One year removed from a season to remember, the Ravens crumbled in an off-season to forget.
A salary cap crunch led to a 50 percent turnover from last season's team and the severing of ties with nine starters from the Super Bowl XXXV championship team.
The Ravens begin their monumental rebuilding task today when they open training camp at McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College). The Ravens' seventh training camp in Westminster will span 27 days and feature 35 practices.
So, is there any hope in a season considered by many as hopeless?
"I like [Florida State coach] Bobby Bowden's comments this year when he said, 'Get your licks in because we're young, but we're getting older by the day,' " Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "I'm excited about where we're headed."
Will Chris Redman become a legitimate NFL quarterback?
It's a question that no one can truly answer right now.
While backup Jeff Blake is probably the better player at this stage, the rebuilding Ravens have to find out if Redman (left) is their quarterback for the future. A third-round pick in the 2000 draft, Redman has yet to break a sweat in an NFL game, throwing a total of three passes.
Redman's upside is his natural leadership and his accuracy. He has improved with every off-season camp and delivers the ball fluidly on the short and intermediate routes.
Although Redman will sometimes lock onto receivers too long, he has absorbed the offense at a quick rate and just needs to speed up his decision-making. He also has to avoid the usual pitfall of first-year quarterbacks by limiting his turnovers.
But many factors relating to Redman's productivity will be out of his control. His success depends heavily on the health of Jamal Lewis and the growth of Travis Taylor and Todd Heap.
Is the 3-4 defense best suited for this team?
If the Ravens were going exclusively to a 3-4 defense (three linemen and four linebackers), they would be making a terrible mistake.
While that scheme would highlight the rushing abilities of outside linebackers Peter Boul ware (right) and Adalius Thomas, it would limit the talents of two of their best players, line backer Ray Lewis and defensive end Michael McCrary. Lewis would have one fewer lineman shielding him from blockers, and McCrary is considered too small to cover two gaps.
But the Ravens intend to use the 3-4 defense only 30 percent of the time and will rotate back into a 4-3 look to avoid wearing down a thin front seven.
How far will the Ravens plummet this season?
Very far. With one of the youngest teams in the league, the Ravens could bottom out this season, rebuilding in a division in which the other three teams are on the rise.
It's going to take more than one season for the Ravens to replace their top two receivers, seven starters from a fearsome defense and the game's most dangerous return specialist.
The season depends heavily on the surgically reconstructed knee of Jamal Lewis. A fully re covered Lewis would allow the Ravens to go back to a ball-control game, taking the offen sive burden off Redman and keeping a revamped defense off the field.
BIGGEST SLEEPERS
Kenyon Hambrick, J.R. Johnson and J.R. Jenkins
The Ravens have had a surprisingly good success rate with NFL Europe veterans, from Anthony Mitchell to Jason Brookins, and Hambrick could extend that run. Hambrick caught 28 passes for 407 yards and three touchdowns this spring and could become a major figure in the Ravens' uncertain receiving corps.
Johnson will make the team only on his unique ability to play gunner (the outside coverage man on punts, usually a job handled by receivers and cornerbacks). A great athlete with 4.3 speed and a 39-inch vertical leap, he could be a special find on special teams.
Another dark horse to watch is Jenkins, who could earn his way onto the team as a kickoff specialist. Last year, the Ravens used a valuable roster spot on kickoff specialist Danny Kight and were disappointed in his results.
PLAYERS ON THE RISE
Todd Heap and Anthony Mitchell
Heap is a big target, and Mitchell is a big hitter.
To sustain drives, the Ravens need to fill the void of tight end Shannon Sharpe, who accounted for 23 percent of his team's catches the past two seasons. Though Heap isn't expected to replace Sharpe as the team's charismatic leader, he has to step up into the role of go-to receiver. At this point in their careers, Heap has more potential to break a long run after a catch than Sharpe.
On defense, one Ravens official said no one has improved more during the off-season than Mitchell. But as was the case with former Ravens strong safeties Kim Herring and Corey Harris, critics are questioning Mitchell's status as a starter in the league. A linebacker in college, he will be an asset in run support but needs to develop better hands to make interceptions.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
Travis Taylor and Gary Baxter
Two former high draft picks have the pressure of high expectations this season.
