The Baltimore Ravens are confident Steve McNair is healthy and ready to be their starting quarterback.

The Tennessee Titans swapped the face of their franchise and a fan favorite for what is believed to be a fourth-round pick in next spring’s draft.

The former league MVP was set to be introduced this afternoon as the prime quarterback Baltimore has sought throughout its 10-year existence if he passed a physical administered last night. Failure was doubtful because he is coming off perhaps the healthiest of his 11 seasons.

A strained right pectoral kept McNair out of Tennessee’s regular-season finale, and the reason Tennessee wanted him to take a new physical before working out with them again. But Ravens Coach Brian Billick, needing McNair to pass the physical to complete the trade, had no such worries.

"As I understand it, he was cleared to play in the Pro Bowl," Billick said. "That one, I’ll leave it to a higher pay grade than me to figure out how someone can fail an exit physical but be cleared to play in the Pro Bowl. I’m a little confused about that myself."

McNair missed two games in 2005 after missing eight in 2004 and needing surgery to repair his aching sternum. McNair was left home on a road trip to Arizona to avoid aggravating his back on the long flight because he had a discectomy in 1999, and he strained his pectoral muscle at the end of the season.

Ravens receiver Derrick Mason, cut by Tennessee in a salary cap-move in February 2005, believes his friend has plenty left after watching McNair a couple times last season. McNair threw for 3,161 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

"I figure he’s still got two, three, four years left in him if he doesn’t take the shots that he did in previous years," Mason said.

McNair, who turned 33 in February, was Tennessee’s winningest quarterback in franchise history. In 11 seasons, he went 81-59 and shared the MVP award with Peyton Manning three years ago.

He’s one of only four players in NFL history with 150 touchdowns passing and 35 rushing, trailing only Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Steve Grogan. He’s one of five with 25,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing, a group that includes John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Young and Randall Cunningham.

During his MVP season, McNair had a 100.4 passer rating and led the Titans to a wild-card playoff victory over the Ravens in Baltimore and came up short on a late drive in a divisional loss at New England.

The trade gives the Ravens their first star quarterback, with McNair expected to start for the team that ended the Titans’ bid for a second straight Super Bowl appearance in 2001. That loss is just one piece of the former AFC Central rivalry featuring physical games and trash-talking between the coaches.

"You can tell that from his mannerisms on the field and how he portrays and handles himself. He definitely brings some stability to the quarterback position," said tight end Todd Heap, who played with McNair in the Pro Bowl.

Kyle Boller, the Ravens’ incumbent QB, conceded on Tuesday that McNair would likely be the starter.

"If Steve gets here, or when he gets here, we’ll handle it then. But as far as now, I’m just out here competing and trying to get this offense where it needs to be," Boller said. "I’m going about my business right now like I’m the starter. That’s the only way I can think of it."

The trade resulted from the Titans’ inability to reduce McNair’s $9 million salary for 2006 and his $23.46 million salary cap hit resulting from reworking his contract repeatedly in recent years.

The quarterback won a grievance last week that allowed him to return to the team’s headquarters and work out after being told he couldn’t on April 3.

But the Titans had given McNair’s agent permission to talk with Baltimore on April 30 about a contract, and Bus Cook worked out a five-year deal with an $11 million signing bonus and $1 million salary for 2006.

That was much more than McNair could get from the Titans, who had drafted quarterback Vince Young of Texas with the third overall pick in April.

● LINE OVERHAUL CONTINUES: The St. Louis Rams signed veteran defensive tackle Jason Fisk to a one-year contract yesterday.

Fisk started 14 games for the Cleveland Browns last season and made 50 tackles but was released in March.

He’s also played for the Chargers, Titans and Vikings in an 11-year NFL career.

The Rams are rebuilding their interior line after Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis left as free agents.

The Rams also signed cornerback Kevin Timothee and kicker Remy Hamilton to one-year contracts and released kicker Josh Cummings.

Timothee spent the 2005 preseason with the Titans as an undrafted rookie out of Florida International. He played this spring for the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.

Hamilton played in one game for the Lions last year.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.