One simple decision. With one simple decision, franchises can forge ahead or drift back.

Back in the fall of 2005, the Baltimore Ravens made a decision for which the effects are still being felt today.

They chose to keep quarterbacks Kyle Boller, Kordell Stewart and Anthony Wright on their roster rather than the unproven Derek Anderson. Baltimore tried to sneak Anderson through waivers. Only Cleveland general manager Phil Savage, formerly of Baltimore, knew of Anderson’s talent. The Browns claimed him.

Had Baltimore opted to keep Anderson, it would not have had to trade multiple picks this season to draft Joe Flacco. Brian Billick probably still would be the Ravens’ head coach. And Baltimore’s chances this season would seem brighter than they are today.

Today, the Ravens placed Boller on injured reserve, ending his season and, most likely, his career in Baltimore. Anderson, meanwhile, is prepping for Sunday’s showdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

It just goes to show that on one simple decision, jobs are lost, franchises are altered, and fortunes are changed. In this case, Cleveland’s for the better.

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