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According to Baltimore Sun staffer Jamison Hensley, if Jamal Lewis stands trial on federal drug conspiracy charges during the regular season, the Ravens are prepared to play without the All-Pro running back during that time.

Team officials had considered creating a schedule similar to the one the Lakers used with guard Kobe Bryant, who shuttled between Los Angeles and Colorado, for his sexual assault case.

But head coach Brian Billick told reporters on Monday that plan can't feasibly work with Lewis despite the Ravens playing 15 of their 16 games on Sundays. Lewis' trial is not expected to take longer than two weeks, his lawyer said.

"This is not pro basketball," Billick explained. "As I've said many times, if you weren't required to put the preparation during the week to be able to play this game on a Sunday, we wouldn't do it. We would let the guys rest, watch a bunch of film and just show up on Sunday. But there's a certain rhythm and certain mechanics that you have to go through [in practice] over the course of a week. If he were to miss that, it probably would be imprudent for him to play."

Donald Samuel, Lewis' lawyer, said last week that the case, which once seemed headed to trial next month, now appears likely to slide into the Ravens' regular season or beyond. There will be a request made to delay the trial until after the season, Samuel said.

If his trial occurs during the season, Ravens officials said his absence would be treated like an injury.

"It would be the same as if the trainer came in and said Jamal has pulled whatever and it's going to be a week, two weeks or three weeks before he comes back," Billick said.

Lewis was charged with conspiring to possess, with the intent to distribute, 5 kilograms of cocaine.

Lewis rushed for the second-most yards in league history last season (2,066) and was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. If he can't play, his role would be filled by Musa Smith and Chester Taylor, who have combined for 429 career rushing yards.

"We're prepared whether it's during training camp or during the regular season," Billick said. "We have to honor the system. It's unfortunate that it has not been more definitive.

"I certainly understand and respect the court systems and the difficulties they have in putting these things together sometimes. But by the same token, there is a human element here that you hope they can respect. But he seems to be handling it well."

If Lewis does stand trial between now and the Super Bowl, Billick has said the Ravens are far better off in terms of running back depth today than they were in 2001, when Lewis went down for the year with a training camp knee injury.

"If we had Musa Smith and Chester Taylor in 2001, we might have gone back to the Super Bowl,' Billick said.

In an article published early last week, Sports Illustrated insider Don Banks suggested that Smith, a third-round pick in 2003, would presumably handle the bulk of the work if Lewis misses time this season, with Taylor also seeing plenty of action.

While they can't be expected to make up for Lewis' 2,000-yard rushing production of 2003, Banks advised readers the Ravens are confident they'll be more than serviceable. ...

Also of interest. ...

In an article published July 18, Boston Globe reporter Michael Smith informed readers that general manager Ozzie Newsome believes second-year quarterback Kyle Boller has improved his accuracy.

Boller has been working closely with former Giants coach Jim Fassel, now on Baltimore's staff.

Smith lends further credence to reports emanating from Baltimore early this month, when observers suggested Boller finished the team's final mini-camp with his sharpest practice of the offseason.

According to the Sports Xchange, Boller threaded a handful of red-zone scoring passes in the tight coverage, distancing himself from an up-and-down offseason as well as those uneasy days as a rookie.

"It's like going from ninth grade to the 12th grade," Boller said of his development from last year. "I know I have to continue to learn but I feel much more comfortable."

The coaching staff gave him passing grades over the two months of off-season workouts. Consistency remains the biggest hurdle for Boller, who hit his targeted completion rate of 70 percent in the 14 non-contact practices.

In earlier mini-camps, Boller looked more like a first-year starter, struggling with his mechanics and accuracy. Backed up inside his own 20-yard line, he forced off-balanced throws into coverage, getting picked off three times in a matter of minutes.

However, that was apparently a stark contrast to the end of the final practices, when Boller finished strong by settling down. ...

And finally. ...

According to Carroll County Times staff writer Aaron Wilson, it doesn't look like quarterback Anthony Wright (shoulder) or tight end Trent Smith (leg) will pass the team's initial physical upon reporting to training camp on Thursday, making it likely both will open the season on the physically unable to perform list.

Trainer Bill Tessendorf told Wilson that Wright recently began light weightlifting after having surgery this spring to repair a partially torn labrum and minor rotator cuff damage. Former Steelers starter Kordell Stewart was signed to stand in for Wright as Boller's backup.

"The calendar is really going to dictate Anthony's stuff," Tessendorf said. "My guess is he's not going to begin throwing until October."

Smith was limited during mini-camps after suffering a broken leg during a preseason game that required the insertion of a metal rod.

"Trent had some problems during mini-camp and we're anxious to get him out there and see how his leg responds," Tessendorf said. "We may fail him on the physical and give him a few days to run around and see how the leg does."