the fire, which started on the second story, burned inside unnoticed for many hours because of the homes sturdy log construction. It wasnt until interior oxygen was consumed that flames finally broke through the roof, setting shingles on fire. Neighbors then spotted sign of the fire and reported it at 11:58 a.m.

They couldnt see smoke visible until it broke through the roof, Wilde said.

In all, 31 emergency personnel and eight units responded.

He said the fire likely started earlier that morning, or even the night before. The house was completely destroyed.

Going through the rubble, firefighters were unable to locate smoke alarms either on the main level or upstairs where the fire had started and burned everything.

If fire detectors were installed, they werent functioning, he said.

Although firefighters gained

entry to the first floor fairly quickly, Wilde said they werent able to access the second level where they found the body until 1 p.m.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

There was so much stuff that burned, the fire marshal said. There were so many things we couldnt rule out; so many different possibilities.

Space heaters, a fireplace, the fact the victim was a heavy smoker are all possibilities.

There were electrical issues all over in the old home, Wilde said. There were so many things we looked at.

Although it took about an hour to extinguish the blaze, firefighters were on the scene almost five hours, mainly because it took considerable time to sift through charred remains upstairs.

We did have a lot of mop up because there was a lot of stuff to dig through to make sure the fire was all out, Wilde said.

Despite that precaution, the fire re-ignited, and the fire department was called back to the site 6:30 a.m. Monday. They spent another 45 minutes extinguishing the rekindled fire.

Discovery of the owners body inside the house was somewhat expected.

Wilde said neighbors and the mans brother thought he likely was at home, his pickup was in the driveway and he wasnt found elsewhere.

The sad outcome is cause for Wilde to again stress the importance of smoke detectors to alert people and allow them time to escape harm.

The majority of fatality fires [locally] and nationwide are because there were no working smoke detectors, he said.

Go here to see the original:
Man dies in house fire | Local News | codyenterprise.com - Cody Enterprise

The Boston Celtics know any road to the NBA Finals will likely pass through Cleveland.

They put the defending champs on notice that they are gearing up to challenge them for their Eastern Conference throne.

Isaiah Thomas scored 31 points, including a pair of go-ahead free throws, as the Celtics outlasted LeBron James and the Cavaliers 103-99 on Wednesday night.

Boston's win overshadowed the seventh triple-double of the season for James, who finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving added 28 points for the Cavaliers, who lost for the first time when leading at any point in the fourth quarter on the road.

The game marked the third meeting this season between the top two teams in the East, and the first win by the Celtics.

"We just played to win," Thomas said. "They're the No. 1 team in the East. One of the best teams in the NBA, and we just wanted to protect home court and get a win. We did that tonight."

Jae Crowder had 17 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which led by three entering the fourth quarter before there were six ties and 10 lead changes in the final 12 minutes.

It was a 3-point barrage down the stretch, with the Celtics connecting on six straight attempts during one stretch. They also made this more difficult for a Cavs team that had averaged 126 points in its wins over the Celtics.

"This needs to carry over for us," Celtics guard Avery Bradley said.

Deron Williams, signed by Cleveland earlier this week, scored four points in 24 minutes in his Cavaliers debut. But it did little to help the Cavs overcome a night in which they were outrebounded 47-41.

It was tied at 99 when Thomas connected on a pair of free throws to put Boston in front 101-99. Irving then missed a jumper and Tristan Thompson grabbed the rebound and got it to Deron Williams, who then missed from the corner. Crowder got the rebound, was fouled and made his two foul shots to seal it.

"I saw Crowder running to me, he jumped and then I saw Marcus Smart running toward me," James said of the Cavs' missed opportunity in the waning seconds. "I saw D-Will naked in the corner, so I gave him an opportunity and he just missed it. We got the shot we wanted."

Despite the loss, coach Tyronn Lue was pleased with his team's effort.

"It was a good game went down to the wire, shot for shot," Lue said. "I.T. made two big shots, Avery made two big shots. We competed, we fought. That's all you can ask for."

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Outscored the Celtics 50-42 in the paint. ... Finished 15 of 22 from the free-throw line.

Celtics: Al Horford finished with nine points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. ... Finished 13 of 31 from the 3-point line.

QUOTABLE

"I don't know if I'm in his level. I definitely slowed up because I knew it was him. I'm not taking no legend out." James on his near collision with Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was seated on the baseline.

