Ravens Looking for Improvement on Offensive Side

With the NFL free-agent signing period beginning today, the Washington Redskins’ 2000 blueprint is not in demand.

The Redskins designed what amounted to a lavish home with every amenity but a lock for the front door: They signed high-profile stars but no quality kicker, lost too many close games and went from preseason Super Bowl favorites to watching the playoffs on TV.

In an era of a salary cap tight enough to force the widespread release of quality veteran players this week--future Hall of Famer Rod Woodson technically became a free agent Thursday when the Baltimore Ravens declined to exercise a contract option and Tennessee Titan kicker Al Del Greco, Redskin defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield and Indianapolis Colt linebacker Cornelius Bennett were cut--there are other ways to build a team.

Consider the Raven half-team that won the Super Bowl.

The Ravens had the second-ranked defense in the NFL but only the 16th-ranked offense.

It worked.

“That could be, given cap considerations, the way you’ve got to spend your money,” Raven Coach Brian Billick said as he prepared for the Super Bowl.

“The bigger question is, as you work that out, can an average-ranked defense and an average-ranked offense be good enough to go to the Super Bowl, or do you need a dominance on one side of the ball or the other? And what is that margin?”

Thus the Ravens enter dangerous territory.

They will try to upgrade their offense--probably at the expense of quarterback Trent Dilfer, who is expected to be dumped in favor of former Redskin and Minnesota Viking quarterback Brad Johnson or some other free agent despite taking the team to the championship.

But the Ravens must try to sustain their record-setting defense as well. Underrated linebacker Jamie Sharper will be a commodity during the free-agent season--not much less in demand than Buffalo Bill defensive end Marcellus Wiley, who is expected to inspire a bidding contest after his 10 1/2-sack season.

The Ravens want to re-sign Woodson at a lower salary but are taking a risk that their cohesive mix of young stars and veterans centered around linebacker Ray Lewis might begin to dissolve if Woodson goes elsewhere. Strong safety Kim Herring is another free agent.

Dilfer’s unusual fate seems easy to read, with the Ravens not returning his agent’s phone calls and vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome openly saying he’ll talk to Johnson as soon as today.

“As of now, there’s been no change, I still have not heard from the Ravens,” said Michael Sullivan, Dilfer’s agent and director of football for Octagon.

“I’ve been doing this ever since free agency started, and in every situation with a free-agent starter, if there was interest, there was a lot of communication, and if not, nothing. Based on that, I believe they’re looking at other quarterbacks.”

Johnson is one of the more prominent free agents, particularly since the Cincinnati Bengals designated running back Corey Dillon as their transition player, giving the Bengals the right to match any offer--though a carefully structured contract might block them from doing so.

The Super Bowl losers--the New York Giants--have their own prominent players to re-sign--cornerback Jason Sehorn and running back Tiki Barber, though both are considered likely to remain with the Giants.

Some of the most intriguing free agents are those who have come available in the last few days because of salary-cutting, among them quarterback Doug Flutie, who would seem a good match for the San Diego Chargers, where former Buffalo general manager John Butler is general manager. The Chargers could use a proven veteran such as Flutie to bridge the transition if they use the No. 1 draft pick on Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick. Johnson might also be an appealing option, because he and new Charger offensive coordinator Norv Turner worked together in Washington.

Elvis Grbac is a surprise addition to the list of available quarterbacks after negotiations broke down with the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Seattle Seahawks are considered a possible destination for him.

Former Charger Ryan Leaf is more likely to be signed as a backup somewhere.

The free-agent pool was weakened as prominent prospective free agents such as Buffalo receiver Eric Moulds, Atlanta Falcon cornerback Ray Buchanan, Kansas City offensive lineman Will Shields and kickers Ryan Longwell of the Green Bay Packers and Olindo Mare of the Miami Dolphins re-signed with their teams.

