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Special Guest Contributor Louis Tranquilli of BFDFantasyFootball.com previews the 2009 Baltimore Ravens.

Led by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, the Baltimore Ravens marched all the way to the AFC Championship before being upended by division rival Pittsburgh Steelers. While the losses of veterans Bart Scott, Jim Leonard on defense leave some voids to be filled, the Ravens made some key acquisitions during the off-season including Kelley Washington, Dominique Foxworth and Matt Birk, who brings tremendous leadership qualities.

Meanwhile, the Ravens plan to enter 2009 with a short memory and have since put their playoff loss in the rearview mirror. Head coach John Harbaugh was quick to point this out saying, “It's not like they're going to forget. 'Oh, yeah, we went to the championship game last year. We forgot.' They see Pittsburgh out in front."

From the early sound of training camp, it appears to be strictly business as the organization chases their second Vince Lombardi Trophy. “As a matter of fact, we gave them all bluecollar shirts with their name on the left pocket there,” said Harbaugh. “They kind of wear them every now and then. But just a reminder you go to work every day.”

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Joe Flacco had what could best be described as a solid rookie season in 2008; he started all 16 games throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 14 touchdowns. He led the Ravens from a mediocre team that finished 2007 out of the playoffs to an AFC Championship game loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Steelers. Along the way Flacco threw for under 200 yards in 14 of the 19 games he played in, his backup Troy Smith threw just six passes all season. John Beck was acquired in a trade from the Dolphins; he was a 2nd round pick out of Brigham Young in 2007 while Cam Cameron was in Miami. However, a broken collarbone will keep Beck out of action the entire season and the team has since signed Cleo Lemon to serve as third-string. Cameron; now the Ravens offensive coordinator has talked openly this off season about allowing Joe Flacco to throw the ball more to the same group of wide receivers he featured in 2008. Don’t expect a huge jump, but there should be some improvement in his numbers based on Cameron’s comments.

Running Backs: The Ravens led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2008, pounding the rock 522 times (50 more than the Atlanta Falcons attempted). 2009 features the same three headed attack of Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain. Le’Ron led the team with 231 attempts, he started the season as a fullback but moved to running back once McGahee went out and Rice proved he wasn’t ready to be a feature back. Baltimore selected Cedric Peerman out of the University of Virginia in the 6th round of the 2009 NFL draft. Peerman is considered to be an electric runningback with big play potential, he will have a hard time cracking the lineup with the high priced McGahee, the second-year Rice and 10 touchdown scoring machine McClain in front of him. This group is deep and possesses solid talent top to bottom, they should be again be near the top of the league in rushing attempts and yardage this season.

Wide Receivers: Derrick Mason has returned after he threatened a retirement, so the Ravens have their best wide receiver option available again. Mark Clayton has not progressed to be more than a decent #2 option, entering his 5th season in the NFL, Clayton averaged a career high 17 yards per catch but only had three touchdowns. Third wide out Demetrius Williams remains a talented but unproductive player, he was injured again in 2008 and cannot be counted on to elevate his game or Joe Flaccco’s. Kelley Washington was a solid pickup in the off-season, but only because he has experience blocking downfield for the running backs in New England and previously in Cincinnati. Yamon Figures is strictly a return guy and has no role in the offense.

Tight Ends: In what can only be described as a strange selection of the waiver wire, Baltimore signed LJ Smith previously of the Eagles. Smith has not been healthy or consistent. Basically they signed what they already have with the oft-injured and never consistent Todd Heap, the Ravens now lead the NFL in tight ends that look good in their uniform but don’t do much on game day. The healthy guy each week is the likely starter, there will be weeks the Ravens feature Edgar Drew or Devon Thomas at tight end based on the past injury history of Heap and Smith.

Offensive Line: General Manager Ozzie Newsome has been planning this offensive line rebuild for four seasons, he added Chris Chester at guard in the 2nd round of the 2006 draft, Ben Grubbs a mauling guard out of Auburn in the 1st round of the 2007 Draft, Jared Gaither in the Supplemental Draft and now Michael Oher, a 6’4” tackle out of Mississippi in the 1st of the 2009 draft to man the right side of the line. That didn’t stop Newsome from adding six-time Pro Bowler and longtime Vikings center Matt Birk as a leader for this young group. Every one of these players is at least 6’3” and no lighter than 305 pounds, there’s beef up front, and that makes for plenty of running room. Depth along the line is equally important and the Ravens have plenty of it with David Hale, Marshal Yanda (who started at one point) and Oniel Cousins waiting in the wings.

