2012 NFL Free Agency: Ravens to Work out Trio of Quarterbacks

The Baltimore Ravens remain intent on signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term extension, but GM Ozzie Newsome apparently has an eye on the rest of the quarterback market too.

The team will try out a trio of veteran backups, including a name particularly familiar to Baltimore fans: Kyle Boller. Beyond Boller, both Dennis Dixon and Curtis Painter will get a look, and each could potentially provide Tyrod Taylor with competition for the top reserve job behind Flacco.

Boller was picked in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft by Baltimore and infamously flamed out during his six seasons with the team. He has since spent time with both St. Louis and Oakland, but has failed to establish himself as anything more than an average backup. While arm strength has never been an issue for Boller, turnovers have, as he has thrown 54 career interceptions in just 1,519 career attempts.

Dixon was a fifth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2008 draft whose stock was hurt by a senior year ACL tear while at Oregon. He's been with Pittsburgh for the entirety of his four-year career and started a single game in place of Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch, each of whom was injured at the time.

Painter, meanwhile, is probably best known as the guy that Indianapolis promoted to be a capable backup to Peyton Manning, but who subsequently found himself on the bench for the first game that Manning ever missed. He eventually got his shot at the starting gig once the Kerry Collins experiment failed, but Painter did little to suggest he is anywhere close to a starting quarterback.  

In 2011, his busiest season on the field, Painter completed less than 55 percent of his passes and finished with a QB rating of 66.6.

Based on the credentials of these three, is anyone really concerned about Taylor's hold on the back-up spot in Baltimore?