ExtremeRavens Posted July 17 Posted July 17 It’s been an offseason of change for the Ravens. A free agent exodus. A coaching staff that was plundered. Those are the prices of success, with Baltimore coming off a year in which it boasted the NFL’s best regular-season record and got within a game of reaching the Super Bowl before falling flat against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. Gone are longtime running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Three-fifths of the starting offensive line, including popular and reliable veteran Kevin Zeitler, are elsewhere. The defense, meanwhile, saw coordinator Mike Macdonald become the Seattle Seahawks’ coach, inside linebacker Patrick Queen sign with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney land a huge deal with the Carolina Panthers and safety Geno Stone, who was second in the NFL with seven interceptions, depart for another division rival in the Cincinnati Bengals. Yet, there is plenty of familiarity and promise, namely quarterback Lamar Jackson and second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers, along with All-Pro caliber players at every level of the defense with tackle Justin Madubuike, inside linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton. There are still some questions that need to be answered in the weeks and months ahead, but the Ravens have one of the best rosters top to bottom in the NFL. Here’s how each position group stacks up, from weakest to strongest, as Baltimore gets set to kick off training camp this weekend. Offensive line Last season, the Ravens’ offensive line allowed just 160 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, the fifth-fewest in the NFL. Going into this season, PFF ranks the unit 25th. That’s what happens when three starters are elsewhere after guards Zeitler and John Simpson and signed with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets, respectively, and right tackle Morgan Moses was traded to the Jets in a draft pick swap. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and former All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley are back, but questions and unknowns abound up front. Can Stanley, who looked fit and energized in the spring after struggling with injuries again last year, stay healthy? Will any of Baltimore’s unproven young players, such as second-round rookie tackle Roger Rosengarten, or other backups who have at times flashed, become dependable, every down starters? Ben Cleveland and Daniel Faalele, while solid at times last season, have yet to show enough consistency. Andrew Vorhees is healthy after a knee injury that sidelined him all of last year, but has yet to put on pads for Baltimore. Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu was touted as a possible starter at left guard going into camp last year, then didn’t play a snap during his rookie season. Coach John Harbaugh said he’d like to have the offensive line settled within the first couple of weeks of training camp, but it’s reasonable to think that timetable could extend through at least the first preseason game or two. Ravens and Commanders joint practiceKevin RichardsonDavid Ojabo has missed essentially each of the past two seasons since Baltimore drafted him in the second round in 2022. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Outside linebacker Promise is different from production. Odafe Oweh showed improvement last year but still finished with just five sacks and 15 pressures, though he did rank 14th in the NFL in pass rush win rate among edge rushers, per PFF. David Ojabo, meanwhile, has missed essentially each of the past two seasons since Baltimore drafted him in the second round in 2022 and is still working his way back from last year’s torn ACL. Veteran Kyle Van Noy is back following a career-high nine sacks in just 14 games last year after signing with the Ravens early in the season, but gone is Clowney, who not only had 9 1/2 sacks a year ago but was a valuable edge setter against the run, something that is not Van Noy’s forte. General manager Eric DeCosta likes the length, speed and tenaciousness of third-round rookie Adisa Isaac, who had 7 1/2 sacks last season at Penn State, but Isaac missed all of the spring because of a hamstring “tweak” suffered during rookie minicamp. Put another way, don’t be surprised if DeCosta adds another veteran edge rusher late in the summer once again. There are still notable free agents available, including Emmanuel Ogbah, Yannick Ngakoue and Shaq Lawson. The challenge will be hitting on one with the kind of success the Ravens had with Clowney and Van Noy last year. Wide receiver Flowers was one of the best rookie receivers in the NFL last season. His 396 yards yards after the catch ranked 15th among all receivers, per PFF, and his 19 missed tackles forced were the third-most among rookie receivers since 2006. His 77 catches and 858 receiving yards led the Ravens and his five touchdown catches were tops among the team’s receivers. Beyond Flowers, however, there are question marks. Rashod Bateman has occasionally flashed over his three seasons in Baltimore, but he has yet to deliver on his full potential either because of injuries his first two seasons or a lack of on-field chemistry with Jackson, something that was evident last year. The Ravens signed Bateman to a two-year extension — something the receiver said he was even surprised by — but his 56 targets in 2023 paled in comparison with the 108 Flowers got. Odell Beckham Jr. moving on to the Miami Dolphins should at least result in more targets for Bateman, among others. The Ravens also brought back dependable veteran Nelson Agholor, who had 35 catches, including four touchdowns, last season, but at this point the 31-year-old is a complementary piece. After those three, there’s uncertainty. Rookie Devontez Walker, Deonte Harty, Tylan Wallace, Keith Kirkwood, Sean Ryan and converted quarterback Malik Cunningham all battling for snaps and the remaining likely three spots on the final 53-man roster. Cornerback An area of concern heading into training camp last year looks to be a position of strength this year. Marlon Humphrey is expected to bounce back from an injury-marred 2023, while Brandon Stephens established himself on the outside last year. Add first-round pick Nate Wiggins, the return of Arthur Maulet and a healthy Jalyn Armour-Davis and Baltimore is suddenly flush with quality cornerbacks. There’s also Damarion “Pepe” Williams, fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa and others such as Ka’Dar Holman and Tre Swilling, who looked good in the spring, to provide further depth. If the group can stay largely healthy — a big if given the injury history of a few players — then the Ravens should have lots of options and depth in the defensive backfield. Inside linebacker Smith has emerged as not just the emotional heartbeat of the Ravens’ defense but as one of the best linebackers in the NFL, garnering All-Pro honors each of the past two seasons. Gone, however, is Queen, who left for the Steelers in free agency, and