Boller, Baltimore and McNair: Love triangle?

By Darrell Laurant  |   Monday, June 05, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens' long-distance romance with Steve McNair has been about as subtle as Brad Pitt's play for Angelina Jolie. And right now, Kyle Boller must be feeling a little like Jennifer Aniston.

To hear Ravens' coach Brian Billick tell it, however, his team isn't thinking of dumping Boller for a new flame. It would be more like polygamy -- the more, the merrier.

"Kyle is signed for the next two years," Billick said. "He's not going anywhere. If a quarterback of a certain status is available (now, who could that be?), we have an obligation to bring that guy in, and Kyle is just going to have to understand and deal with it."

Supposedly, the Baltimore Ravens already have a tentative deal in place with the 33-year-old McNair, a fixture in Nashville since 1996. But in recent weeks, McNair and the Titans have been involved in a weird little legal dance in which the team barred its quarterback from participating in offseason workouts at the Ravens' complex for fear they'd be liable for his $23.46 million salary cap number if he got hurt on their property.

Odd -- a lot of teams have trouble dragging their star players into offseason workouts; here was a guy who wanted to participate being turned away. Eventually, however, arbitrator John Ferrick ruled that McNair had the right to practice with his team.

The subtext to McNair's flirtation with the Baltimore Ravens is the growing suspicion that Boller may have been rushed just a bit when he came out of California in 2002.

Certainly, the former Cal star has had his moments in the NFL -- like a four touchdown-pass performance against the Giants in 2004, or throwing three touchdowns against the Packers and Vikings late last season.

Injuries have been part of his problem, but Boller has been criticized in the press and booed from the stands for poor decision-making (31 touchdown passes against 32 interceptions during his three years as a Raven). When he hurt his toe in the opener against the Indianapolis Colts last September, the fans cheered.

Of course, McNair has spent considerable time on the training table himself, although the 6-2, 230-pound Alcorn State (Mississippi) grad has become legendary for his toughness. His best season was 2003, when he threw for over 3,000 yards, 24 touchdowns, and a ridiculous 100.4 passer rating. In 1999, he led Tennessee into the Super Bowl.

Baltimore's plan, evidently, is for McNair to step in and try to help the Ravens win now, with Boller taking notes and standing by in case -- or, more likely, when -- McNair gets hurt. One of the things Boller could learn from the older QB is how better to avoid a pass rush (Boller has been sacked 75 times since 2004).

The interesting thing is, the Tennessee Titans drafted Vince Young in part because McNair would be available to tutor him (the two are old friends). Now, it looks as if McNair might be tutoring Kyle Boller, instead.

Get more Steve McNair insights at Realfootball365.com
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