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The trade deadline is near. The Orioles and the rest of MLB have until 6 p.m. Thursday to make moves. Baltimore, almost certainly one of the most aggressive sellers this year, has several trade chips. Cedric Mullins, a fan favorite, is among them. The center fielder has been one of the Orioles’ best players and one of the few remaining who survived the rebuild and multiple 100-loss seasons. But with the 30-year-old set to become a free agent after the season, the Orioles are likely going to listen to any offers for Mullins. Should Baltimore trade him? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton peeled off his jersey after a long, hot day of work last week in Owings Mills, revealing a T-shirt emblazoned with a simple but paramount message: “Life Is Too Short, Run To The Ball.” Even at the highest level, football is often not about subtlety. Earlier this month, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was a guest on “The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright” podcast, and when the conversation turned to the toughest cornerbacks he has faced, the All-Pro rattled off a handful of names. None of them play in Baltimore. Even a neophyte would not confuse the 2024 Ravens defense with the 2000 edition. “I know when I first got here, obviously the Ravens defense, I felt like teams feared what we did,” Ravens veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “Now, we are trying to get that back. But I mean, I don’t think the Bengals fear our defense. I don’t think the Steelers fear our defense. “So those expectations, when it’s in your own division, people kind of like, ‘Sweet, we play the Ravens.’” That was especially true for Chase, who broke an NFL record that had stood since 1963 with a staggering 21 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns in a pair of shootouts against Baltimore last season. The Ravens won both, but the performances were emblematic of a deep and concerning problem that had lingered from the summer through much of last season. Though Baltimore’s defense featured a dramatic turnaround down the stretch, it still ranked 31st in passing yards allowed per game (275.7). Many of those yards also came in chunks, especially early, with Baltimore allowing 58 passing plays of at least 20 yards, which was 18th-most in the league. Whether that trend continues this season remains to be seen, but the early returns after the first week of training camp point toward a paradigm shift, if not a potential about-face. First, the Ravens made significant personnel changes. They waived obstreperous safety Eddie Jackson in November and released malcontent safety Marcus Williams after the season. They also added veteran cornerbacks Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, and Chidobe Awuzie in free agency to a group that already includes Humphrey, an All-Pro in the slot last season, and rising second-year corner Nate Wiggins. Related Articles Mike Preston: Best Ravens team ever? Let’s compare them. | COMMENTARY Ravens observations: False starts continue to be a problem early in camp Ravens special teams coordinator explains thinking behind kicker battle Ravens observations: New-look secondary strapping in, standing out 43 thoughts on every Ravens defensive player in early days of training camp And though they lost defensive back Ar’Darius Washington for most if not all of the season because of a torn Achilles he suffered during offseason workouts, rookie first-round safety Malaki Starks has already drawn high praise from teammates and coaches for his ability, football IQ and maturity. “He’s miles ahead of where I was at that point in his NFL career,” Hamilton said. “He’s just so instinctual, and he has that little bit holding him back, just because he hasn’t been in [the NFL for] a long time. So, once that clicks, then he’ll be a great player. “I think he knows the playbook more than I did. He’s confident out there. He’s talking, and he’s just so willing to learn and be a sponge, and it’s very admirable for somebody his age.” Alexander, meanwhile, in addition to talent when healthy, has brought a “swag,” Humphrey said, to a defensive backfield that has largely been devoid of it since the days of Marcus Peters. “I think confidence is the biggest key you can have at cornerback,” Humphrey said. “So, I think he’s a perfect fit for our secondary.” Cornerback Jaire Alexander, pictured, has brought a “swag,” Marlon Humphrey said, to a defensive backfield that has largely been devoid of it since the days of Marcus Peters. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Coach John Harbaugh also made changes to his staff, notably firing assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt as well as inside linebackers coach Mark DeLone, who lasted just one season. Harbaugh also did not bring back Dean Pees in a full-time role after he hired the former Ravens defensive coordinator as a senior adviser five games into last season. Though they were part of the defensive turnaround later in the year, it was not difficult to read between the lines that the system was not being taught effectively, a point that crystallized in the form of communication issues that multiple players spoke about over the course of 2024. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr, in his first year calling plays at any level, also initially entrusted his assistants perhaps a little too much, further exacerbating the issues. Replacing them are senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano and inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci. Pagano, a longtime NFL assistant who was part of Harbaugh’s first staff in Baltimore and later the coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2017, brings familiarity and experience. In 2011, his lone season as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, Baltimore ranked third in yards allowed per game (288.9) and points per game (16.6). Santucci, 37, is making his NFL coaching debut this season, but was considered one of college football’s top defensive coordinators. He helped turn around a struggling Georgia Tech defense last year, and before that led Duke and Texas A&M to top 25 defenses in scoring. In the weight room and on the field, the Ravens have also been intentional about their goals. Reviving the breakfast club workouts that took root with former Ravens safety Eric Weddle, Humphrey and a handful of others on offense and defense gather each morning for workouts at the team’s facility at 6 a.m., even though practice doesn’t begin until the afternoon. If a player shows up at 6:01, he has to wait until later. In a tweak to the team’s grading system of every player on each play of every practice, coaches have honed in on a handful or so of specifics on both sides of the ball and especially on defense, including pursuit to the ball, blowing up blocks and forcing turnovers. After ranking 13th in turnover margin, which included forcing the seventh-fewest turnovers in the NFL last season with 17 — and none in two playoff games — the latter has been a particular point of emphasis and has borne fruit with a few interceptions and several impressive pass breakups so far this summer. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr said, “When we take the ball away, we'll win. When we don't, we’ve got a good chance of winning, but why put ourselves in that position?” (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) “We’re getting better at teaching it, teaching in the classroom, showing opportunities on film, showing how to get the football out and understanding how important it is,” Orr said. “When we take the ball away, we’ll win. When we don’t, we’ve got a good chance of winning, but why put ourselves in that position?” The new faces, in addition to the returning ones, should help. Alexander has 12 career interceptions over seven injury-interrupted seasons, which included a career-high five for the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Awuzie, meanwhile, has seven in eight seasons. Humphrey is coming off a career-high six to lead the Ravens last year. And Starks had six in three seasons for Georgia. All of which has the Ravens positioned to be one of the best defenses in the league again after just two years ago becoming the first team to lead the NFL in takeaways, sacks and fewest points allowed per game in the same season. “Based off what we’re seeing defensively, guys are really running to the ball like it means something,” Humphrey said. “I think if we can get nine guys doing that, I think we’ll be a good defense. But if we can get 11 guys doing that to where it could be a cliff behind you, you just turn around, and we all go into the cliff together. … I think that’s something that I’ve seen early on that I think if we can keep building on, that we’ll be a great defense.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

While celebrating their 30th year in the NFL, the Ravens have pieced together their most complete and balanced roster. But with the return to football comes lofty expectations. It’s Super Bowl or bust. There can be no other outcome. In the past two seasons, the Ravens have had one of the best rosters in the league but came up short both times, losing 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in Baltimore two years ago and getting upset by the host Buffalo Bills, 27-25, in the divisional round in January. But this year’s version is the best since Baltimore’s return to the NFL in 1996. The franchise has won two Super Bowl titles, which is remarkable considering there are 12 teams that haven’t won any. Yet those championship teams were composed of strong defenses that featured Hall of Fame players such as Ray Lewis, Rod Woodson, Ed Reed and a potential selection named Terrell Suggs. In retrospect, those offenses were basically required not to implode. The 2025 Ravens are different, but not perfect. They still need to upgrade their special teams with a kicker and a punt returner, and it remains to be seen whether the secondary can improve after making significant offseason additions. But this offense, oh my. It’s almost flawless. The Ravens have a two-time Most Valuable Player in quarterback Lamar Jackson, who passed for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns last season and also rushed for another 915 yards and four more scores. They have one of the best big, multi-purpose backs in league history in Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 yards last season, second in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley. Even the receivers are good despite the team’s previous failures to find one in the draft. The Ravens have “super vet” DeAndre Hopkins, Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers as well as tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Whom does Jackson throw to? Anybody he wants. The only problem for offensive coordinator Todd Monken is finding enough touches for so many playmakers. The offensive line isn’t great, but there aren’t many that are in the NFL. This group struggles with pass blocking, but that’s where Jackson provides the added dimension with his scrambling. This offense is loaded, pure and simple, equipped with a tempo-changing running back in Keaton Mitchell as well as a third-down specialist in Justice Hill. The scenario on the other side of the ball is different, but the possibilities are endless. Saving a wide pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson with a flick of his fingertips, Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes an incredible catch on the first day of training camp. Hopkins is one of the many stars on the Ravens' offense. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) The secondary should be improved from a year ago when the group was ranked 31st out of 32 teams. The Ravens made significant improvement in the second half of the season but also faced some bad quarterbacks such as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Russell Wilson (twice), the New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito and the Cleveland Browns’ Bailey Zappe. To increase the talent level, the Ravens drafted Georgia safety Malaki Starks in the first round and signed free agent cornerback Jaire Alexander in June. Alexander was a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 and 2022 with the Green Bay Packers, but injuries have forced him to miss 20 games during the past two seasons. If Alexander returns to form, defensive coordinator Zach Orr has a lot of combinations he can play on the backend with safety Kyle Hamilton near the line of scrimmage, rising cornerback Nate Wiggins on the outside opposite Chidobe Awuzie or Alexander and veteran Marlon Humphrey manning the slot. With Chuck Pagano helping coach the secondary, this group should be better complementing a run defense that was ranked No. 1 in the league a year ago. Nose tackle Michael Pierce retired, but the team has an ample supply of bulk up front with linemen John Jenkins, Nnamdi Madubuike, Broderick Washington, Travis Jones and rookie Aeneas Peebles. What’s missing? They don’t have a proven kicker. Justin Tucker, perhaps the best in league history, was released in early May and later suspended for the first 10 games of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Sixth-round pick Tyler Loop and undrafted rookie John Hoyland are competing for the job now. Tucker and Matt Stover made major contributions in both of the Ravens’ championship seasons. Tucker converted 30 of 33 field goal attempts in 2012, and Stover was 35 of 39 in 2000 when Baltimore went five games without scoring an offensive touchdown. Another missing ingredient is the return game. In 2000, the Ravens had Jermaine Lewis, who averaged 16.1 yards per punt returns. Lewis also had an 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second half of the Ravens’ 34-7 win against the Giants in the Super Bowl. In 2012, Jacoby Jones led the NFL with 1,167 kickoff return yards and scored two touchdowns. There are other intangibles. In 2000, quarterback Trent Dilfer was conservative but was a great game manager. In 2012, quarterback Joe Flacco had one of the greatest postseasons ever, tying Joe Montana’s record with 11 touchdown passes without an interception. The Ravens need to get hot. In 2000, then-coach Brian Billick went with running back Jamal Lewis down the stretch as Lewis finished with 1,364 yards to complement the record-setting defense. Flacco was exceptional in 2012. Jackson needs to get hot in the postseason, where he is 3-5 during his eight years in Baltimore. In those eight games, he’s passed for 1,753 yards and 10 touchdowns but has thrown seven interceptions and lost three fumbles. There is also the Ray Lewis factor. Not only was he the best player in the NFL in 2000, but his personality energized the Ravens, especially the younger players in 2012. Without Lewis, the Ravens don’t win either of their two titles. Related Articles Ravens observations: False starts continue to be a problem early in camp Ravens special teams coordinator explains thinking behind kicker battle Ravens observations: New-look secondary strapping in, standing out 43 thoughts on every Ravens defensive player in early days of training camp Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ The Hall of Fame linebacker’s absence has been hard to fill. After the 2012 season, Ravens coach John Harbaugh got rid of the alpha males such as Lewis, Reed, safety Bernard Pollard and receiver Anquan Boldin, which forced the team into mediocrity for the next five seasons. Those years coincided with the early seasons in Baltimore when the Ravens didn’t have enough cash flow to compete on both sides of the ball until Steve Bisciotti became a minority owner in 2000. But now they are back on pace again. Only one team has more overall talent than the Ravens, and that’s Philadelphia. The defending champion Eagles can dominate with both interior lines, but they play in the NFC, so the AFC is a wide-open race. The expectations in Baltimore are justified, even though that might serve as both motivation and a distraction. But there are no more excuses for the Ravens to miss the Super Bowl, because this team is loaded. It’s easily the most balanced in franchise history. It’s time for them to play in a third Super Bowl. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

A point of emphasis for the Ravens this summer has been cleaning up the presnap penalties that plagued them last season. In 2024, 32% of Baltimore’s 132 penalties came before the ball was snapped, according to Sharp Football Analysis, thus setting the offense behind schedule. Through the first week of training camp, not much has changed. On Saturday, the offense was flagged for five false starts in the 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods, including once from its own 1-yard line. A timeout also needed to be called at one point over apparent confusion on the play call. Of course, now is the time of year to work out such kinks. Still, it doesn’t make it any less annoying, especially when it’s a consistent problem. “It’s real easy to get frustrated, which I do,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “I’m the king of overreacting. But if you do that, then you’ll just go on one [with the snap] all the time and that doesn’t help you either. “So where is that sweet spot? Now is the time to do that. We’re practicing some other things in the throw game and the run game to try like heck to be on point when we play the first game. But obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Last season, left tackle Ronnie Stanley led the team with 13 penalties, per nflpenalties.com, with left guard Patrick Mekari with 11. Of those 24 flags, nearly half (11) came before the ball was snapped. With Mekari now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, one would expect those numbers to be down this season, but that hasn’t been the trend through the first handful of practices. Monken also said that there hasn’t been more variance in the cadences of snap counts this week, either. “There really isn’t anything different other than were starting back up again and it’s hot and we have a number of guys going in the game,” he said. “Sometimes it’s the quarterback that takes a little bit of time at the line of scrimmage, more than he should, then all off a sudden you’re making calls at the line and you forget a different cadence. All those things are a part of it.” He added that there’s no reason that Baltimore can’t be “elite” with its cadence. Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has enjoyed having Jaire Alexander on the team so far. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) 1-on-1 highlights Training camp isn’t just about conditioning and running plays. The roughly two-hour long practices are broken down into different periods, focusing on specific areas of the game. Perhaps the most glamorous and entertaining of them is when players go one-on-one, with receivers and tight ends matching up against cornerbacks and safeties mano a mano. Saturday was no exception, as the session delivered a few fun plays. Unsurprisingly, two-time Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton shut down a pair of throws from backup Cooper Rush, first to Isaiah Likely, whom he was running stride-for-stride with, then Mark Andrews, whom he undercut to break up the pass after the tight end tried to juke him to the outside. Second-year wide receiver Devontez Walker, meanwhile, made a nice catch against cornerback Jaire Alexander on a comeback route, while receiver Rashod Bateman plucked one off the turf on a similar route with Marlon Humphrey on him in tight coverage. The referee called the play incomplete, though, and Bateman flung the ball away in disgust after an obvious catch, while Humphrey sarcastically dapped up the official for the call. Kicking update The kicking job is still to be determined between sixth-round draft pick Tyler Loop and undrafted free agent John Hoyland, but one thing that’s not debatable is that the ball comes off Loop’s foot with an authoritative thump. That was evident again Saturday. A day after only Loop kicked during practice, both men were in action, and Loop had the better day. Hoyland converted on kicks from 26, 34 and 36 yards but was wide right from 42. Loop, on the other hand, drilled all six attempts from 33, 33, 26, 34, 36 and 40 yards. How long will it be until a winner is decided? “You just let the guys go out and compete,” special teams coordinator Chris Horton Jr. said. “What [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] has these guys doing is gonna prepare for them. When the winner shows, it’s gonna show. How soon is that gonna be? I don’t know.” One possible timeline would be sometime between the Ravens’ first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts in just under two weeks and the second against the Washington Commanders nine days after that. More praise for the new guy Alexander has a reputation of being a bit brash. He described himself as a bit “weird” and knows that he brings a certain energy to the defense. So far, that’s been a welcome addition in Baltimore. “He’s everything we thought he would be and more,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. Kyle Hamilton said that his energy was something the defense needed. Humphrey added that he’s been fun to practice with. During Saturday’s practice, Alexander had a pass breakup on a throw to Tylan Wallace up the sideline. A bit of sticky defense (with help from a less-than-perfect throw) forced the ball incomplete and Alexander wagged his finger like Dikembe Mutombo. Teammates have started doing his patented seatbelt celebration too. “He brings energy, confidence, hard work and playmaking ability,” Orr said. “We go against our offense every day and they challenge our corners, especially on the outside. He’s done a great job. So we’ve been happy, pleased with him. He’s a great student of the game. I’m pleased with how fast he’s picked up the system. … He can still play at a top level.” Related Articles Mike Preston: Best Ravens team ever? Let’s compare them. | COMMENTARY Ravens special teams coordinator explains thinking behind kicker battle Ravens observations: New-look secondary strapping in, standing out 43 thoughts on every Ravens defensive player in early days of training camp Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Attendance and injuries For the second consecutive day, the Ravens had perfect attendance outside of wide receiver Keith Kirkwood and the trio of expected absences: Safety Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles tendon), on the physically unable to perform list, as well as linebacker Jake Hummel and rookie offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr., both on the non-football injury list. There were two notable cornerbacks on Saturday who did not fully participate. Chide Awuzie, who has a long injury history, spent most of Friday on the sideline. Harbaugh said that the 30-year-old is “fine” and that “he’ll be OK.” Awuzie did not participate in live scrimmage situations. He was seen running on the far field by himself. Ravens rookie Bilhal Kone also appeared to leave practice and did not return. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. Ravens’ Lamar Jackson takes selfies with fans after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens’ Lamar Jackson signs autographs for fans after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens’ Lamar Jackson signs autographs for fans after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins has been an early standout in camp for his sticky coverage. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey has enjoyed having Jaire Alexander on the team so far. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens wide-receiver Anthony Miller works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, right, speaks with wide-receiver Anthony Miller, left, during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens wide-receiver Malik Cunningham makes a catch during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr speaks with media after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens special team coordinator Chris Horton speaks with media after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken speaks with media after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens’ Mark Andrews signs autographs for military fans after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens running back Derrick Henry works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens running back Justice Hill works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens running back Derrick Henry works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens coach Tee Martin, second left, walks with his quarterbacks, from left, Lamar Jackson, Devin Leary and Cooper Rush during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, throws as backup Devin Leary, left, looks on during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, works out in front of quarterback coach Tee Martin during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens quarterbacks from right, Lamar Jackson, Devin Leary and Cooper Rush work out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson works out during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Show Caption1 of 21Ravens’ Lamar Jackson takes selfies with fans after training camp work out at Under Armour Performance Center. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Expand View the full article

