Beck gets another chance to start over

John Beck has found plenty of friends on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens. Now it's all about proving to them he can answer the call to quarterback the team if his number gets called.

And then there's that other deal — small but important to players — his No. 12.

Beck searched out, found and obtained his high school and college jersey number in short order after getting to town. He bought it from a receiver, Ernie Wheelwright, who wasn't as emotionally attached to the number. As usual in these jersey number squabbles, Beck forked over some money to the guy.

"It cost me, but it wasn't that much," he said.

A second-round pick by the Dolphins in 2007, Beck had to settle for No. 9 on his jersey. No. 12 belonged to the hallowed Bob Griese and nobody's putting that one on again.

Today, Beck is spending the weekend with his wife Barbara and two kids in Miami, a short break from the Raven football camps, which will resume this week at the Raven training facility. He's been flying to Florida every weekend.

Beck's task is to challenge starter Joe Flacco and backup Troy Smith. He's trading time with Smith in drills, which have only a two-deep.

There are other QBs in NFL history that got off to slow starts like Beck did as a rookie with the Dolphins (see graphic).

Flacco is clearly in command and the Ravens, observers say, are becoming "galvanized" behind his success as a rookie out of Delaware last season.

In a passing drill open to the public last Tuesday, Beck threw a pick to linebacker Tavares Gooden but he later impressed observers with several darts including a 5-yard TD pass to Kelly Washington in which he perfectly split two defenders with the throw.

Beck likes Flacco and Smith. "They are easy guys to get along with. I knew Troy from the NFL combine and we did a rookie tour in Los Angeles. Also, he was a teammate (at Ohio State) with Ted Ginn who was with me at Miami."

The best part of going to the Ravens is his familiarity with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who was instrumental in drafting him as the head coach of the Dolphins three years ago.

"It was nice to step in and call plays with some comfort. I knew his system and it wasn't like I was a rookie coming in. I knew the route progressions. There were some differences, but some were the same."

The tough part, said Beck, is undoing the reflexes and natural instincts schooled and drilled into him by a different regime in Miami this past year.

That may seem trivial to some, but for Beck, who is a gym rat, he wants to get it all down pat as soon as possible. This is the third offensive system he's faced in three years and the inability to have continuity and consistency bugs him. He's had no back-to-back situations.