Tight end Todd Heap is hoping to play against his former team Sunday when the Cardinals head to Baltimore to face the Ravens.

It took Todd Heap "multiple days" to recover from the shock of being cut by the Baltimore Ravens when the lockout ended.

"It was something that obviously hit me out of left field," the tight end said Wednesday. "I had to take it all in stride. Anytime something like that happens, you look forward."

Forward for Heap meant coming home to play in Arizona with the Cardinals. And even though the Cards play the Ravens Sunday, and even though Heap acknowledged he did note this week's matchup on the schedule when he signed with the Cards, he at least publicly was downplaying the chance to play his former team.

"We've got 53 other guys," Heap said, after chuckling at the idea of this game being personal. "We are trying to get a job done. They are coming off a loss but we are coming off a few. We are hungry."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Baltimore "really had no choice" in releasing Heap. Up against the salary cap – and having drafted tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta in 2010 – made it a salary cap decision "pure and simple."

"I'm glad it worked out for him in terms of going back to Arizona," Harbaugh said. "It was tough losing him. … Todd I am sure was hoping to finish here. He handled it with class and grace, just what you would have expected."

Heap, who has missed the past two games with a bad hamstring, was back to limited work in practice Wednesday.

"It's day to day right now, but I'm hoping I'll be ready (for Sunday)," Heap said.

BEANIE SITS OUT

Running back Beanie Wells, not surprisingly, did not practice Wednesday with his bad knee. If he can't go in Baltimore, Alfonso Smith figures to get the bulk of the work although coach Ken Whisenhunt said the Cards will be using running back-by-committee in that scenario.

The Cardinals were also down a pair of receivers, with Early Doucet (quadriceps) and DeMarco Sampson (hamstring) sitting out. The only other two players sitting were not unexpected: linebacker Joey Porter, who has usually been taking Wednesdays off because of a sore knee, and safety Kerry Rhodes, who remains sidelined after foot surgery.

The main Ravens' injury to watch is that of guard Ben Grubbs, who sat out with a bad toe.

KOLB'S LEADERSHIP

The quarterback is always going to be a leader, but when a quarterback is struggling as Kevin Kolb has of late, Kolb admitted it makes leading a little bit more difficult.

"If you are a leader then you just have to say, 'Hey, look' and lead by charisma, by people believing in you," Kolb said. "You have to look at it as, 'Hey, if they believe in me this time, what's it going to be like whenever we are rolling and we are 5-1 instead of 1-5.

"That's why I have to get myself right before I ever point the finger anywhere else and that's why I'll always approach it that way."