Ravens decision-makers won’t figure out who their next kicker is based solely on which one drives the ball through the uprights more often during training camp over the next few weeks. There’s a tad more nuance than that, according to special teams coordinator Chris Horton. If it were so simple, Tyler Loop would be leading in the polls. The first kicker drafted in Ravens history made all 23 of his field goal attempts during the first week of training camp in Owings Mills. His challenger, undrafted rookie John Hoyland, has converted 16 of 18 attempts, including a 42-yard miss on Saturday. “When the winner shows,” Horton said, “it’s gonna show.” Horton didn’t reveal any specific timeline for when he hopes that might happen. They’ll both get valuable work, he said, in practice and in preseason games — which implies that Baltimore might go into the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 7 with two options. What goes into one player emerging from the two-man pack? “It’s all about consistency in everything that we do,” Horton said. “Especially at that position. We want to see kicks made, right? We want to see good foot-to-ball contact. There’s a process about how these guys are going about it and where they’re kicking from and where they’re kicking in practice and the things that [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] is talking to these guys about every day. “One might look more powerful than the other,” Horton added, “but the kicks are there.” Fans making the trip to the Under Armour Performance Center have been treated to something they haven’t seen since 2012. Even with Loop as the front-runner, it’s the first kicking competition since the now-embroiled Justin Tucker’s rookie year. In May, the Ravens released Tucker for in what they called a “football decision,” a reference to the down year the NFL’s most accurate kicker endured in 2024. The release, and complementary decision to draft Loop in the sixth round in April, came on the heels of a months-long league investigation into several sexual misconduct allegations brought against Tucker earlier this year. In late June, the 35-year-old kicker was suspended by the NFL for the first 10 weeks of the regular season. He can serve the suspension despite not being on a roster. If a team so chooses, he would be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games. The suspension takes effect on Aug. 26, and Tucker can be reinstated on Nov. 11. The Ravens are rightfully more concerned with the kicking competition brewing in Owings Mills. Through four days of practice, each kicker has taken one day off. “It’s all about consistency in everything that we do,” Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Loop entered training camp as the odds-on favorite. His workload reflects that. Despite an imperfect performance at rookie minicamp and organized team activities, he has been sharp the first week of full-team practice. Loop hasn’t missed a kick in three days of situational attempts. His best was a 63-yard make to end his practice on Friday and a 68-yarder without a defense that the team caught on camera. “It was a good test day,” Harbaugh said after Friday’s practice. “He had kicks kind of situationally all week, and then to come out here and take it deep like that is a good day.” Added Horton: “With Tyler, the thing we understand is when we brought him in and we looked at him, the dude has a strong leg. Technically, he’s sound. He kicks the ball the way we want to kick the ball. He’s been consistent. And that’s what we’re looking for.” Hoyland, the kicker vying to knock off Loop, hasn’t been a slouch either. He’s just slightly off perfection, which can be troubling for a positional battle with razor-thin margins. Related Articles Ravens observations: New-look secondary strapping in, standing out 43 thoughts on every Ravens defensive player in early days of training camp Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Ravens observations: Too many tight ends? Not on this team. Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy knows clock is ticking, but doesn’t plan to slow down Hoyland made all nine attempts during his first full kicking day Thursday. Two of them were from 40-plus. Putting his cleats back on Saturday, he made three of four. His last attempt was a 42-yarder that sailed wide right. But Horton noted how consistent Hoyland was in college and how he has fit the mold of someone who can compete with Loop. “It’s all about foot the ball, kicking a straight ball,” Horton said. “And the axis of the ball — the ball is turning. We want the ball to be straight every time. That’s what we’re working for. That’s been a big improvement since the spring, and I think both guys have gotten a lot better at doing that.” The two kickers have been seen wearing a GoPro atop their helmets this week. Harbaugh said it’s “a little bit new.” The point-of-view camera offers additional insight with a direct angle to study foot placement, swing plane, hold patterns and other positional minutiae. So each practice means tracking kicks and placement and body language. All of that has made for an interesting bit of training camp theater. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t looking ahead just three days into training camp. “It’s not too big picture right now,” he said Friday. “It’s a lot of little things.” But on a day when the temperature soared near triple digits in Owings Mills, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s accuracy was a tad cold on some of those little things. To borrow from A.I., the great philosopher and former NBA star Allen Iverson, it’s just practice. If there’s a player coaches and teammates aren’t worried about, it’s the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, who is coming off career highs in touchdown passes and passing yards. Jackson also, of course, did make some nice throws, connecting with Rashod Bateman on a couple of passes over the middle in 11-on-11 play. New receiver DeAndre Hopkins also bailed him out twice, pulling in one crossing throw that was slightly behind him as he had a step on cornerback Jaire Alexander and then making a sliding grab on an off-the-mark throw during 7-on-7 work with cornerback T.J. Tampa trailing. The only player to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 900 in the same season, Jackson also had a nifty run in which he faked the toss one way then broke the other, leaving the edge defender in his wake. Unlike earlier in the week, when Jackson was able to connect with Bateman on a 60-yard touchdown with the receiver getting behind Nate Wiggins, the two were unable to link up on a similar play this time. Bateman had a step on Wiggins again, but with the ball underthrown, the speedy corner was able to close the gap and swat it away. As Bateman came to a jog, he extended his arms, a signal for Jackson to get the ball deeper as he had earlier in the week. Where’s Mike Green? A year ago, Mike Green led college football with 17 sacks. Through the first few days of camp, the controversial edge rusher out of Marshall who fell to the second round because of a pair of sexual assault allegations is still looking for his first. It’s early, but he hasn’t been close to getting to the quarterback, no matter who has been in. On one play Friday, Green raced into the backfield only to get gobbled up by undrafted rookie fullback Lucas Scott. On another, he got off the line quickly and sped by rookie fifth-round tackle Carson Vinson, but the former Alabama A&M standout still kept him away from the quarterback on what should have been a pressure, if not a sack. Ravens linebackers Mike Green, left, and Chandler Martin run a drill Friday. Green has struggled to make an impact thus far at practice. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Green’s speed and quickness are obvious, but so far he hasn’t registered more than maybe a single pressure. On Monday, players will be in pads for the first time. Green, who is expected to be a significant contributor in Baltimore’s pass rush this season, will be worth watching to see if he’s able to dial it up. Tyler Loop’s best day Tyler Loop has kicked at two of three training camp practices, sandwiching a scheduled day off Thursday, and has been perfect both days. But Friday’s session featured the first real look at the rookie’s boot, as he connected from 60-plus yards out. Loop first took four attempts in red zone situations. The offense would run a play, then trot out the field goal unit. Those were all inside 25-yard attempts. After that, Loop ripped one kick after another. He nailed five tries between 30 and 45 yards, inching back with each effortless make. Then came the real test. Loop fired a kick from 63 yards away off the right hash. It split the uprights with a few extra yards to spare, much to the delight of his teammates, coaches and the onlooking fans suffering through the July heat. The Ravens also said on their team website that Loop converted a 68-yard attempt on the opposite field on a non-team drill. After a solid, but not overly impressive minicamp and OTAs, which included one 60-plus-yard miss, Friday was Loop’s best kicking day of the offseason’s open practice portion. Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop has been perfect so far in training camp, including a 63-yard field goal Friday. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Strap in Whether Jaire Alexander invented it is up for debate. But during the veteran cornerback’s time in Green Bay, he certainly popularized what is known colloquially as the seatbelt celebration. The hand-across-the-chest move that mimics strapping in a seatbelt — a reference to strapping down a receiver — is popping up in the early days of Ravens camp. Alexander debuted it Wednesday after breaking up a pass from backup Cooper Rush. On Friday, Marlon Humphrey whacked the ball out of tight end Isaiah Likely’s hands, stood up and promptly clipped the imaginary seatbelt to his waist. Then Wiggins, on his second pass breakup of a productive practice, did the signature celebration alongside Alexander. Safety Kyle Hamilton was asked if he might get in on the big play fête. He thought about it for a second and decided maybe if it was a crazy play. Either way, the All-Pro safety has enjoyed the extra juice. “We probably needed some of that,” Hamilton said. “Guys can be a little eccentric at times. I’m more even keeled so I need that brought out of me a little bit. Jaire does that for us. Everybody follows his lead when it comes to the energy. He’s only been here three practice days but everybody can feel the difference with him here.” ‘Miles ahead of where I was’ Hamilton was the 14th overall draft pick in 2022 and finished his rookie year with the highest Pro Football Focus grade by a first-year Ravens defender in the previous 16 years. He ascended to All-Pro status by his sophomore season and has been awarded two Pro Bowl bids in three seasons. Hamilton believes that first-round pick Malaki Starks is “miles ahead of where I was at that point.” “One, he’s just uber-talented,” Hamilton said of the former Georgia star. “He does amazing stuff without even trying and probably doesn’t even know that he’s doing it. He’s just so instinctual. And he’s that little holding him back but that’s just cause he hasn’t been in it a long time. Once that clicks, he’ll be a great player.” Hamilton said that his rookie counterpart knows the playbook better than he did at that time, he’s confidently talking through plays and he’s a sponge in meeting rooms. “He’s generous,” Starks said with a smile. Starks hauled in his first interception of training camp Thursday, his first time picking off Jackson. Beyond the one highlight, he’s looked comfortable in live situations. Starks said that he often goes right to Hamilton trying to make sense of different scenarios. “He’s so smart,” said Starks, who himself was lauded for his football IQ throughout the draft process. “You think you know football until you get around people who know football and you realize you don’t know that much about football.” Wiggins stands out If there was a player the day belonged to, it was Wiggins. In the first 11-on-11 period, he broke in on a short pass to Anthony Miller and nearly intercepted Jackson. A moment later, he crashed in to blow up a sweep play. Later, he tracked down Bateman on Jackson’s deep ball and easily poked it away. Even with adding a few pounds, the listed 182-pound Wiggins is still rail thin, but he has been sticky in coverage and can fly. “I think he’s gonna be one of the best in the league,” Hamilton said. “He’s one of those guys that’s not afraid to line up against whoever. “Today especially, he’s competing at a high level. He’s done that the past three days. … I think he’s probably gonna have one of the bigger jumps from last year to this year than anybody on the team.” Related Articles 43 thoughts on every Ravens defensive player in early days of training camp Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Ravens observations: Too many tight ends? Not on this team. Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy knows clock is ticking, but doesn’t plan to slow down READERS RESPOND: Fans think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL Injuries and attendance Last season, the Ravens were comfortably the healthiest team in the NFL with an adjusted games lost of just 16.3, per FTN Fantasy. That’s mostly been the case through the first week of training camp, too. Hopkins, who missed Thursday’s session after landing awkwardly on his knee, was back on the field Friday and made a couple of nice grabs. Meanwhile, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie spent most of the day on the sideline during team play, but Harbaugh said that the 30-year-old veteran, has a long injury history, is “fine” and that “he’ll be OK.” The only new absence, meanwhile, was fellow receiver Keith Kirkwood. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens’ first training camp practice was Wednesday, and with the regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills just months away, The Baltimore Sun offered thoughts on the 43 defensive players on the team’s roster. The offense’s version can be found here. Interior defensive line Nnamdi Madubuike Madubuike’s pressures, sacks and run stops all regressed last season after the team awarded him a four-year, $98 million extension. But the Ravens’ most proven lineman faced a high rate of double teams and still finished top 10 among defensive tackles in sacks. He’s primed for a bounce-back season. Travis Jones The pass-rushing defensive tackle had his best season in Baltimore last year, tallying a career-high 35 pressures from the interior, according to Pro Football Focus. Over 65% of his snaps come in pass-rush opportunities, which is among the highest in the league for defensive tackles. He’s entering a contract year and could earn a pay raise in the offseason. Aeneas Peebles The Ravens wanted more pass-rushing juice from their interior linemen, which is why they selected Peebles in the sixth round of April’s draft. The Athletic’s draft expert Dane Brugler had Peebles graded as a third- or fourth-round prospect. At just 6 feet and 288 pounds, the former Virginia Tech standout’s low-center of gravity helps his pocket-pushing ability. Broderick Washington The Texas Tech product has been a reliable option for Baltimore since he debuted in 2020. As a rotational player, Washington is solid as a run stopper and should continue to play alongside Madubuike on early downs. John Jenkins After Michael Pierce’s retirement, the Ravens needed a nose tackle to replace the 355-pound veteran. Enter Jenkins. The 6-3, 327-pound lineman is entering his 13th NFL season and will be playing for his seventh team. He played a career-high 609 defensive snaps with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, but he likely won’t be asked to play that large of a role with Travis Jones in the mix. Jayson Jones Jones, who was rated as the No. 1 offensive tackle in Alabama as a high schooler before switching positions, committed to Oregon before transferring to Auburn. He totaled 84 total tackles including four for loss, 1 1/2 sacks and a fumble recovery over three seasons with the Tigers. Adedayo Odeleye From Nigeria, Odeleye played for the Houston Texans’ practice squad for two seasons. Before that, he played for the Berlin Thunder in the European League of Football. C.J. Okoye Another defensive lineman with Nigerian heritage, Okoye has one of the best stories on the team. He was a part of the NFL Africa camp in Ghana in 2022 and then was invited to the NFL International combine in England, where he was eventually selected to the NFL’s International Pathway Program, which allocated him to a team. He played in the Los Angeles Chargers’ first preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams and recorded a sack in his first organized game of football. Okoye said afterwards that he didn’t know what a sack was until after the game. Edge rushers Odafe Oweh Oweh added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason to increase his power off the edge. He had a strong season last year, setting career highs in sacks and pressures as well as ranking 17th among edge rushers in pass rush win-rate, per ESPN analytics. But almost all of his pressures came with speed rushes. With plenty of young edge defenders in waiting, Oweh could price himself out of Baltimore with a strong season. Kyle Van Noy It’s not often that a player in his 11th season in the league has a breakout campaign, but Van Noy’s 56 pressures last season were the second most of his career. He’s reliable, can play on every down and is one of the vocal leaders on the team. The 34-year-old is a perfect fit in the edge room. Kyle Van Noy chats during Ravens training camp in 2024. The pass rusher had a career season in 2024, reaching double-digit sacks. (Staff file) Mike Green Green slid in the draft because of two accusations of sexual assault against him. He’s one of the most talented pass rushers in the rookie class and could make an immediate impact in Baltimore as a rotational edge rusher. Green racked up 17 sacks with Marshall in his final college season. David Ojabo The 2022 second-round pick hasn’t found his footing in Baltimore. He was a healthy scratch in four games last season and failed to play in more than 50% of the team’s defensive snaps in a game after Week 2. Entering a contract year, Ojabo has one more chance to make an impact with the Ravens. Tavius Robinson The 2023 fourth-round pick took a leap in his second season, registering 13 pressures. There is a firm belief within the Ravens’ pass rush room that Robinson is tracking toward a breakout year. Pass rush coach Chuck Smith called Robinson a “bona fide pass rusher” and John Harbaugh said that he’s established himself as a three-down player in December. Adisa Isaac Isaac was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft but was limited during his first training camp and was eventually placed on the non-football injury list. He showed a lot of pass rushing juice at Penn State, which could help Baltimore. Diwun Black The former Florida and Temple player was unproductive in college but has some strong athletic traits. In 2021, he was the No. 1-rated junior college recruit according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Malik Hamm A Baltimore native, Hamm has had some horrible injury luck. The City College graduate has suffered two season-ending knee injuries in consecutive seasons, which prevented him from potentially making the roster both years. Kaimon Rucker Rucker signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina. He has some bend and was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference in 2023. Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith practices during the team’s minicamp in June. Smith made it a goal to show up to training camp in better shape in 2025 compared to previous seasons. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Linebackers Roquan Smith The unquestioned stalwart of the Ravens’ defense, Smith led the team in tackles (154) and wore the green dot as the on-field communicator. But it was also a down season by his standards. PFF ranked Smith as just the 86th best linebacker in the NFL last season with a mark of 65.2. Through his first nine games, he had only one tackle for loss, no sacks or quarterback hits, and three pass breakups. Smith acknowledged that his play last year did not match his goals, and he said that health and covering for others’ mistakes were the main reasons. Expect a bounce-back year for the 2018 first-round pick. Trenton Simpson After Patrick Queen left last offseason, Simpson was expected to be a breakout candidate. Instead, his snaps completely dwindled after the midway point of the season and he was benched. But with Malik Harrison and Chris Board departing in free agency, Harbaugh said that Simpson is the first in line to fill the void. It’s a big season ahead for the former Clemson star. Teddye Buchanan The fourth-round rookie led California in tackles and stops for loss in his final college season. A former high school quarterback, the 6-2, 235-pound Buchanan can be a strong depth piece and also play on special teams in his first season. Jay Higgins IV Cut from the mold of old-school Iowa linebackers, Higgins was the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year in 2024. He racked up 341 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles with the Hawkeyes, but the 6-2, 232-pound Higgins does not have great lateral movement and struggled in zone coverage in college. He’s on the roster bubble and seems like a strong candidate for the practice squad. Chandler Martin Martin transferred from East Tennessee State to Memphis and was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference. He had eight tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery in the Tigers’ win over Florida State. Jake Hummel Hummel set the Rams’ record for preseason tackles in 2022 and played for the team for three seasons. The 6-1, 227-pound linebacker was a special teams standout, making eight tackles in 2024 and blocking a punt that led to a touchdown. William Kwenkeu Baltimore signed Kwenkeu to its practice squad in 2024, adding training camp depth at a thin position. Cornerbacks Nate Wiggins There weren’t many rookie cornerbacks better than Wiggins last year. The 2024 first-round pick had 13 passes defensed and allowed a 47.8% completion rate when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. If he becomes a true No. 1 boundary corner, the Ravens’ secondary has the potential to be the best in the NFL. Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown this past season. Wiggins is a projected starter at cornerback entering 2025, with the Ravens hopeful the second-year player can blossom into one of the NFL's best. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Jaire Alexander After quarterback Lamar Jackson advocated for the team to sign his former college teammate, the Ravens added him just days later. The former Green Bay Packers star has been one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL since entering the league, and he’s got a chance to reestablish himself as a premier player. If Alexander is healthy, he’s a home run addition by general manager Eric DeCosta. Marlon Humphrey The longest tenured Ravens defender had one of the best seasons of his career last year. He’s thrived since moving to the nickel spot, which should continue this year with Alexander and Wiggins playing on the outside. Humphrey spoke this offseason about wanting Baltimore’s defense to return to the premiere defenses of the 2000s and how much time he’s spent in the facility. Jalyn Armour-Davis Armour-Davis has been impressive in offseason practices, often manning a starting outside cornerback position. Entering his fourth season in the league, the Alabama product could be the Ravens’ top cornerback reserve. He also has the ability to play safety. Chidobe Awuzie Awuzie had one of the worst seasons of his career last year, according to PFF. He played in only eight games for the Titans, who released him just one-year into his three-year, $36 million contract. As a backup with positional versatility, the 30-year-old Awuzie has a chance to be a versatile depth piece. Bilhal Kone The rookie’s story is filled with perseverance. He grew up in poverty, lost his younger brother to cancer and had to move away from his family. Kone led Western Michigan in passes defended each of the past two years and was ranked as the No. 14 cornerback in the 2024 class, according to The Athletic. He’ll be competing against fellow rookie Robert Longerbeam and 2024 fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa to make the 53-man roster. T.J. Tampa Tampa was viewed as a draft steal in the 2024 class, but he did not make an impact as a rookie. The former Iowa State star did make a plethora of excellent plays during OTAs, including an interception during a red zone drill. The 6-1, 199-pound defensive back needs his strong play to continue in training camp to beat out Armour-Davis or the pair of rookies. Robert Longerbeam The other sixth-round rookie cornerback, Longerbeam was a three-year starter at Rutgers who led the team in passes defended in three of the past four seasons. He ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine but is only 175 pounds. Reuben Lowery It will be tough for an undrafted rookie to make the team in a crowded secondary, but Lowery seems to have the best chance. The 5-foot-9, 204-pound corner from Chattanooga is small but extremely physical. Keyon Martin Another sub-6-foot cornerback, Martin is an undrafted rookie out of Louisiana. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. Marquise Robinson Robinson transferred from South Alabama to Arkansas and registered seven pass breakups with the Razorbacks. He started in eight games and will be battling for a spot on the practice squad. Safety Kyle Hamilton One of the NFL’s top safeties since entering the league, Hamilton is a true wildcard. But after the Ravens’ secondary struggled mightily at the beginning of the 2024 season, he shifted to a different role. He played as the deep safety more than 50% of the time over the second half of the season, a 32% increase from the beginning of the year. But with Malaki Starks expected to fill the free safety slot, Hamilton can return to being the game-wrecking chess piece who plays all over the defense. Malaki Starks The prized first-round pick of the Ravens’ draft class, Starks has immediately assumed a starting spot during offseason practices. He’s mature, ball-savvy and communicative for a rookie. The Georgia product could be in the mix for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Related Articles Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Ravens observations: Too many tight ends? Not on this team. Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy knows clock is ticking, but doesn’t plan to slow down READERS RESPOND: Fans think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL 43 thoughts on every Ravens offensive player as training camp begins Beau Brade Brade was one of the top stories during last year’s camp, making the roster as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland. The second-year player from River Hill is battling for the third safety position with Sanoussi Kane. Brade played in the box at Maryland and is a downhill, physical safety who typically defends the run well. Sanoussi Kane Kane has a strong athletic profile, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at 210 pounds. The Ravens picked him in the seventh round in 2024 and he will compete with Brade for the third safety role. Desmond Igbinosun A physical safety, the 6-2, 223-pound Igbinosun totaled 186 tackles at Rutgers. He set the team record for tackles for loss in a Big Ten game with four against Michigan State. Keondre Jackson An undrafted rookie from Illinois State, Jackson was named to the Senior Bowl after earning FCS All-American honors. He’s got a strong chance to make the practice squad. Ar’Darius Washington Washington’s Achilles tendon injury will likely hold him out for the entirety of the regular season. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

