oldno82

Converting a running quarterback to a mostly pocket passer is a project. I've personally never seen him as a long term NFL quarterback. Too high a chance of injury the way he is running.

Meanwhile, Gus Edwards has impressed the heck out of me.

Well we'll know more by the end of the pre-season. If Jackson is still erratic on his passes and Grif stays accurate they should keep 3, IF they really do believe they've got a realistic chance of getting to the playoffs this year.

Yeah he sounds like a winner and he could save a roster spot wherever he goes. Still not as good as Tucker and Koch though.

They could damage Jackson's confidence if they put him in before he's ready. His ability to evade a pass rush is obvious as is his running ability but until I see him completing a higher percentage of his passes, his passing leaves a lot to be desired. If Joe goes down for the year then I could see using him after week 10 or so. Maybe.

I agree with Eisenberg on this. https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/eisenberg-why-the-ravens-should-keep-robert-griffin-iii

Isn't it time for Cravn's 14-2 prediction?? And, yes, where is he? Hope he's alright.

It's a long road yet to make a solid prediction. At this point I'm leaning toward 8-8. I do believe this team has more talent than any team since the Ray Rice era. Question is is it good enough to play with so many of the big boys?

BTW I agree we have to keep 3 qb's this year.

So I'm there basking in the glow of a great showing by the Ravens when Preston removed my purple sunglasses and took my kool-aid away. The Ravens looked terrific for sure but it really has to tempered by the fact that LA basically decided to use the game as a scrimmage for the 2nd and 3rd team backups. So I'm holding off judgement for a few more games. Perriman almost made me choke to death on a nacho on his TD reception. But, he has a long road to go before I get too excited. Chris Moore and Hayden Hurst look like the real thing. Lamar was Lamar...great running ability, inconsistent passing. He needs a lot more work but he certainly has potential. Nice to see Flacco look like an NFL quarterback for a change. He has to do this week in and week out. Positive vibes tempered by the lack of quality opposition.

Hope I'm wrong but I think we're in for a difficult game. The Rams are loaded with talent and our O-line is undermanned without Yanda. I'm seeing our qb's running for their life early in the game. Maybe all game. Tucker's misses are disconcerting. The usual trajectory for kickers is to get better with experience. Our receivers will do OK. They'll do even better if Joe remains standing under a fierce pass rush. Yes, I remember Merlin Olsen. How about when George Allen coached the Rams? Or even earlier, remember Roman Gabriel and Bill Wade? I mean, I'm old man!

I agree. Along with offensive line depth those are my concerns as well. But it takes more than one season to make a team a real contender and they've made a lot of progress in other areas.

I mostly agree. I do think the running game will be fine but the pass protection of the backups was piss poor. Our QBs were under tremendous pressure all night. That's my biggest area of concern right now. Really glad to see injuries are down. Sure hope it stays that way.

Well here's some good, f---ing news: https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/practice-report-rookie-mark-andrews-returns-with-a-flurry-of-impressive-catches

quite possible.

Papa, you're so bitter and filled with hatred for this team and Flacco you can't be taken seriously.

I haven't seen any 'pouting' either.

Very cool video Max!

I don't think Joe has any guaranteed money past this season. Saw it somewhere but can't remember where. Anybody know? If he does well keeping him for one more year won't be a problem. Not so sure he's in this just for the money. After he got his first big contract he went to a McDonald's for a burger. Now, I think his pride has been pricked by drafting Lamar. That combined with what we all hope are better receivers has him up.

I've seen tape of Flacco and Jackson now. Flacco is way ahead of where Jackson is which is to be expected at this time. Jackson always throws a wobbly pass whereas nearly all of Flacco's are really beautiful spirals and really impressive to watch. FWIW I think Joe is really 'up' for this year. If he does well, what I can see happening is trading Joe to another team after the upcoming season provided he redeems himself, if only to get out of the cap hit. If he has an excellent season, trading him ought to be easy.

Andrews was practicing the next day.