DEPTH CHART

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: The Ravens will often look to tinker with their defensive front line, but the team’s base look is a 3-4 featuring super-sized veterans Haloti Ngata, Kelly Gregg, and Trevor Pryce. The 345-pound Ngata just keeps getting better and new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will look to take advantage of the big man’s brute strength and nimble feet by sending him after the quarterback with greater frequency. The fourth-year pro is a complete lineman that cannot be moved when he’s playing the run. The soon-to-be 33-year-old nose tackle Kelly Gregg missed the 2008 season with a knee injury, but his replacement Justin Bannan filled in admirably by clogging up the running lanes. Similarly, Gregg’s strength lies in the fact that he’s a master at maintaining leverage when controlling the gaps versus the run. Fellow thirty-something lineman Trevor Pryce may not put up the same sack numbers he once did, but the Brooklyn boy remains a formidable inside rusher, who’s versatile enough to hold up versus the ground game. One player who’s really been coming on in the preseason is 350-pound colossus Kelly Talavou. Much like Ngata, this wild Samoan is an immovable object that can’t be knocked off the ball. Dwan Edwards doesn’t have as much lead in his pants, but he’s very mobile. Rookie Paul Kruger is the lightweight of the group, but showed signs of being a playmaker in Baltimore’s first exhibition game versus Washington by dropping back into coverage, and later went on to overpower tackle Devin Clark for his first unofficial NFL sack.

Linebackers: The loss of Bart Scott will have an effect on the linebacker corps., but the situation may not be as catastrophic as some may have envisioned. The explosive Tavares Gooden joins forces with fellow Miami Hurricane alum Ray Lewis to replace Scott’s athleticism and aggressive style of play on the inside. The ability to consistently read the offense isn’t there yet, but his strength to shed blockers and physical nature along the line of scrimmage will help him make impact from the get-go. The second-year pro is also talented enough to drop back and hang with running backs and tight ends in their pass routes. Lewis, on the other hand, is just one of those grizzled veterans that maintains a high level of play due the way he anticipates the opposition, which makes up for his diminished quickness from sideline to sideline. Outside rusher Terrell Suggs has yet to turn 27, but has already amassed 53 career sacks at outside linebacker. His long arms and lethal first step make him a nightmare for opposing tackles to block. Suggs can also help out in coverage when necessary. Jarrett Johnson is an all-around guy that plays with a high motor and chips in as both a pass rusher and a run stopper. Backup Jameel McClain isn’t your ideal cover man, but he’s a terrific blitzer, as is Antwan Barnes. Rookie Jason Phillips is an instinctive inside linebacker with more speed than advertised. Brandon Ayanbadejo is a special-teams ace.

Secondary: Free safety Ed Reed is the gold standard at his position. The future Hall-of-Famer combines unrivaled intelligence, instincts, quickness, and hand skills in the defensive backfield. Reed will gamble…a lot, but when you have his athleticism and guess right nine times out of 10, that’s a good thing. Dawan Landry is a fine stay-at-hone strong safety that specializes in flying into the pile on run blitzes. Fabian Washington leads the way at cornerback with his blinding speed, but his questionable durability remains a concern. The ex-Raider recently underwent vertebrae-fusion surgery in the offseason, and reportedly feels better than ever. If that’s true, expect him to be much more of a force as a tackler. Free agent acquisition Dominique Foxworth proved to be a tough customer in one-on-one coverage as a Falcon last year despite his lack of size at 180 pounds. Graybeard Samari Rolle will contribute as the team’s third corner. The 33-year-old still gets his hands on a lot of balls. Chris Carr or Frank Walker may eventually replace Rolle. Carr is an exceptional return man, but can hold his own as a nickel back. Walker is a beast in press coverage, but is prone to committing bone-headed penalties. Small school rookie Ladarius Webb is a smart and versatile corner who puts himself in the right position to make plays. Evan Oglesby didn’t have a very good showing versus Washington this weekend. He appears to be a step slow. The Ravens have excellent depth at safety. Haruki Nakamura is a hard-nosed grinder with a good mind for the game. Part-time pugilist Tom Zbikowski delivers hellacious blows on the blitz, in addition to being a standout special teams performer who can cover kicks and return punts. The former Notre Dame man may develop as starting strong safety down the road.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Ravens lost wide receiver Marcus Smith during training camp, a big blow to their special teams, as he was one of their top “gunners”. Yamon Figurs suffered a drop off last season returning kicks and punts after an outstanding rookie season. The Ravens brought in free agent Chris Carr in the off-season to compete for return duties. At kicker, Steve Hauschka replaces the departed Matt Stover and fourth-year man Sam Koch is expected to retain his role handling punter duties. Rookie free agent kicker/punter Graham Gano was brought in to compete.

