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Long road back Ravens to enjoy title before beginning journey to repeat
Updated: Thursday April 26, 2001 2:36 PM
When he gathers his players around him Friday for the first time since they left the turf of Raymond James Stadium in Tampa as Super Bowl champions, Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick will deliver a somewhat unconventional message to his still-developing team. Before they look ahead to the coming season, with this weekend's three-day minicamp serving as the traditional kickoff for the 2001 Ravens, Billick will insist they first look back. To absorb. Reflect. Do a little resting on their laurels. After all, not even 90 days have passed since the Ravens soared higher than anyone ever imagined. "We're not ready to give up the idea that we're world champions and loving every minute of it," Billick said this week. "We're going to enjoy that some more. This minicamp is all about getting back together and saying, 'Hey, guys, we're the champs. How 'bout that?' This is kind of neat." They'll be none of that tired, old turn-the-page, yesterday-is-meaningless stuff from Billick this weekend. No speeches on where other Super Bowl champions have gone wrong. No bans on even mentioning last season's triumph. Billick wants his team to do a little reveling, and admits they're not quite ready to move on. "I'll start tightening the screws down every so subtly, but that's not what this first weekend is about," he said. "We're not ready yet. We're still a month behind. I'm telling my team that there's no avoiding that. I'm not even going to talk to them about team goals and objectives. "But I am going to tell them that somewhere along the line, we've got to regain some ground. The whole idea will be that between now and the 29th of July, when we open training camp, we've got to gain that time back. Physically, mentally and emotionally." Not exactly straight out of Vince Lombardi's coaching textbook, but then, Billick has been known to improvise far outside the coaching mainstream. He read his team perfectly in 2000, pushed all the right buttons, and is determined to again trust his instincts on that front. And there's nothing telling him things will be much different this season. Billick never needs much cause for optimism. But he likes almost everything he sees in previewing his 2001 Ravens. And what's not to like? Baltimore had a boffo offseason and looks considerably more well-rounded than last year's defensive-dominated champions. "Everyone's talking about Tampa Bay and St. Louis, and Denver's getting better, and those are all valid observations," Billick said. "But I think those that want to dismiss our team as a one-year fluke and ask how good we really are or aren't, are missing the boat. I think in professional circles, in the industry, there's a lot of people going, 'Holy [cow], how much better are these guys now?'" Is Baltimore better? You be the judge. On defense, the Ravens' record-setting unit lost one starter: strong safety Kim Herring signed with St. Louis during free agency. But Corey Harris was already in place as Herring's replacement and showed in his two playoff starts that he should be able to handle the role. On the plus side, the Ravens unexpectedly were able to re-sign outside linebacker Jamie Sharper, will bring free safety Rod Woodson back into the fold after June 1, and somehow managed to not lose -- lest we forget -- defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis to a head coaching opportunity. A strong case could be made for addition by non-subtraction. On offense, Baltimore bravely -- and most believe wisely -- bucked the trend to not mess with success, making moves Billick views as substantial upgrades. Quarterback Elvis Grbac takes over for Trent Dilfer and Tony Banks, who combined to win 16 games last season but were at the helm during that ugly five-game touchdown-less streak. Former Pro Bowl talent Leon Searcy was signed to start at right offensive tackle, with ex-starter Harry Swayne agreeing to stay on as a backup. Guard Mike Flynn moves over to become the starting center, replacing the departed Jeff Mitchell, and former backup guard Kipp Vickers steps into Flynn's role. Even in the league's last-place slot, the first round of the draft brought Baltimore a potential heist in Arizona State tight end Todd Heap, who should team with starter Shannon Sharpe to give the Ravens the twin tight end receiving set that never really took off last year with Sharpe and Ben Coates. A potential starting option at guard or center came in the third round, in Wisconsin's Casey Rabach. Throw in a full season of second-year wide receiver Travis Taylor, who missed the second half of this rookie season with an injury, and the emergence of 2000 first-round pick Jamal Lewis as a powerful every-down runner, and Grbac should not have to go it alone. Veteran reserve running back Priest Holmes was the only other key departure, and veteran reserve quarterback Randall Cunningham looks all but certain to sign in June, providing insurance behind Grbac. The former Chief, of course, is the key. If he thrives in Billick's offense, the move to acquire either him or Brad Johnson will look sage. If Baltimore suffers the post-championship blues, some will blame the tinkering at quarterback, no matter how Grbac fares. Not that Billick is even allowing for second-guessing. "I haven't found anybody who hasn't said, as much as they hated to see it happen to Trent like I did, 'Gosh, you had to do that [at quarterback],'" Billick said. "'You got as much out of Trent as you ever could have hoped to have gotten.'" This year in Baltimore tells us if Billick got more out of his 2000 Ravens than he ever could have hoped. Rest assured, the expectations will never be that low again. Don Banks covers pro football for CNNSI.com.
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