Lamar Jackson’s causes for being on the Ravens’ voluntary organized workforce actions Wednesday have been easy.
“Just wanted to learn the new offense and get with my guys,” he mentioned, including that he plans to attend the opposite periods that may happen over the following three weeks in Owings Mills. He discovered humor within the fervor over when or if his arrival would happen throughout the voluntary portion of the offseason.
Participation within the practices, in spite of everything, isn’t required and never each participant was there, although attendance was excessive for Wednesday’s portion that was open to the media.
But the looks of Jackson, who arrived forward of Tuesday’s observe, additionally marked an vital step ahead for the 26-year-old quarterback and the group. It was his first time collaborating in soccer actions with the workforce since he suffered a knee harm towards the Denver Broncos on Dec. 4 and was his first look on the workforce’s facility since signing a five-year extension May 4 that reportedly makes him the best paid quarterback within the NFL at $52 million a 12 months.
“It’s good to have Lamar back,” heart Tyler Linderbaum mentioned. “To be able to work with him in the OTAs, a lot of guys are happy about that.”
It was additionally a a lot totally different scene than a 12 months in the past.
Last 12 months, Jackson skipped the entire workforce’s voluntary offseason practices for the primary time in his profession. The state of affairs was extra complicated and tense then — the tug of struggle on his contract extension was about to pull into its second 12 months, and he had a well-known offensive coordinator in Greg Roman.
Now, Jackson has a brand new offense to be taught below coordinator Todd Monken, together with just a few new gamers to acclimate to, together with receivers Nelson Agholor, rookie Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. (although Beckham wasn’t current as he continues to work out on his personal). He’s additionally, notably, the $260 million face of the franchise via the 2027 season, and with that comes a sure stage of accountability.
So at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Jackson got here jogging onto the observe discipline, and although he didn’t take part in any of the 11-on-11 “live” contact periods, the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player did some work.
First, Jackson threw with the remainder of the quarterbacks in drills. Then, he ran some performs, at one level connecting with Agholor on a fairly 35-yard nook route.
It’s early, however Jackson has preferred what he has seen from Monken, significantly by way of flexibility, a cadre of proficient receivers that features the return of a wholesome Rashod Bateman, who had season-ending foot surgical procedure in November, and what looks as if might be much less of a necessity for him to bail out the offense along with his legs.
“Coach is basically giving us keys to the offense,” Jackson mentioned. “I’m loving it. … Just having the ability to throw the ball down the sector. Running can solely take you to this point. I really feel like with this new period of groups and offenses within the league, I really feel like we want that, and coach Todd Monken, what I’m seeing on this offense to this point, it’s large.
“You can change things when you want to. You see the defense, and it’s not looking right to you — see some guy blitzing — you might want your receiver to do something different. Coach giving you the free will to do whatever you want to.”
In different phrases, much less working, extra throwing and dynamic play-calling.
That ought to assist Jackson keep upright — over the previous two seasons, he has missed 11 video games due to accidents. It additionally may result in a extra explosive offense that may assist the Ravens preserve tempo in a loaded AFC, together with the division rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Though Georgia was a run-heavy workforce below Monken, the Bulldogs additionally had one among school soccer’s most prolific passing assaults on their approach to successful back-to-back nationwide championships.
But how the brand new offense will look and the way Jackson might be utilized is essentially a subject for one more day, with a compulsory three-day minicamp nonetheless just a few weeks away and coaching camp not till the tip of July.
Coach John Harbaugh and others have been simply comfortable to see their star quarterback on the sector.
“I’m happy with the numbers. We’ve got a lot of guys here,” Harbaugh mentioned. “I think it’s important. I’m a coach. I want everybody here. I want every player here all the time, doing everything they can.”
Jackson, who mentioned he plans to be extra of a vocal chief this season, is equally glad to have lastly put two years of contract talks behind him and return to the place he’s all the time been most snug.
“It’s much funner talking about football and nothing else,” he mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com