taking his place is second-year linebacker Trenton Simpson. While Simpson cuts a similar figure to Queen — speedy, athletic, high energy — he’s still young and therefore likely prone to some of the same kinds of mistakes Queen made early in his Baltimore career before blossoming into a highly talented player. But the Ravens will need Simpson, praised for his high football IQ among other attributes, to be ready to fill the void, with only Josh Ross and Chris Board behind him along with undrafted free agents Deion Jennings and Yvandy Rigby. Malik Harrison could also be an option, however, as he can play outside or inside. Safety All-Pro Hamilton is in the conversation for best defensive player in the NFL. Marcus Williams, when healthy, has long been a well-above average free safety. Together, they have the potential to be the best tandem in the league. Beyond health, though, depth could be something of a concern given Stone’s free agent departure. Ar’Darius Washington is the most obvious candidate to replace Stone, but has been injury prone. Stephens can play safety if needed, but he’s been valuable as a corner. The Ravens have versatility among some of their other defensive backs as well, and it’s possible they could add another veteran presence sometime during training camp with former Denver Broncos star Justin Simmons, among others, still available. Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, right, could be on the verge of becoming a superstar. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff) Defensive line This is one group that returns pretty much as is from a year ago and again should be above average. Madubuike, whose 13 sacks last season led all interior linemen in the NFL, could be on the verge of becoming a superstar. Broderick Washington is looking to play more like he did in 2022 than 2023. Another healthy season for Michael Pierce would only bolster the group and veteran Brent Urban remains a reliable contributor. Travis Jones, who has shown steady improvement in each of his first two seasons in the league, appears poised to be the next player up front ready to break out. If there is a concern, it’s how the unit will fare given the departure of Clowney, whose presence on the outside made things easier on the inside, as well as defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, now the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins. Still, there’s no reason to think this shouldn’t be one of the Ravens’ most consistent and effective groups. Special teams Justin Tucker remains one of the best kickers in the history of the sport, punter Jordan Stout has been terrific on occasion but has lacked consistency, and long snapper Nick Moore missed all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon but was a second-team All-Pro in 2022. In short, special teams is not something the Ravens have to worry about, though they did give up some big returns last season, including a punt return for a touchdown against the Bengals and another against the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. It will also be worth watching how they adapt to the new kickoff rules in place for this season. Running back Derrick Henry has twice led the NFL in rushing and rushing touchdowns. He’s a former All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection. He is the best back, even at age 30, that Jackson has played with to date. In letting Dobbins and Edwards walk (both signed with the Los Angeles Chargers) and signing Henry, Baltimore instantly upgraded its backfield in a big way, literally and figuratively. At 6 feet 2 and 247 pounds, he’s bigger than Edwards yet faster than Dobbins. In the Tennessee Titans’ regular-season finale against the Jaguars last season, Henry hit a top speed of 21.68 mph on a 69-yard run, which tied for the seventh-fastest speed by a ball carrier all year. That’s only slightly slower than the career-best 21.8 mph he reached in Week 6 of the 2021 season. Behind him, Keaton Mitchell is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in mid-December, but the expectation is that he’ll be back at some point during the season, likely in the second half at the earliest. Justice Hill, meanwhile, remains a dependable third-down back who is a good pass blocker and capable of the occasional big play. The Ravens also drafted Rasheen Ali out of Marshall. He’s a smooth, fast runner who is a capable pass catcher and led the FBS with seven plays of 50-plus yards last year, though he does have ball security concerns with 11 fumbles over the past three seasons. Isaiah Likely proved a more than capable fill-in for Mark Andrews last season. But how often will they be on the field together? (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Tight end/fullback Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and should be 100% after recovering from an ankle injury that knocked him out of the final six games of the regular season before he returned for the AFC title game. Isaiah Likely proved a more than capable fill-in with 30 catches for 411 yards and five touchdowns, just one less than Andrews and as many as Flowers. Charlie Kolar is being developed into an in-line tight end but is still a capable pass catcher, and four-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard is the ultimate utility knife. It’s no wonder the Ravens did little in the way of shaking up this group, only adding undrafted rookies Mike Rigerman and Riley Sharp. The only question remaining is whether Andrews and Likely will be on the field at the same time more often. Logic says they should be, given their exploits, but they rarely were last season. Quarterback Jackson, 27, is the youngest player to have been named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player twice. He’s also coming off a season in which he hit career highs in passing yards and completion percentage in his first season under offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Simply, he’s one of the best players in the sport. Jackson should be even more comfortable and in control in Year 2 under Monken. He also shed a few pounds in an effort to be even faster, which should make him and the Ravens’ offense that much more dangerous, especially with Henry in the fold. The biggest concern, of course, is who is behind Baltimore’s franchise player. Tyler Huntley, who had been Jackson’s backup, signed with the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. That they got him for the veteran league minimum salary tells you that the Ravens were ready to move on and are more comfortable with 38-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson, who spent last season primarily as Baltimore’s emergency third quarterback. The Ravens drafted Devin Leary out of Kentucky in the sixth round, but he’s a project at this point. Undrafted rookie Emory Jones would do well to make the roster. But in today’s NFL, few if any teams with a star as big as Jackson have a backup who can step in and produce similar numbers. View the full article Quote
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