National Football League

Younger Ravens hope to extend success in 2011

Published Aug. 23, 2011 4:32 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Baltimore Ravens are younger than last season. The big question is: Are they better?

Longtime fixtures Derrick Mason, Willis McGahee, Todd Heap and Kelly Gregg are gone, victims of a salary cap purge. All were key contributors to a team that made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

And all of them were over 30 years old.

Mason, the leading receiver in Ravens history, has been replaced by Lee Evans, who is seven years younger.

''He's fast, he's made plays, and he's a big yards-per-catch guy,'' coach John Harbaugh said of Evans. ''That helps a lot.''

Heap's job has been taken over by second-year tight end Ed Dickson; second-year pro Terrence Cody steps in for Gregg and backup running back Ricky Williams comes at a much cheaper price than McGahee.

Also missing from last year's 12-4 team is cornerback Josh Wilson, who signed as a free agent with Washington. Playing in his place this season is first-round draft pick Jimmy Smith, who is quite talented but dangerously inexperienced.

Two other rookies, wide receiver Torrey Smith and right tackle Jah Reid, are currently projected as starters.

The Ravens aren't in rebuilding mode, but there have definitely been some significant tweaks to team that expects to overtake rival Pittsburgh in the battle to win the AFC North.

''It's probably a natural progression in this league,'' Harbaugh said. ''It's tough. It's hard. It's just the reality of the salary cap and the situation we're in right now.''

There have been some positive additions to go with Evans and Williams. Pro Bowl fullback Vonte Leach is an upgrade over Le'Ron McClain, who was allowed to leave as a free agent, and safety Bernard Pollard should make it easy for Baltimore to get over the loss of free agent Dawan Landry.

If Leach can pave the way for Ray Rice and Williams in the fashion he cleared holes for Arian Foster in Houston, the running game should be sound. Quarterback Joe Flacco should benefit from the addition of Evans and Smith, both of whom possess the downfield speed that complements the steady hands of possession receiver Anquan Boldin.

''This is a team that you sense has a chance to do something special. I think they know that,'' offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. ''I think they know it is going to take a lot of hard work, and this group is not afraid to work. That's what the Ravens do. The young guys have filled in and followed the example of the veteran guys.''

If the Ravens are to make another trip to the postseason, Cameron's offense will have to improve. Unfortunately, the right side of the line is still under construction and the frail knees of veteran center Matt Birk could be an issue,

Then there's Flacco, who has been asked to take a bigger role on the field and in the huddle in his fourth NFL season. Flacco is confident he can step up his game and assert himself a leader.

''We're going to have a lot more younger guys,'' Flacco said. ''This is going to be our fourth year, me and Ray, and it's just time to kind of groom those guys and mold those guys the way we want them, the way I want them. We will have that chance.''

Flacco got married during the offseason, and it was apparent after the lockout that he did more than merely take a honeymoon and lounge around the house.

''He's in tremendous shape. He is as sharp starting off as I have ever seen him,'' Cameron said. ''We're at the best starting point with him going into the season than we have been since he has been here. I haven't flinched on anything that I have believed about Joe Flacco since the first day I saw him. We have one heck of a quarterback, and he happens to be a young quarterback.''

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is gone, replaced by the fiery Chuck Pagano. But the mainstays of the unit are intact, which means the opposition still has to worry about linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, along with seven-time Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed.

Baltimore's biggest problem on defense last year was a pass rush that produced only 27 sacks, 11 of them by Suggs. Linebacker Sergio Kindle, who missed his entire rookie season with a fractured skull, has been asked to team with end Paul Kruger to provide Suggs with support from the other side.

''Paul is a relentless guy. He's going to help the defense,'' general manager Ozzie Newsome said. ''Sergio? Sometimes you need a little luck in this business. You need a bonus, and he's our bonus this year. The first reports we got is that he would never play and now he looks like the player we drafted. The physical ability is there.''

Newsome's plan for this season was to make the Ravens younger without a dropoff in talent. His logic is sound. Whether it works or not remains to be seen.