The jawing was friendly, but Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander wasn’t backing down. He wanted a piece of tight end Mark Andrews. But the one-on-one drill during Thursday afternoon’s practice came to an end too soon, leaving the juicy matchup to the imagination, if not another day. “What I like most is his swag to the game,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said of his new defensive backfield mate. “I think confidence is the biggest key you can have at corner. “He’s a perfect fit for our secondary.” So far, Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, has been getting acclimated to his new teammates, surroundings and the defense. It was just the second day of training camp, and Alexander, who was released by the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, didn’t sign with Baltimore until the final day of mandatory minicamp in June, when players broke until earlier this week. Still, he’s made his presence known on the field. On Wednesday, he had a couple of pass breakups and was on the receiving end of a dime from his former college teammate, quarterback Lamar Jackson, who didn’t waste any time connecting with new receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a back-shoulder fade up the sideline. Hopkins was ruled out of bounds, but Alexander, who was in tight coverage, bowed in appreciation. “I’m in love, what can I say?” Alexander said Thursday of his early impressions of the Ravens in what was his first meeting with reporters since signing a one-year, $4 million contract that’s worth up to $6 million with incentives that are mostly centered around his ability to stay healthy. Staying healthy has been a big if, though. Alexander, 28, has missed at least 10 games in three of the past four seasons. Last season, he appeared in just seven games because of quadriceps and knee injuries. After Thursday’s 2-hour session he said, “physically, I’m great.” Mentally, too, it seems. “It’s definitely a different culture here,” he said. While Alexander did not elaborate on what was an ugly exit from Green Bay, it’s hardly surprising that he is thrilled to be reunited with Jackson. “That’s my boy,” he said. “We was always talking about this.” He also acknowledged that he might not have signed with Baltimore if not for the quarterback. “That’d be tough man,” he said, pondering the question. “I probably would’ve explored more options. But that’s my boy and I wanna win [a Super Bowl] with him.” Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander catches a pass during training camp. When healthy, Alexander is one of the NFL's top cornerbacks and a likely starter for the Ravens. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Even with Jackson pleading for general manager Eric DeCosta to sign Alexander the moment he came available and the signing taking place the following day, it at least took some thought. Alexander drew interest from about a dozen teams. He also wanted to play for a contender and where the “vibes” fit his unique personality. Check and check. “Vibes never lie,” Alexander said. “I’m big on energy, energy exchange. I got good vibes here. They wanted me here. They cared. That played the biggest part in it.” It didn’t take long, Alexander said, to notice that things are “different” compared with his first seven years in Green Bay. Recently, some Ravens players have rekindled breakfast club workouts, a tradition started by former Ravens safety Eric Weddle. A group of about eight, including Humphrey and Alexander, gather at 6 a.m. in the team’s weight room. If a player gets there at 6:01, Humphrey said, it’s too late. The idea is to create an environment where everything matters, with accountability being important. “We work hard here,” Alexander said. “The workouts are intense.” As for Alexander’s role, that’s still to be determined, but his addition gives the Ravens plenty of flexibility in the secondary, including using Humphrey more in the slot, where he was an All-Pro last season, and playing more match-ups depending on the game and opposing receivers. It also provides depth with injuries inevitable. “I’m embracing any role here,” Alexander said. “My goal, and I know the team’s goal, is to win the Super Bowl, so however we can do that. What does he provide in that goal? “I’m gonna bring that energy and that juice,” he said. “Everything else will fall into place.” Related Articles Ravens observations: Too many tight ends? Not on this team. Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy knows clock is ticking, but doesn’t plan to slow down READERS RESPOND: Fans think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL 43 thoughts on every Ravens offensive player as training camp begins This photographer shoots from the stands. Ravens players love his work. He added that he “loves” the Ravens’ potential, and being around Humphrey, who Alexander said might be more weird than him. Alexander also spent time watching tape of old Ravens games, including one from two years ago when an agitated Humphrey mixed it up with a couple of Steelers defensive linemen during a game in Pittsburgh. It’s no wonder then that Alexander and Humphrey have jelled. Alexander also said he didn’t circle Week 17 on his calendar, which is when Baltimore travels to Green Bay to face his former team. “I circle every week,” he said. “Everybody’s gonna get it.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

