Defensive Line
Kelly Gregg is not your prototypical nose tackle. Weighing in at just 310 pounds, he plays more of a one-gap style and has trouble anchoring against double teams. However, he is an adequate starter who plays hard and gets by on his quickness and toughness. He is likely to be backed up by Ma’ake Kemoeatu again this year unless the team decides to move second-round draft pick Dwan Edwards into the middle. Edwards is penciled in as the backup at left defensive end, but could push Marques Douglas for playing time on the right side.
Left defensive end Anthony Weaver is probably the best player on the Ravens line. At 290 pounds, he has the perfect size for an end in the 3-4 and he improved dramatically throughout the 2003 season. With backup end Jarret Johnson also in the mix, the Ravens have a lot of depth and versatility available at their disposal.
Linebackers
This unit is by far the strength of this team. Ray Lewis, the biggest impact linebacker in the game today, and Ed Hartwell complement each other perfectly in the middle. Lewis has the speed and range to play sideline to sideline while Hartwell does a fantastic job of plugging holes in the line and picking up blockers, allowing Lewis to roam free. Hartwell generally comes out of the lineup in nickel situations, allowing Lewis to play more of a true middle linebacker role.
Peter Boulware will continue to start at the right outside linebacker position. He is also an impact player with great pass rushing skills and the ability to get penetration to disrupt the opposition’s running game. The Ravens will continue to use a platoon system on the left side with Adalius Thomas playing on obvious running downs and Terrell Suggs, last years Defensive Rookie of the Year, coming into the game in obvious passing situations. Suggs has great quickness, a tremendous first step, and the ability to be a devastating pass rusher if he continues to develop.
Secondary
The Ravens secondary is anchored Chris McAlister at cornerback and Ed Reed at strong safety. Although he tends to gamble a bit too much, McAlister is one of the league’s premier cover corners. He has great size and athletic ability, and he appears to still be improving. After just two seasons in the league, Reed is among the best safeties in the game. He has good speed, but is better in zone coverage than man-to-man. He is also a great tackler who takes good angles and has a nice closing burst... Very tough in run support.
Starting opposite McAlister on the outside, Gary Baxter has developed into a solid starting corner, giving Baltimore a starting tandem that is very tough to beat in press coverage. The weak link in the secondary is free safety Will Demps. He lacks coverage skills, but does a nice job against the run and makes few mistakes. Rumors of Deion Sanders coming out of retirement to play nickelback could push veterans Corey Fuller and Dale Carter back to the No. 4 and 5 roles, however, it is yet to be seen how much Sanders has left after three years out of the game.
Overview
With one of the best defenses and running games in the league, the Ravens should be in just about every game they play this season. The key to any post-season success, however, lies in the continued development of second-year QB Kyle Boller. On paper, the Ravens are clearly the class of the AFC North, but unless Boller takes that next step, they are likely to struggle again on the offensive side of the ball.
With the powerful running style of Jamal Lewis to divert a lot of the attention, Boller just needs to minimize his mistakes to get this team into the playoffs. Barring a complete meltdown, they should have a record similar to last year’s 10-6 mark, with the potential to top last season should their young QB put in an above average performance.