2009 BALTIMORE RAVENS OFF-SEASON TRACKER

Acquisitions
QB John Beck (FA, Dolphins)
WR Drew Bennett (FA, Rams)
WR Kelley Washington (FA, Patriots)
TE L.J. Smith (FA, Eagles)
OT Stefan Rodgers (FA, Jaguars)
OC Matt Birk (FA, Vikings)
LB Tony Fein (FA, Seahawks)
CB Chris Carr (FA, Titans)
CB Domonique Foxworth (FA, Falcons)
Drafted
RB Cedric Peerman, Virginia
TE Davon Drew, East Carolina
OT Michael Oher, Mississippi
DE Paul Kruger, Utah
LB Jason Phillips, TCU
CB Lardarius Webb, Nicholls State
Undrafted Free Agents
FB Jason Cook, Mississippi
WR Eron Riley, Duke
WR Isaiah Williams, Maryland
OC Greg Ryan, Western Kentucky
DL Will Johnson, Michigan
LB Dannell Ellerbe, Georgia
LB William VanDeSteeg, Minnesota
LB Luis Vasquez, Arizona State
CB K.J. Gerard, Northern Arizona
CB David Jones, Kentucky
K Graham Gano, Florida State
P Dave Brytus, Pittsburgh
Re-signed
WR Demetrius Williams
TE Quinn Sypniewski
DL Dwan Edwards
DL Brandon McKinney
LB Ray Lewis
LB Terrell Suggs
DL Jameel McClain
CB Evan Oglesby
CB Samari Rolle
SS Dawan Landry
Departures
QB Kyle Boller (FA, Rams)
QB Todd Bouman (FA, Jaguars)
FB Lorenzo Neal (FA, Raiders)
WR Terrance Cooper (FA, Chiefs)
OG Brandon Barnes (FA, Colts)
OT Mike Kracalik (FA, Jets)
OC Jason Brown (FA, Rams)
DL Marques Douglas (FA, Jets)
LB Bart Scott (FA, Jets)
CB Corey Ivy (FA, Browns)
FS Jim Leonhard (FA, Jets)
Unsigned
QB Brooks Bollinger (UFA)
QB Drew Willy (cut)
RB P.J. Daniels (RFA)
WR Marcus Maxwell (cut)
TE Daniel Wilcox (UFA)
LB Dan Cody (UFA)
LB Luis Vazquez (cut)
CB Chris McAllister (cut)
CB Anwar Phillips (cut)
CB David Pittman (RFA)
CB Dave Jones (UFA)
CB Derrick Martin (RFA)
PK Matt Stover (UFA)
P Sam Koch (RFA)

PROJECTION

The Ravens are built to win now and despite being impacted heavily once again in free agency, Baltimore has done a good of job as any franchise in the league in terms of replacing players to plug the gap. All the pieces seem to be in place as Flacco has a year of experience under his belt, their running attack is as deep as anyone, the return of Derrick Mason solidifies the passing game, the offensive line has been rebuilt and the defense looks to remain solid. There are few weaknesses on this team and a record of 11-5 should be attainable. Unfortunately, the favored Steelers play in the same division, leaving the Ravens to hope for a home game in the opening round of the wild card playoffs.

For more from Louis Tranquilli log-on to BFDFantasyFootball.com or follow him on Twitter.

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Ralph Mancini also contributed to this column.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media, College Press Box (Utah)