Baltimore Ravens Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - It is put up or shut up time for Kyle Boller.

The third-year Baltimore Ravens starting quarterback, of whom big things were expected when he was drafted in the first round out of Cal back in 2002, can have no one apologize for him anymore. The offensive coordinator that Ravens fans blamed for Boller's lack of development, Matt Cavanaugh, resigned following the 2004 season. In his place is noted quarterback tutor Jim Fassel, while one-time UCLA QB and golden boy Rick Neuheisel will be Boller's new quarterbacks coach. The receiving group that Baltimore supporters moaned was not of NFL quality has been upgraded significantly, with former Titans Pro Bowler Derrick Mason in to take over the No. 1 job and first-round draft choice Mark Clayton expected to stretch the field as well.

There are no reasons left for Billick's squad to finish at or near the bottom of the league in passing offense, except perhaps Boller himself. If the Ravens are forced yet again to tax their talented defense to the point of exhaustion because the aerial attack has sputtered, the Ravens fans that had Boller's back will have to shut up, while Boller will have to be shut down. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the Baltimore Ravens, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Running back Jamal Lewis (1006 rushing yards, 7 TD), who missed two games due to an NFL suspension and two more with injuries last season, will be looking to put a troubled 2004 season behind him. Lewis served prison time during the offseason due to a drug conviction for an incident that took place when he was a collegian. Chester Taylor (714 rushing yards, 2 TD, 30 receptions) played well in Lewis' absence last season, and will return to back the All-Pro Lewis. Musa Smith (48 rushing yards, 2 receptions) suffered a gruesome leg injury during a game against the Cowboys last year, and may not be 100 percent back by the time the season begins. B.J. Sams (19 rushing yards, 1 TD) will make the club as a return man. At fullback, Alan Ricard (36 rushing yards, 11 receptions) returns for his fourth season in Baltimore, and fifth-round draft choice Justin Green (Montana) has a chance to beat out Ovie Mughelli and win the backup spot.

WR/TE: The receiving corps has been significantly overhauled, as former Titan star Derrick Mason (95 receptions, 8 TD with Tennessee) was brought in via free agency and Oklahoma standout Mark Clayton was selected with the 20th pick of the first round. The presence of those players immediately puts holdovers Clarence Moore (24 receptions, 4 TD), Randy Hymes (26 receptions, 2 TD) and Devard Darling (2 receptions) on notice. Though all three will likely receive fewer opportunities, the departure of former starters Kevin Johnson (35 receptions, 1 TD) and Travis Taylor (34 receptions) means they'll make the team. The other pass-catching star is tight end Todd Heap (27 receptions, 3 TD), an All-Pro in 2002 and 2003 who missed 10 games with ankle and shoulder problems last season. Terry Jones (20 receptions, 1 TD), Daniel Wilcox (25 receptions), and Darnell Dinkins (9 receptions, 1 TD) all filled in during Heap's absence last year, but one, likely Jones or Wilcox, figures to be excised at the final cut.

OL: There is turnover in the trenches, as center Casey Rabach, guard Bennie Anderson, and tackle Ethan Brooks, all of whom were starters for the Ravens last season, have departed via free agency. The holdovers from the unit include All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden, who missed four games with various injuries last season but remains the leader of the unit, right tackle Orlando Brown, a 13-game starter in 2004, and left guard Edwin Mulitalo, who has started at least 14 games in each of the past five seasons. In place of Rabach will be Mike Flynn, who appeared in only nine games last year due to injury but was a full-time starter at both center and guard from 2000 through 2003. In at right guard is former Steeler Keydrick Vincent, who started all 16 regular season games and two playoff contests in place of the injured Kendall Simmons a year ago. Brian Rimpf, a seventh-round draft choice last season, can back up any of the line positions, while 2005 selections Adam Terry (2nd Round, Syracuse) and Jason Brown (4th Round, North Carolina) project as a tackle and center/guard reserve, respectively. Marques Ogden, the brother of Jonathan, and 2004 reserve Tony Pashos were attempting to make the team as backup tackles.

