Ravens left sort out Ronnie Stanley stated Wednesday he might return to his Pro Bowl type this yr as a result of he has lastly had a full offseason to work out.
Stanley, 29, has missed intensive taking part in time the previous three seasons due to a left ankle harm that has required a number of surgical procedures. He signed a five-year, $98.75 million extension with the Ravens in October 2020 however suffered a devastating harm two days later.
Stanley performed the 2021 season opener earlier than it was decided that the ankle was not absolutely healed and required one other surgical procedure. In 2022, he missed the primary month of the season and two extra video games.
This offseason, he didn’t need to concern himself with rehabilitating the ankle, simply returning to his normal exercises.
“A majority of my time the past couple of years have been spent on rehab,” stated Stanley, a 2016 first-round draft decide. “About 80% of that offseason time [had been focused on rehab] and probably 20% on training. So, being able to really put most of my time on training and building and getting stronger, getting more endurance, and just becoming an overall better athlete has been a big difference for me.”
Stanley will most likely by no means be nearly as good as he was in 2019, when he was named a first-team All-Pro. Those accidents take a toll, and he couldn’t absolutely plant and push off in move safety final season.
But will probably be onerous for the Ravens to win with out him. Stanley didn’t observe Wednesday and his alternative, Patrick Mekari, struggled with second-year outdoors linebacker David Ojabo.
Left tackles don’t get a break on Sunday afternoons as a result of they’re normally matched up towards the opposing staff’s high move rusher. The Ravens want Stanley on the sector.
“Been able to build and really build off what I did last season and just get better,” Stanley stated. “I really feel a big difference the last couple of years.”
Monken making sturdy impression
New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has a manner of getting after gamers in a humorous manner.
When requested about working again J.Okay. Dobbins lacking his second straight observe of necessary minicamp with a minor soft-tissue harm, Monken gave a delicate, but prodding reply.
“Would we love [Dobbins] to be out here? Of course,” Monken stated. “Would we love him to be able to go through practice and be able to see that? As I told him today, I’m excited. ‘Give me something. Run a swing route. I don’t care. Just jog down the field. Do something. Give me something to get excited about.’”
When requested if he needed to go over issues or reinstall components of the sport plan for gamers who didn’t take part in voluntary offseason staff actions, Monken merely stated no.
“No chance,” he stated. “They’ve acquired to make amends for their very own. We’re on the planet of iPads and with the ability to look forward, and we’ve been in touch with these guys.
“Again, it’s great to have them here; it’s always better when they’re out here practicing with us. But again, that’s their responsibility of being pros.”
I’m beginning to actually like this man, and apparently so is quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Forget concerning the freedom Jackson shall be given to make changes on the line of scrimmage. At least this yr the Ravens will function at a quicker tempo, which Jackson prefers. The offense has labored onerous on the up-tempo strategy thus far.
“[It’s] very important, just because we have the clock going — the play clock going — and then we have to see what the defense is in,” Jackson stated. “We have to make adjustments at the line. We still have to have time to make our adjustments. We might have to change a play here and there, so it’s very good getting to the line of scrimmage and have everything settled within that.”
Defensive line depth
Second-year defensive sort out Travis Jones seems to have had a superb offseason within the weight room.
He has gained some muscle in each his shoulders and legs and seems to have reshaped his physique. He doesn’t appear like a type of outdated Weeble Wobble toys anymore, which suggests the 2022 third-round decide might give the Ravens much-needed depth on the defensive position.
Meanwhile, fourth-year sort out Broderick Washington is perhaps essentially the most technically sound participant on the unit. He isn’t going to make the massive, splashy play, however his fundamentals are on level.
Next step for Hamilton
If second-year security Kyle Hamilton continues to enhance, the Ravens might have one of many strongest combos within the league.
Fellow security Marcus Williams has good vary and may play the deep ball. As a rookie final season, Hamilton struggled early, however the Ravens gave the first-round decide time to develop through the use of him close to the road of scrimmage.
By the top of 2022, Hamilton was strong. Now the Ravens want him to take the following step. Thus far, he seems to be extra snug in his function and he’s taking part in everywhere in the discipline, not simply within the field.
Wide receivers working
I’m nonetheless fascinated by the chemistry Jackson has constructed with veteran vast receiver Nelson Agholor. They opened Wednesday’s seven-on-seven interval by connecting for a 10-yard landing move on a fade sample in the suitable nook of the top zone as Agholor beat cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
Of all of the receivers, rookie Zay Flowers appears to run the very best routes, and he can do some injury after the catch. He had a robust day Wednesday after making a number of drops Tuesday as a result of he didn’t prolong his arms and allowed passes to get into his physique.
Fourth-year receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche II have carried out properly, however there aren’t any ensures they’ll make the roster. Proche was indignant after he dropped a possible landing move in the long run zone from Jackson when the Ravens have been working the hurry-up offense.
And he ought to have been.
Matchup to observe
A great matchup to observe in coaching camp shall be Agholor towards cornerback Marlon Humphrey. They don’t have any animosity in direction of one another however appear to benefit from the one-on-one competitors.
At one level Wednesday, Agholor was unaware the Ravens have been working the no-huddle offense and needed to make a fast jog again to the road of scrimmage.
He acquired a sign from Jackson, who threw a fast move that Agholor wasn’t prepared for, resulting in an interception for Humphrey after the ball bounced off the receiver’s fingers. Humphrey sprinted the opposite manner for what would have been a pick-six in an actual recreation.
The good, the dangerous …
Jackson threw a pleasant 55-yard landing move to vast receiver Tarik Black late in observe. It was image good.
The move that backup quarterback Tyler Huntley threw to undrafted rookie Dontay Demus Jr.? Not a lot. It was intercepted within the left nook of the top zone by cornerback Kevon Seymour.
That was ugly.
Secondary a piece in progress
The Ravens are attempting a number of completely different combos within the secondary, however they’ll go deep into the preseason earlier than any last selections are made.
Coach John Harbaugh stated the rotation is a precedence, and second-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald agrees.
“It’s tough right now [with] where we’re at,” Macdonald stated. “It’s nice to say that we’re interchangeable components, and that’s true, and to start with a part of the offseason, we do train all the things conceptually, in order that guys are simply studying X’s. But as we get going into the autumn, we’re going to need to begin to slot these issues, sort of, extra full-time, so guys get used to taking part in subsequent to guys that they’re going to be [next to] within the recreation.
“There are some things that are definitely up for competition out there. I think you know the usual suspects out there, and we’re just trying to really just kind of let them cook in there and get used to playing with one another.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com