Snap judgments (cont.)

• More than any other personnel move they made this offseason, the Ravens' decision to sign ex-Rams starting quarterback Marc Bulger to a one-year, $3.8 million deal as an insurance policy behind starter Joe Flacco is the most revealing in terms of their Super Bowl intentions. You don't slide that kind of money to a backup quarterback unless you believe you have a team capable of winning it all and you refuse to let your aspirations hinge on one injury to your starting QB.

Bulger's presence in Baltimore speaks of the great expectations in Ravens-land that I wrote about earlier this week. And who can forget the key roles that a couple of former starters-turned-backups have played in Baltimore during the past decade or so? For some teams, there are years in which making the playoffs depends largely on who they've got at backup quarterback. There's some positive history in the Ravens organization for just this kind of acquisition.

First off, there was Baltimore signing ex-Bucs starter Trent Dilfer in 2000, ostensibly to serve as the No. 2 behind Tony Banks. All that turned into was Dilfer going 11-1 as a starter after Banks was benched, with the Ravens roaring to the only Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The next year, after Baltimore had unwisely let Dilfer walk in favor of signing free-agent Elvis Grbac, it was the late addition of veteran Randall Cunningham that wound up paying huge dividends. Cunningham, in the final season of his NFL career, wound up winning his only two starts for Baltimore that year as the defending champions went 10-6 and returned to the playoffs.

• You probably haven't heard much about Shawnbrey McNeal yet, but I'm told that first-round pick Ryan Mathews isn't the only rookie running back worth paying attention to in San Diego this season. McNeal, an undrafted free agent out of SMU, made people notice him during the Chargers' offseason workouts and there's a belief within the organization that he could wind up being the guy who replaces third-down back Darren Sproles in 2011.

The Chargers franchised Sproles in 2009 and protected him via a one-year, $7.28-million restricted free-agent tender this spring (first and third-round compensation level), a move they had to make after giving Tomlinson his freedom. But while Mathews, the draft's 12th overall pick out of Fresno State, is expected to get No. 1 back duties this season, San Diego is eager to see if McNeal can prove to be a more affordable third-down specialist in the role Sproles has owned in recent years.

Like Sproles, McNeal is small (5-9, 190) but quick, he runs with power and has good hands. After transferring from the University of Miami, he played for throw-happy head coach June Jones at SMU, so he knows how to catch the ball out of the backfield and get upfield with a sense of fluidity. McNeal left college a year early in order to help support and care for his mother's medical concerns, so he might need a redshirt season of sorts as an NFL rookie. But keep an eye on him in the Chargers' third running back competition this summer.

• Something that struck me as I looked over this year's list of Hall of Fame inductees again is the clear-cut divide that exists between players who starred before the free-agent era started in 1993, and those who starred during it.

One thing we've lost during free agency is the Hall of Fame enshrinement of players who spent their entire careers wearing the same uniform and thus became synonymous with their teams. I'm sure some would say that player movement is not a bad thing, and it certainly has been more lucrative to play in the free agency period, but it looks nowhere as nice and neat on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Consider this year's class: LeBeau played all 14 of his NFL seasons as a Lion (1959-72), Grimm all 11 as a Redskin (1981-91), and Little all nine as a Bronco (1967-75). Then contrast them with the other four men who will be inducted next month: Rice was a 49er for 16 seasons (1985-2000), but also wound up wearing the uniforms of the Raiders, Seahawks and even the Broncos (remember?) before retiring just before the 2005 regular season. Smith was a Cowboy for 13 of his 15 years in the NFL (1990-2002), but we do recall those last two desultory seasons as an Arizona Cardinal (2003-04).

John Randle made his name in Minnesota with 11 years in purple (1990-2000), but his final three seasons were spent toiling for Seattle (2001-03). And even Rickey Jackson, who barely squeaked into the free agency era, fits the trend. The first 13 years of his career were as a Saint (1981-93), but the final two featured him in 49ers colors (1994-95).

Not exactly reason to grow wistful and conjure up a "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?'' moment, but you get my point.

• Everybody wants to know which team is eventually going to break down and sign Terrell Owens, giving him that fifth different NFL team on his resume. My pat answer is this: Tell me which team is going to be the first to lose a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver to a significant injury this preseason and I'll tell you the team that's going to pick up the phone and give T.O. a buzz -- provided, you know, that the team isn't San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas or Buffalo. Oh, and you can add Miami (Bill Parcells is there) and Washington (Donovan McNabb) to that list.

• In case you're wondering, my training camp tour starts next Thursday with the Redskins, and continues onward to the Ravens, Patriots, Vikings, Packers, Bears, Colts, Rams, Chiefs and Broncos. More to come after that, but 10 teams in 11 days isn't a bad way to kick off the 2010 season.