TOUGHER EAST

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he's been impressed by the recent additions by several teams in the Eastern Conference. Though, he said, the line still forms behind the defending champions following their acquisition of Williams and anticipated addition of big man Andrew Bogut, who is free to sign after clearing waivers.

"I don't think I'm saying anything earth-shattering here: We're all chasing Cleveland," Stevens said.

ENERGY MAN

Derrick Williams playing on his second 10-day contract provided the energy for the Cavaliers early on, scoring 10 points in the first half.

He scored from the outside, got into the teeth of Boston's interior defense and sped the game up. One of his best highlights came in the second quarter when he blocked Bradley's jumper, sprinted ahead and received a pass from James for a fast-break dunk.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Continue their three-game road trip Friday at Atlanta.

Celtics: Have two days before beginning a five-game road trip Friday against the Lakers.

Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

Read the original:
Thomas, Celtics overcome Cavs, James' triple-double - ABC News

Autoweek

IMSA race weekends to get boost from LM P3 additions Autoweek All homologated LM P3 cars will make their Prototype Challenge this month at Sebring. And as for that debut, practice is scheduled for March 15, with qualifying on March 14, followed by the first of two races. The second race will take place on March 15.

See the original post here:
IMSA race weekends to get boost from LM P3 additions - Autoweek

New York Times

House Hunting in Sydney New York Times The kitchen and rear portion of the home, which includes an atrium, are more recent additions. From the sidewalk, a gate ... All four bedrooms are on the second floor, along with two full baths (the half bath is on the first floor). The master opens to ...

More:
House Hunting in Sydney - New York Times

Oculus rolled out version 1.12 of the Oculus software. The new build addresses tracking issues that version 1.11 introduced, improves the user experience, and adds an audio mirroring option.

Oculus launched the Touch controllers in early December to mixed customer reactions. In my review of Oculuss motion controllers, I noted that the tracking may have actually been a little too robust for my taste. In my experience, the sensors picked up every nuanced movement of my hands, and I noticed the controllers lose tracking only when they were out of view of both cameras.

My experience with Touch is positive, but my experience is not universal, though. Shortly after the launch of the Touch controllers, reports of poor tracking started popping up in the Oculus support forums and the Oculus subrReddit.

Oculus said it would address the tracking problem in January, but the company pushed the release into February for quality control purposes. The company delayed the driver release, but it didnt push back the plans for the February driver. Oculus committed to two drivers in the shortest month of the year.

The January update addresses the tracking issues, but it caused other problems. Some Touch owners that didnt have any trouble before started reporting issues to Oculus. Oculus Version 1.12 should address those new problems.

The latest version of Oculus Software also adds improved support for Unreal Engine and Unity, and it introduces a couple of new features. You can now flag spam reviews that you find in the Oculus Store to help Oculus keep the store clean.

Im especially fond of the other two additions to the Oculus platform: When you install some games through the Oculus Store, you must click the games icon to finalize the installation--which you can't do from inside the headset. Mercifully, Oculus version 1.12 allows you to complete the install from within the VR environment. Just be sure to launch Oculus Home with administrator privileges.

The final addition to the Oculus platform is a feature that Valve offered on day one. You can now mirror the audio signal that goes to the headset so that spectators can hear whats going on. This feature is invaluable when you want to share your Rift experiences with a group of people.

The Oculus 1.12 client update is now live. If your install isnt already up to date, you should receive it soon. For the complete list of changes, see the release notes on the Oculus forums.

View post:
Second Oculus Software Update (1.12) Is Out, Improves Tracking ... - Tom's Hardware

The Daily News Journal 6:02 a.m. CT Feb. 28, 2017

Father and son Jim, left and Peter Demos, right, in their dinning room at their restaurant on Friday March 6, 2015, when the Murfreesboro-based restaurant celebrated its 25th anniversary.(Photo: HELEN COMER / DNJ)Buy Photo

The Demos Family of Restaurants, which is based in Murfreesboro, announced threeadditions to the Demos and Peter Ds leadership team.

Keith West has joined the team as culinary director.

We are very excited about the addition of Keith and the addition of his new role in our company. While Demos has been in business for almost 27 years, I feel it is important to keep evolving with menu items that blend our core philosophy of great food and value. Keith will also help us continue to fine-the tune the brand through the menu and the unique food at the Peter Ds concept, as we look to open our second location, said Peter Demos, owner and CEO.

A graduate of MTSU, West brings more than 20 years of culinary experience and restaurant openings to the organization.