Taylor, the 10th overall pick in the 2000 draft, doesn't want to be known as another University of Florida receiver who turned into an NFL disappointment. With his size and big-play ability, he needs to develop consistency in his third year, which is often considered a make-or-break year for receivers.
Baxter, a second-round pick in the 2001 draft, has the toughest assignment on the team, lining up opposite fast-rising cornerback Chris McAlister. Teams likely will avoid McAlister and pick on Baxter, who is a natural safety.
INJURY WATCH
Jamal Lewis and Michael McCrary
It's a short but critical list. The Ravens are primarily worried about two players coming off knee injuries: running back Lewis and defensive end McCrary.
Both will be ready today, but they'll be paced throughout camp, especially in contact drills. The goal is to get them to the season opener at Carolina as healthy as possible.
BIGGEST CONCERN
Health of Jamal Lewis
The franchise back will be under the team's microscope as he attempts to bounce back from his second major knee injury in four years. Whether Lewis can come close to regaining his form will be a critical factor in the Ravens' immediate success as well as their long-range plans on offense.
Historically, it takes a full year for a skill player to come back from a major knee injury. But Lewis was injured in the middle of last year's camp, giving him all of last season to recover and allowing him to participate in off-season drills.
Even so, it would be expecting too much to ask Lewis to carry the offense this season the way he did in the Ravens' Super Bowl run of 2000. Coming back from a knee injury has been tricky for running backs. Most recently, Denver's Terrell Davis and free agent Jamal Anderson haven't had the same impact after undergoing similar surgeries.
POSITION TO WATCH
Quarterback
This is the only position where the Ravens could suffer an injury to a starter and not suffer a major drop-off with the backup.
Although the starting job is Chris Redman's to lose, the Ravens went after some insurance by signing Jeff Blake, their only free-agent addition this off-season. The tandem presents two different styles as quarterbacks.
Redman is a raw pocket passer whose forte is accuracy, a strength best used in the short passing game. Blake, however, is a mobile veteran who loves to throw the ball deep.
THINNEST POSITIONS
Defensive, offensive lines
The lack of depth on the entire team is staggering, with first-year players being the top backups at 13 of 22 positions. But the Ravens will be most vulnerable on their defensive and offensive fronts.
The top option if injuries occur at either defensive end spot or nose tackle is Marques Douglas, a fourth-year player who has appeared in just three games. The next tier of backups is composed of three undrafted rookies - Josh McKibben, Nate Bolling and Maake Kemoeatu.
On the offensive line, the Ravens can realistically go only seven deep. Beyond the five starters, the team is relying on Jason Thomas, a San Diego Chargers practice squad player last season, to back up at center and guard, and undrafted rookie Dawani Fladger to be the reserve at tackle.
MOST IMPROVED UNIT
Offensive line
It was the only unit to fend off the off-season cap blitz, keeping four of five starters from last year.
The Ravens still had to do some patchwork to the line after failing to land a right tackle in the draft or free agency, but their late decision to play musical 300-pounders allowed them to field their best five linemen.
Edwin Mulitalo, the team's starting left guard for three years, shifts to right tackle, adding a physical punch to that side. And Casey Rabach, an athletic left guard, should be an interesting complement to Jonathan Ogden.
BEST CAMP BATTLE
Backup running back
As one Ravens official said, a team cannot have position battles if it lacks depth. That means the Ravens have a good idea of their starting lineup before the first whistle of training camp.
The most intriguing race of camp will be for the backup running back job, which could be a vital role again this season. With Jamal Lewis' health a question mark and a hefty Jason Brookins jettisoned this off-season, the Ravens may need to count on Chester Taylor or Tellis Redmon for substantial playing time.
Taylor, a sixth-round pick, rushed for 4,721 yards and 55 touchdowns at the University of Toledo by using a good blend of power and speed. Redmon, an undrafted rookie who came out after his junior season at the University of Minnesota, relies more on vision, instincts and cutting ability.