Ravens coach John Harbaugh suggested Bernard Pierce may be ahead of schedule in his recovery from January shoulder surgery.

The Ravens initially planned for Pierce to miss all pre-training camp activities, but he's performing individual drills at OTAs. "[He] may be a little bit ahead of schedule maybe," Harbaugh said. Pierce has a lot on the line with Ray Rice and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro both incurring off-field issues. Still only 24, Pierce has a chance to open the season as Baltimore's lead running back.

Bernard Pierce (shoulder) has been limited to individual drills in OTAs, but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Pierce underwent surgery in January. Despite his terrible 2013, Pierce remains locked in as the Ravens' No. 2 running back behind Ray Rice, and could have a big early-season role. Fourth-rounder Lorenzo Taliaferro is not yet a threat.

Coach John Harbaugh reiterated Bernard Pierce (shoulder) will be ready for the start of training camp.

"You're probably looking at training camp for him, which shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't get a setback," Harbaugh said. Pierce has been allowed to "move around" at offseason workouts, but the Ravens are being careful with him. Pierce is a prime bounce back candidate after an unimpressive 2013.

GM Ozzie Newsome said the Ravens planned to add one or two running backs even before Ray Rice's assault charges.

The Ravens poked around at free agent backs like LeGarrette Blount, but ended up only signing Justin Forsett. Expect them to address the position on Day 2 or 3 of next week's draft. Rice is facing a possible suspension, he produced cliff-diving tape last season and Bernard Pierce is coming off serious shoulder surgery.

Bernard Pierce (shoulder) confirmed he expects to be ready for training camp.

Pierce is three months removed from shoulder surgery and won't be available for OTAs. He remains on track with his mid-July timetable, but the Ravens haven't ruled out adding a running back in the draft or free agency. A strong fit in OC Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme, Pierce could push for an even timeshare with Ray Rice this season.

The Ravens new playbook emphasizes zone-blocking schemes.

The Ravens will be adjusting to new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak's preferred style, not the other way around. It's another plus sign for Bernard Pierce, who drew some Arian Foster comparisons coming out of Temple thanks to his one-cut ability. Pierce was already trending up with Ray Rice looking old last season and now battling an ugly domestic situation.

Bernard Pierce (shoulder) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Pierce underwent rotator cuff surgery in January, but hasn't had any setbacks. He remains on track to be ready for camp and is a candidate to take on an expanded role in the running game with Ray Rice dealing with off-field issues. The Ravens plan to use a two-back system under new OC Gary Kubiak.

New Ravens OC Gary Kubiak told the team's website he intends to utilize two running backs in his 2014 offense.

Kubiak also noted a similarity between Pierce and Arian Foster, to whom Pierce was commonly compared coming out of Temple. "Size wise, they're a lot alike," Kubiak observed. "I think in this league nowadays you need a couple of guys. It's hard to hand it to one guy 30 times a game; they just get worn down." Pierce is currently rehabbing from a pretty major rotator cuff surgery, though he's expected to be healthy before training camp.

The Baltimore Sun reports Bernard Pierce will be sidelined 4-5 months after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair the rotator cuff in his shoulder.

The surgery has been planned for awhile, but will limit Pierce's access to new OC Gary Kubiak in OTAs and any other pre-training camp activities. Pierce's status for camp is not in doubt. Still, it's fairly concerning for a player who took a major step back as a sophomore following a highly impressive rookie season. His YPC dipped from 4.92 to 2.86, failing to capitalize on Ray Rice's struggles. When healthy, Pierce projects as an outstanding fit in Kubiak's zone-run scheme. He needs to get on the field to have a realistic shot at stealing Rice's job.

A source tells the Baltimore Sun that Bernard Pierce needs right shoulder surgery.

The surgery will be designed to repair Pierce's rotator cuff and it comes with 4-5 months of rehab. He's expected to go under the knife this month to ensure he's 100 percent for training camp. Battling through shoulder, hamstring, knee and toe injuries this season, Pierce rushed 152 times for 436 yards (2.86 YPC) and averaged just 1.8 yards after contact. He's capable of much more. As a rookie, Pierce averaged 4.92 YPC and 3.4 yards after contact. Getting back to 100 percent will go a long way toward an even timeshare and stealing even more carries from Ray Rice.

Bernard Pierce rushed for 21 yards on seven carries in Monday night's Week 15 victory over the Lions.

Bernard Pierce rushed seven times for 12 yards in Baltimore's Week 14 win over the Vikings, adding one catch for five yards.

It was yet another underwhelming effort from Pierce, who's averaging just 2.74 yards per carry with three games to go. With each week a must-win at this stage of the fantasy season, Pierce can be safely dropped if you're hurting for a roster spot.

Bernard Pierce rushed for 35 yards on nine carries in Week 13 versus Pittsburgh.

Pierce had three more yards on the ground than Ray Rice on three fewer carries, but he's still not doing much with the little room that he's getting behind a weak offensive line. Pierce caught all three of his targets out of the backfield but turned them into just four yards. He's going to continue to see his 7-10 weekly carries but remains a player that isn't start-able in fantasy.

Bernard Pierce rushed 11 times for 30 yards in the Ravens' Week 12 win over the Jets.

Pierce is a fairly blocking-dependent talent, which doesn't work well behind a Baltimore offensive line that can't clear alleys right now. The Ravens will continue to give Pierce complementary carries behind Ray Rice, but he only has handcuff fantasy value. The Ravens face the Steelers next.

Bernard Pierce rushed for 18 yards on ten carries in Week 11 against the Bears.

Pierce wasn't a factor in the passing game. The ten carries were the most he's seen in a game since Week 5. But on a day we saw Ray Rice come back to life, Pierce couldn't find any running room and remained grounded. Soldier Field turned into a sloppy mess following a two-hour weather delay, and the Ravens kept handing it off to Rice, who saw 25 carries. Neither running back is going to have fun next week against the Jets. Pierce won't be a recommended flex play.

Bernard Pierce (toe, knee) is practicing in full this week.

Pierce always seems to be on the injury report with a minor issue, but he's in no danger of missing Week 11 against the Bears. Coach John Harbaugh indicated Monday that Pierce could see increased work, as the Ravens are considering going with a hot-hand approach. Pierce is nothing more than a flex play.

Coach John Harbaugh indicated Monday the Ravens are willing to consider a hot-hand backfield moving forward.

Harbaugh said he doesn't think demoting Ray Rice and starting Bernard Pierce is the cure to Baltimore's running woes, but did tell reporters both Rice and Pierce "are going to play and whichever guy is going to play better should get more carries going forward." Both Pierce and Rice are under 3.0 YPC on the season. They'll be mere flex options in Week 11 against the Bears.

Bernard Pierce rushed for 11 yards on six carries in Week 9 at Cleveland.

Pierce wasn't involved in the passing game. The Ravens were facing a stout run defense, but their offensive line doesn't appear interested in doing much blocking. Pierce has gained just 33 yards on 18 carries over the past three games and isn't even a flex option at the moment. The Bengals are up next.

Bernard Pierce (hamstring) is practicing Wednesday.

As the Ravens come out of their bye, Pierce says his hammy feels much better. He'll be fine for his usual 8-12 touches behind Ray Rice against the Browns Sunday.

Bernard Pierce (hamstring) did not participate in Wednesday's workout.

Pierce was a little gimpy late in the loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday, so he'll take it easy as the Ravens head into their Week 8 bye. He should be fine for his usual 8-10 touches come Week 9.