The Ravens have a problem a lot of teams in the NFL would welcome. They have five tight ends on the roster and three of them — Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar — are really good. It was intriguing on Day 2 of training camp Thursday to watch how the Ravens would rotate them, but the team has different formations. The catch of the day belonged to Likely, who made a one-handed grab on a pass across the middle from Lamar Jackson, easily turned the corner and took off for what would have been a 65-yard touchdown. But throughout Thursday’s practice, all three quarterbacks used the tight ends on different formations, both inside and outside of the red zone, as well as in the 7-on-7 period. One of my favorite plays was a toss to running back Derrick Henry with Kolar leading the way. That’s a sign of versatility while also using Henry’s great vision. Rookie watch Training camp is only two days old, but rookie safety Malaki Starks, the first-round pick out of Georgia, has been impressive. Not only does he play well on the back end of the secondary, but he breaks on the ball extremely well. He knocked down one pass intended for Kolar and then intercepted what looked like an arm punt from Jackson late in the team period. There is talk that Starks is the best safety to come out of college since the Ravens took Kyle Hamilton in the first round out of Notre Dame in the 2022 draft. First impressions It wasn’t an exceptional day for newly acquired cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was beat for a long touchdown down the right sideline by Devontez Walker. First of all, let’s give Walker credit. The second-year receiver out of North Carolina has played well though offseason workouts and so far in training camp. As for Alexander, he has looked good so far in practice. He backpedals well, can sit down with receivers and recovers quickly. The 28-year-old veteran against the 24-year-old Walker is one of the better matchups in training camp. Injury updates While on the subject of receivers, veteran DeAndre Hopkins didn’t practice because of a knee injury he suffered on a hard landing in Wednesday’s opening practice. The injury is not believed to be serious. Also, slot receiver Zay Flowers was at full-tilt in practice for the second straight day after suffering what appeared to be either a knee or ankle injury on Wednesday that forced him to miss about 10 minutes of practice. Flowers was at his artful best catching several short passes and easily juking defenders. He is by far one of the best open-field runners after the catch in the NFL. Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie is competing to start next to Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Secondary shaping up Receiver Rashod Bateman ran an out-and-up against cornerback Nate Wiggins that resulted in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Jackson. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player tried to make the same play versus Wiggins on the next snap, but the second-year player wasn’t fooled and knocked down Jackson’s pass intended for receiver Keith Kirkwood. Wiggins might only be in his second season, but he’s no fool and could become one the best at his position in the NFL. Because of his ability, he might not get tested a lot this season with Chidobe Awuzie, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Alexander competing to play on the opposite side. The Ravens had Armour-Davis playing over the slot at times during Thursday’s practice and even blitzed him a couple of times off the edge. This is a big season for Armour-Davis, as well as outside linebacker David Ojabo. Both are about to enter their fourth seasons before entering free agency. Offensive line battle Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees both took snaps with the first-team offense at left guard Thursday, but Vorhees seems better suited for the position. Why? Neither are great pass blockers, but Vorhees is more versatile and durable. Play of the day The best overall play of the day was middle linebacker Roquan Smith running stride-for-stride with running back Justice Hill down the left sideline and knocking down a long pass. The Kansas City Chiefs exposed Smith’s inability to cover in the season opener a year ago and several teams attacked him in similar fashion in the early part of the season. Smith, though, regrouped and appeared to get in better shape deeper into the year. Pass rush intrigue When watching the Ravens do sled work, no one rocks it harder than 6-foot-4, 341-pound Travis Jones, the fourth-year defensive lineman out of Connecticut. When he strikes it, the earth moves. Outside linebacker and third-year player Tavius Robinson also showed good technique and explosion. Also of interest, fifth-year outside linebacker Odafe Oweh is thicker across the chest but appears to be not as quick as a year ago. It will be interesting to see what weight he plays at during the season. He is listed at 6-5 and 265 pounds. Kicker watch With sixth-round kicker Tyler Loop sitting out, presumably for a scheduled day off, undrafted rookie John Hoyland went 9-for-9 on his field goal attempts. Three were from 40-plus, and one was from 50-plus. Hoyland was wearing a GoPro camera on his helmet, which coach John Harbaugh said allows coaches to see what he’s looking at and different angles of his leg. Related Articles Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy knows clock is ticking, but doesn’t plan to slow down READERS RESPOND: Fans think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL 43 thoughts on every Ravens offensive player as training camp begins This photographer shoots from the stands. Ravens players love his work. Draft gem? If you want to see quickness, keep an eye on rookie defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech. He is getting better with the spin move and did a lot of work with pass-rush specialist Chuck Smith before the beginning of practice. Still getting better One of the best improvements from Jackson is his ability to drift to the left, even with a soft shuffle, keep his eyes down the field and complete the pass. The eighth-year veteran couldn’t do that earlier in his career. In fact, he wasn’t very good rolling to his left at all. It’s all part of his development as a top-tier quarterback. Baltimore Sun reporter Sam Cohn contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Kyle Van Noy knows he isn’t LeBron James or Steph Curry. The 34-year-old Ravens linebacker won’t be playing as long as two of the NBA’s oldest superstars, ages 40 and 37, respectively. Van Noy’s career clock is ticking. But as far as he’s concerned, he can play as long as he wants to. “That’s my mindset,” he said, after Thursday’s training camp practice in Owings Mills. “I thought about it a lot this offseason. I’m just grateful to continue to play. My body’s still good and I can play at a high level.” Van Noy is coming off the most productive of his 11-year career. The one-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion led all Baltimore pass rushers with 12.5 sacks — the first double-digit sack season of his career, worthy of a Chuck Smith-branded hoodie. Baltimore has emboldened him as a pass rusher, he has said before, more than any of his four prior stops. Van Noy still believes he’s one of the best at the position in the league. He logged the fourth-most sacks in the NFL and his pass rush win rate (16%) last year was top 20. He also finished top 20 in quarterback hits (9) and total pressures (52), per Pro Football Focus. Still, PFF ranked him as the 30th best EDGE rusher entering 2025. Van Noy didn’t contemplate retirement this offseason. But there was some internal dialogue about the state of his career and current situation. It’s been an “interesting offseason,” he said. Van Noy was asked to clarify that adjective. “There’s just other situations where I feel I’m very valuable,” he said. “And some people think I’m more valuable than others.” This season is the last on Van Noy’s two-year, $9 million deal. He’s set to make $3.75 million in 2025, carrying a $6.1 million cap hit — by all accounts a bargain for Baltimore considering his 21 1/2 combined sacks the past two seasons. Van Noy is also the oldest pass rusher in a group that includes 26-year-old Odafe Oweh, who logged double-digit sacks last season and is also entering a contract year; Tavius Robinson, who has gotten rave reviews from his coaches about his development; and now rookie second-round pick Mike Green. But Van Noy said he’s grateful to be with his Ravens teammates. He wants to insert himself a bit more to help uplift the younger guys. And he would love to celebrate a win in February under confetti alongside his family. Van Noy told The Sun back in February that he knows he can still play at a high level. “It’s something where they have to make a decision, too,” referring to Ravens decision makers. General manager Eric DeCosta said during his end-of-season news conference that Van Noy “comes to work every day with a great attitude, he’s a leader, and he’s a fun storyline this year for us.” Ravens coach John Harbaugh sees no signs of slowing down from Van Noy. Related Articles Ravens’ Jaire Alexander leaves Packers in the past: ‘I got good vibes here’ Ravens observations: Too many tight ends? Not on this team. READERS RESPOND: Fans think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL 43 thoughts on every Ravens offensive player as training camp begins This photographer shoots from the stands. Ravens players love his work. “Guys play until they can’t,” Harbaugh said. “He’s playing great. He’s still playing at a high level. So all these other narratives, the age narrative, it’s all nothing.” In March, Van Noy completed a 72-hour water fast. In other words, he only drank water for three days — no meals, no snacks, no other drinks. Just H2O. He wrote on X that he “ate real good” on vacation and needed the reset. UFC CEO Dana White was the inspiration, and he saw a few others online try it. Outside of some headaches, Van Noy said the water fast had him feeling brand new. He shed a handful of pounds. The chicken, caesar salad and vegetables after the three days helped get him back on track. Diet aside, the secret to playing at the level he has been able to the past two seasons, at his age, he said, is being “built different from a lot of kids these days” and “part of an old school cloth.” Van Noy has always considered himself a valuable asset, albeit an underrated one. ESPN did not include him in its top-10 EDGE rushers, nor was he one of four honorable mentions or among the seven who also received votes. He scoffs at that stuff. But it’s certainly fair to question whether he can repeat such a productive year entering the twilight of a long career. “The end is closer than the beginning, I know that. Everybody knows that,” Van Noy said. “But I can play as long as I want.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

We asked readers who they think is the best team in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. The Ravens are among the franchises beginning training camp this week, and they open their 2025 season on Sept. 7 against the Buffalo Bills. Here are the results from our online poll: Ravens — 62% (97 votes) Eagles — 21% (33 votes) Chiefs — 9% (14 votes) Bills — 3% (5 votes) Lions — 3% (4 votes) Other — 2% (3 votes) Rams — 0% (0 votes) Here’s what some fans told us about the NFL’s best teams (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar): Dallas will be better this year. America’s team! — Jeff The Ravens have the best and deepest roster. But they need to be the best in the playoffs or it will be another disappointing finish. — Pat Kiernan The Ravens always have the best team. Makes you wonder why they don’t win the Super Bowl. — Rob Fickes Right now, it’s the Eagles. — Michael Andrews The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll View the full article

With Ravens training camp set to start this week, The Baltimore Sun offered a few thoughts on the 42 offensive players on the team’s roster. The 53-man roster will be finalized Aug. 26 before the Ravens’ regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Lamar Jackson One of the NFL’s biggest stars keeps finding new sources of motivation. Jackson was ranked as the league’s No. 4 quarterback in ESPN’s poll of NFL executives, coaches and scouts, behind the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow. The 28-year-old veteran is coming off a record season, albeit without an NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He was ranked as the most efficient quarterback in the NFL, both by expected points added and yards per attempt. Jackson threw 41 touchdown passes to just four interceptions, becoming the only quarterback in league history with those numbers. Baltimore’s Super Bowl hopes ultimately rest on his shoulders. Cooper Rush Rush signed a two-year deal worth up to $12.2 million this offseason, giving the Ravens their most proven backup in years. Despite looking mediocre in voluntary offseason practices, the 31-year-old Rush went 9-5 as a starter with the Dallas Cowboys and has offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s trust. Devin Leary The former Kentucky quarterback is aiming to potentially make the practice squad or the 53-man roster. The NFL allows teams to elevate a third quarterback from the practice squad for games, but that player would count against the game-day roster limit. Running back Derrick Henry “King Henry’s” 2024 season was perhaps the most impressive of his career, as he converted his 20.4 touches per game into 2,114 combined rushing and receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. That earned him a two-year, $30 million extension in the offseason and he should continue to get heavy usage. How the Ravens balance the 31-year-old’s workload with other talented running backs, including Keaton Mitchell in his return from injury, will be a storyline to watch. Justice Hill The Oklahoma State product has carved out a nice role in Baltimore as RB2. Hill was the Ravens’ best receiving back last season, catching 42 passes for 383 yards, both career highs. His usage could dwindle with Mitchell returning, but Jackson clearly trusts the 27-year-old out of the backfield. Keaton Mitchell After suffering a devastating knee injury in December 2023, Mitchell, 23, is looking to return to form as both a running back and potentially the Ravens’ kick returner. Mitchell reached 22.4 mph during an offseason workout inside the team’s practice facility, which is faster than his reported speed before the injury. “He looks way better than he did at the end of last season just as far as movement,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I have hopes for him. I expect him to be really good.” Rasheen Ali A fourth-round draft pick in 2024, Ali was a nonfactor last season. He played in just six games, recording 10 carries. The former Marshall standout has some juice, and his draft pedigree puts him squarely on the roster bubble. But with Henry and Hill entrenched in their roles, and Mitchell coming back, Ali’s chances are slim. Marcus Major The 24-year-old rookie signed as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota after playing five seasons at Oklahoma. He’s squarely fifth on the depth chart. Wide receiver Zay Flowers The Ravens’ No. 1 wideout missed last season’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, an underrated aspect of the loss. Flowers took a massive leap in his second season. The 24-year-old made the Pro Bowl, led the team in catches (74) and receiving yards (1,059) and was 16th in the NFL in yards per route run at 2.25. Baltimore wants to involve the third-year star even more: he had five or fewer targets in five games and had less than 50 receiving yards in eight regular-season contests. “We’ve just got to get him the ball more,” Monken said. “He’s an unbelievable football player. He’s not only an outside receiver that has elite route-running skills, but he’s unbelievable with the ball in his hands.” Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers works out during a June practice. Flowers has spent time working out with quarterback Lamar Jackson this offseason, building increased chemistry ahead of the 2025 season. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP) Rashod Bateman Bateman earned his third multiyear contract with the Ravens, becoming the first wideout in the team’s history to do so. Finally healthy, the 25-year-old was second in the league with one or more steps of separation while getting open, picked up 39 first downs, forced 10 missed tackles and had 26 catches of 15-plus yards, according to Pro Football Focus. If he can avoid the injury issues that have plagued his career, Bateman is a perfect complement to Flowers as the Ravens’ No. 2 receiver. DeAndre Hopkins Perhaps the biggest offseason addition on offense, the 33-year-old Hopkins is looking for a Super Bowl ring in Baltimore. While not the receiver he once was, the five-time All-Pro is still a big outside target who can allow for Flowers and Bateman to shift into the slot. Expect modest numbers but valuable contributions from the veteran this season. Tylan Wallace Wallace has never had more than 15 receptions, 200 yards or two touchdowns in a season, but he’s tied for the longest-tenured receiver on the team and can play in a pinch. The 26-year-old former Oklahoma State star brings punt returning experience, including a game-winning touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and could be the Ravens’ best option at that spot. Devontez Walker Walker, 24, played in just 11 games as a rookie and recorded one catch for a touchdown but has looked improved this offseason. He’s got the frame (6-1, 200 pounds) and speed (4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine) to be a depth piece and should make the roster. Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker leaves the field after a September practice. Walker was rarely used as a rookie, but he has impressed during offseason workouts. (Staff file) LaJohntay Wester The lightest player on the offense (170 pounds), Wester has a chance to make the roster on special teams. He’s a dynamic athlete, showcasing a ton of wiggle during OTAs. He took the majority of reps at punt returner during practices. His punt return average was 12 yards and his kick return average was 15 yards during his lone season at Colorado. Anthony Miller Miller made a spectacular one-handed catch during offseason practices, but the 30-year-old veteran is a known commodity at this point of his career. He’s played just two games over the past three seasons, both with the Ravens. Malik Cunningham Cunningham has one of the most interesting stories on the team. He was selected in the 2023 USFL draft, although he chose to bypass the regular season and signed an undrafted contract with the New England Patriots as a quarterback. The Ravens reunited him with Jackson, his former college teammate at Louisville, in 2024 and transitioned him back to wide receiver. The 26-year-old signed a reserve/future contract with the team in February. Keith Kirkwood Another big body, Kirkwood has been in the league since 2018. The Ravens signed the 30-year-old to the practice squad during training camp in 2024 and he seems destined for a similar role in 2025. Xavier Guillroy The undrafted free agent out of Arizona State recorded 43 catches for 565 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons with the Sun Devils. He posted a 39-inch vertical jump at his pro day, which could make for fun training camp catches. Dayton Wade Wade, a former Ole Miss standout, is a shifty athlete who is expected to back up Wester and Flowers during training camp. Jahmal Banks The 6-4, 220-pound Banks starred at St. Frances and then at Nebraska, where he led the Cornhuskers with 587 receiving yards in 2024. Tight end Mark Andrews Jackson publicly defended one of his closest teammates after Andrews received harsh criticism for his crucial playoff drop against the Bills. With a lengthy injury history, the 30-year-old veteran can’t be expected to play a full season. But when he’s on the field, Andrews is one of the league’s most consistent tight ends, finishing top 10 in yards, touchdowns and average depth of target at the position last year. From left, Ravens tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are shown during OTAs. The duo forms one of the best tight-end tandems in the NFL. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Isaiah Likely The 2022 fourth-rounder keeps improving. Likely’s six touchdowns were eighth in the league at his position and his yards per route run ranked top 15 among NFL tight ends. With another offseason, could this be the season the 25-year-old surpasses Andrews in the pecking order? Charlie Kolar Kolar, 26, is one of the best third tight ends in the game. He’s a strong blocker and should continue to get on the field in heavy packages and near the red zone. Sam Pitz Beyond the top three, the depth chart is unsettled. The undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota Duluth is a camp body with strong blocking experience. Zaire Mitchell-Paden The 25-year-old Rockville native was signed to the team’s practice squad in October but did not appear in a game. Offensive line Ronnie Stanley The 31-year-old left tackle made his second career Pro Bowl in 2024, which earned him a three-year, $60 million extension this offseason. Stanley is the longest tenured Raven and started all 17 games for the first time in his career last season. He did earn a career-high four holding penalties, which was a part of a larger penalty issue. Andrew Vorhees Vorhees, 26, is competing for the left guard spot, Harbaugh said. The Ravens scooped up the USC graduate in the seventh round of the 2023 draft and he started three games for them last season. After tearing his ACL in the predraft process, he looked fully healthy this offseason. Tyler Linderbaum With Lions center Frank Ragnow retiring this offseason, Linderbaum has a claim as the best center in the NFL. The 25-year-old has not allowed a sack since his rookie year, according to PFF, and was graded as the fourth-best run blocker at the position last season. Daniel Faalele Once the NFL’s heaviest player, the 370-pound Faalele was the 70th-rated guard last season, according to PFF. Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, right, talks with Roger Rosengarten, left, during 2024 training camp. Rosengarten performed well as a rookie and is the team's projected starting right tackle in 2025.(Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Roger Rosengarten Another young offensive lineman, Rosengarten was excellent as a rookie last year. He was named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team in 2024 and started 16 games at right tackle. Ben Cleveland The 26-year-old guard signed a one-year deal worth $1.17 million this offseason even after his playing time significantly dwindled. He played just 49 offensive snaps last year, the lowest of his career. Cleveland was cited for a DUI in Georgia over the offseason. Emery Jones Jr. The rookie has not practiced this offseason with a shoulder injury and Harbaugh said that he’s not expected to be ready for the start of training camp. Even if he were able to return, it’s difficult to imagine Jones earning the opportunity to start with such little practice time. Joe Noteboom A strong veteran signing, Noteboom started almost half of his games in his seven seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. The 30-year-old can play both tackle positions and has experience at guard. He’s the likely backup tackle to Rosengarten or Stanley. Carson Vinson The fifth-round rookie out of Alabama A&M impressed at the NFL scouting combine with his agility. The only HBCU draftee in 2025, Vinson has an opportunity to make a mark with Jones out. Garrett Dellinger The Ravens loaded up in the trenches during the draft. The LSU graduate played left tackle, left guard and center during his time with the Tigers and that positional versatility enhances his chances to make the roster. Nick Samac The center did not appear in any games in 2024 and should be in a battle for a backup role. He does have a year in the system, which should give him an advantage over other options. Related Articles This photographer shoots from the stands. Ravens players love his work. Ravens observations from opening practice of training camp What to expect in the Ravens’ kicker battle featuring rookie Tyler Loop Ravens QB Lamar Jackson not ‘trying to think about Super Bowl yet’ Ravens’ John Harbaugh on Trump White House visit: ‘I root for our president’ Darrian Dalcourt Dalcourt starred at St. Frances and committed to Alabama as a four-star recruit. He started 16 games at center for the Crimson Tide and signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024. Jared Penning Penning, the younger brother of 2022 first-round pick and current New Orleans Saints tackle Trevor Penning, was a standout at Northern Illinois. Corey Bullock The Maryland graduate transferred to the Terps for the final season of his college career. He was the only steady force amid a shaky offensive line and signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens. Gerad Lichtenhan The Oregon State left tackle was the Offensive Lineman of the Year in the two-team Pac-12 Conference and played in the East-West Shrine Bowl. He earned an 81.8 overall grade from PFF and committed just one penalty while giving up two sacks. Reid Holskey Holskey started 44 games at Miami (Ohio) and was named first-team All-MAC in 2024. Ozzie Hutchinson Hutchinson was named All-Coastal Athletic Association last fall despite playing just six games because of injuries. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Lamar Jackson prefers to work in private. During the offseason, the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player doesn’t post training montages or pictures from the gym like many of his counterparts around the league. There’s a vague smokescreen of mystery shielding Jackson’s football life from the time one season ends and the next begins. Earlier this month, Hassan Edwards, a Baltimore native and freelance photographer, got to break that veil. He was invited to South Florida — reaping two-plus-years haphazardly sneaking his camera into M&T Bank Stadium — to capture Jackson throwing passes to Zay Flowers. “I was just like, ‘Dang, that’s my favorite player in front of me,’” Edwards said. Edwards, a 23-year-old graduate of Baltimore City College then Baltimore City Community College, had a camera growing up because he admired the one his uncle had. But it was never anything he used seriously. Then a friend needed a favor: someone to shoot his brand event. After that, Edwards brought his camera to a friend’s high school football game. There was something about capturing a moment, tapping into his creativity, that clicked. That imaginative side of Edwards, an interest in multimedia storytelling, was always there, but he never had much of an outlet for it. That changed in 2018. Someone sent a Ravens hype video in their group chat. Edwards didn’t like the way it came together. So he made his own; an “Avengers” style mixtape that gained some traction on social media. Mixing NFL highlight tapes is “where my creative process came from,” he said. But it was barely a hobby, overshadowed by a life he wasn’t happy with. In 2021, Edwards felt himself spiraling. He was in school and working part-time at Home Depot, then Target. He didn’t have any discernible passions. Late 2022 was “probably the lowest I’ve ever been.” “Photography was something I could use to escape from all that,” Edwards said. “It just helped me distract my mind off everything.” He made it to a few home Ravens games in 2022. Game day photography became part of his weekly schedule by 2023, as he chronicled the No. 1 seed’s chase to an AFC North championship. Edwards’ pictures picked up steam on social media, enough so that when Rashod Bateman needed a photographer for a lifestyle shoot, someone recommended the local kid. Other players started to catch on, asking Edwards for game photos of themselves to post to their own social media accounts: Isaiah Likely, Nate Wiggins, Keaton Mitchell, Trenton Simpson and more. Lamar Jackson during a private workout in South Florida from early July. The two-time MVP quarterback doesn't post much from his offseason training. Hassan Edwards had the chance to capture some of the summer magic (Courtesy: Hassan Edwards). There are two pictures from last season that Edwards still speaks fondly of. First was from Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Edwards snapped the frame and showed it to his buddy. “I was like, ‘Ooh, I like this one.’” It was Jackson, his back to the camera, slamming on the brakes and propped up on his tippy toes like Michael Jackson, while two helpless defenders flew by. The other was a touchdown pass to Bateman against Cincinnati, more famous for Jackson turning away from the throw chucking up three fingers like it was a Steph Curry triple. “Somebody said my pictures always look like a lock screen,” Edwards said. “I do that on purpose as well. I leave space at the top. I’m not on the field. Since I’m not up close I can’t get the whole body and keep all the quality. I try to keep a certain style where you can see a story within it but you can also grab it and use it for your lock screen.” View the full article

