It seems that the Baltimore Ravens have been in search of a quarterback since they infamous day they decided to leave Cleveland and become the Ravens. Even in their Super Bowl year, with a head coach best known for his offensive machinations, the Ravens trotted out a combination of Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer under center (and also had a span of scoreless games to rival even the most inept teams in league history).

Making the issue even more confounding is the reputation of GM Ozzie Newsome, considered by most to be among the best in the business.

It’s not as though Ozzie hasn’t tried:

• Vinny Testaverde (29 starts)
• Eric Zeier (7 starts)
• Jim Harbaugh (12 starts)
• Scott Mitchell (2 starts)
• Stoney Case (4 starts)
• Tony Banks (18 starts)
• Trent Dilfer (8 starts)
• Elvis Grbac (14 starts)
• Randall Cunningham (2 starts)
• Jeff Blake (10 starts)
• Chris Redman (6 starts)
• Anthony Wright (14 starts)
• Kyle Boller (42 starts)
• Steve McNair (22 starts)
• Troy Smith (2 starts)

What’s more surprising, the number of starters on this list or the fact Kyle Boller tops the list with 42 starts?

With a new coaching staff, and a proven offensive coordinator (Cam Cameron), it stands to reason that Baltimore’s quest for a reliable starter will continue over the next few months. So what are the teams options?

Option 1: Maintain the status quo 

All three QBs (Steve McNair, Kyle Boller & Troy Smith) are under contract; so it’s conceivable the team could stand pat. Unfortunately the trio combined for a meager 3,308 yards passing, 13 TDs and only 5.0 yards per attempt (all among the worst in the league).

• Steve McNair is 35 years old and coming off surgery on a torn rotator cuff in December, but neither he nor the team have ruled out anything for the 2007 season. Cam Cameron recently spoke to the press and left the door open for McNair to contribute. Realistically, the team would probably like to have McNair as a fall back option.
• Kyle Boller signed a one-year extension last season, and will make $3mm in 2008. It would seem illogical for the Ravens to part ways with Boller; regardless of whether they intend to give him a shot at winning the starting job or not.
• Troy Smith, a 5th rounder last year despite winning the Heisman Trophy, is entering his 2nd year of a 3-year contract. Smith got the final two starts of the 2007 season and did precious little to suggest he should be a serious candidate to start in 2008.

Option 2: Scour the free agent market

It’s every fans hope that his team will lure a big-name free agent that makes all the difference. But at the QB position, that’s a nigh impossible task. Teams simply don’t let great QBs hit free agency, at least proven ones. This year’s free agent class of QBs leaves much to be desired:

• Todd Collins
• Daunte Culpepper
• Trent Green [released by Miami this week]
• Rex Grossman
• Quinn Gray
• Tim Hasselbeck
• Cleo  Lemon
• Jared Lorenzen
• Jamie Martin
• Josh McCown
• Craig Nall
• J.T. O’Sullivan
• Tim Rattay
• Chris Redman
• Brian St. Pierre
• Marques Tuiasosopo
• Billy Volek
• Chris Weinke

Option 3: Acquire someone via trade

It always makes for good copy, but how often does a franchise QB get traded? Just a few weeks ago, rumors circulated that the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens were discussing a trade for Donovan McNabb. As with most rumors, this one appears to have no truth to it, as both teams vehemently denied even broaching the subject. Trades are possible (remember the Matt Schaub deal last offseason), but off the top of my head there really aren’t any obvious situations analogous to Schaub’s a season ago.

Option 4: Draft someone

The Ravens own the 8th pick in the draft and could be in position to draft a QB if they so choose. Matt Ryan (B.C.) and Brian Brohm (Louisville) are the consensus top options; and it’s possible one of them could be available at the 8 spot. If neither of those guys is available, or if the Ravens see value at another position with 1.08, the team could look toward someone along the lines of Chad Henne, Andre Woodson or Joe Flacco in the 2nd or 3rd round.

VERDICT: Draft someone and roll with either McNair or Boller in 2008. Given the alternatives,  it seems the Ravens are likely to go with either McNair (if his shoulder holds up) or Boller under center in September 2008; but don’t be surprised to see the Ravens use a fairly high pick on a QB that actually could lead the franchise. Troy Smith, for as great a story as he was, probably isn’t the answer long term.

I’m all for the NFL owners openness to new coaching candidates. The idea that they’re no longer content to simply recycle the same old names over and over is refreshing, particularly in a year when there were only four head coaching vacancies (with Tony Dungy possibly providing a fifth).

But JOHN HARBAUGH?

Seriously?

For those who haven’t been paying attention to the Ravens coaching situation, they officially named John Harbaugh the team’s newest head coach, with a 4-year deal rumored to be in the $2mm per year range. Harbaugh was the Ravens backup plan after Jason Garrett turned down their offer earlier in the week.

I’m an Eagles season ticket holder and have to say I’m pretty stunned at this hire. Harbaugh was an Eagles assistant coach since 1998, and apparently his experience under Andy Reid; one of the most successful coaches of the decade, was a huge positive in the eyes of Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti. While I can understand the allure, I still have to wonder whether Harbaugh is ready for this challenge. Remember, the lion’s share of his NFL coaching resume was as a SPECIAL TEAMS coordinator. He was named the NFL Special Teams coach of the year in 2001; and frankly that reputation carried him over the last few seasons. As an Eagles fan, I can say with absolute certainty that the Eagles special teams has been anywhere from mediocre to downright terrible for years. It’s the one area where the team has needed massive improvement during most of the decade. This year, he took over as the secondary coach…but one has to wonder what kind of impact he really made. It’s a largely veteran secondary and the team continues to run the same system under long-time DC Jim Johnson.

To Ravens fans, I wish you luck. It wasn’t that long ago that people were lambasting the Eagles for hiring Andy Reid. At the time, Reid had never been an NFL coordinator and was best known as Brett Favre’s QB coach. The conventional wisdom was that Reid would be overmatched at the outset. Five NFC East titles later and we all know better. Maybe Harbaugh will be that next great coach who comes from an unconventional route. Or, as I suspect, this could end up being the head scratcher that so many of us think it is.