West most recently was the culinary director for Pucketts Gro. & Restaurant. Over the past seven years, Wests expertise helped open Pucketts Gro. & Restaurant, Scouts Pub, Grays on Main and The Boathouse.

Ginger Anderson, a CPA and 21-year veteran in the restaurant industry, joined the Demos family in April 2016 as the Company Controller.

Anderson began her career at Logans Roadhouse, holding positions within the accounting and finance departments.

She subsequently served as a manager in franchise services at the public account firm, Horne LLP. Anderson left Dicks Last Resort, as controller, to join the Demos Family of Restaurants and help further Demos and Peter Ds growth campaign.

Demos said Andersons experience in full-service restaurants, as they have grown from small companies to large companies, will allow the company to grow without leveraging finances or compromising service to customers.

Anderson earned her bachelors degree with a double major in accounting and economics/finance from David Lipscomb University.

Kevin Travis joined the family owned business in September 2015 as vice president of operations.

Travis began his career in the restaurant industry working at Demos Restaurant in 1994 as a waiter. Since his early days with Demos Restaurant, Travis has spent the last 20 years in the restaurant industry.

After serving in various roles of management, he earned the position of vice president of operations at BB Kings Blues Club and Dicks Last Resort.

Travis holds a bachelors degree in communications from MTSU and a master of business administration from Vanderbilt University.

His experience in markets such as Baltimore, Las Vegas, Nashville and Orlando, combined with his background in change management, organizational growth and business strategy, bring a level of expertise to the Demos Family of Restaurants that is key for future growth opportunities, Demos said.

Jim and Doris Demos, Peters parents, opened the first Demos Restaurant in 1989 in Murfreesboro; the fifth Demos Restaurant opened in Clarksville this past November.

Read or Share this story: http://on.dnj.com/2mzE0wi

Read this article:
Demos' Restaurants announces new hires - The Daily News Journal

The 2017 NHL trade deadline in 3 p.m. ET Wednesday. Our team of reporters are breaking down all the deals as they happen and keeping up with talks between clubs throughout the week.

More: Tracker | Live Trade Talk | Trade Grades | Trade Targets

7:54 p.m. ET: The Chicago Blackhawks have reacquired defenseman Johnny Oduya, reports ESPN.com's Scott Burnside -- sending a conditional fourth-round draft pick and prospect Mark McNeill, 24, to the Dallas Stars for the 35-year-old Oduya, who won Stanley Cups with Chicago in 2013 and 2015. Oduya is coming off an ankle injury that cost him 15 games. He has appeared in 37 games this season. The Stars will retain half of the remaining portion of Oduya's $3.75 million salary. "He's in excellent condition," one NHL source told ESPN.com's Craig Custance of Oduya. "Really takes care of himself. He's got something left."

3:02 p.m. ET: It hasn't been exactly a banner season for veteran goalie Jaroslav Halak, who was forced to endure a three-goaltender system with the New York Islanders before being waived and sent to the minors in January. Yet the 31-year-old, who starred for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, has been excellent in the AHL. The Edmonton Oilers are among the teams interested in Halak, according to ESPN.com's Craig Custance. Halak comes with salary-cap baggage -- he's owed $5 million in real money next season, with a $4.5 million cap hit -- but it seems likely that the Isles would be willing to eat some of that if a team came calling.

1:38 p.m. ET: Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan has not waived his no-trade clause, ESPN.com's Joe McDonald reported. The 40-year-old, fourth-line winger, who has been with the same organization for 22 seasons, said it has been frustrating to see teammates such as Martin Hanzal and Ryan White traded away, but he maintained that he would waive his no-trade clause only if the deal were a perfect fit for both sides.

1:29 p.m. ET: The Ottawa Senators have acquired pending unrestricted free-agent forward Viktor Stalberg from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2017 third-round pick, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun. The Senators added some forward depth by bringing in the veteran winger, ESPN.com's Scott Burnside said, but have modest expectations (at best) for the still-speedy 31-year-old. Stalberg has just two goals in 43 career playoff games and is now with his fifth NHL team since 2013.

12:31 p.m. ET: The New York Rangers have acquired the defenseman they were seeking before the deadline, getting pending unrestricted free agent Brendan Smith from the Detroit Red Wings, according to sources. In return, the Wings will get a second-round draft pick and a third-round selection. Smith, 28, a former 2007 first-round pick, was the second-best rental defenseman on the market behind Kevin Shattenkirk, said Craig Custance, but he can be inconsistent. "He's got everything," an NHL scout said of Smith. "He tries hard. But if something bad is going to happen, it seems to happen to him."

