Ravens third-string quarterback Troy Smith had his heart set on playing for the Browns but is thrilled to be in Baltimore.
"I've always wanted to play for the Browns, but to me, that's not reality right now," said Troy Smith in a phone interview. "This is my reality here in Baltimore and it's an incredible opportunity for me and my family."
Troy Smith, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State and Cleveland's Glenville High School, said he plans to be a starter someday, but is in the "picture-perfect" situation in Baltimore, learning from Steve McNair and Kyle Boller.
"Very few can be thrown into the fire and succeed right away," Troy Smith said. "My day will come, depending on my learning curve and accepting my role."
He said he's learned from McNair "about becoming a better person on and off the field. He's an incredible person through and through. You can't go wrong with the two guys I'm learning from. Kyle is so smart and has an incredibly strong arm."
He said he's not upset about slipping to the fifth round of the NFL draft back in April.
"Most guys don't get picked at all," he said. "So once you got through the process, you appreciate it even more."
He said he'll have about 15 family members and friends at Sunday's game in Cleveland Browns Stadium and is looking forward to propping up the city of Cleveland in the eyes of his Ravens teammates.
"I have to do a lot of bragging to a lot of the guys because they think Cleveland is a dark, gloomy place," Troy Smith said. "I have a little something planned to let them know what kind of place it is."
He said he's enjoyed learning from Ravens general manager and former Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome.
"Ozzie is a great guy," he said. "Getting to know him has been an informational quest for me."
He's also been mentored by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
"[In minicamp] I walked up to him and told him, 'I wanted you to know that I'm a Troy Smith fan,' " Lewis said. "I told him anything you need from this business, you just let me know. We are with each other two or three times a week. He's another one of the young guys that I took under my wing to teach him the business side of things and, really, just to have fun."
Troy Smith said he's learned the team concept from the Ravens.
"It's one heartbeat," he said. "Everybody is one."

McGinest progressing: Browns defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said linebacker Willie McGinest (back) has practiced well this week, but he's not sure if McGinest will be ready to play. The linebacker was limited Friday and is questionable.
"I'm excited with getting him back out there," Grantham said. "He's a vocal guy. He has a presence out there that I like. He's going to help us in all phases." . . . All of the Browns' injured players are listed as questionable and were limited in practice. They include defensive end Orpheus Roye (knee), safety Gary Baxter (knees), receiver Tim Carter (knee), linebacker Antwan Peek (foot, ankle) and punter Dave Zastudil (back). . . . Peek, who didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, said he hurt his ankle recently because he was favoring his sore right foot.

Explosive plays: Grantham lamented the defense getting blown up by explosive plays, especially against Oakland last Sunday. He defines explosive plays as a pass of 25 yards or more and a run of 15 or more. Against the Raiders, the Browns surrendered six explosive plays, and another pass of 24 yards. "The No. 1 thing is you have to be hard to score on," Grantham said. "When you go back and you look at the majority of the scoring drives that we've had, there's an explosive play involved in it." Against Oakland, the Browns gave up pass plays of 39, 41 and 27 yards, and runs of 21, 20 and 25 yards.

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