The Ravens opened training camp for the 2025 season Wednesday with a 90-minute session that amounted to a glorified offseason practice — except the top players were in attendance. As expected, coach John Harbaugh declared it a good practice and certain things were clearly noticeable. It appeared that most of the players reported in good shape and were ready to go, even 6-foot-8, 370-pound starting right guard Daniel Faalele. Linebacker Jake Hummel, who will be out a week with a cut on his hand, was the only unexpected absence. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the coming days as the temperatures get hotter, but that’s plus for the offensive line. Other starters who looked good were veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who has rebuilt the lower half of his body recently, and second-year right tackle Roger Rosengarten, who looks bigger and thicker compared with his rookie campaign. The full pads go on Monday. Here’s what else we saw from the opening day of camp: Nice hands There were several top catches on Day 1. Even though he was out of bounds, veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins hauled in a one-handed, quick 15-yard out after the ball rolled along his back. Tight end Mark Andrews caught a long touchdown pass while streaking down the right hash mark. Andrews completed the play with a 20-yard run, something he couldn’t do last season. That’s a good sign. New-look secondary The Ravens used various starting combinations in the secondary, which included cornerbacks Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, Chidobe Awuzie and Jaire Alexander. The Ravens are hoping the injury-prone Alexander can stay healthy for an entire season and return to the form that made him one of the best in the NFL in 2020 and 2022. Alexander is cocky, and that’s desperately needed. He knocked down a pass intended for receiver Dayton Wade in the middle of practice and then did one of those signature celebrations. You didn’t see much of that last season when the Ravens had the No. 31-ranked pass defense in the NFL. I will wait to see if that happens consistently throughout training camp, but it was nice to see some swag back on defense from another player besides Humphrey. Ravens receivers didn’t get much separation Wednesday, but the defense is always ahead of the offense early in the season. Injury scare Fans were holding a collective breath when slot receiver Zay Flowers went down with either a knee or ankle injury after a catch along the left sideline during a 7-on-7 period. Flowers sat on a water cooler for about 10 minutes before returning to action. Within minutes of returning, he caught a short pass over the middle, made a jump cut and then juked past a defender, so apparently he was OK. Of course, we’ll see if he is on the field Thursday because a lot of swelling might occur overnight. Flowers, though, looked healthy. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews showed his speed on a long touchdown catch. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Missed opportunities The Ravens had two big misses in practice as second-year receiver Devontez Walker failed to hold onto a pass after diving over rookie cornerback Bilhal Kone and falling to the ground. Third-year running back Keaton Mitchell simply dropped a pass from backup quarterback Cooper Rush in what should have been a 40- to 50-yard touchdown reception. Mitchell is in a battle to be the third-down back with Justice Hill, but Hill’s ability to block gives him the edge in passing situations. Mitchell might have made the play if he didn’t stop running because he didn’t think that he was going to get the ball. Where’s the syrup? The pancake award goes to fullback Patrick Ricard, who easily knocked defensive end David Ojabo to the ground during a pass protection drill. I kept waiting for the late boxing announcer Howard Cosell to say “Down goes Frazier!” Ojabo won’t want to look at the film on that hit. Deal or no deal? With Lamar Jackson in training camp, the Ravens might finally be able to negotiate a new deal with the star quarterback. Everyone knows that Jackson has to be pinpointed, and there is no better time than with him practicing every day. This isn’t hard to figure out. Top-caliber quarterbacks rotate being the highest-paid player in the NFL, so Jackson will make more on his next deal than the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, who averages $60 million per year on his $240 million extension. Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard, left, and fullback Lucas Scott clash during a drill. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Kicker watch The rookie kickers performed well. Tyler Loop, drafted in the sixth round out of Arizona, was 6-for-6. John Hoyland, an undrafted free agent from Wyoming, was 4-for-5 with his lone miss from 40 yards. “With the kickers, it’s a process, and nobody’s more processed than the kickers,” Harbaugh said. “It’s probably more like golf than any other sport in terms of process, swing, replicating that time and time again [and] making a good kick. Arnold Palmer used to talk about making a good putt. Did I make a good putt? If I made a good putt, whether it goes in or not is not the point. The point is, if I make a good putt, I’m going to give myself the best chance to be successful. We want our guys to learn how to make a good kick over and over again in every circumstance. Related Articles What to expect in the Ravens’ kicker battle featuring rookie Tyler Loop Ravens QB Lamar Jackson not ‘trying to think about Super Bowl yet’ Ravens’ John Harbaugh on Trump White House visit: ‘I root for our president’ What NFL power rankings say about the Ravens entering training camp The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it “So that process goes into when they’re over there on the side, and nobody’s paying attention to them. When they bring it over to the team period, when they bring it over to a team situation period like we did the second period today in practice where they had to run on the field and make a kick — as game-like as we can make it now — and then when we take it into the game, replicate the kick every single time. That’s what we’re chasing with those guys.” Harbaugh on Henry Running back Derrick Henry has already made a fan out of Harbaugh after only one season with the Ravens. “The intangible thing is the work ethic and the attitude, the enthusiasm for the day,” Harbaugh said of the 31-year-old veteran, who rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. “My dad talks about ‘attacking the day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,’ and I see that every day, and it’s not necessarily in what he says — although, he’ll have fun — [but] it’s what he does and the way he works at it and how hard he works to get better, how intentional he is about being the best player he can be. That’s his biggest trait, I think.” Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

At the Ravens’ first training camp practice, while most of the 90-man roster crowds one field, a small quartet of players stands alone on the other. Kickers Tyler Loop and John Hoyland, along with punter Jordan Stout and long snapper Nick Moore, work off to the side during most team drills, practicing different variations of kicks. They will then join the team for simulated attempts. Both kickers were solid during Wednesday’s first glimpse in Owings Mills. The two combined to go 9-for-10 on field goal attempts, with Hoyland’s final kick being the only miss of the day. Loop made kicks from 34, 36, 32, 27 and 30 yards. Hoyland converted his opportunities from 37, 27, 32 and 37 yards, while he missed a 40-yarder. Expect the competition to continue well into training camp, as the Ravens are hoping to see how the specialists perform in high-pressure, game-like situations. That includes simulated drills, end-of-practice kicks and potentially preseason games. Coach John Harbaugh compared kicking with golf and said that kickers should look at their attempts through a process-based lens. If they made a good kick, but it sailed wide, that’s fine. If they struck the ball poorly, but it went through the uprights, what adjustments can they make? The Ravens are aiming to replace longtime kicker Justin Tucker, who was released by the team and subsequently suspended by the NFL for the first 10 weeks of the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Tucker, who went undrafted out of Texas, made 89.1% of his field goal attempts in 13 seasons with Baltimore, making him the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Loop was the first kicker drafted in the team’s history and was the second specialist to come off the board in April. “We felt like he was the best kicker. It made sense for us to take him,” general manager Eric DeCosta said after the draft. Loop had one of the strongest legs in the class and made several 60-yard field goals during voluntary offseason practices. He finished his Arizona career with a program-record 83.75% success rate on field goal attempts, including a 62-yarder that set a school record. However, drafted kickers tend to be hit-or-miss in their rookie seasons. The Bengals’ Evan McPherson became one of the NFL’s top specialists in his first season, drilling several game-winning field goals in Cincinnati’s run to the Super Bowl in 2022. He tied Adam Vinatieri for the most field goals made in a single postseason with 14. But others have struggled. New England Patriots draft pick Chad Ryland, a former Maryland standout, made just 64% of his kicks in his 2023 rookie campaign and was released the following year. Cleveland Browns kicker Cade York was also cut after converting only 75% of his field goal attempts in his 2022 rookie season. Since 2016, drafted kickers have made an average of 81.22% of their field goal attempts during their rookie season. But more than half of the kickers drafted in the past decade were on a new team in their second NFL season. Related Articles Ravens observations from opening practice of training camp Ravens QB Lamar Jackson not ‘trying to think about Super Bowl yet’ Ravens’ John Harbaugh on Trump White House visit: ‘I root for our president’ What NFL power rankings say about the Ravens entering training camp The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it The Ravens added Hoyland, an undrafted free agent, in the offseason to compete with Loop. Hoyland is Wyoming’s all-time leading scorer and converted 15 of 19 field goal attempts in his final season. While his leg is not as strong as Loop’s, he still made several 50-plus-yard field goals in college. The most likely outcome is that Loop wins the job. He has the college pedigree, the front office invested a draft pick in him and he’s outpaced Hoyland in practices so far. But the competition isn’t decided yet. Whichever kicker performs better in practice and preseason games will likely be the replacement to one of the franchise’s most reliable players. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Lamar Jackson dropped back for his first pass in 11-on-11, cocked and fired the ball toward an out-breaking DeAndre Hopkins on the sideline, the pass too far in front of the new wide receiver as it skidded to the grass. One throw later, he connected with a more familiar target, with third-year Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers hauling in a pass over the middle and breaking loose in the secondary. And so it begins. Jackson and the Ravens kicked off their first day of training camp under warm, sunny skies Wednesday in Owings Mills, where the goal of a trip to the organization’s first Super Bowl since 2012 began in earnest but remains a distant thought. “I’m really not trying not to think that far,” Jackson, 28 and entering his eighth season in Baltimore, said. “Because every time we have those discussions, man, we get to the playoffs, we don’t punch in, we don’t finish. So I’m pretty much trying to finish camp the correct way and get ready for the Bills. “I’m not really trying to think about the Super Bowl yet.” Buffalo, on the other hand, is a more immediate target. The Bills are the ones who ended the Ravens’ bid for a championship in excruciating fashion, 27-25, on a snowy evening at Highmark Stadium in January. The teams will meet again in Week 1 on Sept. 7, also in Orchard Park, New York, on “Sunday Night Football.” First, though, six weeks of training camp, including three preseason games and two joint practices. “We’re just trying to have a great day today,” coach John Harbaugh said when asked about Jackson entering his third year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken and second alongside three-time All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. “We have a lot of goals in terms of what we’re trying to do specifically with our offense. We’re trying to get better at 1,000 different things that apply to what we’re trying to do. “That’s kind of an advantage of Year 3. We have a really good handle on who we are, what our guys are good at, our identity if you want to call it that.” Jackson is of course at the nexus of that identity, and this is the time of year to refamiliarize himself with his pass catchers and introduce himself to new ones. Hopkins, a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection, is the most notable among them. There’s also new cornerback Jaire Alexander, a former college teammate of Jackson’s who signed with the Ravens earlier this offseason after his release from the Green Bay Packers. At one point, Jackson lofted a fade to Hopkins up the sideline, who made a nifty back shoulder grab with Alexander in tight coverage. Alexander got up and bowed in a sign of respect. “He’s still that guy,” Jackson said of Alexander, a 28-year-old two-time All-Pro. So is Jackson, particularly when it comes to experimenting with plays this time of year, even when it might not be the intended one. “Coach Monk probably get on me a little bit because he be wanting me to throw the ball certain places,” Jackson said. “But I’m like sometimes in the game it might not happen the way it is in practice. “I try everything. Sometimes coach let me get away with it, sometimes he gonna coach me.” Their partnership has worked incredibly and historically well so far. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson turns during the first day of training camp. Jackson isn't shy about experimenting with plays during preseason practices. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) In 2023, Jackson set career highs in passing yards (3,678) and completion percentage (.672) and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player after leading the Ravens to the league’s best record (13-4) and the AFC championship game. Last season, he was even better, with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while also rushing for 915 yards and four scores. Baltimore became the first team in history to throw for at least 4,000 yards and rush for at least 3,000, with Henry’s 1,921 the second-most in the NFL behind only the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley. Yet, the Ravens believe they — and Jackson — can be even better. “He works really hard at being better,” Harbaugh said. “That position, there’s so much that goes into playing that position and Lamar’s young. “He’s already great. He’s not one of these guys who says I’m great, I’m there, I’ve arrived, I’m already there. He never looks at it that way. … He’s grown in every way.” Still, at this point Jackson will only be measured by postseason success, and that has been tougher to come by. Baltimore is just 3-5 in the playoffs with Jackson at the helm. In that span, he has thrown 10 touchdown passes but also seven interceptions. He has lost four fumbles as well. In last season’s divisional round loss to the Bills, Baltimore had three turnovers while Buffalo had none. Two of them were by Jackson, who had an interception and a fumble. How to fix that? “Just hold onto the football,” Jackson said. Related Articles Ravens observations from opening practice of training camp What to expect in the Ravens’ kicker battle featuring rookie Tyler Loop Ravens’ John Harbaugh on Trump White House visit: ‘I root for our president’ What NFL power rankings say about the Ravens entering training camp The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it For now, though, he has other things on his mind, like finding success in training camp. “Just score on our defense,” he said when asked to define what that looks like. “We got one of the best defenses in the league. If we could put points on our defense or move the ball on our defense I feel like we’re having success.” The offense, with all but one of its starters back from last season plus the addition of Hopkins, shouldn’t be a problem. “We’re looking great on paper,” Jackson said. “But we’re gonna see when the time comes.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

