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Training Camp Preview: Baltimore Ravens
Notable Offseason Moves: The main weapons are intact, as stud running back Jamal Lewis, dynamic tight end Todd Heap, and promising wide receiver Travis Taylor are back, but the Ravens have made changes to many of the complimentary pieces.
The Ravens dominated
draft day (as we at Fanball often phrase), using their top pick to grab stud
linebacker/sackmaster Terrell Suggs and subsequently trading to obtain quarterback
Kyle Boller later in the first round. Both rookies are expected to challenge
for starting spots immediately.
Quarterback Chris Redman opened 2002 as the starter, but he lost his spot due
to a back injury and the emergence of Jeff Blake. Blake left the nest for a
starting job in Arizona, and the Ravens had enough faith in Redman and his recovering
back to maneuver on draft day and grab Boller. “He reminds me in a sense
of Warren Moon,” head coach Brian Billick told the Baltimore Sun regarding
Boller’s strong arm and effortless throwing motion. Guess which quarterback
Brian likes more. NFL Tickets
After spending three of their 2002 draft picks on wideouts, the Ravens’ were looking at a large, untested crop of young receivers that rivaled the assembly of warm bodies at Monty Python’s Castle Anthrax. Rather than allow these adolescent pass catchers to get spanked by the opposition, Baltimore procured the veteran services of Chicago’s Marcus Robinson and Arizona’s Frank Sanders. The dynamic duo will fill the second and third depth chart slots.
The Ravens lost veteran fullback Sam Gash, but they were prepared to move forward with the younger Alan Ricard. However, their blocking may be best boosted by the addition of right tackle Orlando Brown. As far as we know, it only takes one good eye to pancake a defensive end.
Along with Suggs, the Ravens’ defense also added safety/corner back Corey Fuller from Cleveland. However, the biggest “addition” will be the healthy return of linebacker Ray Lewis, who missed much of 2002 due to a dislocated left shoulder. NFL Tickets
Position Battles: Billick switches quarterbacks more often than Spinal Tap employs a new drummer, so it’s not the least bit surprising that Redman and Boller are battling for the top spot. Redman enjoyed mild success in his six starts last season, but he’s known as a controlled, short-passing quarterback – a la Miami’s Jay Fiedler. While that’s all nice and good, Billick digs the long ball. Heck, he’d cork the football if it were possible. To say that Boller has a strong arm would be an understatement, as the kid can throw it through the uprights from the 50-yard line. And that’s when he’s down on one knee.
Redman’s edge is that he already knows the system and the players. The Ravens are a playoff contending team, and he’s probably good enough to get them there. Our money is on Chris holding down the starting gig when week one opens, but his leash will be short. A bad team record mixed with bad efforts will see Boller taking the snaps. NFL Tickets
The other notable melee will happen at wide receiver, where Robinson and Sanders will arm wrestle for the second spot. That is, of course, if the Ravens don’t land another pass catcher before the season beings. Outside of Travis Taylor, the Baltimore wideouts accounted for only 45 receptions in 2002. While Robinson and Sanders may improve on that number, neither will be anything more than a fourth option in the offense. If healthy, Robinson gets the nod due to his ability as a deep threat.
Of course, the overarching question for both of the two battles is: Do fantasy owners care? The direct answer is “no”. Boller, Redman, Robinson, and Sanders are likely to find their way onto too many fantasy squads. Indirectly, however, Lewis, Taylor, and Heap’s values will be swayed by the pieces in place beside them.
Keep an Eye On: Orlando Brown. Everyone (except maybe Brown) can see that the Ravens have arguably the best left side of the offensive line in football, and Brown adds strength at the right tackle spot. If Brown can be a dominating presence on that end, Baltimore will be able to control most of their games. NFL Tickets
When it comes to that control, Lewis is the main weapon. The running back will be yet another year removed from his second knee surgery, and he believes that he can challenge for the rushing title. If Brown can hold down the right side and the passing game can distract the defense enough to allow Lewis some room, we see little reason why Jamal can’t push the top yardage backs in the NFL.
Fantasy owners also need to watch Taylor during the preseason. Taylor produced little (17 receptions, 217 yards and zero scores) with Redman under center in 2002, but he blossomed (44-650-6) when Blake took over. We’d like to think the electric Travis is here to stay, but the quarterback situation could affect Taylor more than any other player on the Ravens.
While we have doubts about Taylor, we know that Heap is a stud. The only question is if Todd can improve on his 836 yards and six scores. Tony Gonzalez surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his fourth season. Shannon Sharpe needed five seasons. Is Heap ready to hit 1,000 in his only his third campaign or does he need a better quarterback?
Lastly, we’re interested in checking out the Baltimore defense. “Without Ray Lewis, they wouldn't be diddly poo.” Dolphins’ defensive back Sam Madison said last season. Well, that point is moot because the Ravens do have Lewis, and he’s healthy. The Ravens also have Suggs, Peter Boulware, Ed Reed, Ed Hartwell, and Chris McAlister amongst their cast of never-score ballhawks. On paper, the Ravens look like a dominating, opportunistic unit that will cause a ton of turnovers and punts from the end zone. Consequently, the Baltimore offense could find itself with many more quality scoring opportunities, which fantasy owners should love.
The biggest benefactor of the potentially stingy defense could be kicker Matt Stover. When the Baltimore defense shut down the NFL in 2000, Stover led the league with 135 points. While that goal is a bit lofty for this season, an improved defense should allow Matt to push well past his measly 96 points from last year.