Baltimore Ravens training camp opened yesterday and the biggest story will be a three-way battle for the starting QB position. Former Heisman Trophy winner and Ohio State standout Troy Smith is in the midst of the competition along with Kyle Boller (Cal) and rookie Joe Flacco (Delaware).
If there was a game today, Troy would probably be the starter. His hold on the position is very tentative though and he didn't get off to a very good start to training camp. From the Baltimore Sun...
The former Heisman Trophy winner was 1-for-5 passing, throwing three interceptions and fumbling the first snap. One of Smith's passes was picked off by 47-year-old secondary coach Chuck Pagano, who was filling in as a defensive back.
Ouch.
My guess is Troy really only needs to beat out Flacco. Kyle Boller is entering his seventh season in the league and is a known quantity at this point. My professional assessment of Boller? He's dogshit.
He's completed just under 57% of his passes. He's thrown 45 TD's and 44 INT's. He's also been sacked 102 times. His career passer rating is 71.9.
For comparison, the spectacularly terrible Rex Grossman has a career passer rating of 70.9. Hmmmmmm...
The rest of the team and the fans will have almost no patience with Boller under center. Just one screw-up and they'll be getting out the hook.
So the question then is how long can Troy Smith hold off Joe Flacco?
My guess is you'll see Troy at the top of the depth chart at the start of the season. The Ravens will struggle to stay out of the division's cellar though, and eventually this season they'll throw Flacco into the fire.
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