With the retirement of Steve McNair this year, the Baltimore Ravens are looking for a new field general. Along with having to find a quarterback, the Raven team will be learning different systems and schemes due to the fact that they have a new head coach (John Harbaugh) and a new offensive coordinator (Cam Cameron).
McNair, who was frequently injured during his 13-year career, spent 11 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and the last two with the Ravens. The guys who are up for the job include Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, both of whom backed up for McNair. Despite the fact that both QBs saw action last season when McNair was injured, neither distinguished themselves enough to earn the starting spot. The team also has rookie Joe Flacco, who played his college ball at Delaware, under contract. The Ravens selected Flacco in this year’s first round of the NFL Draft.
Harbaugh’s Effect
For Jim Harbaugh, it’s been a 14-year college and nine-year NFL journey to becoming a head coach in the pros. Harbaugh’s experience as a defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator was with the [Philadelphia Eagles]]. He coached for the Eagles from 1998-2007.
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron spent 2007 as the head coach for the Miami Dolphins and prior to that as the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers (2002-2006). In 1997, when Cameron was head coach of Indiana, he hired Harbaugh as an assistant.
In veteran minicamp, Harbaugh has quickly gotten a reputation as a taskmaster. He’s right in the middle of it all, challenging his players with high energy, up-tempo drills and workouts. Former head coach Brian Billick ran a much looser ship. It had a sort of resort or country club feel. And although many might question Billick’s methods, the team did win the 2000 Super Bowl under his leadership.
In the first day of the non-contact vet camp, Harbaugh did a very non-Billick-like thing. He had the team work out in the pouring rain. The second day found the Ravens’ defensive and offensive units getting irritated enough to come close to engaging in a bench clearing brawl.
The Quarterbacks
On the quarterback front, Boller, who has been with Baltimore since he entered the league in 2003, has played in 53 games connecting on 56.9-percent of his passes and hitting for 45 touchdowns while throwing 44 interceptions. He has a QB rating of 71.9.
Troy Smith has spent one-year in the NFL. In 2007, he played in four games making 40 of 76 throws (52.6-percent), hitting for two touchdowns and throwing no interceptions. His rating is at 79.5.
Flacco, who was the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft, saw full-time action for Delaware in 2006 and 2007. In his first full season, he passed for close to 3,000 yards, hitting for 18 touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions. Flacco’s final year at the starting post was his best. The QB threw for over 3,300 yards. He hit for 18 touchdowns and tossed just five interceptions. Against Navy, he threw for 434 yards and four TDs.
With Harbaugh coaching, it’s tough to say exactly what will happen. It makes sense to go with the veteran and to allow the second-year player and the rookie to develop. One thing the new coach will be looking for from his QB is intensity, energy and focus. Harbaugh wants the club to play an up-tempo game. The starting position is likely to go to the signal caller who can keep the offense running on high. We’ll know more by the end of the post-season and probably not before.
