Backup Quarterback

In a move that is expected to take the Ravens out of the Byron Leftwich hunt, backup quarterback Kyle Boller agreed to a one-year contract extension yesterday, which will keep him with the team through next season. A first-round pick by the Ravens in 2003, Boller would have been an unrestricted free agent in March. Although financial terms were not immediately available, it is believed Boller could earn more than $3 million next season, which would nearly double his salary this year ($1.79 million)

PITTSBURGH - Byron Leftwich completed less than 50 percent of his throws and earned a 51.3 passer rating in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 13-10 loss to the Ravens on Sunday night at Heinz Field, but the 32-year-old quarterback earned a measure of respect from a few Ravens defensive players. Asked if Leftwich is still dangerous in his 10th year in the NFL, Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata replied, “He definitely is dangerous. You saw him throw down the field. [He is] great at throwing that deep ball.

CARLISLE, Pa. - With the incumbent starter nursing an ailing shoulder and the inexperienced backup nicked and ineffective, the Washington Redskins seem to be awfully calm about their quarterback situation, just three days before their second exhibition. That doesn't mean that coach Marty Schottenheimer isn't doing something about the matter. In fact, he brought in Danny Kanell (formerly a quarterback for the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons) for a morning workout yesterday to see what he can offer the Redskins, what with Jeff George on the shelf with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder and Todd Husak nursing a strained oblique muscle near his left rib cage.

As the backup to starting quarterback Joe Flacco for the past two seasons, Tyrod Taylor's time on the field has been extremely limited, throwing just four passes, completing three for 48 yards and rushing three times for 13 yards. But coach John Harbaugh suggested Wednesday that the team may need to find a way to put Taylor on the field more often. “He's a talented, gifted player, and we do need to find ways to take advantage of that,” Harbaugh said. Taylor said he is open to any possibility.

Trent Dilfer didn't record the save, but he may have earned a start. Dilfer, a seven-year veteran and the Ravens' backup quarterback, stoked the flames of a quarterback controversy in yesterday's 14-6 loss to the Tennessee Titans by nearly rallying the Ravens to a potential game-tying drive in the fourth quarter. After taking over for starter Tony Banks eight seconds into the fourth quarter, he completed seven of 13 passes for 58 yards. Beyond the numbers, he laid his claim to a starting job on the Ravens' final possession of the game.

It has become a knee jerk reflex with Eric Zeier. Ask the Ravens' veteran backup quarterback to talk about himself, and he winces.Ask him to reflect on that exhilarating December last season, when Zeier proved to himself, the Ravens and the rest of the NFL that, yes, he could play in this league. Zeier smiles with self-deprecation, then showers his coaches, linemen, running backs and receivers with compliments.Ask him what it's like to go from an unknown commodity to a sought-after free agent -- a process that transformed Zeier from a low-paid passer into an instant millionaire.

The outside joke has become an inside joke. Dennis Miller's booth-mates on "Monday Night Football" are having a field day. Last week, fellow commentator Dan Fouts "stole" a "Peyton Place" reference from Miller, and announcer Al Michaels mentioned an annotated online guide to Miller's citations. There was even a football game - and a new batch of Millerisms: A "Flowers for Algernon" learning curve - High school students might remember this novel about a mentally retarded man whose intelligence is increased by experimental drugs.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Another miracle of modern medicine: Steve Young could get some playing time as the backup quarterback in Miami tomorrow night, a week after the 1994 NFL MVP had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder."

Teammates staying in a condo with an unidentified Packers player who faces sexual assault allegations said Sunday they're frustrated that their names are linked to the incident. Authorities in Lake Delton, Wis., said Sunday no additional information would be released involving the claims of two women against a player staying at a resort condo early Saturday morning. Six other players are cleared of criminal activity. Authorities, the Packers and Packers teammates declined to name the player involved.

Dexter Manley, the former Washington Redskins star who tried to make a comeback after being suspended for a year for substance abuse, was cut by the Phoenix Cardinals yesterday.Manley said he was embarrassed by being cut for the first time in his 10-year career but felt it was inevitable because the Cardinals play a 3-4 defense, which puts more emphasis on pass-rushing linebackers."I'm not some scrub. . . . I cannot accept a second-team role in the 34 scheme when I know that I should not have been on second team," he said.

- There is a lot of interest among Maryland football fans about who the No. 2 quarterback will be this season, in part because there are still some doubts about the consistency and passing ability of the team's returning starter, junior C.J. Brown . While Brown has shown some improvement in those areas from where he was last fall, when he twice replaced former Terp star Danny O'Brien as the starter, the development of his two freshman backups...

