Impact Analysis: Baltimore Ravens QB breakdown

May 6, 2008 @ 06:51:30

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Herija C. Green

Move over Kyle Boller, there is a new quarterback in town. The Baltimore Ravens traded up in the 2008 NFL Draft (after originally moving down 18 places) to draft University of Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco with the 18th overall pick. He became the first Division I-AA quarterback to be drafted in the first round since retiring quarterback Steve McNair was selected third overall in 1995 by the Houston Oilers. Ironically, the team's need to grab a quarterback early in the draft became more immediate due to the surprise retirement of McNair in April.

For all intents and purposes Flacco is viewed as the team's quarterback of the future. However, that doesn't mean Boller, or quarterback Troy Smith, are finished in Baltimore. Flacco is a very raw project who could take time adjusting to the NFL game. This means the other quarterbacks likely have a few starts in them next season, though new head coach John Harbaugh has not ruled out the possibility of Flacco starting in Week 1.

What to expect from Flacco

As stated above, Flacco comes from a small school (Delaware) and has never faced defenses like he will in NFL. So what prompted the team to move to draft him?

Flacco has great size for a quarterback. He stands 6-foot-7, giving him enough height to see the whole field over his offensive line and has good mobility at 236 pounds. However, his strength is as a pocket passer and could move to the forefront of the NFL in arm strength. He is an accurate passer that is a quick learner, which should help him in new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's intricate offense.

However, there are some big questions surrounding him. Flacco's numbers at the collegiate level didn't come against any top-tier defenses. How is he going to be if he faces the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4? Or the Tennessee Titans in Week 5? Plenty of quarterbacks have come into the league with great physical attributes and failed. Flacco likely needs time to develop after working mainly from the shotgun in college and could face a steeper learning curve than the other first-day quarterback selections.

Luckily for Flacco, he has a great mentor in Cameron. In his previous stint with the San Diego Chargers, Cameron oversaw Pro Bowl years from quarterbacks Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) and Philip Rivers. Other signal callers he has helped to Pro Bowls include Minnesota Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte (Pro Bowl in 1996 with the Washington Redskins) and St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green (worked with Cameron on the Redskins, Pro Bowl in 2003 and 2005).

The Ravens have a solid project in Flacco, but it likely will take some time before he is ready to contribute in the NFL.

What happens next?

The offense will have a new look this year under Cameron. The team is expected to feature a smash-mouth running game with more emphasis placed on the tight ends and running backs. Throwing the ball out of the backfield was a large part of Cameron's offense in previous stops with the Chargers and Miami Dolphins. In a move perhaps tailored to Flacco, Cameron is expected to throw out of the shotgun more than he has in previous years. According to Cameron, the Ravens offense will be "almost 50-50 underneath center and shotgun."

The team begins a three-day voluntary minicamp Thursday, May 1, which is scheduled to feature all three of the quarterbacks (Boller, Smith and Flacco). With a new coordinator in town, each should be starting from square one in the offense - though Boller and Smith have already attended some minicamps. No starter has been named yet, so learning the offense quickly could go a long way towards winning the starting job for Flacco.

Boller has struggled with his accuracy and decision-making since joining the Ravens. He has a career completion percentage of 56.9 and almost as many interceptions (44) as he does touchdowns (45). However, he has a great arm, which was one of the reasons the Ravens traded up to get him in 2003. Inconsistency has been perhaps the biggest problem for him.

The final quarterback competing is Smith, who was a fifth-round draft pick last year. He attempted 76 passes in 2007, completing 40 of them with two touchdowns. Both of his starts came in the last two games of the season. His accuracy and height (6-foot) are the biggest questions surrounding him.

One problem for whoever wins the job could come from the team's offensive line. It was a need for them entering the draft and they didn't do much to address it, spending a third-round pick on University of Texas-El Paso guard Oniel Cousins and a fourth-rounder on Weber State tackle David Hale. They have some young players who could step up, but a lot may depend on whether tackle Jonathan Ogden retires or not. If he does not return it could be a long year for whoever lines up behind center.

Fantasy football outlook

Rookie quarterbacks rarely make an impact for fantasy purposes. That should hold true for the Ravens in 2008. Flacco has value in keeper leagues but don't expect much from him this year. He should be avoided in any early-draft or single-year fantasy leagues.

The other two don't really have much value, either. Whoever wins the starting job would have value as a weak No. 2 quarterback. The team appears to have the pieces in place to run Cameron's offense well (tight end Todd Heap and running back Willis McGahee are both dynamic players at key positions), which could boost their numbers. However, this is a situation you will want to avoid until a starter is named.

Ravens receivers Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason could take a small hit in their respective value. The team's new offense and dicey quarterback situation may put a damper on their value for the upcoming season.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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