Upside by William Grant
Kyle Boller's rookie season did not progress exactly as he hoped it would. He began the 2003 season as the Ravens' starting quarterback, but only posted a 5-4 record before a torn quadriceps muscle sidelined him in week 10. Boller returned to practice in December, but by then, Anthony Wright had taken over the offense.

Before his injury, Boller was very inconsistent as a starter. In week six he was 9-18 for 75 yards and 0 TDs against Arizona. Week seven he racked up 302 passing yards and 2 TDs against Cincinnati. He had three games where he passed for less than 100 yards, and aside from the Cincinnati game, Boller never threw for more than 156 yards in a game. His 51.8 completion percentage and 5.6 yards per attempt were nothing to write home about either.

However, that was 2003. In 2004, Boller will begin the season as the starter again. He's had a year to adjust to the speed and complexity of the NFL, and he should be better prepared for the starting job this year. His top two receivers (Todd Heap and Travis Taylor) have had another year to work with him, and should be more comfortable with Boller throwing the ball. New WR Kevin Johnson should be able to fill in for the loss of Marcus Robinson (31 catches, 451 yards, 6 TD) who departed via free agency. Most importantly, Boller will have Jamal Lewis in the backfield with him. Lewis won the rushing title last year, and between Lewis, Chester Taylor and Musa Smith, Boller will have 2000 yards of run support to take the pressure off of him. The offensive line is rock solid, anchored by Pro-Bowl OT Jonathon Ogden, and the defense is as strong as ever. The key here is that no one is asking Boller to throw for 4000 yards this season. In fact, 3000 might be a more realistic goal. He's got a great supporting cast, and the coaching staff has faith in him. He just needs to relax and play solid, mistake-free football.

Downside by Colin Dowling
I used to have a 65 Mustang. Cherry red. V8 engine. 4 speed on the floor. Problem was, it didn't run well. If you took advantage of the horsepower, it shook like an earthquake. It didn't handle well because there was no power steering. No power breaks either. That old car reminds me of Boller. Here's why:

Boller has good size, a strong arm, and good foot-speed. His fundamentals look sound and he's got an O-line and run game that keep him from getting killed in the pocket. Problem is, his throws miss their mark, he has very little touch, and until now, his receivers couldn't catch a cold.

Are there things to like about Boller? Sure. In a dynasty, he's got decent value as a prospect. But for this year, even with Jim Fassell helping and the addition of Kevin Johnson and Devard Darling, I think Boller's value is still going to be pretty slim. Don't get me wrong, he could have a Pennington-esque breakout, but I'm going to need a little evidence of that before he gets a roster spot on my redraft team. Why? Well…

1. Boller has never completed more then 54% of his pass attempts. EVER. Working back from last year, his completion percentages have been 51.8 (Rookie), 53.4 (Senior year), 39.3 (Junior), and 46.7 (Sophomore). That is downright AWFUL.
2. Unless Jamal Lewis gets sent to Leavenworth, the Ravens are going to run the ball plenty. Boller will get a chance to throw it, but the Ravens don't pass it a ton. Last year, they had the fewest passing attempts in the league (415). The year before they were 25th. As much as Billick may want to run a vertical offense, its not happening in the immediate future.

Most likely, Boller will continue to learn and progress and due to the solid running game and good protection, he should certainly get better. I think he'll complete more of his passes and help the team win some games. But to count on him for Fantasy production when every roster spot is precious? I'll pass….