The 2008 Ravens Offseason: Four Selections that Changed Everything

(Photo by Jacob de Golish/Getty Images)

For the Baltimore Ravens, 2008 was meant to be a rebuilding year.

It was supposed to be a year in which rookie quarterback Joe Flacco got his feet wet, and unlike 2003 Ravens' first round pick Kyle Boller, learn from it.

It was supposed to be a year Offensive Coordinator, Cam Cameron, began to develop him; as he had Drew Brees and Philip Rivers when he was the OC for the San Diego Chargers.

The Ravens could expect improvement, but not much more.

In fact, how hard would it be to improve upon the Ravens dreadful year in 2007, in which they went 5-11, and finished near the bottom in every offensive category?

Team GM Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end, has been very successful in his career as an executive when he's needed to reload the team. Soon after the season, he fired head coach Brian Billick, which was a tough—but needed—move.

Billick was the head coach in Baltimore from 1999 to 2007, and while his tenure was very up-and-down, he won a Super Bowl, had a solid 80-64 record, and developed a strong relationship with the players.

Even kicker Matt Stover, a classy guy who has been very loyal to the organization, didn't back the move 100 percent. "I'm not saying I agree with it," Stover said, "but sometimes things have to change."

It was needed because the Ravens, who won 13 games in 2006—all because of defense—won just five in 2007—the biggest win differential for any team in the NFL that year.

After 19 days of searching, the Ravens had a choice between two coaching prospects; they could either pick John Harbaugh, an Eagles Special Teams Coordinator, or Jason Garrett, the Cowboys Offensive Coordinator.

After Garrett turned down the Ravens' offer, Newsome went with Harbaugh, who sounded delighted to have the job.

"Up, down, sideways, from the very top, it's a very impressive place to visit," Harbaugh said. "I knew the Ravens had a great organization. Now, I see why. Good people, from Ozzie and Steve to everybody in the organization. It's been challenging, but it has been fun."

Harbaugh earned a head coaching job, which is certainly an honor, but he would be one busy man for the rest of the offseason. First of all, after the disheartening 2007 season, the Ravens cleaned house.

Both Steve McNair and Jonathan Ogden retired, while Baltimore's staff decided to let almost every coach go; electing to keep assistants like Defensive Coordinator Rex Ryan and Tight Ends Coach Wade Harman, but not much more.

Harbaugh hired many new assistants, including Cam Cameron, whom he appointed Offensive Coordinator.

Cameron has long been considered one of the finest quarterback developers in the league. In San Diego, he brought up Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, who are both top five quarterbacks in this league.

With a clumsy quarterback situation, the Ravens would need a guy like Cam. “We’re excited to get Cam, because he’s a fine coach and a good person,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “He had other options. We’re going to be tough, we’re going to be exciting, we’re going to be disciplined, and we’re going to play really hard. If we do those things on offense, and we take care of one another, good things will happen.”

But to develop a quarterback, the Ravens had to get someone who had the chance to be a special player. The two quarterbacks on the roster at the time were Kyle Boller, a true bust, and Troy Smith, a guy who was a backup, at best.

So, on draft day 2008, the Ravens traded down—then back up—to select Delaware's Joe Flacco, who threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns, and five interceptions as a senior. Of course, Flacco hadn't put up those numbers against top-notch competition, but Harbaugh was convinced Flacco could handle it.

"All quarterbacks have to make a jump from college football," Harbaugh said. "It's a tough jump, and that's been proven. When you get to know Joe, you'll find that this guy feels like he has something to prove. He's a very competitive guy. He's a leader. . . . We're satisfied that he's got the personality to be a real good quarterback."

Scouting director Eric DeCosta referenced both Kurt Warner and Tony Romo when talking about small-school quarterbacks who had to make the jump—and made it quite well, at that.

But the Ravens added one more offensive weapon in the draft. With the 55th overall pick, the Ravens added some depth to their backfield, drafting Rutgers' halfback Ray Rice.

Rice set records at Rutgers, running for a school record 4,926 yards, but he didn't get drafted high because of his size. At 5'8", 205, Rice's durability was a question mark. But there are many small backs in the NFL, like Maurice Jones-Drew (5'7"), DeAngelo Williams (5'9"), and Frank Gore (5'9"), who have succeeded, and Rice doesn't worry about durability concerns.

"I came from an offense where I got the ball 30 times [per game]," said Rice. "I'm a feel-the-defense-out type of a guy."

Joe Flacco loves having Rice in the backfield to toss a screen or hand the ball off to for a nice change of pace. "Ray did a great job for us last year and he's going to be a huge threat out of the backfield," the quarterback said. "You get the ball to Ray and he's going to make a lot out of it. We're excited to have him healthy and ready to go all season."

It's ironic, really. Only one—maybe two—of these moves were accepted by Ravens fans.

Joe Flacco was considered a huge reach and an unknown quarterback prospect. Most Baltimore faithful wanted Boston College's Matt Ryan, who was picked third by the Falcons.

Harbaugh was a nobody before getting hired. Most wanted Garrett, who was the mastermind of a Dallas offense that made some major noise in 2007.

Cameron was—and still is—a great offensive coordinator, but was coming off a head coaching audition in which he went 1-15 with Miami. Rice was insignificant.

And when you think about it, the Ravens got lucky to an extent. Both Harbaugh and Flacco were their second choices. The Ravens have admitted they wanted to trade for Matt Ryan, but the Falcons didn't budge, so they had no choice but to take Flacco. And Garrett was the first guy the Ravens pursued to get a job offer, but he, of course, refused. So then, the Ravens chose Harbaugh—also their second choice.

But look now. The Ravens have a franchise quarterback—the first the city has had since the days of Johnny Unitas, when they were the Colts.

Rice is certainly emerging and Maurice Jones-Drew comparisons are valid. He ran for 108 yards against Kansas City in the opener, and reminds me of former 49ers RB Roger Craig in that he can hurt you on the ground and on screens.

Harbaugh is a young head coach, one of the youngest in the league, and the team doesn't look prone to inconsistency, as they very much were with Billick.

Add to that the fact Cameron is developing Flacco just like he did Rivers and Brees, and through the first two games of his second season, he has 497 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and more importantly, two wins.

The 2008 offseason was one of rebuilding. Getting a new head coach. A new quarterback. Completely changing the coaching staff. The majority of Ravens fans weren't in full support of it. Heck, I'm sure some Ravens players were second guessing the "Wizard of Oz."

But now, nobody—not even the biggest pessimist—can question these four moves.

Owner Steve Bisciotti put it best. “As an owner, you want a coach and quarterback you feel can be in your organization for 10 years,” Bisciotti says. “I’m very hopeful and confident that we’ve got that.”

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