John Harbaugh roots for his president, he said, the same way he roots for his quarterback and his football team. The longtime Ravens coach and his younger brother Jim, coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, visited President Donald Trump at the White House earlier this month. When asked about the trip, Jim recently quoted the family mantra: “I mean, who gets invited to the White House with eight other family members and doesn’t go? Nooobody.” And on Wednesday, on the first day of training camp in Owings Mills, John called it an “amazing experience” with his family. John, 62, also took issue with the framing of the question, which pointed out that Trump has previously made disparaging comments about Baltimore, calling it “disgusting, rat and rodent infested.” “Why would you frame that question,” Harbaugh started to say with a big smile across his face. “I would’ve framed the question like, ‘You got a chance to visit with the president, what was that like?’ It was awesome.” That visit, which included nine members of the Harbaugh family, was John’s fourth presidential meeting and Jim’s seventh. Both brothers individually visited the White House during Barack Obama’s presidency. John said that there’s a photo in his office from the family’s visit with former President Ronald Reagan in 1987 when Jim was a Heisman Trophy candidate at Michigan. John spent time with Joe Biden in 2009 as part of the NFL USO coaches tour. Jim has also met Gerald Ford, George Bush and Bill Clinton. It’s unclear what was discussed during the Harbaugh family’s meeting with Trump, but the White House invited the two coaches to visit, according to a USA Today report. John did not elaborate Wednesday. Neither brother publicly endorsed a presidential candidate in the 2024 election. In fact, John has largely avoided wading into politics during his coaching tenure, making only a few comments about Trump in recent years. In August 2015, John backed the idea that headlined Trump’s first campaign: to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. “You don’t have a border, you don’t have a country,” he said at the time. Then, in 2017, John stood by his players when several took a knee during the national anthem before a game in London. Ravens players decided to kneel after Trump said at a rally earlier that year that any player who knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner” should be fired by team owners. Related Articles Ravens observations from opening practice of training camp What to expect in the Ravens’ kicker battle featuring rookie Tyler Loop Ravens QB Lamar Jackson not ‘trying to think about Super Bowl yet’ What NFL power rankings say about the Ravens entering training camp The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it Wednesday was the first time that Harbaugh returned to the topic of the divisive sitting president. He pledged his support for the office of the president, without specifically naming support for Trump. John did note that it was “really meaningful” watching how Trump treated his mom, Jackie Harbaugh. “And I promise you,” John said, “I root for our president. I want our president to be successful, just like I want my quarterback to be successful and I want my team to be successful.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

Ready or not, football is back. The Ravens will hold their first practice of training camp Wednesday, with the full team returning to the field for the first time since a divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills in January. Baltimore will have more than six weeks of preparation and three preseason games before kicking off the regular season Sept. 7 on “Sunday Night Football” for a rematch in Orchard Park, New York, against the team that ended its standout 2024 season. Expectations are high once again for the Ravens, who have been among the league’s most successful teams under coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Lamar Jackson but have yet to reach the Super Bowl with the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player under center. If preseason rankings are any indication, though, this could be the year the Ravens finally break through. Here’s a look at how experts around the league rank the team’s roster heading into the new season: ESPN: No. 1 NFL analysts Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder ranked every lineup in the league considering factors such as talent, age and production. In a bit of a surprise, considering the Philadelphia Eagles return most of last year’s Super Bowl championship team, the Ravens claimed the top spot. Less surprising was Jackson being identified as the team’s biggest strength coming off back-to-back All-Pro seasons. Guard, however, is once again considered a weakness “for a roster that is otherwise pretty stacked,” Clay writes, with Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland or a rookie vying to replace Patrick Mekari at left guard and Daniel Faalele returning on the right side “after underwhelming as a run blocker.” Also on the offensive line, left tackle Ronnie Stanley is considered the X factor for 2025. “This is all about his health,” Walder writes after Stanley signed a three-year, $60 million extension this offseason. “Stanley didn’t miss a game last season, which helped earn him a well-deserved contract, but that doesn’t mean the injury risks all went away. When Stanley and Jackson are on the field, the Ravens’ offense is awfully hard to beat.” Of course, the Ravens enter the season with uncertainty at kicker for the first time in more than a decade after Justin Tucker was released and later suspended 10 games by the NFL after more than a dozen female massage therapists accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior at several Baltimore-area spas and wellness centers. Sixth-round draft pick Tyler Loop, considered a “nonstarter to watch,” and undrafted rookie John Hoyland are competing for the job. The Sporting News: No. 1 Alec Sanner calls the Ravens “regular-season monsters” but, like many others, questions their playoff bonafides. Still, he says Baltimore “looks like the most complete team in football,” giving the Ravens the edge over the Eagles for the top spot. “The Ravens don’t need any more excuses; it’s time,” Sanner writes. The Athletic: No. 2 The Ravens come in second behind the Eagles in Josh Kendall’s rankings after an impressive second half of the 2024 season in which Baltimore ranked third in scoring (30 points per game) and second in scoring defense (18 points per game allowed). “Now, it’s just a matter of snapping a streak of three straight one-score losses in playoff matchups,” Kendall writes. “The only thing keeping the Ravens from the top of this list is that they lost 15 free agents in the offseason.” The Mina Kimes Show: No. 2 Given the choice between the Eagles and Ravens for the title of the league’s best on the ESPN analyst’s podcast, former NFL defensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion Chris Long gave one of his former teams the nod – but not by much. “They have more proven playoff success, when all things are close,” Long said of the Eagles. “And they are [close]. Listen, Lamar is fantastic. I know [Jalen] Hurts has the Super Bowl [trophy] but I’m not going to do the thing where as a homer I say, ‘Hurts is better than Lamar.’ “Lamar was arguably MVP last year, and [the Ravens made] some additions in the secondary. I’m excited about [Malaki Starks] from Georgia. [Odafe] Oweh quietly had double digits [sacks] last year. I think they’re going to be tough to run the ball on.” In a league that Kimes said “is so top heavy” right now, Long said the difference might be how well the Ravens’ star running back holds up entering his age-31 season. “The Derrick Henry, ‘Hey, this guy is going to get the ball a million times a year, year over year over year and never slow down’ thing … I’m not betting on it slowing down, but I do feel like the Eagles, they deserve having the No. 1 spot over the Ravens.” Bleacher Report: No. 4 Kristopher Knox said that the “addition of cornerback Jaire Alexander didn’t really change my opinion of the Ravens, though I already had Baltimore as a top-five contender and the team to beat in the AFC North.” He liked what general manager Eric DeCosta and the Ravens did this offseason and expects the defense to hold up better under second-year coordinator Zach Orr. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it Ravens’ Zach Orr had a debut like no other. He and his defense are better now. Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike wants to be a ‘tenacious force’ in 2025 6 things to watch for as the Ravens open training camp READER POLL: Who has the best team in the NFL? Still, there isn’t as much confidence in the Ravens until they can show it on the field in the postseason. “I’d still like to see Lamar Jackson prove he can beat Buffalo, Cincinnati or Kansas City in a playoff game,” Knox writes, “but if Jackson stays healthy, I expect him to have that chance in January.” Pro Football Talk: No. 4 Consider Mike Florio also of the opinion that the Ravens need to prove themselves first before being considered better than the Eagles, Chiefs or Bills. Kansas City and Philadelphia have won or made the Super Bowl multiple times in the past six seasons, while Buffalo has eliminated the Ravens and Jackson twice during that span. “The window is still wide open, but the Bills and Chiefs are still blocking full daylight,” Florio writes. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

