The big man is back in the fold.

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Jared Gaither (www.jaredgaither71.com), the tallest player in the NFL at 6-9, today signed his first-round tender and will earn $2.396 million on a one-year contract, the team announced.

Gaither was a restricted free agent.

He also returned to practice in Owings Mills, Md., after suffering a foot injury that sidelined him since the first week of May.

Gaither, the Ravens’ starting left tackle last season, has been shifted to right offensive tackle and replaced on the left side by Michael Oher.

The 340-pounder has been the subject of trade rumors, but apparently the Ravens did not receive an offer tempting enough to move Gaither and at this point, he’s expected to be in Baltimore this season.

Gaither wrote on his Twitter account: “Today was a good Start off the week the big hoomie out back looking good.”

Two restricted free agents on the Ravens' roster remain unsigned: fullback Le'Ron McClain and safety Dawan Landry.

The Baltimore Ravens will have to wait more than 10 months for a chance to avenge last season’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2008 AFC Championship Game.

Baltimore and Pittsburgh don’t meet until Week 12, on Nov. 29, when they battle at M&T Bank Stadium in the Sunday night game on NBC.

The teams meet again in Pittsburgh a month later in Week 16.

The Ravens lost all three meetings to their bitter rivals last year, falling 23-20 on Sept. 29 and 13-9 on Dec. 14 and then 23-14 in the AFC title game.

Preseason oddsmakers have listed the Steelers as the favorites to win the AFC North, with the Ravens a close second.

For the most part, the NFL’s Supplemental Draft is a virtual afterthought.

Coming nearly three months after the regular draft, it lacks the anticipation and glitz of its older, more established April big brother.

Since its inception in 1977, just 38 players have been selected.

There have been hits (Bernie Kosar, Browns, 1985; Cris Carter, Eagles, 1987) and misses (Dave Brown, Giants, 1992; Timm Rosenbach, Cardinals, 1989), but mostly, the Supplemental Draft is made up of guys you’ve never heard of – before or after.

The last player picked in the Supplement Draft was Jared Gaither, whom the Ravens selected in the fifth round out of Maryland in 2007 (there was no Supplemental Draft in 2008 due to a lack of entrants).

If early returns are any indication, Gaither could join the likes of Kosar and Carter at the top of the Supplemental Draft alumni list.

He started 15 of 16 regular-season games at left tackle in 2008 and then three more playoff games as Baltimore returned to the postseason with an 11-5 mark.

The Ravens averaged 148.5 rushing yards per game last season, tops in the AFC and fourth-best in the NFL.

Gaither, at 6-9 the tallest player in the league, was also instrumental in keeping rookie quarterback Joe Flacco upright, allowing just two sacks all season from Flacco’s blind side.

After years of winning with a dominating defense and just enough offense, the Ravens changed things up last season on their way to the playoffs behind rookie QB Joe Flacco and an offensive line that quickly turned into one of the best in football.

The line, which had already boasted the largest player in the NFL, a six-time Pro Bowler in the middle, and a former first-round pick at guard, should be even better this year with the addition of No. 1 draft pick Michael Oher, who will move into the right tackle position.

Oher, an All-American and Outland Trophy finalist last year at Ole Miss, should give the Ravens a dominating pair of bookend tackles, along with the massive Jared Gaither.

Gaither, all 6-9, 330-plus pounds of him, seems headed for stardom after allowing just two sacks last season, his first as a starter. Longtime football writer Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune lists Gaither as one of the players he expects to have a breakout season in 2009.

Left guard Ben Grubbs enters his third season as a starter after being picked in the first round (29th overall) of the 2007 draft. He was named to the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team following the 2007 season and was durable and consistent last year.

Center Matt Birk has been one of the NFL’s best for more than a decade now, earning a pair of All-Pro honors (2000, ’03) along with the six Pro Bowl selections (2000, ’01, ’03, ’04, ’06, ’07).

The only question mark on the line is at right guard, where Marshal Yanda was expected to move back into his starting role after missing time last season with a right knee injury. But Yanda, who had a pair of surgeries on the knee in the last eight months, continues to rehabilitate the injury and will likely be out until at least September.

Chris Chester, a second-round pick in 2006 out of Oklahoma, is expected to take over until Yanda returns.