ExtremeRavens Posted Thursday at 10:30 AM Posted Thursday at 10:30 AM Derrick Henry practices like a rookie at age 31, while Justice Hill is considered to be the Ravens running backs’ junkyard dog. Those two teamed up to form the NFL’s most productive backfield by total rushing yards and yards per carry last season. Add Keaton Mitchell to the mix — nearly two years removed from ACL surgery, lauded as being “back to himself” this training camp — and Baltimore enters this fall with what could be a dangerous three-headed monster in a backfield that also features dual threat quarterback Lamar Jackson. The question then becomes, how do you maximize all that talent? Henry is Baltimore’s primary running back, coming off an 18-touchdown season (16 rushing, two receiving) 79 rushing yards shy of what would have been his second career 2,000-yard campaign. He’s the old school bell cow back — one of the few left in today’s NFL. Hill is historically the go-to third-down back. A downtick in practice touches and the fact that he didn’t suit up for the first preseason game last week is an example on how far he’s come, stamping his place as RB2 after clocking 611 total yards last season. He specializes as a receiving back and undersized pass blocker. It earned him a two-year, $6 million extension last September. “When it comes to Derrick and Justice, we have a good rotation going,” running backs coach Willie Taggart said. “… We can try to find different ways to get [Mitchell] the football so he can do his thing.” The thinking, as of mid-August and assuming everyone is healthy, is that Hill will be the one to temper Henry’s snap count in hopes of saving his best football for January. Adding Mitchell will require some creative shuffling to get him the football. He’s certainly proved his worth this month. Mitchell shined in the early days of training camp practice. He showed out in the first joint practice then again with a nine-carry, 68-yard performance against Indianapolis in the preseason opener. While he hasn’t practiced since for undisclosed reasons, what Mitchell has put on tape is emblematic of the one who could be the shiftiest option out of Baltimore’s backfield. Couple that with what Taggart noticed has been a renewed confidence — an affable energy — walking around the building could prove to make Mitchell difficult to keep off the field. Taggart pointed out Mitchell has been “much better” in pass protection and his whole body looks stronger, not just the knee. “It’s our job to get the best players on the field,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “Our ability to be versatile, not only by run-pass modes, it’s also by who’s out there, what grouping [and] what do we do out of each group. But, we certainly have to look at that a lot more as we continue to move forward.” Special teams is the most obvious path to be sure Mitchell gets consistent touches. Ravens running back Derrick Henry practices during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens assistant head coach and running back coach Willie Taggart speaks with the media after training camp practice at Under Armour Performance Center (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Ravens running back Derrick Henry, right, runs 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 Rasheen Ali practices during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Show Caption1 of 5Ravens running back Derrick Henry practices during training camp at Under Armour Performance Center (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Expand Last year, Hill noticeably stopped taking reps on kick return. “I’m not gonna lie, I do kinda miss it,” he said. Special teams gave him the foundation that he turned into a full-time role out of Baltimore’s backfield. Mitchell’s path may look similar. He fielded three kick returns for 64 yards last week against the Colts. With a logjam in the backfield, Mitchell’s touches may be most prudent via special teams. As Monken says often, the surplus of talent is a good problem to have. Hill razzes Henry about his stature in the game, seeing that he’s bound for the Hall of Fame. Henry attacks every day with a straight face and insatiable hunger. So much so that Hill sometimes reminds him to smile more. They learn a lot from one another in that group. Taggart said Hill was paramount in helping Henry acclimate to Baltimore last season. Hill said it’s “cool to see the difference between a normal guy in the league” and someone who will one day have his own bust in Canton, Ohio. And Mitchell is backfilling Hill’s promotion, “doing all the dirty work,” he said recently. “[Monken] is good at putting all the guys in the right spot to maximize their abilities,” Hill said. “It’s just gonna be exciting to see because we continue to add to the offense. You can tell everybody’s getting a lot more comfortable.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
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