Wednesday, June 12 Will Jeff Blake end up the Ravens starting QB and will it even matter? Given his track record, the Ravens took a bit of a gamble signing Blake, because history surely has indicated that he does not adapt well to a backup role. Blake has chafed in the past at not playing and, if young Chris Redman retains the starting job entering the season, it will indeed be interesting to see how Blake reacts to serving as his caddy. Just last week, Blake conceded that to this point in minicamps and offseason workouts, he has hardly been the model tutor. The bottom line is that Blake doesn't reconcile well to standing on the sideline. The smart money suggests that, at some point in 2002, Blake will get at least a few starts. As a first-year starter, it would be naïve to think Redman will survive his baptismal season without a few rough spots. In the big picture, though, it might not matter who is playing quarterback in Baltimore, since the Ravens figure to be also-rans by about the midway point of the season anyway.

Fresh off their unexpected Super Bowl XXXV victory, the Baltimore Ravens, led by head coach Brian Billick and Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, entered the 2001 preseason with a swagger. But before the season even started, the Ravens lost two key players to season-ending injuries in a span of a week in August. Running back Jamal Lewis tore his ACL and offensive tackle Leon Searcy ripped his triceps tendon. In retrospect, letting Priest Holmes go was a poor decision because Baltimore was left without a veteran backup running back.

Lacking a solid running game, Baltimore was forced to throw and put its fate in newly-signed Elvis Grbac's hands. Dumping reliable Trent Dilfer before the season backfired, as Grbac threw a career-high 18 interceptions and just 15 touchdowns. Inconsistency also plagued the Ravens' record-setting defense, which failed to consistently dominate as it did in 2000. Baltimore made the playoffs at 10-6, but got whipped by Pittsburgh, 27-10, in the divisional round.

The front office lost the gamble that it could win a second straight Super Bowl and found itself $20 million over the 2002 salary cap based upon only 31 players. That resulted in the departure of seven defensive starters: linemen Rob Burnett, Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams, linebacker Jamie Sharper and defensive backs Rod Woodson, Corey Harris and Duane Starks. They also released offensive starters Shannon Sharpe, Qadry Ismail and Jason Brookins and lost receivers Patrick Johnson and Jermaine Lewis. Much to their fans' dismay, the Ravens have failed to adequately fill all their openings through free agency or depth on the roster.

For instance, the team has elected to switch to a 3-4, but it hasn't found a nose tackle yet and is still negotiating with Adams. Billick reportedly is considering going back to a base 4-3 and might still do so even if Adams is signed because of poor linebacker depth. One of the ends will be second-round pick Anthony Weaver while the other end may be pass-rusher Michael McCrary. However, he weighs just 250 pounds, not enough for an every down lineman.

Lewis and Pro Bowl linebacker Peter Boulware skipped a May minicamp because they want their contracts restructured to have bigger signing bonuses. Not to be left out of the spotlight, Billick publicly admonished them for not telling him of their plans. Both are expected to participate in training camp, though. Bringing uncertainty to the position, the two remaining linebackers are inexperienced. Second-year player Ed Hartwell will play inside with Lewis, while third-year vet Adalius Thomas is moving from defensive end to outside linebacker. Three of the four defensive backs will also be making their first NFL starts. They are first-round pick and safety Edward Reed, third-year player Anthony Mitchell and second-year corner Gary Baxter. Fourth-year pro Chris McAlister is considered one of the league's best corners.

	RAVENS AT A GLANCE
	Jamal Lewis missed the      entire 2001 season.
	2001 record: 10-6 Team rank: Defense (3rd); offense (14th) Ravens team news

On offense, Grbac retired, so third-year player Chris Redman will be making his first NFL start. For insurance, Jeff Blake was signed to be the backup. Both will have little to work with at wide receiver. Youngsters Travis Taylor and Brandon Stokley will be the starters, but the Ravens are looking to sign Antonio Freeman for veteran help. Since Redman has only played two quarters in the NFL, the Ravens plan to run early and often behind a solid offensive line, which returns four of five starters. They'll use two tight ends as their base; Todd Heap, John Jones and rookie Terry Jones give depth at one of the few positions where they have it. Running back remains questionable, though, because Lewis isn't 100 percent recovered and there is no veteran backup.