ExtremeRavens Posted August 3 Posted August 3 If insomnia is the cause of many sleepless nights, then attending a Ravens training camp practice might be a good solution. It’s not that the Ravens are bad, or in rebuilding mode. They just don’t have a lot of holes in the starting lineup. Sometimes, boring is good. The Ravens are prepared to make another deep postseason run after losing, 17-10, to Kansas City in the AFC championship game last January here in Baltimore. Can the Ravens win Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans? Of course, but most of the other 31 NFL teams feel the same way, even though some have no shot. As for the Ravens, they have some suspect areas, but nothing glaring at this point. They have quarterback Lamar Jackson, the league’s two-time Most Valuable Player at age 27. They have the best and most punishing running back in the NFL in 6-foot-3, 247-pound Derrick Henry. They also have a good tight end tandem in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, both of whom can play inside or outside. So, the prime-time players are in place, but there is concern about the shortage of beef on the line and the lack of a legitimate No. 1 receiver. Overall, the receiving corps is sound. The Ravens have the perfect slot target in Zay Flowers, the 5-9, 175-pound speedster who can turn a short pass into a game-changing touchdown. They have the versatile veteran in Nelson Agholor and capable replacements in Tylan Wallace and possibly rookie Devontez Walker. But who’s the No. 1 on the outside, a player who can have the same impact as Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, Miami’s Tyreek Hill or Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb? It could be fourth-year player Rashod Bateman, but the enigmatic one has yet to prove his consistency, even in training camp. One practice he looks superb, and then he takes off two straight for some apparent soreness. That’s puzzling, almost as strange as the Ravens trying to find starters on the offensive line. Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has created the most intrigue during training camp so far. (Amy Davis/Staff) The team has been shuffling players on the first unit, which is problematic because it’s like rotating quarterbacks. If you have two, then you really don’t have a starter. If you’re shuffling seven to eight linemen, then you really don’t have a dominant group. It’s safe to say that the starting tackles at this point are Ronnie Stanley on the left side and Patrick Mekari on the right, but there are health questions about both, and Mekari seems a step slower than a year ago. Third-year player Tyler Linderbaum will start at center and probably second-year performer Andrew Vorhees at left guard, but the right guard position is open with Daniel Faalele and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu vying for a starting spot. Rookie Roger Rosengarten is getting more playing time at right tackle, but that might be in preparation for the preseason, not Week 1. The Ravens also have to find ways to get Likely and Andrews on the field more often instead of waiting to get inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. The Ravens don’t want to become predictable in running situations by making fullback Patrick Ricard the tight end. “It’s been very fun,” tight ends coach George Godsey said of the game planning. “I mean [we’ve] got four guys that we think we can put out there at any point, at any position — including Pat. It’s a versatile group — it’s exciting, we’re physical, we catch the ball, we run — we’re going to be moved around in the offense, and that’s the role that we want. We want to be put in a position to succeed, so whoever’s out there, we feel like we’ll do that.” Defensively, the Ravens might be close to what they were a year ago when they led the league in point allowed per game (16.5). The line is set with tackle Justin Madubuike, who established himself as a complete player in 2023 with 56 tackles and 13 sacks. It’s a big-bodied front with two tackles over the 330-pound mark in Michael Pierce and Travis Jones, making Broderick Washington the lightweight at 315. Jones is expected to share time with Pierce and Washington, and the Ravens have a quality backup in veteran Brent Urban. The Ravens are loaded in the secondary with cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Arthur Maulet, Nate Wiggins, Damarion “Pepe” Williams, T.J. Tampa and safeties Ar’Darius Washington, Eddie Jackson, Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. Most of the players are interchangeable, which is exceptional for a team that shows multiple looks. Roquan Smith will anchor at the middle linebacker position, and the team can use Trent Simpson or Malik Harrison on the weak side. Harrison can also play on the outside, too. There are still questions about the pass rush. Outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh, Tavius Robinson, and David Ojabo have performed well in camp, but is it because they are playing well or because the offensive line hasn’t found a rhythm yet? Another X-factor is first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. How will he react with game-time decisions? At age 32, will he be influenced by players or coach John Harbaugh? The kicking game is in place with kicker Justin Tucker and punter Jordan Stout. There still might be some uncertainty about the return specialists and the new kickoff rules, but the Ravens have time to work those things out. It will be important for the Ravens to get off to a strong start, especially with three games in 18 days followed by three games in 10 in days during the second half of the season. That’s absurd coming from a league that likes to pretend it cares about player safety. The Ravens play in the highly competitive AFC North, but they have a healthy Jackson compared with both Cleveland’s DeShaun Watson and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow trying to come back from major injuries a year ago. In Pittsburgh, veteran Russell Wilson appears to be the opening day starter but might be looking over his shoulder at former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. As in the previous six seasons, the Ravens’ fate will be decided by the passing game. Opposing teams, such as Kansas City in the AFC championship game, will stack the line of scrimmage and dare Jackson to beat them on the outside, especially if they have talented cornerbacks. That’s not to put the entire season on Jackson’s shoulders, but it’s been a recurring theme. If Bateman develops, the offensive line can pass protect and there is consistent pressure from the defensive front, then the Ravens are in great shape. If not, they’ll come up short again. This team has to get hot. During their Super Bowl run in 2000, the Ravens went five straight games without scoring a touchdown. But finally, coach Brian Billick transitioned over to the “dark side,” giving rookie running back Jamal Lewis a lot of the workload and allowing one of the best defenses ever to control the pace of the game. In 2012, quarterback Joe Flacco had one of the greatest postseason runs ever as the Ravens beat San Francisco in Super Bowl 47. Of course, injuries and luck will play a part and take their toll during the regular season, but right now the Ravens are in a really good position. It’s OK to have a boring training camp. Really, it’s a good thing. View the full article Quote
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