Other players are essentially wrapped up after being designated as franchise players--among them Miami defensive end Jason Taylor, Arizona Cardinal cornerback Aeneas Williams, St. Louis Ram defensive end Kevin Carter and Indianapolis tight end Marcus Pollard.

Among the intriguing unrestricted free agents are Dallas Cowboy linebacker Dexter Coakley, Tennessee receiver Derrick Mason (one of the league’s best return men), Miami pass-rush specialist Trace Armstrong, San Francisco 49er running back Charlie Garner and Tampa Bay Buccaneer cornerback Ronde Barber.

Restricted free agents--whose teams have the right to match--include Denver Bronco quarterback Brian Griese and Philadelphia Eagle cornerback Jeremiah Trotter, both expected to remain with their teams.

Del Greco suddenly rises to the top of the list of kickers available. Though he became a goat for the Titans last season with missed field-goal attempts against the Ravens in the regular season and playoffs, he is a 17-year veteran and the seventh-leading scorer in NFL history.

Redskins, are you listening?

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Thursday’s NFL Transactions

The free-agent signing period begins today. These are some of the moves teams made Thursday:

* Arizona--Offered contract tenders to defensive end Andre Wadsworth, cornerback Corey Chavous, tight end Terry Hardy, punter Scott Player, safety Pat Tillman, linebacker Zack Walz, running back Michael Pittman, offensive tackle Anthony Clement and center Jason Starkey; signed safety Justin Lucas and tight end-wide receiver Tywan Mitchell; released guard Lester Holmes and defensive tackle Tony McCoy.

* Buffalo--Released linebacker Sam Rogers, long snapper Ethan Albright, safety Daryl Porter and cornerback Ray Hill.

* Cincinnati--Released cornerback Tom Carter; signed running back Michael Basnight.

* Cleveland--Signed defensive end Stalin Colinet to a three-year contract.

* Indianapolis--Released cornerback Tyrone Poole, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, quarterback Kelly Holcomb and defensive end Mark Thomas.

* Jacksonville--Released linebackers Brant Boyer, Erik Storz and Edward Thomas, tight end Rich Griffith, quarterback Jamie Martin, offensive tackle Leon Searcy, guard Brenden Stai, fullback Kevin Clemens, cornerback Evan Hlavacek and wide receiver Mike Horacek.

* Miami--Re-signed kicker Olindo Mare to a six-year contract.

* New Orleans--Released kicker Doug Brien, tight end Andrew Glover, wide receiver Jake Reed and tackle Mike Halapin.

* Oakland--Signed tight end Eric Bjornson.

* Philadelphia--Released wide receiver Torrance Small.

* Pittsburgh--Released defensive end Kevin Henry and fullback Jon Witman; offered contract tenders to linebacker John Fiala, wide receivers Hines Ward and Bobby Shaw, running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala and defensive backs Deshea Townsend and Jason Simmons.

* San Diego--Signed defensive tackle Mike Mohring to a one-year contract; released safety Michael Dumas; tendered contract offers to cornerbacks Fakhir Brown and Tony Darden, tight end Reggie Davis, linebacker Orlando Ruff, defensive linemen Mike Pringley and Antoin Simpson, cornerback Tim Denton, offensive linemen Demingo Graham and Kendyl Jacox, wide receiver Reggie Jones, quarterback Moses Moreno and defensive tackle Jamal Williams.

* San Francisco--Waived linebacker Winfred Tubbs.

* Tennessee--Released kicker Al Del Greco, safety Marcus Robertson, wide receivers Yancey Thigpen and Carl Pickens, fullback Lorenzo Neal, linebacker Terry Killens, tight ends Michael Roan and Larry Brown and running back Rodney Thomas.

* Washington--Released defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield.

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Stats, All, Folks

Ryan Leaf’s statistics are one reason the quarterback isn’t wanted in San Diego anymore:

Games: 21

Games started: 18

Completion pct.: 480

Touchdowns: 13

Interceptions: 33

Rating: 48.8