Baltimore Ravens special-teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo expects to return to practice next week when he's eligible to be activated from the physically unable to perform list. The first game he could play in is next week against the Buffalo Bills. "Oh, I'm definitely ready to practice," Ayanbadejo said. "I know I'm ready to practice, we'll just see how I stack up. Three days of practice and sprinkle my way back in there, and hopefully I'll be ready for Buffalo. I'm shooting for Buffalo, but it starts with practice first." Ayanbadejo tore his quadriceps tendon last October against the New England Patriots. Ayanbadejo said he's still experiencing some pain, but is managing it well. "I mean, the only time I really feel good is when I'm out running around and lifting weights and doing that stuff," Ayanbadejo said. "When I'm at home, just sitting on the couch, it tends to ache, but that's the same for any player. Once you're lubricated up and warmed up, and got a nice sweat going, you feel good. Even if you're 100 percent healthy, you sit at home and you're feeling achey." Ayanbadejo is expecting to see work on special-teams and defense when he returns, but isn't entirely certain how he'll be utilized. "Are they going to throw in there and have me playing on all phases of special teams?" Ayanbadejo said. "Am I going to sprinkle in on defense? For me, I want to sprinkle in a little defense and sprinkle in a little special teams to break myself in. That's what I want to do, and then let my role establish itself. If I start excelling on defense, then [I'd like to] pick up my role where I left off on defense, and maybe tune things down a little bit on special teams. If that's not the case, then go back to a full-time special teams player. So, whatever I can do to make the team better, as long as it doesn't adversely affect the team or my knee, I'm all for it." Source: The National Football Post