When an anonymous NFL assistant said in an ESPN ranking of off-ball linebackers last week that the Ravens’ Roquan Smith “needs to get in better shape” and that he “looks a little sluggish at times,” Kyle Van Noy rushed to his keyboard for a profane rebuttal with the same verve that he often displayed pursuing opposing quarterbacks for Baltimore last season. Van Noy’s NSFW defense on X — and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s tacit endorsement via re-post — of a teammate voted Associated Press first-team All-Pro was hardly surprising (never mind that Smith was second behind only San Francisco 49ers star Fred Warner on ESPN’s list). But every outsized reaction almost always carries at least a shred of stinging truth. Smith’s 2024 performance was no exception. He led the team in tackles (154) again in what was his eighth NFL season and third in Baltimore since the Ravens traded for him midway through 2022. He was disruptive in the passing game down the stretch as well, ranking as the fourth-best linebacker in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 81.8 coverage grade from Week 11 onward. But that is a painting only partially complete. Overall, PFF ranked Smith as just the 86th best linebacker in the NFL last season with a mark of 65.2. Through his first nine games, he had only one tackle for loss, no sacks or quarterback hits, and three pass breakups. Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, wide receiver Rashee Rice racked up seven catches for 103 yards, exposing some glaring weaknesses in the Ravens’ coverage that included Smith. In Week 9, Baltimore blew out the Denver Broncos, 41-10, but Smith had just three tackles in 54 snaps and, on one play, got juked badly by quarterback Bo Nix. In between, communication issues permeated the defense as a whole. There were personnel problems that most notably included fellow inside linebacker Trenton Simpson’s struggles and eventual benching. And there was frustration with some of the coaching, the latter eventually leading to the firing of inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone after the season. Smith, the bellower of fiery pregame speeches and wearer of the green dot as the defensive play-caller, also acknowledged that his play was at times not up to its usual snuff, with reasons ranging from his body to trying at times to do too much to cover up for others. “Coming into the year, I was banged up early in the year,” Smith told The Baltimore Sun recently, though he was not specific about lingering injuries that later led to hamstring issues during the season. “Some of that was just [needing to be] in better shape; then just focusing on doing my job and not [doing] anything more or anything less.” A lot has changed since then. Smith is one of four players who second-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr spoke highly about after mandatory minicamp in June, noting that the 28-year-old is “running at some untimely speeds right now that he hasn’t ran at for us.” Simpson is also “a lot more confident,” Orr added, and now has an understanding of the defense that is “completely different from what it was last year,” according to Smith. DeLeone, meanwhile, was replaced by Tyler Santucci, who was viewed as a fast riser in the college ranks and drew praise for his work at Georgia Tech, Duke and Texas A&M. Related Articles Ravens’ Zach Orr had a debut like no other. He and his defense are better now. Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike wants to be a ‘tenacious force’ in 2025 6 things to watch for as the Ravens open training camp READER POLL: Who has the best team in the NFL? Ravens 53-man roster projection: Position battles to watch entering camp The Ravens have also made scheme and roster adjustments. There is a growing trend toward more nickel and dime defenses — which deploy more defensive backs to counter a pass-heavy attack — which should alleviate some of the pressure on Smith. Malcontent safeties Eddie Jackson and Marcus Williams are also gone, the former waived before the end of November last year, the latter released in March. The communication issues that plagued Baltimore during the first half of last season have also been cleaned up, and the communication has been “crystal clear” so far, Smith said. “A lot of times last year, it would be like people would know what to do, but then not being on the same page sometimes would make this person look crazy or that person look crazy,” Smith continued. “All of us would look crazy at the end of the day. “[At OTAs], this was the most installs that have been thrown at us, that I’ve been thrown at my entire career. It’s pretty sweet to see. Seeing how we respond, making minimal errors. It’s not nearly as many errors as before.” It bodes well for a defense that just two years ago was historically great. It’s also just the start of training camp, which kicks off with the first full practice Wednesday. “It’s about being in good shape and having a clear understanding of what's going on,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith told The Baltimore Sun when asked what his biggest focus heading into the year is. (Kim Hairston/Staff file) The expectation from the organization and Smith himself is a much better performance this season. With three years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract that makes him the highest-paid player at his position, it will have to be for the emotional and physical heartbeat of the defense. “It’s about being in good shape and having a clear understanding of what’s going on,” Smith told The Sun when asked what his biggest focus heading into the year is. “For myself, eating better and taking better care of myself and make sure I’m taking care of that and not letting it grow into something else. “In this league, it’s what have you done for me lately.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr was on a roller coaster at Disney World, the so-called happiest place on earth. His wife, Chanel, couldn’t keep her eyes open as the ride took flight, but Zach’s were wide-open, while his son Zachary Paul II laughed the whole way around. It was quite a different scene last September. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, rematch of the AFC championship game, prime-time. Helluva welcome-to-the NFL moment for Orr, 33, the second-youngest defensive coordinator in the league when John Harbaugh ordained him to replace Mike Macdonald after Macdonald departed last offseason to become the Seattle Seahawks coach. “It was crazy,” Orr told The Baltimore Sun of the Chiefs. “They pulled out ALL the tricks. “The game, it happened a lot faster than what I anticipated from a play-calling standpoint. They were pulling out all the stops to make me uncomfortable. I was thinking about how they would attack our defense and our scheme. I didn’t think how they would try to mess with me as a play caller.” Kansas City coach Andy Reid has been around — three Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs, 2002 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was Ravens coach John Harbaugh’s boss — and did just that. Among the tricks: Often waiting until the play clock got under 15 seconds to put the offensive personnel group on the field. That’s the mark that Orr’s radio to on-field play caller and linebacker Roquan Smith cut out by rule, thus rendering communication impossible and forcing the brain of Orr, in his first year of calling plays at any level, to scramble. “Week 1, I feel like I let the defense and the team down,” Orr continued. “I didn’t feel like we was ready to roll from my standpoint. I put that 100% on me. I felt bad. I felt sick to my stomach.” The pain would subside, but it would take a while. After losing a nail-biter to the Chiefs, 27-20, the lowly Las Vegas Raiders stunned Baltimore at home. Three victories followed, but the defense was a sieve. So after Week 5, Harbaugh hired his former defensive coordinator, Dean Pees, as a senior adviser. Meanwhile, the criticism mounted. Just a year earlier, the Ravens had become the first team in NFL history to capture the defensive triple crown, leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed. Now, they were the antithesis of that, the nadir coming in a pair of games against the Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 5 and 10 in which quarterback Joe Burrow threw for a combined 820 yards and nine touchdowns and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 21 total catches for 457 yards and five scores. “You could look at it and be like, ‘Do they not think I’m capable of the job?’ Or you can look at it like, ‘Maybe I need some more help and maybe this guy could help me out,’” Orr said of the Pees addition. “If we tell the players they gotta be team players, we gotta be team players. “It definitely motivated me, though. I’m a highly motivated guy.” Orr, a former linebacker with the Ravens whose career was cut short because of a congenital spine and neck condition in 2017, could also bury himself in his work, he said. That wasn’t the case for his family, though. It was tough on his wife and father and others in his family. “They know there’s going to be criticism, they know there’s going to be praise that comes with it, but I don’t think they anticipated how much it might’ve been,” Orr said. “They were calling me all the time saying, ‘Are you good?’” He was. “It’s hard when people don’t know what’s really going on and you have to go with what’s out there,” Zach’s father Terry Orr, a former tight end for Washington and the San Diego Chargers, told The Sun. “But I thought he handled it like a champ and said what needed to be said and kept on grinding. “He never got down. I know he was frustrated, but he never got down. I think that helped not just with his players, but with us as well.” Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr is shown during training camp in 2024. Orr gained confidence throughout the 2024 season in his first experience as a coordinator. (Kim Hairston/Staff) What also helped was that Orr — who was likely headed to Seattle to become Macdonald’s defensive coordinator before Harbaugh quickly hired him the day after then-Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson bolted for the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator opening — finally felt comfortable enough to make significant changes in several areas. Malcontent safety Eddie Jackson was benched, then waived. Aggrieved and also struggling safety Marcus Williams was also benched in favor of Ar’Darius Washington. All-Pro, do-everything safety Kyle Hamilton was deployed more often on the back end to help stanch deep passes. Struggling second-year inside linebacker Trenton Simpson was benched in favor of a rotation of veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board. The structure of defensive meetings was changed, with position groups sometimes lumped together and players empowered to ask questions and share their thoughts. The scheme was tweaked. “Earlier in the season I was trying so much to keep so much [of the] carryover [from the previous year],” Orr said. “The system is the system and it’s been the system since Harbaugh started here, but every year has it’s own little twist based off opponents and personnel.” Once it took hold, the improvements were dramatic, with Baltimore boasting one of the league’s best defenses down the stretch. “I felt that, sadly, there’s a lot of things that were being coached that were coached correctly, and when he put it out there for us we weren’t clicking, as far as on the field,” cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It actually held us back as a defense from what we could call if we couldn’t execute what was called, so some of the things had to get a lot more simple until we could show that we could execute these things. “Every single player was somebody not doing what they were supposed to do in those first however many weeks, and I think the biggest change was just all 11 guys doing their job.” Those around Orr noticed the impact it had as well, for the team and for the rookie coordinator. “My opinion was it was hard for him because it was first year coming in, I’m the DC, this is what I’m doing,” Terry Orr said, adding that father and son would talk after every game and the former would just let the latter go on unimpeded to get things off his chest. “I think he was slow to pull the trigger. He knew what he needed to do, but you’re in that position, it’s just tough. “But then he was able to put his chest out and say yeah I got it, I’m in charge. … He didn’t really feel in his mind he was in charge.” Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr celebrates with defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh during a playoff win over the Steelers. Orr's defense played its best football in 2024 at the end of the season. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Many on the outside credited Pees and some inside did as well, including Harbaugh, who praised the veteran coach for helping the unit reconnect with its defensive roots that Pees had helped established during his tenure as defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017. But this spring, Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith gave an impassioned, 491-word defense of what Orr had done. “I watched this coordinator stand on 10 toes,” Smith said, in part. “Zach is the guy. Zach Orr, I’m telling you, is going to be an incredible coordinator, and let me tell you why. When we were struggling last year, I watched him stand in front of these mics every week and talk to you all, and he didn’t flinch. But I also watched him stand in front of the room [when we] played the Bengals, and it wasn’t like we were celebrating because, from a defensive standpoint, they did a lot. They had a great day on us. Zach Orr looked those players in the eye, and he never lets the highs get too high or the lows get too low; he stayed in the middle. “He always would be positive, but he was tough. He’s tough on the coaches and the players. He would tell everybody, and he would show everybody how close we were to actually having success. It might be an angle of a defensive back running to the ball, or it might be a pass rusher that ran past the quarterback, and the quarterback ran. Zach would stand and talk to everybody, and he led. He never flinched. … I know last year a lot of people in the media were saying, ‘Well, this guy came in and helped.’ No, Zach Orr did it. … He’s a special coach, and I’m really blessed to be around a guy like that.” If the games against the Bengals were rock-bottom, then Baltimore’s Week 17 contest against the Texans in Houston was its zenith. Christmas Day. Netflix. A Beyonce concert at halftime. The need for the Ravens to win against the AFC South-leading Texans to keep their AFC North title hopes alive. The game was a rout, 31-2, with the highlight a fourth-down stop by Washington at the Ravens’ goal line that was followed by the 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back sending his defensive coordinator to the NRG Stadium turf amid the celebration. “To go out there and put on a complete performance like that was great,” Orr says now. “It was one of the best days of my life. I’ll never forget that.” Yet as training camp kicks off with the first full practice, Orr knows that there is more work to be done. Baltimore ranked 31st against the pass last season, and while the Ravens were second in the league in sacks, they were middle of the pack in pressure rate. After forcing 31 turnovers in 2023, the Ravens also had just 17 takeaways last season, with only six teams forcing fewer. They also turned the ball over three times in a divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills, while the Bills did not turn the ball over. The belief in Orr, though, has never wavered. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it Ravens’ Nnamdi Madubuike wants to be a ‘tenacious force’ in 2025 6 things to watch for as the Ravens open training camp READER POLL: Who has the best team in the NFL? Ravens 53-man roster projection: Position battles to watch entering camp “We all grow, get better,” Harbaugh said. “You learn from successes and failures, and Zach’s great about that. He is very humble, good combination of humility and confidence. Very, very, very charismatic guy, really smart [and a] good teacher. All those things that I knew, and you see it every day.” Now fit with a roster that is perhaps the best in the league, though, and includes a pair of highly touted rookies in safety Malaki Starks and edge rusher Mike Green, along with free agent cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie, Orr’s eyes are wide again. The excitement is palpable for him and his players. “Just the way he commands the room, you can tell there’s a difference in the confidence in him and everybody in the room, and he puts that confidence in us,” Hamilton said. “So, we follow his lead.” Added Smith: “He’s just so in tune with every little thing, even with the back end. It’s pretty sweet to see. I think it’s gonna be a very special year for him, as well as our defense.” And for Orr, that would be the happiest place on earth. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Nnamdi Madubuike followed up a tour de force 2023 — 13 sacks and his first All-Pro nod — with a not-so-flashy 6 1/2 sacks worthy of a Pro Bowl bid in 2025. But the Ravens defensive tackle knows there’s more to quantifying individual success than the position’s primary production number. “Obviously production is for everybody but just being a tenacious force, that’s how I see it,” Madubuike said. “When you’re a good player, people are going to scheme against you and try to stop you.” Madubuike was among the top five double teamed interior defensive linemen on pass rush plays. He played 55 more snaps this past season than he did the year prior. His pass rush win rate slipped from 11.6% to 6.6%. It was a physical, dissatisfying winter. Opposing offenses keyed in on Madubuike, which frustrated him, even if it opened the gate for Baltimore’s edge rushers, two of whom notched double-digit sacks last year. “But you still want to play,” he said. “You still want to eat.” In 2023, Madubuike never went more than two weeks without bringing down the quarterback. Baltimore rewarded him with a four-year, $98 million deal. This past season, his 6 1/2 total sacks were inflated by a monstrous three-sack performance during Baltimore’s infamous Thursday Night Football win over the Cincinnati Bengals. That kept the final tally respectable. Madubuike logged two more in a playoff win vs. Pittsburgh. Still, Pro Football Focus clocked a regression in how he graded out for defense (68.3), run defense (62.5), tackling (54.4) and pass rush (69.9). So Madubuike spent this offseason game planning how he can adjust to the way teams adjusted to him. Most notably by adding a few pounds. After playing at around 285 most of last season, he spent this spring looking to add weight. His desired playing weight this fall will be around 290-300, he said, without sacrificing the burst and power that made him one of the league’s best interior defensive linemen. If the Ravens defense takes a step forward this fall and, as cornerback Marlon Humphrey has declared, it becomes the identity of the organization like it was in the early aughts and 2010s, Madubuike will be at the core. Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike sacks Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson in a wild-card game. Madubuike finished with two sacks in the postseason victory. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Defensive line coach Dennis Johnson was asked after one optional team activity practice whether he’d like to see Madubuike’s snap count deviate to the mean following a high year. “Obviously, I wish I could take some of those snaps off,” Johnson said, “but when the game on the line or it’s close in the fourth quarter, you’re probably not going to look at the snap reps. You’re going to make sure Nnamdi is out there to help you close the game out.” That approach, and the extra attention from offensive line coaches, is a byproduct of Madubuike’s success. Related Articles The Ravens’ defense goes as Roquan Smith goes — and he knows it Ravens’ Zach Orr had a debut like no other. He and his defense are better now. 6 things to watch for as the Ravens open training camp READER POLL: Who has the best team in the NFL? Ravens 53-man roster projection: Position battles to watch entering camp ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently ranked the top-10 defensive tackles for 2025, as configured by anonymous executives, coaches and scouts. Fowler slotted Madubuike seventh, after ranking him inside the top five a year ago. Some of the statistical regression, Fowler pointed out, was affected by the way the Ravens secondary struggled early the first half of the season. More obviously, there fewer one-on-one opportunities. Madubuike knows his sack total wasn’t where he wanted it to be. It’s not the only measure of his success. It’s still one he’s hoping to correct. All this extra attention, “it’s a good thing,” he said, “and I appreciate it. But I definitely want to keep being productive.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

