"Willis McGahee came to Baltimore four seasons ago with a ton of talent and a questionable attitude. As much as McGahee had quieted most of the concerns about a career-threatening knee injury sustained in his final college game at the University of Miami, he had raised others about his coachability during his four seasons in Buffalo.

The talent remains, but the attitude is no longer in question as McGahee, entering his eighth NFL season and admittedly in the best physical shape of his career, has matured into a more than capable role player for a team with legitimate hopes of making the Super Bowl. Which role McGahee plays this year — and whether it will be in Baltimore — is the only issue up for debate.

"I think some people think I'm getting old or I can't do certain things anymore, but I can play any role they want me to play," McGahee, who will turn 29 in October, said last week. "I can be the two-minute back, the red zone back, the third-down back or the every down back. When my number's called I can still step up to the plate."

His evolution as a Raven has seen McGahee go from making the Pro Bowl his first season despite former coach Brian Billick not always using him in goal line situations to becoming a backup to both Le'Ron McClain and Ray Rice as the team's red zone specialist under John Harbaugh to possibly sharing carries more equitably with Rice this season.

McGahee finished the 2009 season with career-lows for carries (109) and yards (554) but a career-best 5.1 yards a carry average and 12 rushing touchdowns, one shy of his career high. He showed flashes of the past toward the end of last season, when he rushed for a career-high 167 yards and three touchdowns in Oakland.

As a result, Ravens running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery is hesitant to label McGahee as Rice's backup.

"We look at it as if we've got two good running backs, and Willis comes out here to practice every day as if he's the starting running back," Montgomery said. "It's not like there's a one and then there's a two… Willis is practicing every day as if he's the starter and not as a backup, and we as coaches see Willis as a starter and not as a backup.""