Ricky Williams Signs With Baltimore Ravens

Running back Ricky Williams is moving north after signing a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Williams will now be the main back-up to running back Ray Rice.

Williams will move into a role left vacant by Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain, who left for Denver and Kansas City respectively.

The 34-year-old Williams rushed for 673 yards and three touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) last season with the Miami Dolphins.

Fantasy football impact: This hurts Rice's value slightly. Williams will likely play a similar role to the one McGahee played last year. McGahee sniped five touchdowns from Rice and accounted for 380 rushing yards. According to The Source's TOP 200, Rice is still a solid first-round pick, but be prepared to watch him lose some goalline touches to Williams.

NFL Lockout's Impact On The Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are built for a lockout. They have solid veteran leaders in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, they have a franchise quarterback in Joe Flacco and they have an extremely good running game. The Ravens will be one of those teams that needs little preparation to get ready for the season. They will add a couple pieces in the draft and maybe free agency, but for the most part, their foundation is solid (and so is their 2011 outlook).

2011 NFL Schedule: Baltimore Ravens

(All Times ET)
Sept. 11 Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
Sept. 25 at St. Louis, 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 2 N.Y. Jets, 8:20 p.m.
Oct. 9 BYE
Oct. 16 Houston, 4:05 p.m.
Oct. 24 at Jacksonville, 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 Arizona, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Pittsburgh, 8:20 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
Nov. 20 Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
Nov. 24 San Francisco, 8:20 p.m.
Dec. 4 at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Dec. 11 Indianapolis, 1 p.m.
Dec. 18 at San Diego, 8:20 p.m.
Dec. 24 Cleveland, 1 p.m.
Jan. 1 at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

2011 Fantasy Football Scouting Report: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens

2010 Stats	3622 yds.	25 TDs	10 INTs
2011 Projected	3650 yds.	24 TDs	12 INTs

Flacco would be higher on this list if he had more playmakers at wide receiver. Anquan Boldin is solid, but he's not a game changer anymore. Derrick Mason and T.J. Houshmanzadeh are both possession receivers and Todd Heap has battled injuries. Flacco has a big arm, but rarely as had the opportunity to show it off. The addition of Maryland wide receiver Torrey Smith in the 2011 NFL Draft will help the Ravens stretch the field, but the rookie will be a couple of years away from having an impact in the passing game. The Ravens will use Flacco more as a game manager than as a playmaker, relying more on running back Ray Rice and their defense to control games.