OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- They made no secret of their interest in trading down from their No. 5 pick in the first round. But nothing blew away the Baltimore Ravens -- not a call from the Bears while the Ravens were on the clock, nor anything from a would-be suitor in Green Bay.

When the Ravens announced the selection of Tennessee running back Jamal Lewis at No. 5, they nabbed the running back they had coveted all along.

Just as important, though, was the effect drafting Lewis would have on the Ravens' second first-round selection at No. 10.

"In a weird way," said scouting director Phil Savage, "by taking Jamal at No. 5, it almost guaranteed -- or made it more of a percentage -- that we'd get Travis Taylor at 10."

Taylor, the wide receiver from Florida, is the wideout the Ravens liked all along. And there was unanimity among the team's scouts that Lewis is sufficiently recovered from a 1998 knee injury and was the best running back in this draft.

The 12 hours building to these two picks were really a game of Dominoes for the Ravens.

One step led to another, starting with the signing of free-agent defensive tackle Sam Adams on Saturday morning after tensions escalated in their negotiations Friday night.

Signing Adams filled a void on the defensive line. Therefore, the Ravens did not have to draft Florida State defensive tackle Corey Simon at No. 5. They could go for Lewis instead -- assuming no trade offer really impressed them -- and leave Simon available for Philadelphia with the No. 6 pick.

Had they been forced to draft Simon ahead of the Eagles, the Ravens likely would have watched Philadelphia select Taylor.

Instead, every team drafting between No. 6 and No. 10 had a need to fill that didn't involve Taylor.

The one anxious moment for the Ravens?

That was Chicago's selection at No. 9. The Ravens draft room sweated out a discussed deal between the Bears and New York Jets.

Had the Jets traded up from No. 12 for the Bears' pick, New York could have taken Taylor at No. 9. Meanwhile, the Bears still would have been assured three spots later of getting the player they coveted, New Mexico linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Thus, after dominating much of the attention in the hours building to noon Saturday because of their No. 5 pick in a draft only four standout players deep, the Ravens stood pat.

They held on to their No. 5, kept the No. 10 for which they traded up with Denver on Wednesday, and risked having some serious salary cap concerns in two years.

The ultimate aim? Improve the offense now, fix the salary-cap issues when they are more pressing in two years.

"We did not want to lose our guy," vice president of player personnel Ozzie Newsome said. "Sometimes in this business, you can get a little too cute."

Newsome added, "You've got to be able to score points. We held New England (in the season finale) to 130 yards -- and lost. It was the same kind of thing with Jacksonville (a 6-3 loss earlier in the season)."

Drafting Lewis put the Ravens in a scenario similar to their selection of Florida State's Peter Boulware in 1997. Like Lewis, Boulware came to the draft with a riddled injury history.

But Boulware passed the Ravens' physicals, and he has proceeded to emerge as a Pro Bowl linebacker.

Lewis will arrive in Baltimore to meet with team officials Sunday. "Basically, my role is I've just got to go in ready to play, ready to learn plays and learn the offense," Lewis said. "It's an exciting time for me and my family."

"(Lewis) became (medically) cleared for us and at that point he became a factor for us," Newsome said.

A big factor. Lewis became a consensus choice among the Baltimore scouts.

And as word of the Ravens' interest emerged among one or two national draft experts, Savage cringed.

"When I saw (mock drafts) pick him at No. 5, I was shocked," Savage said. "I thought there must be leaks all over this place."

At the team's pre-draft luncheon, Savage did a good job of bluffing when asked about the Ravens' perception of Lewis and how he compared to another top running back, Virginia's Thomas Jones.

Savage said Lewis' knee history was a real concern. He added that Jones -- and Simon -- were the two best "character players" in the draft.

"I've tried to keep Jamal Lewis as quiet as I could," Savage said.

Quiet no longer, the Ravens are making the statement they expect to be a playoff team in 2000.

Owner Art Modell set a tone for 2000 with a statement that is sure to be recalled frequently after the season starts.

"I expect to be a playoff team (next year)," Modell said. "Anything less than that is a disappointment."

Coach Brian Billick feels the same way. He thought the team should have made it last year. His expectations were higher than most, since the Ravens' 8-8 finish was considered a surprise.

Jamal Lewis rushed for 807 yards on 182 carries for the Vols in 1999.(AP)

The team with the No. 2 defense in the NFL last year will be vulnerable there if star middle linebacker Ray Lewis is not cleared of double-murder charges stemming from an incident in Atlanta after the Super Bowl.

Yet with the team's upgrades on offense -- Lewis, Taylor, free agent tight end Shannon Sharpe and a more mature Tony Banks at quarterback -- the Ravens think they have a strong enough mix to compete.

Entering the offseason, Baltimore needed to upgrade its positions at running back, receiver and tight end.

All three areas have been addressed.

"Practically speaking, you (hope for) one out of three," Billick said. "And if you can get two out of three, you're ahead of the curve. But (all) three?"

The proof of this draft -- like all of them - lies two years or so down the road. Sharpe is coming off a broken collarbone. Lewis and Taylor will have to establish themselves.

Baltimore likes its odds.

"Certainly, Travis Taylor in (coach) Steve Spurrier's offense has been exposed to a few concepts," Billick said.

Taylor has also seen what Lewis can do as a Southeastern Conference rival.

"If we miss on these two," Savage said of the unanimity among the Ravens' scouts, "then we all missed."