11:24 a.m. ET: The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Michal Rozsival and forward Jordin Tootoo to one-year extensions. Rozsival will earn $650,000 next season, and Tootoo will make $700,000. But the real news, Pierre LeBrun said, is that the signings help Chicago fulfill its expansion draft-exposure requirements. Each NHL team must expose at least two forwards, one defenseman and one goalie who meet the criteria spelled out by the league.

12:24 a.m. ET: The New York Islanders welcomed back to practice three regulars who could be the only additions the team makes before the trade deadline. Cal Clutterbuck, Shane Prince and Travis Hamonic took part in the Islanders' vigorous, 75-minute workout. Sources told Newsday's Arthur Staple that Islanders GM Garth Snow is not shopping for players who are pending free agents. Snow would prefer to find players New York can keep beyond this season, such as Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene or Edmonton Oilers wing Jordan Eberle. But those deals would require Snow to hand over prospects and a player or two off the roster, and coach Doug Weight believes the pending returns of his three injured players -- as well as Casey Cizikas, who might be able to return earlier than the three weeks remaining on his month prognosis for a suspected broken hand -- could add just as much as a player brought in via trade.

12:14 a.m. ET: The Pittsburgh Penguins' roster will not be gutted between now and the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dave Molinari reported. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is trying to fortify his lineup for a title defense -- not tear it down as part of a major rebuild. But goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who has been supplanted as Pittsburgh's No. 1 netminder by Matt Murray, is convinced that he can be an effective No. 1 goalie in this league and thus has been the subject of trade speculation. Fleury declined to say Monday whether he has asked Rutherford to trade him because "our conversations are personal."

9:57 p.m. ET: The Washington Capitals acquired one of the top players available on the trade market in Kevin Shattenkirk. The St. Louis Blues get forward Zach Sanford, a 2017 first-round draft pick and a conditional future second-round pick in return. The Blues also retain 39 percent of the remaining portion of Shattenkirk's $5.2 million salary for this season, sources told ESPN. In a separate deal, the Blues acquired forward Brad Malone from the Capitals for goalie Pheonix Copley.

9:43 p.m. ET: The Ottawa Senators are gearing up for a postseason push, acquiring veteran forward Alex Burrows from the Vancouver Canucks for prospect Jonathan Dahlen. Burrows, after waiving his no-trade clause, agreed to a two-year, $5 million extension with the Senators, according to multiple reports.

4:40 p.m. ET: The Montreal Canadiens added defensive depth with Jordie Benn, whom they acquired from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Greg Pateryn and a 2017 fourth-round pick. But Habs GM Marc Bergevin still needs help up front, and with big centers Martin Hanzal and Brian Boyle both off the market, the clock is ticking, says ESPN's Scott Burnside. The Canadiens have just three wins in 11 games in February, and their once-sizable lead atop the Atlantic Division standings has shrunk to two points.

3:28 p.m. ET: The Tampa Bay Lightning have acquired center Brian Boyle from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Byron Froese and a second-round draft pick in 2017, reports ESPN's Craig Custance. Boyle is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and the Lighting have salary-cap concerns heading into next season, making Boyle's return to Tampa Bay unlikely. Boyle brings veteran depth at center to the young Maple Leafs and has played more playoff games (100) than any other NHL player since 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

12:17 p.m. ET: Steven Stamkos skated with his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates for the first time since his knee surgery in mid-November. The Lightning captain did 2-on-1 drills, took one-timers and looked comfortable skating, reported Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said that joining the team in noncontact drills was the next step in Stamkos' recovery and that the center could return sometime this season. "Everything about his rehab is moving along very well," Yzerman said. "There's no complications. He feels good."

7:07 p.m. ET: The Minnesota Wild traded a 2017 first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick and conditional 2019 fourth-round pick plus minor leaguer Grayson Downing to the Arizona Coyotes for center Martin Hanzal, forward Ryan White and a 2017 fourth-round pick, reports ESPN's Craig Custance. It's a hefty price for Hanzal, 30, a pending unrestricted free agent, but one the Wild were willing to pay ahead of Wednesday's NHL trade.

6:35 p.m. ET: The Los Angeles Kings acquired Ben Bishop from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade that includes goalie Peter Budaj and an exchange of draft picks, reports ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.

