Return Of “The Mad Backer”…

Ravens LB Bart Scott had a breakout season in 2006, only to fall off the radar in 2007, but don’t worry folks, according to Scott - “the Mad Backer” that was present two seasons ago, is back.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Scott has looked spectacular in practices thus far, hitting hard. Too hard, in fact. He’s reportedly literally knocked helmets off of a couple of RBs thus far.

“I’m just going to go back to choking people,” Scott said. He also used phrases such as “feel pain” and “stomp them out,” which gets us excited.

Look for Scott to be a decent waiver wire LB pick up early on in 2008.

Fantasy Impact: Todd Heap

Fantasy football draft guides and player rankings are definitely an important part of preparing for the upcoming fantasy football season - no question. However, it’s important to take an in-depth look at some players who may outperform where they are ranked. For the record, we believe Baltimore’s Todd Heap falls in that category. Read more

Fantasy Impact: Todd Heap

Ravens’ Ray Rice Drawing Praise…

Not only has Ravens second round pick Ray Rice recently lined up as a slot receiver in new OC Cam Cameron’s offense, but he’s also apparently drawn high praise from coaches, regarding his ability to back-up Willis McGahee.

No-Offseason Take: We said this much earlier this off-season, but we believe Rice has the skills to be the next Michael Turner. A back who impresses big time when he plays, but backs up a stud for the first few years of his career prior to earning a starting role elsewhere down the line. This means we like Rice a lot in dynasty leagues.

Troy Smith To Start For Ravens…

We’ve reported this several times throughout the off-season, but now it appears other news outlets, such as Sports Illustrated and TheHuddle are confirming that Troy Smith is a near sure bet to open the 2008 season as the starting QB for the Baltimore Ravens.

No-Offseason Take: Folks, believe it or not, this absolutely puts Smith on the seasonal fantasy radar. Until he proves he can put up numbers, he’s not worthy of drafting, but keep an eye on him as an early waiver wire gem. If he picks up Cam Cameron’s offense, the former Heisman Trophy winner definitely could light up the stat column.

Fantasy Impact: Jonathan Ogden Retires

Is it really that big of a deal when a man who has played 12 NFL seasons and caught a total of two career TD passes retires? It is if his name is Jonathan Ogden. One part of analysis that often goes overlooked among fantasy football circles is the impact of change to an offensive line. Just two years ago, when the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line started to deteriorate, it absolutely had a negative affect on Larry Johnson’s fantasy value. Last season, when Richie Incognito and Orlando Pace went down for the count with early injuries, it absolutely affected the entire St. Louis Rams offense. So, the question is - will the retirement of one of the game’s best offensive linemen negatively affect the fantasy potential of the Baltimore Ravens offense? Read more

We Were Right About Smith & Jones

We know, we know - We Were Right About, We Were Wrong About about is reserved for the NFL season only, but when we report something and then several weeks later, guys like Adam Schefter from NFL Network report the same thing, it gives us a feeling of validation. In this case there are two reports this week that have surfaced. One is the development of Ravens QB Troy Smith and the increasing possibility that the Ravens have found a perfect fit and future starter in him. The other is that Mike Holmgren was totally bluffing when he said he’d use a running back committee with Julius Jones, Maurice Morris and T.J. Duckett. Read more

Ravens WR Demetrius Williams Returns…

After missing seven games in 2007 and all of practice this off-season up until now with an Achilles injury, third year WR Demetrius Williams returned to Ravens practice today.  Williams is a long  shot to make a fantasy impact in 2008, but is someone to keep an eye on due to the fact that he enters his third season, and new OC Cam Cameron loves three-WR sets.

Jonathan Ogden To Retire…

Word from the Baltimore Sun is that Ravens offensive linemen Jonathan Ogden will retire this off-season, and an announcement could come very soon.

Baltimore has been grooming mammoth Jared Gaither to take over for the veteran, and Adam Terry may help fill the void as well.

Does this negatively impact Willis McGahee’s fantasy value? Not really. He played most of 2007 without Ogden anyway.

Willis McGahee Returns To Practice…

The Ravens have reportedly been a little concerned with Willis McGahee’s conditioning this offseason after missing several practices.

The veteran RB has now reported and begun practicing, however, so this should be a non-issue as training camp nears. We expect big things from McGahee in Cam Cameron’s offense this year.

Demetrius Williams Still Hurting…

Ravens third year WR Demetrius Williams is still recovering from an Achilles injury that he suffered last season. He has not been able to return to practice full speed yet. This could open up a door for someone like rookie Marcus Smith to step in and play, due to the fact that Cam Cameron wants to use more three WR sets in 2008.

In other Ravens news, it appears second year signal caller Troy Smith is playing extremely well in practice - better than Kyle Boller and Joe Flacco.

Ray Rice To Be Baltimore’s Mojo?

We’re hearing that the Baltimore Ravens plan to use second round pick Ray Rice like the Jaguars have used Maurice Jones-Drew over the past two years. Expect Rice to not only return kick-offs, but to get eight to 12 carries a game, and contribute as a receiver out of the backfield. Rice is apparently picking up Cam Cameron’s offense very quickly. Willis McGahee’s fantasy value shouldn’t be negatively affected by this, as he’s still expected to get 20 or more carries in every game. If anything, the change of pace that Rice will provide should help McGahee.