Kyle Boller and Troy Smith picking up where they left off

Based upon the account from Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun, Kyle Boller and Troy Smith have come to passing camp this year just as impressive as they've been in the past.

"I know it's only the first day of passing camp, but it was hard on the eyes watching quarterbacks Kyle Boller and Troy Smith throw in practice. Smith had the better day, not because he looked good, but because Boller performed so poorly. Boller had several passes knocked down and underthrew and overthrew receivers."

This is the one opportunity for either QB to prove their worth before the future "franchise QB" Joe Flacco is allowed to attend camp, yet they can barely muster a complete pass with pressure. I don't know why, but I honestly had hope for a stellar season by either returning QB. It could still happen, but doesn't seem likely.

Jason Taylor to the Ravens?

From the Orlando Sentinel:

Asked if the Ravens and Miami Dolphins have had any discussions regarding the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end and recent "Dancing With The Stars" runner-up, Harbaugh said flatly, "Not that I'm aware of.''

Well that's disappointing.

A deal with the Ravens seems unlikely because of Taylor's age, salary and his tenuous relationship with Cam Cameron, the Ravens' offensive coordinator who coached the Dolphins last season.

Okay. Good idea not to go after Taylor.

Haloti Ngata makes a quality role model

Though he is normally known as a ferocious, fear-inducing, man-eating, tackle machine, Haloti Ngata appears to have a soft side to him. Recently, Ngata sponsored a essay contest to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes. He asked local schools from the Baltimore/Annapolis areas to write essays about the disease in an effort to interactively teach those kids that took part.

Its these types of community effort that set Ngata apart as a humanitarian in the league. The NFL needs these types of example setters to curb the negative image create by Chris Henry, Pacman Jones and others. Ngata is quickly establishing himself as a vital part of the Ravens family both on and off the field.

Don't put it out with your boots Ted

Ray Lewis does it all. He sacks super-model dating QBs, intercepts 6'6 country bumpkins with laser rocket arms, and teaches the kids what happens if you mistakingly eat squid instead of your Wheaties. Thanks for being all that you can be Ray.

Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Football Breakdown

The one obvious fantasy player on the Raven's roster is Willis McGahee. Last season McGahee had 1207 yds rushing and 7 TDs. MaGahee will be a first or second round pick in every fantasy league around the country. After McGahee, which Ravens provide that fantasy impact?

Depending on the rules of your league, you may need a single defensive player in addition to a defensive unit. The Raven's defense as a whole is a good unit to fill the spot. With help at corner this year in the form of Fabian Washington the team will be more stingy then they were last season. As a solo player, look for Ray Lewis who had 121 tackles and 2 sacks last season, Terrell Suggs who had 78 tackles and 5 sacks, or if you're hoping for interceptions Ed Reed who had 7 interceptions for 130 return yards.

If Todd Heap is healthy, he has to be considered one of the top five fantasy tight ends in football. Heap ranks as one of the top receiving tight ends along with Kellen Winslow Jr., Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jason Witten.

If your league is weighted toward the number of receptions, Derrick Mason would actually one of your better receivers. He had 103 receptions of 1087 yards last season, but only scored five TDs. After Mason, the Ravens other receivers don't warrant a draft selection. Keep an eye on Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams throughout the season because they could turn heads if they're healthy.

Finally, the Ravens don't boast a QB worth drafting. With the uncertainty at the position, don't even waste you time looking at Raven's QBs for your team unless you're in a 16 team league.

Baltimore Ravens Defense

Heres a little walk down memory lane:

Ray Lewis discusses his future

ESPN (yes the world wide leader) has a quality article about Ray Lewis' future in the NFL. It's definitely worth a read. There is one paragraph that makes me question whether the story is about Ray Lewis the football player or Ray Lewis the swinging singles speed dater:

"Lewis, who turns 33 Thursday, is in his 13th season and believes his intense training will help him play "another three or four years, easily.'' He arrived at minicamp in midseason form last weekend, weighing 255 pounds with 6 percent body fat and biceps large enough to make running backs cringe."

The article went on to read...

"Lewis prefers long walks along the 50-yard line, making mince meat stew out of opposing players, and cuddling with Tom Brady look-a-likes behind the line of scrimmage."

Terrell Suggs is the Baltimore Ravens "hybrid"

Terrell Suggs don’t fit no mold. Suggs has been franchised by the Baltimore Ravens, but not in a way that has ever been done before. Instead of being tagged as either a defensive end or a lineback, Suggs is both. He will receive $8.5 million, which falls in the middle of the franchise value for both positions. Suggs is his own man and nobody can tell him what to do.

Hopefully this will be a sign of good faith that will encourage Suggs to stay with the Ravens after the season is over.

Meet Baltimore Ravens Head Coach, John Harbaugh

John Harbaugh is the son of a University of Michigan assistant football coach. He played his college ball at the University of Miami as a DB. Harbaugh was an assistant coach at four Universities before being hired by Ray Rhodes as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was one of only four assistants retained when Andy Reid took the team over. Obviously, Reid was either desperate or saw something worthwhile in the young whippersnapper of a coach.

After nine years as the special teams coach for the Eagles, Harbaugh became the defensive backs coach. The following year he was hire by the Baltimore Ravens as their new head coach.

Obviously, Harbaugh is a young coach with very little coaching experience in when compared to some of the other coaches in the league or on his own staff. Though he lacks the overwhelming resume, NFL minds believe he has that “it factor” necessary to become a winning coach. Expect Harbaugh to turn some heads this year with Rex Ryan and Cam Cameron in his cabinet of advisors. Unfortunately, you should also expect Rex Ryan to seek another head coaching position after the season is over.

Joe Reitz gets his chance

Tight End is a position that is currently an unknown for the Baltimore Ravens. Quinn Sypniewski is out for the year with a knee injury, David Wilcox is still out because of toe surgery, and Todd Heap is temporarily sidelined with basic football injuries. With the usual suspects out, Joe Reitz has been getting snaps with the first team offense.

Reitz is a former Western Michigan basketball star. Thats right, I said basketball. He stands 6 feet and 7 inches off the ground and weighs 270 lbs. Keep in mind, Todd Heap was a basketball star himself. The Ravens can only hope for the same type of success out of Reitz that they've gotten out of Heap.

Football is in the air. Sniff it long and sniff it good.