The Kings will pair Bishop with Jonathan Quick in a formidable tandem down the stretch as they attempt to make the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Los Angeles (30-27-4) began the day three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Tampa Bay retains 20 percent of Bishop's salary-cap hit, reports LeBrun.

11:41 p.m. ET: The Anaheim Ducks added scoring punch ahead of next week's NHL trade deadline, acquiring right wing Patrick Eaves from the Dallas Stars for a conditional second-round draft pick. Eaves, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, has already set a career high for goals this season, scoring his 21st on Feb. 11 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

More: Tracker | Trade Grades | Top Trade Targets

Read more here:
NHL trade deadline: Latest news, rumblings and reports - ESPN

YouTube is still the single biggest source for people seeking online video content, and has been for a long time now, despite many attempts by competitors over the years to dethrone it from the top spot. This week, Google announced the service has reached a brand new milestone. It stated that over 1 billion (yep, BILLION) hours of content are viewed on YouTube every single day.

December 4, 2016

No matter how you spin it, the fact that people all over the world are spending that much time watching videos on YouTube is a huge achievement. Indeed, Google continues to expand the reach of YouTube to more devices and platforms, as it become the number one way for people to watch any kind of video content, period. Its also been turned into a real career for many people who create content for YouTube. Some creators now have millions or even tens of millions of channel subscribers. The rise of these low-budget online video content makers was the theme of this weeks new Samsung Galaxy S7 commercial that debuted during the Oscars telecast.

Even with that daily video viewing achievement, YouTube is still fighting potential competitors to its platform.

Even with that daily video viewing achievement, YouTube is still fighting potential competitors to its platform. That includes Twitch, the live streaming service owned by Google rival Amazon. While it has mainly focused on offering gaming-themed videos, it has recently added a new sub-channel for its creators to publish live and recorded clips on any subject, similar to YouTubes business model. Live streaming is also becoming more popular on social networking services like Facebook and Twitter, and those platforms could also threaten YouTubes popularity. Even paid subscription services, especially Netflix, are competing for the eyeballs of online users with more and more original, and big budget, content.

YouTube has been making new additions and improvements to meet these challenges.

Google has not been sitting on a stump while all of this has been going on. It has been making new additions and improvements to meet these challenges. In the summer of 2016, it announced that it would allow YouTube creators to live stream videosdirectlyfrom their smartphones, similar to whats available now for Facebook and Twitter. Earlier this month, Google revealed that feature was now live for any owners of a YouTube channel with more than 10,000 users, with plans to offer it for everyone else soon. Its also making some changes to its annoying unskippable ad videos for non-subscribers of YouTube Red. Its ditching the 30-second video ads in favor of more frequent 6-second ads.

Speaking of YouTube Red, the companys $9.99 a month subscription service that launched in late 2015 does offer some nice features like no video ads, offline viewing and original content. However, its current status is still something of a question mark. Google has not released any official subscription numbers for the service, but a recent, if unconfirmed, report claims that just 1.5 million subscribers have signed onto YouTube Red. Keep in mind that low number may be due to the fact that only residents in five countries can currently access the service. If Google decides to expand YouTube Red to more countries, those numbers will almost certain go much higher.

For the moment, YouTube remains the king of the huge online video kingdom, and while that may not change anytime soon, there are certainly a lot more competitors going after its vast audience than ever before. That means Google cannot rest on that 1 billion hour daily viewing milestone for very long, and more changes and additions may need to go online to keep it ahead of its rivals.

Do you still check out YouTube videos every day, and do you think any service has a hope of getting close to its current vast audience? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Read this article:
YouTube viewers check out over 1 billion hours of videos daily, but has it reached its peak? - Android Authority (blog)

Ravens officials have had several weeks to prepare for the crux of the offseason, the time when key decisions have to be made, the annual free agency spending spree commences and the pre-draft hype goes into overdrive.

Following an 8-8 season and their third non-playoff campaign in the past four years, team executives, coaches and scouts went back to work quickly. By now, they've planned for potential roster cuts, made contract offers to several of their own free agents, pondered outside additions and started homing in on preparations for April's draft.

Team officials have descended on Indianapolis this week for the league's annual scouting combine, a convergence of the NFL's present and future. Over 300 draft-eligible players will spend the next week working out for evaluators and being interviewed by teams and reporters.

With free agency beginning next week, agents will continue to gauge the market on their clients while teams make last-ditched attempts to keep their top free agents off the open market.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and head coach John Harbaugh, along with their respective staffs, have much work to do to upgrade a roster that is aging and expensive in some spots, and not nearly deep enough in others. That process will accelerate this week as the Ravens tackle the following tasks...

