Alabama football: Ex-Crimson Tide recruit Michael Ricks signs with Baltimore Ravens; Preston Dial goes to Detroit Lions; Luther Davis to Buffalo Bills

The Baltimore Ravens weren’t on Michael Ricks’ radar Tuesday morning.

But as the sun set, he was on a plane bound for Maryland.

The former R.A. Hubbard High School star and Stillman College product signed a free agent deal with the Ravens just hours after the franchise first contacted his agent.

“They came out of the blue,” said Michael Hawthorne, Ricks’ agent.

Monday’s end to the lockout started the expedited process of free-agent signings. Since the safety wasn’t selected in the April draft, he could be courted by any and all NFL franchises.

Earlier Tuesday, Ricks said he’d heard from the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, and Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s been a long wait,” the former Alabama recruit said Tuesday morning. “I’m just ready to get out there and play football.”

He was hoping to have a destination by this morning, but the offer from Baltimore came late Tuesday afternoon and training camp begins today.

Since the money was the same from each team who offered deals, choosing the Ravens was based on the team’s defensive philosophy. The man-to-man approach for the secondary was attractive to Ricks.

And the Ravens liked what they saw from Ricks’ game tape.

“Mike’s an aggressive player and he has good ball skills,” said Hawthorne who partners with agent Jack Jasmon Warren. “That’s one thing they said they really liked a lot about Michael from our discussions. He has a natural knack for the football.”

The journey is far from over for Ricks.

He’s one of 90 players who’ll enter training camp, but only 53 will make the final roster at its conclusion.

Two former Alabama players are in the same boat after inking similar deals as non-drafted free agents.

Tight end Preston Dial signed a deal with the Detroit Lions on Monday evening.

Then Tuesday, defensive lineman Luther Davis reportedly signed with the Buffalo Bills where he’d be reunited with former teammate Marcell Dareus -- the third overall pick in April’s draft.

This story was originally published July 27, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Alabama football: Ex-Crimson Tide recruit Michael Ricks signs with Baltimore Ravens; Preston Dial goes to Detroit Lions; Luther Davis to Buffalo Bills."