Quarterback Woes: Final Preseason Game

WBAL's Steve Davis said it best. The Ravens quarterback situation is the worst in the NFL. Not Chicago, not Green Bay, not San Francisco, Baltimore is. The Ravens are the only team who has no idea who the starter will be.

Kyle Boller's shoulder injury is much more serious than previously believed as the Ravens did their best New England impression. Though he isn't getting surgery yet, he won't play in the final preseason game and probably won't be ready for the start of the season.

Troy Smith is still having health issues. Apparently it is a tonsil problem, before it was a stomach virus. He is 50-50 for the game vs. the Falcons. Either way, the Ravens have not gotten the production they wanted out of Smith this preseason.

Joe Flacco, though healthy and not playing badly for a rookie, is still a rookie going from I-AA to the NFL. With the offensive line issues and the memory of what happened to Boller after the Ravens drafted him, is it safe to throw him out there this early?

To save the day (or at least have someone else), the Ravens claimed Casey Bramlet off waivers after recently being released by the Chargers. But don't expect him to be much help. He's never seen a down in the regular season and the Ravens make his sixth team he's been on since being drafted in 2004. He's mainly here so the Ravens have a healthy backup that doesn't cost much money.

So what can the Ravens do? A number of people are thinking free agency. Not a bad group out there, including Daunte Culpepper, Aaron Brooks, possibly Chris Simms if he gets released by the Bucs. But this isn't the answer. It isn't worth it to throw a million dollars (more likely for some) to sign these guys when chances are this year's Ravens aren't a solid team, and these quarterbacks wouldn't make them any better.

Smith should recover, giving the Ravens three healthy quarterbacks. But will they be ready. I'm sure that with Boller's injury, Cam Cameron and company want to start Troy Smith so they don't have to throw Flacco to the wolves, but it is looking more and more like the rookie from Delaware will be the Week 1 starter against Cincinatti. Let's hope this isn't a repeat of 2003.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)
(Trackback: Jamison Hensley, Baltimore Sun: Ravens's starting QB vs. Falcons still a tossup)