DL: The Ravens are switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3, meaning last year's d-line personnel will have to prove it can make the transformation. Terrell Suggs (60 sacks, 10.5 sacks) shifts from outside linebacker to end, which was the position he played in college. At the other end, second-year man Jarret Johnson (17 tackles, 1 sack) was battling fellow holdover Anthony Weaver (39 tackles, 4 sacks) before injuries to outside linebackers Dan Cody and Adalius Thomas necessitated his shift to linebacker. Roderick Green (6 tackles), a fifth-round choice last season, should see time at end as well. Kelly Gregg (60 tackles, 1.5 sacks) will continue to anchor the interior line, while second-year man Dwan Edwards, a second-round pick in 2004 who appeared in just four games last season, is being counted on to man the other tackle slot. Maake Kemoeatu (27 tackles), who started three games last season for Baltimore, should back up Edwards. Aubrayo Franklin, a Baltimore reserve in each of the last two seasons, has a chance to make the team yet again.

LB: It is believed that the shift to the 4-3 should help middle linebacker Ray Lewis (146 tackles, 1 sacks) be more effective, after Lewis regularly had to dodge massive offensive linemen in order to make plays a year ago. Lewis will likely line up alongside Adalius Thomas (72 tackles, 8 sacks, 1 INT), whose competition for a starting job initially went away when rookie Dan Cody (2nd Round, Oklahoma) injured his knee early in training camp. Cody is likely to miss all of 2005, which prompted the Ravens to re-sign former Pro Bowler Peter Boulware, who missed all of 2004 with a knee injury. Thomas and Boulware should split time. At the other outside slot, the Ravens brought in Baltimore native and former Ram Tommy Polley (78 tackles, 2 sacks), who is looking to shake off a weak season in St. Louis to hold onto a starting job. If he falters, special teams staple Bart Scott (21 tackles) could take over. Former Colt Jim Nelson (52 tackles, 1 INT with Indianapolis) will help out mainly on special teams, and rookie Mike Smith (7th Round, Texas Tech) is attempting to make the team in that capacity as well.

DB: Strong safety Ed Reed (76 tackles, 9 INT, 2 sacks) was most people's pick for NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season, when he set a single-season league record for most yards on interception returns (358). Reed will be joined again by free safety Will Demps (85 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT), who was overshadowed by Reed but effective in his own right. At cornerback, Chris McAlister (42 tackles, 1 INT) returns after a Pro Bowl 2004 season, and will start opposite former Titans Pro Bowler Samari Rolle (28 tackles, 1 INT with Tennessee), who takes over for the departed Gary Baxter (86 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT). Deion Sanders (8 tackles, 3 INT) showed flashes of his former brilliance while serving as a nickel back last year, but was constantly injured. The Ravens would probably be wise to count on neither him or 35- year-old Dale Carter, who missed all of last year with a blood clot and hasn't made it through more than half a season since 1999. Safety Chad Williams (38 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) is Baltimore's most reliable reserve in the secondary.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Back for a 10th season in Baltimore is kicker Matt Stover (29-32 FG, 30-30 XP), who was his reliable self in 2004. Stover is not strong as a kickoff man, so the team brought in rookie Rhys Lloyd (Minnesota) and one-time Giant and 49er Owen Pochman to compete for those duties. Dave Zastudil (40.6 avg.) has not been terrific as a punter in two seasons with the Ravens, but the team brought no one in to compete with him for the job. B.J. Sams (10.5 punt return avg. 2 TD, 21.2 kickoff return avg.) led the league in punt return yards last year, and should hold onto that job despite his arrest for a DUI during training camp.

PROGNOSIS: The Ravens have set themselves up for plenty of improvement in 2005, but questions persist for Brian Billick's team. Can Boller get the job done, even with his new arsenal of weapons? Can an offensive line that lost two big pieces protect Boller and block for Jamal Lewis? Can Lewis shake off a tough 2004 and rush for 1,500 yards again? How will the new coordinators, Jim Fassel and Rex Ryan, compare to predecessors Matt Cavanaugh and Mike Nolan? Will the switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 go according to plan? Can cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle trade in their "overrated" labels for "dominant" ones? If all of those questions are answered in a favorable fashion, the Ravens will win the AFC North, return to the playoffs, and have a shot at challenging for a trip to the Super Bowl. But a lot of preseason questions usually mean that everything is not destined to go quite right, and thus, the more stable Steelers are the safer pick to take the division.