Newsome and his top lieutenant, Eric DeCosta, have long called the draft the "lifeblood" of the organization. This year's draft comes at a critical time for a team with myriad needs. The good news for the Ravens is those needs match up well with the perceived strengths of the draft class.

"It's one of the best defensive drafts I've seen," NFL Network's lead draft analyst Mike Mayock said on a conference call Monday. "You can get a corner in the second and third rounds. You could get an edge [rusher] in the second and third rounds. The defensive depth at edge and corner is outstanding."

The Ravens' needs are well documented. They're looking to add difference makers to their defensive backfield, improve their pass rush and front seven, fortify their offensive line and inject some playmakers to an offense that has fallen on hard times.

Armed with the 16th overall pick and six other selections in April's draft, the Ravens will get a good look this week at top running backs Leonard Fournette (LSU) and Dalvin Cook (Florida State), a deep receiving class headed by Corey Davis (Western Michigan) and Mike Williams (Clemson), pass-rush prospects Derek Barnett (Tennessee), Taco Charlton (Michigan) and Tim Williams (Alabama) and a loaded defensive back group that includes Malik Hooker (Ohio State), Sidney Jones (Washington), Teez Tabor (Florida) and Marlon Humphrey (Alabama).

The various on-field workouts and physical testing this week will factor prominently into player evaluations, but the Ravens also put a lot of weight on individual meetings and interviews they have with prospects away from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Ravens senior vice president of football administration Pat Moriarty has already exchanged contract proposals with the representatives for pending free agent fullback Kyle Juszczyk, right tackle Rick Wagner, nose tackle Brandon Williams and reserve safety/core special teamer Anthony Levine Sr.

With those players along with contributors Kamar Aiken and Lawrence Guy scheduled to hit the open market on March 9, the Ravens are running out of time to get deals done. They can still re-sign their own free agents after 4 p.m. on March 9, but that task becomes more difficult with so many teams having so much more money to spend than the Ravens.

Moriarty is expected to meet with the agents of Juszczyk, Wagner and Williams this week. It will surely take huge offers to prevent Wagner and Williams, arguably the top free agents at their respective positions, from testing their worth on the open market. However, the Ravens have prioritized both.

Technically, teams aren't allowed to contact the representatives of pending free agents until March 7 during the two-day negotiation window before the market officially opens. However, it's no secret that a flurry of meetings between teams and agents will take place in downtown Indianapolis restaurants and hotel suites this week.

The practice gives agents a better idea of the market for their clients, and who might be suitors. The Ravens historically are relatively quiet in free agency, choosing to sign and develop their own while making a few forays into the market to fill major needs.

With the salary cap again going up, and at least 20 teams projected to have more than $25 million of cap space, the Ravens won't have the luxury of being passive. They might not have the money to land some of the top-ticket items, such as Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore and New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, but there's no reason why they can't fill a few needs with solid players.

Wide receiver Pierre Garcon, center Nick Mangold, pass rusher Jabaal Sheard, cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Tony Jefferson are all free agents who would be nice fits. The Ravens will have a better idea of the market for those players and whether they fit in it by week's end.

The Ravens have approximately $15 million of salary cap space, which is among the least in the league. That number will go down significantly when they have to tender restricted and exclusive rights free agents. The Ravens, though, know there are plenty of moves they can make to create more financial flexibility.

Tight end Dennis Pitta ($7.7 million cap number) and cornerback Lardarius Webb ($7.5 million) could be asked to take pay cuts. Tight end Benjamin Watson ($4 million), center Jeremy Zuttah ($4.6 million), strong-side linebacker Elvis Dumervil ($8.4 million) and defensive backs Kyle Arrington ($2.8 million), Shareece Wright ($5.8 million) and Kendrick Lewis ($2.3 million) are all potential cap casualties and/or play positions in which the Ravens are trying to upgrade.

The Ravens also could decide to decline wide receiver Mike Wallace's 2017 contract option, a move that would create nearly $6 million in salary cap space.

The Ravens traditionally make their offseason roster cuts in late February/early March, giving their former players enough time to prepare for free agency. If they stick to that timeline, some moves might occur this weekend during the scouting combine.

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com

twitter.com/jeffzrebiecsun

See the rest here:
Ravens have four major tasks to accomplish this week at the combine - Baltimore Sun