Mason nice catch for Ravens

The league's leading receiver should boost Baltimore's ailing air attack.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Washington Redskins did it again, jumping Wednesday to sign the first free agent of the season.
But the Baltimore Ravens landed the biggest prize of the first day of free agency, signing wide receiver Derrick Mason, whose 96 catches for Tennessee last season led all NFL wide receivers.
And the Cleveland Browns traded defensive tackle Gerard Warren, the third overall pick in the 2001 draft, to Denver.
It was an overall net loss for Cleveland -- the Browns will get just a fourth-round draft choice for the underachieving Warren.
The 31-year-old Mason, one of six Titans cut last month in a salary cap purge, will join a team whose leading receiver had just 35 catches a year ago.
"We were high on his list, and he was high on our list," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said.
"He was really the only receiver we have had any active discussions with thus far. What this does is, we bring in a veteran receiver who has the type of attitude and type of personality that we look for in a football player."
St. Louis, meanwhile, signed 32-year-old linebacker Dexter Coakley, one day after he was released by Dallas.
Former Raven
Washington's catch was a former Raven, center Casey Rabach, who joined a team that has spent millions in the early days of free agency the last two seasons.
But more significant for the Redskins, who went wildly after high-priced free agents on the first day the last two years, was keeping one of their own -- left tackle Chris Samuels, whose contract was redone to provide more salary cap room.
Those were the major free agents to sign on Day 1 of free agency
As for Rabach, who played at Wisconsin, he will probably replace another former Badger with the initials "CR," -- Cory Raymer in the middle of the line.
With Jon Jansen back from injury at right tackle and Samuels on the left side, the Washington offense should be stronger than last year's unit, which scored just 240 points, second fewest in the NFL.
Also, Philadelphia re-signed running back Correll Buckhalter, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, and guard Joe Andruzzi, a starter on all three of New England's Super Bowl winners, was in Cleveland talking to the Browns, coached by former Patriots' defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.
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