ExtremeRavens Posted July 26 Posted July 26 The first four days of Ravens training camp have been a medley of football activity. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has been sick and mostly absent. His backups have, at best, looked the part. The offensive line battle has yet to materialize. One of the NFL’s best defenses from a season ago, despite several changes in personnel and among the coaching staff, has been as stifling as the hot weather. Still, there was plenty to be gleaned from the practices, which will take a step up in intensity with the addition of pads Friday as players return after a day off. Here’s what we learned so far: The defense has vastly outperformed the offense It’s to be expected this time of year — particularly when Jackson isn’t on the field — but Baltimore’s defense, from its pass rush to its secondary, has dominated. Turnovers were a consistent theme throughout the week, with Wednesday’s session the nadir of the offense’s struggles (or the peak of the defense’s abilities, depending on the perspective). Quarterbacks threw a whopping six interceptions, many of which were poor throws, poor decisions or both. Fourth day of Ravens training camp | PHOTOS Cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who has dropped about 10 pounds in an effort to play faster and remain healthy, unlike last season, had two of them. And even though one landed in his lap on a wildly overthrown ball from Jackson in the middle of the field, he has been sticky in coverage, whether it’s been against Rashod Bateman or others. “He’s one of the fastest guys on the team,” safety Kyle Hamilton said. “I’m excited for him to get back to who he is.” Humphrey has hardly been the only defensive back to look good, too. Rookie first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins, veteran Arthur Maulet, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Trayvon Mullen have all had interceptions. Ditto for Hamilton and fellow safeties Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson. Corners Brandon Stephens, Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams have all performed well. “Anytime they get their hands on a ball, that’s pretty good,” pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt said. “We’ve got a lot of talented guys back there. We’ve got length; we’ve got speed; we’ve got guys who [are] pit bulls. We’ve got it all, guys who come up and tackle. We’re a very talented group back there.” Also causing problems for the Ravens’ offense so far: outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, defensive tackle Travis Jones and veteran Brent Urban, among others. “He’s bringing it,” Harbaugh said of Oweh. “He’s pretty much been in the backfield every play.” Even undrafted rookies Tramel Walthour and C.J. Ravenell, both long shots to make the roster, have made a couple of nice plays. Rashod Bateman has looked like a WR1 All throughout the building, the talk about the Ravens’ enigmatic but talented Bateman is that the expectation for the receiver is to have a big year. “We’re expecting great things from him, and he is from himself,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “He’s expected to be a top receiver in the league for us,” Harbaugh said. “I think his best football is ahead of him,” general manager Eric DeCosta said in April after signing Bateman to a two-year, $12 million extension. “I just feel like he’s a really, really talented player who has had some bad luck with injuries. I think he’s got a very bright future.” So far, he’s shined. On the first day of camp, Bateman hauled in a pass and spun to the outside for what would have been a big gain had he not slipped. The next day in the rain, he made a 25-yard catch after beating Stephens down the sideline and later added a 20-yarder over the middle. Tuesday, he caught a deep pass down the sideline despite Humphrey appearing to get a hand on the ball. Later in the same practice, he broke free over the middle and showed off his speed by getting to the outside for big chunk. Now Baltimore just needs to get him and Jackson on the field together. At the other end of the receiver group, Dayton Wade, an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi, has made a handful of nice plays — most notably catching a 47-yard bomb from rookie Devin Leary in tight coverage. That kind of performance could land Wade a spot on the 53-man roster or more likely the practice squad. It’s a crowded race, though, with the top four receiver spots on the roster pretty much locked up between Bateman, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor and rookie fourth-round pick Devontez Walker (though Walker has been inconsistent so far). Assuming the Ravens carry six receivers on the 53-man roster, one of those spots is likely to go to returner-receiver Deonte Harty with the last possibly up for grabs between Tylan Wallace, Sean Ryan, Isaiah Washington and Wade. Ravens offensive linemen hit the pads during practice. The line has three starting spots open, but much is left to be decided. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Offensive line positions still TBD The battles for the two open guard spots and right tackle job won’t truly start to shake out until players are in pads and thus going full speed in the trenches. Still, there have been some interesting developments so far. Notably, 6-foot-8, 380-pound Daniel Faalele has been getting a lot of reps at right guard. “He’s a big man, but he can move his feet,” Harbaugh said. “He can also bend and create leverage. When you’ve got that kind of size when you’re coming off the ball and some of those combination blocks, we feel like he’s got a chance with Tyler [Linderbaum] to move people in there. “He keeps working on using his hands. [When] things happen quicker, you have to get your hands up quicker, you have to get your hands on people a little quicker — he’s working on that part of it, too — so we’ll see how he adapts.” Meanwhile, Andrew Vorhees, who missed all of last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during the NFL scouting combine, looks to have the inside track at left guard, though he did get pushed around a few times by Michael Pierce. At right tackle, versatile veteran Patrick Mekari, rookie Roger Rosengarten and Faalele look to be in the mix. Guards Ben Cleveland and Josh Jones have been less impactful, unless you count their presnap penalties. Derrick Henry is, unsurprisingly, as advertised When Henry wasn’t swatting away insipid social media opprobrium from a Tennessee Titans beat writer or leaving new teammates in awe over his mix of size and athleticism, he was busy getting adapted to his first training camp somewhere other than Tennessee for the first time the same way he always does. “Training camp is just work,” he said. “It’s the same. I don’t think you try to make too much of it being somewhere different. You’re going to work regardless [of] wherever you’re at.” One of the biggest free agent splashes of the NFL offseason, his addition to Baltimore’s backfield gives the Ravens perhaps the league’s most dynamic duo in Henry and Jackson. Interestingly, there was some initial concern about how the 6-3, 247-pound two-time NFL rushing leader would blend in both in style and function with an offense that operates mostly from the shotgun or pistol formations, but Henry seems to have assuaged whatever uncertainty there was. Most of that is because of his work ethic, quick feet and ability to break tackles. Much like the offensive line, Henry will be able to showcase his skills much more often once he’s in pads, but so far he’s glided inside, been the target of passes on the outside and showed plenty of speed, even at age 30, in getting to the corner. Backup quarterbacks struggle The reality of today’s NFL is that with Jackson getting paid $52 million per year, the Ravens simply can’t afford to invest much in whoever is backing him up. Enter 38-year-old Josh Johnson, who returned to Baltimore on a one-year deal worth just over $1 million. The Ravens also spent a sixth-round draft pick on Leary and have undrafted free agent Emory Jones, who played any Florida, Arizona State and Cincinnati. It’s just four days of camp, two are rookies and they’re all going against one of the league’s best defenses, but none of the quarterbacks have looked sharp, including Johnson, who threw three interceptions in Wednesday’s practice. Still, the position is an important one. Though Jackson was largely healthy and played a full season last year, injuries cost him significant time during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Ravens seem content with Johnson as the backup, so it seems unlikely they will add to the room anytime soon — even with former Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill still among those available in free agency. View the full article Quote
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