The dust has finally settled on the upheaval of the 2007 Baltimore Ravens’ coaching staff. An assortment of new faces have entered the fold and have returned the downtrodden fan base to a state of joyous paroxysm.

With the introduction of that new staff follows possible change to the playing roster. That new staff, headed by coach John Harbaugh, will coordinate with the front office to make those changes.

New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will decide his preferences in the coming weeks and months, as will remaining defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Ryan will work for the first time in his NFL career under a head coach who isn’t Brian Billick or his renowned father, Buddy Ryan.

As they analyze a roster that brought home a lusterless 5-11 record last season, each coach must make decisions that could bring unexpected change to the team’s personnel. These decisions will impact the team’s performance profoundly both immediately and in the future.

The most canvassed player issue remains at the quarterback position. Considering the current team’s roster and salary cap situation, there are likely four quarterbacks who could start for the team, come September.

Three are on the roster as it stands. Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, and Troy Smith all have a valid claim to the starting position, and all three will be observed in regards to the spot. The fourth player is Boston College’s Matt Ryan, who is likely the only quarterback who could (let alone should) start for any NFL team this coming season. The team’s financial struggles should deter them from attempting to find a starter in free agency or on the trading block.

While it has been discussed to no end, the quarterback spot is certainly not the only position under the proverbial microscope.

The Ravens’ 2007 cornerback situation was atrocious—a veritable game of “Guess Who?” When Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle spent time on the sideline with injuries, the depth the team thought was present dissolved in no time.

Corey Ivy, Derrick Martin, David Pittman, and Willie Gaston all started games in place of their injured teammates, and proceeded to allow 222.3 passing yards per game, which was good for just 20^th in the league.

As McAlister and Rolle age, better depth is certainly at the forefront of the team’s concerns. Previously a secondary coach himself, Harbaugh should be expected to have quite a bit of input here.

There are other issues, too. How much longer will Ray Lewis lead the linebackers? Was Jarret Johnson a satisfactory replacement for the departed Adalius Thomas? Was Bart Scott’s mediocre season a fluke, or a sign of things to come?

What running backs should provide depth behind Willis McGahee? Is Musa Smith effective enough to be McGahee’s backup? Is Mike Anderson relevant anymore?

What will the offensive line look like? Is Jonathan Ogden coming back? Should the remaining veterans be benched in favor of more youngsters? Are the current youngsters ready?

Whatever the decisions made, this coming season’s football team could look drastically different from the one we watched fall apart just months ago. The question, though, is whether those moves will be the right answer. Considering the injuries that befell the team, which remained nearly intact from their 13-3 season one year earlier, a revolutionary change in personnel might not be necessary. A revolutionary change in coaching philosophy has already occurred.

While factious changes will further rejuvenate the front office and the team’s fans, a radical movement may not be necessary. So far, it doesn’t appear that great player turnover lies anywhere within the thoughts of the staff.

A new coaching group will incur a team performance that we haven’t seen in some time. Whether that is a positive or not is certainly yet to be determined; popular coaching names can do great things for players, but may not necessarily work well when combined.

Though some folks desire change to their team that hasn’t been seen in years, I am quite comfortable seeing where the guys with the whistles can take the players we have already. Too much change at this point seems destabilizing, and undermines the efforts of players who are to remain. There should be plenty of chances in the future for this new group to swap the players we’ve gotten to know over the past few years.

For now, it is my wish to see what they can sculpt with the mold that has been left—an excellent barometer of our new current staff versus the previous. That thought has me excited.

The next few months will decide how that wish pans out.