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| Jeff Risdon. 18th August, 2006 - 5:26 am
 Last season: 6-10
Coming: QB Steve McNair, RB Mike Anderson, DE Trevor Pryce, CB Corey Ivy, DT Justin Bannan
Going: CB Deion Sanders, LB Peter Boulware, T Orlando Brown, S Will Demps, RB Chester Taylor, DE Anthony Weaver, DT Maake Kemoeatu, LB Tommy Polley
Rookies of note: DT Haloti Ngata, CB David Pittman, S Dawan Landry, C/G Chris Chester
What I like: Nearly all starters return, despite all the guys in the ?going? list, from a team that lost 5 games where they led in the 2nd half. New starting QB Steve McNair should be a significant upgrade over Kyle Boller in both accuracy and leadership. They still have premium talents in LT Jonathan Ogden, LB Ray Lewis, CB Chris McAlister, S Ed Reed, WR Derrick Mason, DE Terrell Suggs and TE Todd Heap. The DE combo of Suggs and Pryce is a lethal pass rushing combo. The starting LBs are very solid, and Ray Lewis is still one of the most fearsome tacklers despite losing a step. McNair and Mason were an amazing pass-catch duo in the past, and with WR Mark Clayton and Heap returning from injury, the Ravens have a real chance at a pass threat they?ve been lacking for years. The RB depth is strong and powerful. This is a veteran laden team that realizes the window is closing quickly, providing motivation to win now at all costs, not unlike the last Elway-led Broncos champions.
What I dislike: There is a ton of age and hard mileage on nearly all their key players. This team would be a favorite in 2002, but it?s 2006. Both Lewises, Ray and RB Jamal, are clearly on the downside. Three of the starting DBs are highly talented, but both Reed and McAlister were terrible disappointments last season. The one new starter in the secondary is a rookie 5th rounder and there is absolutely zero proven depth. They let go their two best young D-linemen and replaced them with limited vets. The OL has some talent but it?s either on the serious downside or young and raw. There is scant depth behind the aging vets pretty much everywhere. I like K Matt Stover but he can?t even attempt any FG longer than about 45 yards, not a good thing for a team that historically struggles to finish drives. There are very few guys in their prime years, and many of the vets have strong personas. It?s a delicate balance between strong veteran leadership and suffocating factionalism, and the Ravens tended towards the latter in 2005.
Best case: The key players perform like it?s 2002 all over again, and some of the youngsters emerge as legit NFL talent. The team unifies behind embattled coach Brian Billick and puts together a strong playoff run. I picked this team to win 11 games and go deep in the playoffs last season, and they upgraded at QB. It could happen this year.
Worst case: Age, wear and tear, and the realization that the end of the line is imminent poison the team. The vets stubbornly refuse to let the team look ahead, and another lost season leads to several more. The youngsters aren?t up to the task yet, and Reed, Jamal Lewis, and McAlister show that their lousy 2005 is the norm, not exceptions.
Prediction: There are two very distinct scenarios for the Ravens in 2006. They could very well discover the fountain of youth, win 10 games and be the team nobody wants to play in the playoffs. Or they could flounder, fracture, and crash to another last place finish in a tough AFC North. They play 3 games against Super Bowl contenders right before the bye in week 7 that will seal their fate: San Diego, at Denver, and Carolina. If they can win 2 of those games and hit the bye at 4-2 or better, look out above. If they win none or one and are 2-4 or worse, they?re going to struggle to match the 6 wins of last year. Either way, this will be the best Ravens team you see over the next 3-4 seasons. You can consider the fact I?m from Cleveland in my thinking, but I?m much more sold on 6-10 or 7-9 than being an elite team. But they are my top sleeper pick for surprise team of 2006.
Jeff Risdon's other 2006 Team Previews
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
New York Giants
Oakland Raiders
Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis Rams |