Actually his whole article is spot on, https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/eisenberg-here-s-how-the-ravens-plan-to-improve-their-passing-game, but it was this comment that I thought was particularly exciting: "Crabtree is regarded as a red-zone expert and general big-play guy, but he also has a history of excelling at the nuts-and-bolts skill of moving the chains. Well over half of his career catches (348 of 579) have produced first downs."

Me too. I'm pumped!

The latest from Mikie: Ravens have created enough buzz, but wins must follow Mike Preston Ravens InsiderT he Ravens had one of their best offseasons in recent years, which has created some optimism in the city. Now it’s time to start winning.That’s always the bottom line.The first full training camp practice opens Thursday, and there is a buzz about this team despite the disappointing way the 2017 season ended in the last game against the Cincinnati Bengals.We all remember because the agony of that last-minute defeat won’t allow us to forget. The loss kept the Ravens out of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.Combined with dwindling attendance, years of an unimaginative offense and the kneeling by the players for the national anthem, some bitterness carried over after last season.When owner Steve Bisciotti gave his “State of the Ravens” address in early February, he was defensive at times about his team. But there has been a shift because he apparently realized his organization had grown stale.The result has been a man-around-town tour by team president Dick Cass, who has said several times that the Ravens should have handled the kneeling situation differently. The Ravens have also engaged in conversations with thousands of permanent seat license holders, and allowed some to attend organized team activities and to meet players and team officials.The Ravens lowered concession prices and are expected to have nearly 2,000 fans at most training camp practices. In addition, yearly improvements have been made to the stadium, including new video boards, audio systems and Wi-Fi. Elevators and escalators will be opened in one end of the stadium in October, and eventually they will be located throughout the facility.And the Ravens got a bonus: The Orioles aren’t just bad, they are pathetic. They are a non-entity.Instead, it has been the Ravens who have done most of the heavy hitting on the field. They might have added some offensive playmakers by drafting tight ends South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst and Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews, as well as Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson.A year ago, they had one of the worst receiving groups in the NFL, but they’ve added some new faces through free agency in Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead IV.There is no guarantee the passing offense will improve dramatically from last year, when it was ranked No. 29 in the NFL, but it’s worth getting excited about because the team has options.A two-tight end offense can cause multiple problems for defenses. Crabtree is a possession receiver and a good target inside the red zone, along with Andrews and Hurst. Starting quarterback Joe Flacco will be better than last season simply because of his professionalism and pride. The addition of Jackson, as well as veteran Robert Griffin III, has already made him better.Combined with the return of starting guards Marshal Yanda and Alex Lewis, who missed a total of 30 games last season because of injuries, the Ravens have enough talent to be a top 15 offense.On defense, the Ravens ranked No. 12 overall at the end of last season, allowing 225.1 yards per game. Overall, this group should be better. The Ravens have some outstanding young talent in the secondary with cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Tavon Young and Maurice Canady.The run defense was solid for most of last season but seemed to wear down in the final quarter of the year. However, young linemen such as Brent Urban, Willie Henry and Michael Pierce, who have played well at times, should be more consistent.There are still a lot of questions surrounding the Ravens going into 2018 season. There is no certainty that the passing game will click with so many new faces. Can running back Alex Collins duplicate last year’s success? Marty Mornhinweg has been a sound offensive coordinator but doesn’t exude great confidence.The Ravens still have to find pass rushers to complement Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, but are young players such as Tim Williams and Kamalei Correa ready? Players like new defensive coordinator Don Martindale, but he’s unproven after failing in the same capacity in Denver.The season will be interesting. Coach John Harbaugh’s job is on the line and general manager Ozzie Newsome will be replaced by Eric DeCosta when the season ends. During the past two seasons, the Ravens were only a few plays away from the postseason, but the 2018 schedule is much tougher than a year ago.Right now, though, Ravens have created a lot of excitement as a result of a strong offseason. That’s all you can ask for at this point.Now, they’ve got to win.mike.preston@baltsun.comtwitter.com/MikePrestonSun