The Ravens are one of six teams that the NFL could "force to appear on HBO’s 'Hard Knocks,'" according to Jeff Zrebiec of the BALTIMORE SUN. The Ravens were also not exempt last season, but they "informed the league that the major renovation of the Under Armour Performance Center would create too many logistical problems in housing the HBO crew as well as all the additional staffers and equipment." Zrebiec: "The Ravens might not have that excuse this summer, but I still can’t see them being the focus of the show." The league "prefers not forcing teams to do it," and as long as Exec VP & GM Ozzie Newsome and coach John Harbaugh are around, it is hard to "imagine the organization volunteering." The Ravens "haven’t exactly been a story-filled team in recent seasons either." With 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s emergence and GM John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan’s "media-friendly ways," HBO would be "plenty pleased to get the 49ers on the show" (BALTIMORE SUN, 1/4). But CBSSPORTS.com's John Breech noted the 49ers "want no part of the show," something that Lynch made clear Tuesday. That would leave HBO with the Broncos, Browns, Chargers and Redskins. Breech: "My personal vote would go to the Browns because everyone loves trainwreck television and coming off an 0-16 season, that's kind of what Browns are now." The Broncos "would also be interesting" because they still need a QB, and watching Exec VP/Football Operations & GM John Elway "complain about quarterback play for five consecutive weeks would be a fascinating case study into human emotion" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/3).
