Ravens' Bryant McKinnie's tumultuous offseason continues

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie's rocky offseason took yet another turn Thursday when the veteran didn't show up for Baltimore's first day of training camp. 

While one source said part of the problem was he didn't pass his conditioning test, coach John Harbaugh said one of McKinnie's representatives contacted the team and said he had to resolve a personal issue. As a result, McKinnie has been placed on the reserve/did not report list. 

"I don't really want to speak for him on that," Harbaugh said. "I'll let him speak for himself."

Whatever the reason for McKinnie's absence, the Ravens begin camp with another spot to plug in. McKinnie, who received a $500,000 roster bonus in March, has been dealing with various issues all offseason. 

He worked out with the Baltimore training staff before and during OTAs, doing extra work to help reach a target playing weight of 345 pounds. He entered OTAs at 358. 

"I'm glad I'm here so I can go through this now instead of what happened last year," McKinnie said during the first week of OTAs in May. "Last year, I felt like I was on Celebrity Fit Club."

McKinnie ended up in Baltimore after Minnesota released him in 2011 for reporting to training camp overweight. McKinnie admitted he lost track of working out during the lockout and focused on what he was doing with his music studio. Spending late nights producing music, McKinnie said he'd sometimes eat fast food and other items that weren't the healthiest for him. 

All appeared to be going well for McKinnie before the Ravens held him out of mandatory minicamp for conditioning purposes. By late June, McKinnie told Baltimore radio station WNST 1570 that he was down to 354 pounds. 

What's derailed McKinnie since the end of minicamp is unknown. McKinnie, who uses Twitter often and regularly, hasn't tweeted since July 22. McKinnie's also facing a $4.5 million lawsuit stemming from a loan he took out during the lockout. 

With McKinnie out of camp temporarily, Michael Oher will move from the right side to take his spot. If McKinnie's absence lingers, Baltimore could plug in linemen Jah Reid (calf) and Kelechi Osemele (back) on the right side once they're healthy again. On Thursday, undrafted free agent Jack Cornell worked with the first team at right tackle. 

It's clear McKinnie's offensive teammates need him to get all the reps he can get during training camp. With guard Ben Grubbs choosing New Orleans during free agency, the Ravens could ill-afford losing another starting offensive lineman.

"Bryant's on the roster and we need to get him here," quarterback Joe Flacco said. "He's a good player. We need to get him here, get him running the plays, get ready for the season and get him in football shape."

McKinnie's offseason started out promising but has since detoured. For now, it's unclear when he'll return and suit up for the Ravens.