Why the Baltimore Ravens Don't Need a Rookie Quarterback

I have been keeping tabs on ESPN’s Sportsnation NFL Mock Draft and have been troubled with many picks that have been made. However, I just chock this up to a mass of people voting without intimate knowledge of team needs and players. Sportsnation had Baltimore selecting Quarterback Brian Brohm of Louisville with the 8^th Overall pick. This is not an uncommon, or for that matter a bad thought. Many believe that Baltimore is just a quarterback away from being a contender and if that is the case then a QB in the first round would make sense. However, I disagree with this thought for many reasons.

If I’m going to argue that the Ravens do not need a rookie QB, then I need to talk about the QBs that they do have. Steve McNair started six games and in those he threw two touchdowns against a total of 11 turnovers. McNair did complete 64.9% of his passes, a career high, but he did not seem to have the arm for the long ball. Maybe the surgeries he has undergone will help him take another shot, but he is definitely not a long term solution. Kyle Boller threw 9 touchdowns against 14 turnovers with 61.1% in 12 games. Boller is definitely not the solution and should be a backup. Looking at these two QBs maybe a little dynamic youth at the position could be very helpful.

For that dynamic youth the Ravens do not have to draft a QB, but rather could give Heisman Trophy Winner Troy Smith a shot. Smith fell out of favor in the draft because of his height and the fact that he was surrounded by talent. This led him to fall into Baltimore’s lap in the 5^th Round. Towards the end of the season, when Baltimore no longer had anything to play for, they gave the young QB a chance. Against Indy he was 3 for 5 for 33 yards and ran in a 6 yard touchdown. Then against Miami he was 5 for 11 for 49 yards. Then Smith got his first start against one of the more imposing defenses, Seattle. Smith did not throw a pick, although he did lose two fumbles in the game. He passed for 199 yards and a touchdown in addition to running for another 25. Then, he started against Pittsburgh and played well throwing for 171 yards and a touchdown in addition to rushing 23 yards. Troy Smith played well enough at the end of the season that he should get a chance to start. He can be the dynamic youth that Baltimore has needed from the QB position.

If Baltimore has hesitations about Troy Smith, then I do not think that drafting another QB is the solution. The Boller experiment did more harm than good for the Ravens and drafting another young QB who may fail would lead the franchise down a long and painful road. It would make sense to bring in a new veteran QB into the mix then add another inexperienced QB. Looking at the veterans available I would say Daunte Culpepper might be a nice option. It takes two years to fully heal from a knee injury like the one he suffered. Culpepper was once an MVP and is looking to make a comeback. He could run the offense, who knows maybe even revitalize it, and let Baltimore’s tenacious defense do what it was designed to do, win games. If Troy Smith is thought to be too young to take the reigns and McNair is finished, bring in Culpepper.

Baltimore’s secondary should be considered more of a priority than QB in this draft. Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle are both getting up there and behind them is nothing spectacular. They are also injury prone and if they are out the Baltimore secondary is picked on. Adding a dynamic youthful corner in the first round (where one is surely to be available to the Ravens) is critical to not only establish depth at the position, but also to provide this secondary with a future. So, in conclusion, because of Troy Smith’s dynamic play, greater needs in the secondary, and Daunte Culpepper still a free agent, the Baltimore Ravens do not need a rookie quarterback.