SHE LOOKED AT MY PALM AND SHE MADE A MAGIC SIGN…SHE SAID WHAT YOU NEED IS…LOVE POTION # 9 ~ That song very well could be the one playing on Brian Billick’s ipod these days and that love potion could be in the form of No. 9 Steve McNair.  Who in Baltimore should be happier than Coach Billick if the Pro Bowl signal caller is doing the same for his gang?  So many things change for the better: the offensive line, the respect from opposing defenses and more.  Maybe the Ravens play from a lead for a change.  Maybe the defense is less pressured and takes fewer risks.  Maybe the entire buzz about the team changes in the locker room, on the field and in the stands.  Could McNair be the missing piece for the Ravens offense similar to the way Kurt Warner was for the Rams back in the 1999 season?  It looks like we’ll get a chance to find out.

I AM READY…AS READY AS ANYBODY CAN BE ~ What if McNair gets hurt?  Only once in the past 7 seasons has he started all 16 games.  In fact he has averaged only 13 starts during that time meaning that Kyle Boller will need to stay ready.  How might McNair’s arrival affect Boller’s psyche?  My guess is that Boller will be positively affected by the experience.  Whenever Boller plays with nothing to lose, he seems to relax and play better.

An although it now appears likely that McNair will be a Raven, what if something happens that prevents him from coming to Baltimore?  What if another team steps up in a bigger way?  McNair’s agent Bus Cook leaked out financial terms of the contractual framework of McNair’s deal with the Ravens.  Why would he do that, to lure other potential suitors?  Or maybe get the Ravens to up the ante?  And as unlikely as it seems, what if the Titans find a way to keep McNair?

How will Boller then respond?  How would the fans respond to his first mistake?  Would Kerry Collins even be welcomed then?

SHOT DOWN IN A BLAZE OF GLORY ~ The McNair deal certainly comes with risks although on paper, it appears to be a bold, necessary and exciting move for the Ravens.  I do have to admit, the memories of Leon Searcy have popped up from time to time.  I’m thinking age and a history of injuries here folks.  Let’s hope this is the last time you’ll hear comparisons of Steve McNair and the best Ravens right tackle never to play in a game in Baltimore.

SOMETIMES YOU WANNA GO WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME…AND THEY’RE ALWAYS GLAD YOU CAME ~ The Browns and now the 49ers have found a way to attract former Ravens such as Gary Baxter, Darnell Dinkins, Marques Douglas, Dave Zastudil, Chad Williams, Phil Savage, Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary and others.  Yet fans of the Titans might now say that about some of their former favorite players.  It should be very interesting to see how the Adelphia Coliseum faithful respond to Steve McNair when the Ravens come marching into town on November 12.  CBS will want to get in on that one around the country.

IT’S THE EYE OF THE TIGER IT’S THE CREAM OF THE FIGHT…RISING UP TO THE CHALLENGE OR OUR RIVAL ~ One of the more disappointing aspects of the current divisional alignments is that a burgeoning rivalry with the Titans cooled off a bit.  While no team can replace the Steelers as the most hated of Ravens’ rivals, the Titans certainly were building towards that as a competing member of the old AFC Central.  In fact it could be argued that no other team is more despised by the Titans and their fans than the Brian Billick led Baltimore Ravens.

NUMBER 9, NUMBER 9, NUMBER 9, NUMBER 9 ~ It doesn’t take rocket science to determine that the hottest selling Ravens jersey by far will be that of Steve McNair once his promised arrival becomes reality.  Wouldn’t that make for clever attire for Ravens’ fans planning a trip to Nashville on November 12? 

Or would it?

WE HAD BROKEN UP FOR GOOD JUST AN HOUR BEFORE, AH-AH-AH, AH-AH-AH-AH, AAAAH ~ Think about the Titans’ handling of Steve McNair for a moment.  Think about how he’s restructured his deal often to provide cap relief.  Think of that wounded warrior who took the field so often to lead his team to victory.  And then think about how he was locked out of Baptist Sports Park and has now taken his case to the players’ union which has filed a grievance on his behalf.

It’s all about the money or lack thereof under the cap.  And while the Titans certainly could use a lesson in public relations and in people skills, it is understandable why the team didn’t want McNair working out with $9 million at stake.  Yet the situation has produced a big black eye for the Titans’ front office.  Keep it in mind and then remember it next year when Ray Lewis’ cap figure to stay is roughly $4 million more than for him to be released.  Also remember that the Ravens could save $6.5 million in real cash with such a release.

It’s the business of the NFL.

ALL I WANNA DO IS HAVE SOME FUN…UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP OVER SANTA MONICA BOULEVARD ~ Another quarterback that promises to fall under the watchful eye of coaches and fans alike is Drew Olsen.  The UCLA Bruin has shown marked improvement during his career in the Pac-10.  He will undoubtedly be Rick Neuheisel prized pupil during camps and that comes as no surprise given Neuheisel’s familiarity with the Pac-10 and his campaigning for Olsen’s services within the fortress of One Winning Drive.  Some feel that his physical skills are comparable to those of Brian St. Pierre.  That will be an interesting battle to watch during Summer Camp.

SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMERTIME…TIME TO SIT BACK AND UNWIND ~ Relatively speaking, Ravens players have been able to sit back and unwind during Summer Camp which has been described by former Raven Rod Woodson as Club Med and of course by The Sun columnist Mike Preston as Camp Crème Puff.  Might this change in 2006?  Is this one of the things that Steve Bisciotti wants changed?

If you look at the Ravens record under Brian Billick on opening day of the season, they are 2-5 and have been outscored in those games 75-121.  While there is credence in the argument that a less physical camp helps in November and December, there is some evidence that suggests that it doesn’t prepare you at the start of a season.  Perhaps a comfortable balance of the two is in order.  Also, it might behoove the team to create an environment where teammates are forced to stay with each other.  The veteran privileges extended by Billick which enable players to go sleep at home during camp (amongst other things), might help perpetuate the existence of locker room cliques.  How about the same rules for the entire team, promoting the concept of team?  Just keep the team on campus!

THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS AND NUMBER’S MY FRIEND ~ The Ravens still are short a starting safety and it would be somewhat naïve to think that B.J. Ward or rookie Dawan Landry can step in as the starter.  This could force Rex Ryan into a defensive scheme that provides many different looks again, including a defensive set that the team employed often in 2005 – a 4-4-3 alignment.

One of the early plans is for the Ravens to try and give Dan Cody many snaps in the Sam LB role normally assumed by Adalius Thomas.  This would allow AD to fully employ his athletic skills and roam the field in variety of unpredictable spots.  Last year at some point, AD played all 11 of the traditional defensive positions.

But if a veteran safety is what the Ravens want, they may have to wait and see which teams release safeties as they sign their rookies.  The cast of available vets at the moment is thin, the best of which is probably Lance Schulters, still another former Titan although most recently a Miami Dolphin.