The Ravens will hold their first full-team practice of training camp on Thursday, July 26. Each day leading up to the official start of camp, The Sun will examine several key position battles that will be decided during preseason. BACKUP QUARTERBACK The competitors : Tyrod Taylor, Curtis Painter Breaking it down : Even the most ardent Joe Flacco critic can't question the quarterback's toughness and durability. Flacco has never missed a game in four NFL seasons so Ravens' fans haven't had to fret about the identity of their backup quarterback.

For the first time in his fledgling career, Tyrod Taylor's reign as the Ravens backup quarterback to Joe Flacco is being seriously challenged. But rather than feel threatened by the presence of Curtis Painter, Taylor is embracing the test that should play out when training camp opens later this month. "There's always going to be competition, and I think that's how you step up your play," Taylor said during the team's mandatory three-day minicamp in June. "Both of us are competing, and by working together, we're getting better.

Getting ready for an NFL season is serious business, but there have been enough light moments at Ravens training camp to reaffirm that these guys are human beings, not the grim robots the league would like them to be. Let's face it: we've seen things happen at this camp that we've never seen before. We've seen Ray Rice break into the Pointer Sisters classic "I'm So Excited" — complete with a falsetto that would shatter a picture window — when asked how he felt about the Ravens signing fullback Vonta Leach.

I want to know how well John Harbaugh slept Wednesday night after hearing that Marc Bulger retired. I want to know how well Ozzie Newsome slept, too, knowing the Ravens' backup quarterback right now is Tyrod Taylor, the rookie out of Virginia Tech. This is no knock at Taylor, who seems like a nice kid and may very well end up being a legitimate NFL quarterback. But if you're a team with a real shot at the Super Bowl, do you really want a guy who was your sixth-round draft choice taking snaps if your starting quarterback goes down?

If the NFL lockout ends next week as expected, the Ravens' first hurry-up drill of the season will be orchestrated by the front office. General manager Ozzie Newsome and other team officials will be cramming a typical four-month offseason into a matter of weeks. The Ravens will be pressed to retain their own free agents - which will include six starters if, as expected, players are allowed to hit the market after four years under the new agreement - fill holes on their roster with free agents from other teams, sign their eight draft picks and compete with the rest of the league for undrafted rookies.

Saints get Walsh for high picksThe New Orleans Saints, with one quarterback, Bobby Hebert, a no-show and John Fourcade struggling, traded their Nos. 1 and 3 choices in 1991 and a No. 2 pick in 1992 yesterday to get Steve Walsh from the Dallas Cowboys. To make room for Walsh, the Saints cut backup quarterback Tommy Kramer, signed during training camp after the Minnesota Vikings had left him unprotected under Plan B.Coach Jim Mora said Fourcade will remain No. 1 on the depth chart for now. After two losses, the Saints defeated the Phoenix Cardinals, 28-7, Sunday when Fourcade threw his first touchdown pass of the season.

Capitalizing on homecoming spirit and Centennial miscues, host Atholton (2-3) --ed the Eagles' hopes with a 10-0 victory yesterday."The game's difference was who made the most mistakes and our defense hanging tough," Atholton head coach Don Van Deusen said, referring to the game's four critical turnovers and numerous drive-killing penalties.Centennial, which has not advanced to the state football playoffs since 1980, dropped to 3-2 with five difficult games remaining.Clinging to a 3-0 lead after three quarters, Atholton received a touchdown-saving play from junior defensive back Sam Corden to start the fourth quarter.

The Ravens filled two major needs over the weekend in the annual NFL draft, but they need to make two more acquisitions before the season starts to make them even more of a contender. If the season started today, the Ravens would be favorites to capture the AFC title along with Pittsburgh, New England and Indianapolis, but another strong outside pass rusher and a proven backup quarterback would make them stronger. The addition of top draft pick Jimmy Smith, a cornerback out of Colorado, will improve the Ravens' pass rush, but the team still needs a pass rusher opposite Terrell Suggs.

Billy Cundiff's stay in Baltimore will last a little longer. The 30-year-old journeyman who ended last season as the Ravens' kicker will begin this season in the same role as Cundiff beat out 32-year-old Shayne Graham, who was cut by the team Saturday. Cundiff converted 15-of-20 field goals in 14 regular-season and playoff games last year, but the incumbent was thought to be the underdog against Graham, the fourth-most accurate kicker in NFL history who had been unceremoniously released by the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason.