OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- By the weekend, linebacker Shane Ray will know whether he is sticking with the Baltimore Ravens or if he'll get cut for the first time, which would cast a cloudy future on his up-and-down career.
Ray, a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos four years ago, is in what one coach described as a "dead heat" for one of the final roster spots. All signs point to Ray playing for his football life in Thursday's preseason finale.
Survival, though, has always been a way of life for Ray.