POSTED 9:45 p.m. EDT, July 16, 2006

PFT PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS:  NO. 17

Okay, we've passed over the next team on our list for a few days now.  We can't pass over them any longer.  It's time.

The Baltimore Ravens.

Steve McNair is regarded by many in Baltimore as the biggest arrival since the franchise made the move from Cleveland ten years ago. 

But we still don't see what the big deal is.

Sure, McNair is only three seasons removed from winning the co-MVP with Peyton Manning.  But the brittle McNair is also three seasons older, and he'll be playing behind a line that has struggled to keep Kyle Boller in one piece. 

Even if McNair somehow can stay healthy enough to start every game (something he hasn't done since 1998), we simply don't see him making nearly the difference that many presume he will.  The trade that brought him to Baltimore didn't go down until June 7, almost at the end of the offseason workout program, during which much of the preparation for the coming season occurs.  For a guy who's entering his first year in Brian Billick's system, it's not enough time to get ready.

Though it helps that McNair will be reunited with Derrick Mason, McNair's favorite receiver from their time together in Tennessee, the familiarity won't matter much unless McNair has brought with him a playbook from the 2004 season.  

Elsewhere, the team is pretty much the same as it was in 2005, but arguably a little bit lighter on defense.  End Trevor Pryce was signed early in the free agency process, but gone are linemen Anthony Weaver and Maake Kemoeatu.  Though big-bodied (and ample-assed) first-rounder Haloti Ngata eventually could help conjure memories of Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams, we doubt that he'll make an enormous impact as a rookie.  Linebackers Peter Boulware and Tommy Polley won't be back, and defensive backs emeritus Deion Sanders and Dale Carter have realized that they aren't Darrell Green.

Meanwhile, Ray Lewis keeps getting older -- and his best days are fading deep into the side mirror, where his greatness is even farther away than it appears.

On offense, the biggest problem is that nothing much has been done to improve the line.  Jamal Lewis is back as the starting tailback despite making some strong statements about Billick and the team over the past year.  But because no one else wanted Lewis and the Ravens had no one else to hand the job to, the marriage of convenience continues.  Mike Anderson replaces Chester Taylor as the backup, but Musa Smith could be the starter before too long.

It's hard, then, to look at this team and wonder how it's going to improve over its 6-10 record in 2005.  McNair probably is still good enough for a couple of extra wins, but this team is a long way from competing with the best clubs in the AFC.

Next, the fantasy grades.

Quarterback:  McNair is yet another example of a guy with name recognition who'll get drafted higher in most leagues than he deserves.  Let someone else take him.  He gets a C unless and until he can prove that he can stay healthy, and that he can learn a new offense quickly.

Running back:  Jamal Lewis gained less than 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (with the exception of the 2001 season, when he didn't play a single down).  He scored only three touchdowns.  Go with someone with less mileage and let someone else draft him based on reputation.  He gets a C.

Wide receiver:  Derrick Mason had 86 catches for more than 1,000 yards despite very poor quarterback performance.  With McNair, Mason's numbers will go up.  He gets a B.  Second-year wideout Mark Clayton has plenty of potential, but with Mason as the first option and tight end Todd Heap as the fallback, we've got a feeling that Clayton won't see many balls.   Unless he spends his free time hanging out in the shower room.    

Tight end:  Todd Heap is on the short list of studs at the position.  He gets an A-.

Defense:  The Ravens defense is still among the best in the league, but it didn't create a ton of turnovers in 2005.  Plus, the net talent has taken a step back.  Though the Baltimore unit should still be one of the first defenses off of the board, there's not as big of a gap as there used to be between them and the second tier.

Kicker:  Matt Stover is still one of the top kickers in the game, and as long as he's playing for the Ravens he'll get plenty of chances to try field goals.  We give him a B.