Getting deal done right move for Flacco, Ravens

Rest assured, the man lining up behind center against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7 will be either sixth-year veteran Kyle Boller or second-year man Troy Smith. My money is on Smith, whose scrambling and leadership ability and “upside” will work better in the short term, especially behind a young offensive line that lost its anchor when left tackle Jonathan Ogden retired.

Whether Flacco emerges sooner than expected to take the reins, say by taking the job in midseason, remains to be seen.

But with a huge preseason upon them as they chart a transitional course under first-year coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have scored an early victory by making sure Flacco will be on time to his first training camp.

Getting Flacco - he has agreed in principle to a reported five-year deal worth about $30 million - to Westminster with the rest of the rookies scheduled to report on Monday represents an important achievement, not to mention an historic one for the Ravens.

Although this marks the second straight year in which Baltimore’s top draft pick has reported to camp on schedule, Flacco’s signing is a departure from the norm. For starters, Flacco is only the NFL’s fourth, first-round pick to sign, further evidence of the Ravens’ sense of urgency.

The past is littered with first-round holdouts, from the lengthy sitdown by linebacker Peter Boulware to the short vacation by cornerback Duane Starks. Hardball tactics by the team or an agent have been the culprit at times. The slotting system (waiting to see deals sandwiched around your pick) sometimes has led to holdouts.

Another notable holdout was Boller, who was late to sign as the 19th pick, before being rushed into duty as a rookie starter on opening day. That untimely, unwise combination surely did not help Boller, who has since proved he was unworthy of such an expensive investment in the first place.

Flacco, the 18th overall selection whom the Ravens traded up to snag as their next quarterback of the future, simply had to get to work without missing a snap, a meeting or a film session. The Ravens obviously saw fit, as did agent Joe Linta, to set a financial standard in the middle of the first round, rather than wait for others to do it.

Quarterback is not only the most demanding position in football. It’s the most daunting challenge in professional sports.

All it requires is the ability to read defenses before the snap, and adjust to the breakneck pace of the game after the snap, as defenses shift, change disguises, and exert pressure on the pocket. Then, avoid the pressure while deciding in a heartbeat or so where to throw, before delivering the ball quickly and accurately into coverage that’s often tight.

It’s a high-stress way to make a living. The vast majority of NFL rookie passers are in way over their heads early on, as they learn how to read and react efficiently in the face of defenses possessing more speed, aggressiveness and cunning than they’ve ever seen.

The 6-feet-6 Flacco has the strong arm and good vision to make the right decisions and put the ball where it needs to be - eventually.

Yet, playing sparingly at Pittsburgh before transferring to and making his mark at Division I-AA Delaware figures to extend Flacco’s learning curve in Baltimore. He will struggle early, just as so many bigger names have as newcomers.

The Ravens think Flacco has the stuff to challenge for the starting role before the end of his rookie season. That may or may not be realistic.

But the way to facilitate such progress is to get Flacco immersed in the intricacies of the NFL game without wasting a day of education or preparation. The Ravens have cleared that hurdle, and for that they should be commended.

Gary Lambrecht writes about the NFL, Major League Baseball and college sports. He can be reached at glambrecht@baltimoreexaminer.com.