It’s almost time for Ravens players to go back to work. Rookies reported to training camp in Owings Mills on Tuesday, tying for the earliest date in the NFL. Coaches like to get young players in the building as soon as possible so they can acclimate to their first camp, get the attention they need before the arrival of the full roster, and continue to bond with one another. The rest of the team reports Tuesday, with the first practice taking place the following afternoon. That is, in earnest, when the quest begins for what Baltimore hopes will be its third Super Bowl title and first since the 2012 season. Championship expectations are the norm for the franchise, but they have perhaps never been higher, given the acrid taste still lingering from last season’s divisional round loss to the Buffalo Bills and a roster that is possibly not just the best in the league but maybe unrivaled in the organization’s 31-year history. “You can kind of see the trajectory that we think we’re on,” safety Kyle Hamilton said last month. “Still a lot of work to be done, obviously, and [it’s] going to continue throughout the season. But I mean, we’re off to a great start.” Hamilton added that it felt like the defense was playing “12-on-11” during minicamp, a good sign for a unit that ranked 31st against the pass last season. On offense, quarterback Lamar Jackson is coming off career highs in passing yards (4,172) and touchdown passes (41), while Baltimore led the league in total yards (7,224) and rushing yards (3,189) and ranked third in points per game (30.5). With all of its major skill players returning, an offensive line largely intact from last season and the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins along with fully healthy running back Keaton Mitchell, it’s reasonable to think that the ceiling could be even higher. So as training camp kicks off, here’s what to watch for: What will DeAndre Hopkins’ role be? “I don’t really see ‘D-Hop’ as a third receiver,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said last month. “I see him more as, we have three starters at wide receiver, but we also have the two tight ends. So, it’ll be interesting as we get going, especially once we get to camp and we get the pads on, how we can integrate him into the offense, but we’re excited.” There are legitimate reasons to be. Related Articles READER POLL: Who has the best team in the NFL? Ravens 53-man roster projection: Position battles to watch entering camp Lawyer says lawsuit is over between Shannon Sharpe and woman who accused him of rape Ravens rookie OLB Mike Green finally signs contract Why are so many rookies, including the Ravens’ Mike Green, still unsigned? Unlike Odell Beckham Jr. — the other receiver Jackson had requested the team acquire during the quarterback’s 2023 contract negotiations — the potential impact of Hopkins could be substantial. While it’s unlikely that he’ll come close to matching the 82 catches he has averaged over his 12-year career, particularly on an offense that has a lot of mouths to feed, he should still tally a respectable number of targets while importantly being a key figure in short-yard and red zone opportunities, two areas he continues to excel at even at age 33. One big reason is his ability to catch passes in a crowd. Last season, Hopkins had 56 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns between the quarterback-deficient Tennessee Titans and the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs. Of players with at least 20 tight window targets in 2024, Hopkins tied for the 14th-best reception rate (38.1%), according to TruMedia. He also tied for 22nd in ESPN’s open score with Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase, proving that he’s still capable of finding the patches of grass where defenders aren’t. New Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, shown participating in the team’s minicamp, gives the franchise significant depth at the receiver position. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken views Hopkins as a starting-level receiver. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Who will win the kicking battle? With the Ravens having moved on from Justin Tucker, who has since been suspended 10 weeks by the NFL over sexual misconduct allegations from more than a dozen massage therapists, there will be an open kicking competition for the first time since 2012. That summer, Tucker, an undrafted free agent out of Texas, beat out incumbent Billy Cundiff. This year, Tyler Loop, whom Baltimore selected in the sixth round out of Arizona in April and who was the lone kicker that senior special teams coach Randy Brown identified as draftable in the class, is the favorite. But he also has legitimate competition in John Hoyland, an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming. “I think the biggest thing is to try to put them in tough situations as much as we can,” coach John Harbaugh said of the two kickers. “And then, you get into the situations, and the team situation is one thing, then the game scenarios are the next thing where they have to run out and make it like a game.” So far, each has had good and bad days, and their performances will be scrutinized daily in training camp until one of them is named the starter — unless the Ravens decide to bring in a veteran, which could be another possibility. Is this a make-or-break year for Trenton Simpson? Harbaugh has said that he expects Trenton Simpson, who was benched after starting the first 11 games last year, to be the starting weak-side linebacker alongside Roquan Smith this season. That’s easy to do in the spring. Once the pads go on will be more telling, though there have been some positive signs so far, most notably his much-improved grasp of the defense. “He’s a lot more confident, man,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said of the third-year former third-round pick out of Clemson. “This is the most confident that I’ve seen Trenton, and he’s a lot more relaxed before the play. I hear him talking. This is the most I’ve heard him communicate on the field, so I’m excited.” One reason for the improvement is the work of inside linebackers coach Tyler Santucci, who last year at Georgia Tech turned the Yellow Jackets’ defense from worst in the Atlantic Coast Conference to fifth-best and in 2023 was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, while at Duke. Still, fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan is an intriguing player who could potentially challenge Simpson. He’s a former high school quarterback, something Ravens coaches believe has aided his pass coverage. “He flies around, he seeks contact, he can play in space, and he’s a smart player,” Orr said. But with Malik Harrison and Chris Board having departed in free agency, it will be imperative that Simpson becomes at least a reliable early down linebacker. Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II twists after being pulled by the facemask by Ravens outside linebacker David Ojabo during a 2024 matchup. Ojabo has yet to live up to expectations in Baltimore. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Will David Ojabo blossom or bust in his fourth year? Baltimore’s top four outside linebackers on the depth chart will be Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson and rookie second-round pick Mike Green, who led college football in sacks last season at Marshall. With the expectation that the Ravens will carry five players at the position, that leaves David Ojabo and Adisa Isaac to slug it out for the final spot. Unfortunately for Ojabo, injuries have derailed his career. And even when he has been healthy, he has not been the kind of impact player the Ravens hoped he could be when they selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Michigan. Isaac’s development was also stunted last year as a rookie because of injuries, so in many ways this year will be like a first season for the 2024 third-round pick out of Penn State. “One of the things that Adisa has worked really hard on is he’s understanding the defense,” pass rush coach Chuck Smith said. “He’s in good shape, he’s having a good ‘get-off,’ he’s working hard in his coverage — all the different things that you want a guy to do. … I can’t wait to see when we put the pads on in camp and get after it. That’s going to be really the measuring stick of where he’s at.” Put another way, check back this summer. There have been plenty of Ravens pass rushers who finally broke through in their fourth year, including Paul Kruger in 2012, Pernell McPhee in 2014, Za’Darius Smith in 2019 and Oweh last year. But expecting Ojabo to do the same is probably a stretch. Who will emerge on the offensive and defensive lines? Barring any surprises, the Ravens already know and feel good about who will start for them on the offensive and defensive lines. On offense, Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten will anchor left and right tackle, Tyler Linderbaum returns for his fourth year at center and Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele are the frontrunners at left and right guard. On defense, Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington and newly added veteran John Jenkins figure to be the top four up front. Ravens tackle Ronnie Stanley warms up during practice before a playoff game this past season. Stanley is a proven left tackle, but the Ravens' offensive line depth outside of the starting group could be one of the team's few weaknesses. (Kim Hairston/Staff) But beyond that is where there are questions for both lines. While Baltimore was easily the healthiest team in the league last season, just one injury to a starter on either line could be problematic. That’s the case for most NFL teams, but most teams aren’t contending for a Super Bowl, either. That’s why the losses of versatile offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, and veteran defensive linemen Michael Pierce and Brent Urban could be tough to make up for. The cupboard isn’t entirely bare, but there is uncertainty. The hope for the offensive line is that veteran Joe Noteboom will be a dependable swing tackle and that rookies Emery Jones Jr., who missed all of spring with a shoulder injury, and Carson Vinson can develop. Ben Cleveland, now in his fifth season, provides experienced depth on the interior. Things are perhaps more concerning on the defensive side, particularly if Jones and Washington have to deal with injuries as they did last season. Having to play undersized rookie Aeneas Peebles or second-year undrafted free agent C.J. Ravenell for a meaningful amount of snaps would be difficult. It’s also possible someone else from the pack of reserves could surprise this summer, though that seems less likely. Which rookies will have the biggest impact? The Ravens usually depend on at least a couple of their rookies to be significant contributors right away. and that’s true again this year. With safety Ar’Darius Washington expected to miss most if not all of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon during offseason workouts, first-round pick Malaki Starks will play early and often. That was likely always going to be the case given how much he has already impressed coaches, but his role now takes on even greater importance. Likewise, Green, who had 17 sacks and a 20% pass rush win-rate for the Thundering Heard last year, figures to be a regular in the pass rush rotation from the start. Though Kyle Van Noy led the Ravens with 12 1/2 sacks last season, he’s now 34 years old, so it will be imperative to manage his snap count wisely. As mentioned, Loop or Hoyland will also have big shoes to fill in replacing Tucker, who, despite the worst season of his career last year, was automatic for over a decade and was responsible for producing some of the team’s biggest moments. Buchanan, who, like Simpson, has excellent speed and athleticism, is worth watching, as is sixth-round rookie receiver LaJohntay Wester, who is small but fast and will have a chance at becoming the starting punt returner, a position that was a weakness last season. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

It’s football season. Training camps are set to begin this week across the NFL, including in Owings Mills where the Ravens will start their quest for their first Super Bowl title since 2013. The Ravens lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round last season but enter 2025 with perhaps one of the league’s best rosters. DraftKings and FanDuel, two of the legal sportsbooks available to Maryland bettors, list Baltimore as the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Entering camp, who has the best team in the NFL? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

The start of the Ravens’ season begins in earnest on Tuesday. That’s when veterans report for training camp, one week after the rookies, with the first full team practice taking place on Wednesday in Owings Mills. Five weeks later, Baltimore’s roster will be trimmed from 91 players to 53, with up to an additional 16 signed to its practice squad (or 17, if one carries an international designation, such as outside linebacker David Ojabo). The difficult reality for many players on the fringe hoping to find their way onto the active roster, however, is that the Ravens simply don’t figure to have many openings with perhaps the best and deepest collection they’ve had in the 31 years of an organization that boasts two Vince Lombardi trophies. Training camp is about preparation, but it’s also often about competition, and simply put, there are few jobs up for grabs. Still, there are opportunities — role players, reserves, they all matter. There will also inevitably be injuries. Already, Baltimore lost safety Ar’Darius Washington to a torn Achilles tendon during offseason workouts, which means someone has to fill his void alongside All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and rookie first-round pick Malaki Starks. With that in mind, here’s a look at how the Ravens’ final roster could end up looking after training camp concludes: Quarterback (2) Lamar Jackson, Cooper Rush For the first time in a while, the Ravens have invested more than just the minimum when it comes to Lamar Jackson’s backup, signing Cooper Rush this offseason to a two-year, $6.2 million deal that’s worth up to $12.2 million. Rush, who will turn 32 in November, is also an upgrade over 39-year-old journeyman and former No. 2 Josh Johnson. The former Central Michigan standout appeared in 38 games (14 starts) for the Dallas Cowboys and last season completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,844 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions over 12 games, which included eight starts. That also means that second-year quarterback Devin Leary, who continued to struggle in the spring, is bound — at best — for the practice squad. Running back (3) Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell With Keaton Mitchell appearing to be fully healthy from a brutal torn ACL that he suffered in mid-December 2023, Rasheen Ali, a fourth-round draft pick last year, looks to be the odd man out. Though Ali has kick return ability and showed improvement this spring, the expectation is that Mitchell, with his elite speed, will fill that role along with being more involved in the offense. Baltimore could carry four running backs, but that’s unlikely with needs elsewhere and not enough of a role for Ali. Wide receiver (6) Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, DeAndre Hopkins, Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace, LaJohntay Wester For a team that has been rightfully maligned when it comes to some of its past wide receiver groups, there is much to like about this room with Zay Flowers coming off a Pro Bowl season, Rashod Bateman healthy and blossoming, veteran DeAndre Hopkins providing elite hands and know-how to get open and 2024 fourth-round pick and speedster Devontez Walker performing considerably better than he did as a rookie. Meanwhile, Tylan Wallace is a special teams ace and excellent blocker with dependable hands, and sixth-round rookie LaJohntay Wester should have the inside track to the punt return job given his speed and shiftiness. Add it all up and Anthony Miller, Dayton Wade, Keith Kirkwood, Malik Cunningham, Jahmal Banks and Xavier Guillory are, at best, probably battling for one spot, if Wester struggles, with the practice squad a more likely destination for some of them. Ravens teammates and coaches are excited about how wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can fit into their explosive offense. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Tight end/fullback (4) Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Patrick Ricard Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar are all in the final year of their contracts, so it’s a big year for the group and also probably the last all three will be together. Andrews will turn 30 in September. Likely, 25, is the logical heir apparent. Kolar, 26, has developed as a blocker, has reliable hands and is a likable locker room presence. Patrick Ricard, who was an All-Pro last season, has a lock on the fullback/tight end role. Put another way, Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Sam Pitz are at best practice squad players. Offensive tackle (4) Ronnie Stanley, Roger Rosengarten, Joe Noteboom, Emery Jones Jr. With Ronnie Stanley eschewing a likely more lucrative free-agent deal to stay in Baltimore and Roger Rosengarten coming off a solid rookie season, the Ravens are set with their offensive line bookends. Adding veteran Joe Noteboom and his 35 career starts also gives them the swing tackle they usually covet. After that is where some possible roster gymnastics could be at play. Emery Jones Jr., a rookie third-round pick out of LSU, might not be ready for the start of the season after missing all of the spring with a shoulder injury. If so, that would open the door for another player, such as fifth-round rookie Carson Vinson or possibly second-year tackle and former Maryland product Corey Bullock. Guard (4) Daniel Faalele, Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, Garrett Dellinger Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, last year’s starters at left and right guard, respectively, are the front-runners to do so again this year. Ben Cleveland, who is entering his fifth season, provides familiar depth. But Cleveland, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI in the offseason, could be looking at a potential suspension, and that might impact what Baltimore does here, at least initially. Garrett Dellinger, a seventh-round rookie out of LSU, is someone they’re high on, but he also worked some at center this spring. Darrian Dalcourt, who spent his rookie year on the practice squad, could perhaps work his way into the equation, but that seems unlikely. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum discusses his offseason workout routine during a media session in April. There's no doubt Linderbaum will start for the Ravens this fall, but there are question marks about the team's offensive line depth outside of the starting unit. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Center (2) Tyler Linderbaum, Nick Samac The Ravens declined Tyler Linderbaum’s fifth-year option, but that was a financial move more than anything else as they’d like to work out a long-term extension with the two-time Pro Bowl selection. Nick Samac, meanwhile, enters his second season as the favorite to back up Linderbaum, who has at times dealt with injuries, including to his neck. Samac could also potentially be pushed by Dellinger. However it plays out, the expectation is for the Ravens to have nine or more likely 10 offensive linemen on the roster. Defensive line (5) Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, Broderick Washington, John Jenkins, Aeneas Peebles Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones figure to gobble up most of the snaps, with Broderick Washington next in line. John Jenkins, who is entering his 13th season after spending the past two with the Las Vegas Raiders, will fill the void of retired Michael Pierce. Aeneas Peebles, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, is undersized but quick off the line and makes for a potentially intriguing pass rusher. C.J. Ravenell, now in his second year, could also push Peebles for that final interior spot. Outside linebacker (5) Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac After three years marked by injuries and a lack of productivity, David Ojabo could get squeezed out. Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Tavius Robinson and recently signed second-round pick Mike Green are all locks to make the roster. That leaves the final spot for Ojabo or Adisa Isaac, who played just 78 snaps between defense and special teams as a rookie last year because of injuries, and it figures to be one of the few training camp battles worth watching. Other linebackers — Malik Hamm, Diwun Black and Kaimon Rucker — face longer odds. Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh, left, celebrates with cornerback Marlon Humphrey after sacking Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in 2024. The Ravens expect a productive season in 2025 from Oweh, who enters training camp in some of the best physical shape of his professional career. (David J. Phillip/AP) Inside linebacker (4) Roquan Smith, Trenton Simpson, Jake Hummel, Teddye Buchanan Coach John Harbaugh said that he expects Trenton Simpson — who was benched last season — to be the starting weak-side linebacker next to Roquan Smith. Baltimore used a fourth-round pick on Teddye Buchanan, a former high school quarterback who led California in tackles (114) and tackles for loss (12) last year. Simpson is the favorite to start, but Buchanan is one of at least a few rookies worth keeping an eye on this summer. The other linebacker likely to help replace the departed Chris Board-Malik Harrison duo is Jake Hummel, a special teams stalwart who saw an increased role at inside linebacker each of the past two seasons with Los Angeles Rams. Cornerback (7) Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jaire Alexander, Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Bilhal Kone Baltimore plays with a plethora of defensive backs, so that should mean plenty of snaps and mix-and-match options with Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, who was one of the best corners in the league down the stretch as a rookie last season, the newly acquired (and oft-injured) two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander as well as veteran Chidobe Awuzie (another player with a long injury history). The Ravens are also high on second-year fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa, and Jalyn Armour-Davis, who, when healthy, has been a solid contributor. Bilhal Kone, meanwhile, could be battling fellow sixth-round rookie Robert Longerbeam, as well as Reuben Lowery, an intriguing undrafted free agent who always seemed to be around the ball in the spring. Or, Baltimore could add to their cornerback room with another veteran this summer as they have in the past. Safety (4) Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Sanoussi Kane, Beau Brade Washington’s aforementioned injury that will keep him out most, if not all, of the year means that Baltimore could look to add a veteran safety sometime this summer, and there are plenty of options still available. Either way, Kyle Hamilton and first-round pick Malaki Starks figure to be the top two options, followed potentially by Kone or a player still to be added. Baltimore could also look to potentially deploy Armour-Davis or Awuzie at safety. Related Articles Lawyer says lawsuit is over between Shannon Sharpe and woman who accused him of rape Ravens rookie OLB Mike Green finally signs contract Why are so many rookies, including the Ravens’ Mike Green, still unsigned? AP voters rank Ravens’ Lamar Jackson as second-best QB in AFC North READER POLL: Do you believe Orioles GM Mike Elias is doing a good job? Special teams (3) Tyler Loop, Jordan Stout, Nick Moore For the first time since 2012, the Ravens will have an open kicking competition after parting ways with Justin Tucker, who was also suspended for 10 weeks by the NFL over the sexual misconduct allegations brought against him by more than a dozen massage therapists. Tyler Loop, a sixth-round pick out of Arizona, is the favorite, but undrafted free agent John Hoyland out of Wyoming will have a crack at the job, too. So far, both have had good and bad days. This will also be the most analyzed position battle of training camp. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

LAS VEGAS — Pro Football Hall of Fame member Shannon Sharpe has resolved a lawsuit that accused him of sexually assaulting a woman during their relationship, her attorney said Friday. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice,” Tony Buzbee said on X, meaning the lawsuit can’t be refiled. No details were released. The lawsuit had sought $50 million. Sharpe called the allegations “false and disruptive” when the lawsuit was filed in April in Clark County, Nevada. He stepped away from work at ESPN at the time but had pledged to return by the start of the NFL preseason. A phone message seeking comment from Sharpe’s attorney, David Chesnoff, wasn’t immediately returned Friday. The woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20, and a nearly two-year relationship followed, according to the lawsuit. Sharpe, 57, was accused of raping the woman in October 2024 and in January. “Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship,” Buzbee said. “After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution.” Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl-winning teams with Denver and one with the Ravens over 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. Sharpe retired as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (815), receiving yards (10,060) and touchdowns (62). Those records have been broken. Sharpe has been a staple on TV and social media since retiring. He left FS1’s sports debate show “Undisputed” in 2023 and joined ESPN soon afterward. View the full article