ExtremeRavens Posted July 24 Posted July 24 There was a buzz in Owings Mills that had been absent through the first three days of training camp. It wasn’t for Gov. Wes Moore, who donned a Ravens jersey, took photos with fans and chatted with players. Lamar Jackson was back. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player returned after missing the first three practices with an illness, albeit for a short time. The 27-year-old quarterback attended meetings Wednesday morning, then jogged onto the field to roars from the bleachers, full of fans hopeful he’d finally show. He left quietly about an hour later. “It’s great having him back today,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “But I don’t feel behind. We didn’t stop. We still installed.” While on the field, Jackson showed what the Ravens have been missing, but he also displayed the side effects of his absence. His first play of the 11-on-11 period drew a false start flag on tackle Josh Jones. Later, he peppered Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman with targets. Jackson ended the session with several consecutive incompletions and was intercepted by cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Jackson departed shortly after. The Ravens are off Thursday, giving the quarterback another day to recuperate, then return Friday for the first padded practice of camp. Defense shines again Safety Marcus Williams started the full-team session with a pick-six against backup Josh Johnson on the opening play, the first of seven interceptions from the defense Wednesday. Humphrey had two, Trayvon Mullen added a pair, Kyle Hamilton intercepted rookie quarterback Devin Leary, then Jalyn Armour-Davis snatched an end zone fade from Johnson to Andrews in the air to put the cap on a suffocating defensive showing. “I give a lot of credit to [general manager] Eric [DeCosta] and his staff for putting this roster together,” pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt said. “We got a lot of talented guys back there. We got speed. We got guys who are pit bulls. We got it all.” The Ravens’ defense has severely outplayed the offense through four days of camp. Three of those were without Jackson, but the unit’s domination continued even with him back. Baltimore’s secondary figures to be deeper than it has in recent years. That depth has already flashed often. Humphrey slimmed down and said he feels better than he has in years. Williams has recovered from injuries that hindered him in 2023. First-round pick Nate Wiggins, veteran safety Eddie Jackson and rookie cornerback T.J. Tampa (sidelined after sports hernia surgery) will provide more options and allow first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr and Hewitt to tinker with different combinations in nickel and dime packages. “We got a lot of smart guys. We got a lot of high-IQ football players,” Orr said. “The more you can do, the better. If you’re a linebacker, you need to know both spots. If you’re a DB, you need to know every spot in the secondary. If you’re up front, you need to know every spot up front. The higher IQ they have, the more they can handle.” Fourth day of Ravens training camp | PHOTOS Ravens embracing new kickoff rules Special teams coordinator Chris Horton spent his offseason and the early stages of camp trying to master the NFL’s new kickoff rules that will give those plays a wildly different look. Kickoffs will still begin from the kicking team’s 35-yard line. But under the new rules, the kicking team’s tacklers will line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line and cannot move until the ball is caught or hits the ground. The receiving team will align between its 30- and 35-yard line, giving both sides a 5-yard buffer zone, and it too can’t move until the ball is caught or hits the ground. Adopted this offseason but first displayed by the XFL, the NFL hopes the new alignment prevents high-speed collisions that were frequent in traditional kickoffs while encouraging more returns. “It actually has been pretty fun, putting together different schemes,” Horton said. “We had six days this spring to kind of work those things — that’s not a lot of time, and that was with the players in shorts and T-shirts. As the pads start to come on, we’ll start to find out a little bit more about the play. The Ravens will continue to tinker with possibilities throughout camp and refine their strategies in the preseason with the hope they maintain their status as one of the league’s premier special teams units. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman greets young fans during training camp at the Ravens’ training facility Wednesday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Rashod Bateman continues to impress While many expect Flowers and Andrews to have big years, the pass catcher that has looked the best so far might be 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman. “I think he’s always had a belief in himself as a player,” Monken said. “We’re expecting a big year from Rashod [Bateman]. We’re expecting great things from him, and he is from himself.” Bateman had another solid day despite the struggling backup quarterbacks, showcasing what he can do now that he’s healthy and a full participant from Day 1. After Bateman signed a three-year, $15 million contract extension this offseason, everyone has raved about how the receiver has looked this summer. If that momentum translates to more production, the offense could reach a new level. Paying the price Lapses in judgment and mistakes are sure to happen during the early stages of training camp, as evidenced by the increasing amount of Ravens offensive linemen taking a punishment lap around the field after committing a false start penalty. On Wednesday, that dishonor went to Josh Jones and Ben Cleveland, as several offensive linemen committed a false start for the third straight day. With some spots on the line yet to be solidified, Monken explained the confidence that he and offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris have in the unit. The pair is tasked with replacing three starters from last year and finalizing who will be protecting Jackson and opening holes for running back Derrick Henry. “Joe’s going to have a big voice and we’ve got the talent,” Monken said. “We think those guys can play, we just need to get them out there and see who takes advantage of the opportunity.” Mike Preston sounds off Jackson finally participated in practice, mostly in the first segment, but the Ravens need him to return quickly before a receiver gets hurt. The quarterbacks threw six interceptions Wednesday, with a lot of them over the outstretched arms of intended targets. It is easy to see that some of the receivers are getting frustrated with the poorly thrown passes. Midway through practice, veteran receiver Nelson Agholor gave up on a poorly thrown pass on a 15-yard out route. That’s what is known as a “business decision” in the NFL. There is no use getting hurt in practice. Later in practice, Andrews seemed irritated on an underthrown pass that virtually gave him no chance of making a catch in the right corner of the end zone. It’s a good thing the Ravens aren’t having practice Thursday. That gives Jackson more time to rest and get healthy. Jackson showed very little energy during his time on the field and was off his game. Regardless, the Ravens’ best play in 2024 will still be Jackson improvising and running around to make plays. It was basically a “brother-in-law” day on the interior lines, as both units seemed more content to go through the motions instead of challenging each other. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley didn’t have a good day, and that could be said about the right side of the offensive line as well. The defense is expected to be ahead of the offense after only three days of training camp, but it will be interesting to see what happens when the full pads go on. The team has practiced in “shells,” helmets and shoulder pads, to start camp. Rookie receiver Devontez Walker, a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina, had a good day with several catches in which he was able to find soft spots in the defense. One of those was a roughly 20-yard grab on an out pattern near the left sideline in which he got both feet in bounds before stepping out. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has his offensive linemen running a lap when they jump offsides, but it was amusing watching both 344-pound Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and 305-pound Cleveland attempt to jog after being called for penalties. It was a leisurely stroll in which they cut the distance short. Next time, Coach, just call an Uber. View the full article Quote
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