Baltimore RAVENS   2002 Record: 7-9 Head Coach: Brian Billick 37-27-0 overall, 7-9 postseason TEAM LEADERS   Passing Jeff Blake 165-295, 2,084 yards, 13 TDs, 11 INTs   Rushing Jamal Lewis 308 carries, 1,327 yards, 6 TDs   Receiving Travis Taylor 61 catches, 869 yards, 6 TDs   Kicking Matt Stover 21-25 FGs, 33-33 PATs, 96 points Schedule | Roster | Statistics | Stadium

By Dave Clark, SI.com

How much did a 7-9 season and third-place AFC North finish have to do with Ray Lewis' absence for all but five games? We may never know.

That's because of all of the new faces in Baltimore after a fairly active offseason and a draft that made headlines. The Ravens expect (at least) both of their first-round picks -- Terrell Suggs and Kyle Boller -- to make an immediate impact. Not only are there great expectations for Suggs, but he's also being asked to make a transition from defensive end to outside linebacker, which is easier said than done. So far, so good, according to Brian Billick, as Suggs is learning a lot from Peter Boulware, who also once had to figure out how to drop into coverage. And Boller is suddenly Baltimore's favorite son, though it's a mystery why this isn't Chris Redman's team.

Add Orlando "Zeus" Brown -- once one of the most dominant tackles in the game but who hasn't played since he was struck in the eye with a penalty flag in December 1999 -- to the line and Frank Sanders and Marcus Robinson to the receiving corps. Corey Fuller, a trash-talker who has backed it up in the past, joins a gifted secondary that includes franchise player Chris McAlister and Ed Reed, who had a big rookie year.

Speaking of the defense, this is one outstanding unit. Lewis leads a linebacking corps (Hartwell, Lewis, Boulware, Suggs) with the potential to be the best in the league very soon. The only spot on "D" that is rather wide open is right end, where Marques Douglas, Adalius Thomas, Joe Salave’a and Jarret Johnson are all in the mix.

On the other side of the ball, Jamal Lewis is coming off a season that featured an impressive recovery from an ACL rupture. After missing the entire 2001 season, Lewis refused to slow down as he put up 1,327 rushing yards, good for sixth among AFC backs. Expect more of the same if not better, and count on Todd Heap to follow up his outstanding 2002 campaign in impressive fashion as well. Wide receiver Travis Taylor's numbers have grown with each passing year. He's primed for a huge season if Boller/Redman can get him the ball.

Bottom line: They may be coming off a sub-.500 season, but the Ravens have "playoff team" written all over them.

>> Impact Signing

We'll go with the first-rounders here. DE Terrell Suggs will be a key cog in the Ravens' 34 scheme. And the staff is buying QB Kyle Boller stock like it's going out of style.

>> Impact Loss

QB Jeff Blake -- By default. The Ravens' starting quarterback for most of last season contributed several solid efforts. But he was going to be out of the picture anyway with Redman coming back from injury and the addition of Boller. And Blake may have been a third-stringer at one time, but he's not ready to take such a big step backward just yet.

>> Fantasy Stud

TE Todd Heap -- Jeremy Shockey may have been the toast of the town last season, but Heap actually had a better season fantasy-wise, outdoing Shockey in TDs (6-2) and nearly matching him in yards (894-836). Heap, a former first-round pick, had the talent to be a primary threat from the tight end position, much like Tony Gonzalez, and was helped by playing a year alongside Shannon Sharpe. The Ravens' receiving corps is still very iffy, making Heap that much more valuable in the offense. The only question will be how he deals with whoever serves as quarterback.

>> Fantasy Sleeper

RB Musa Smith -- Jamal Lewis has stayed relatively healthy since undergoing knee surgery a couple of years ago, but it seems like all running backs are prone to injuries, so it wouldn't hurt to have Smith, the Ravens' third-round pick, as insurance. Smith rushed for 1,324 yards in leading Georgia to an SEC title and has good strength and speed to carry an offense.

>> Ravens will not make the playoffs because ...

the defense may look great on paper, but it posted some pretty subpar numbers last season. And a potentially ugly QB controversy looms.