Just about each season in Owings Mills, Ravens coach John Harbaugh will model a brand new crew slogan on T-shirts for coaches and gamers. His message in 2022: “Come to work ready to work.”
So far, so good. Over their first 4 days of full-team practices in coaching camp, the Ravens approached their preparations with good intentions. Every session appeared to supply extra solutions than questions. Starting Monday, although, the work will get just a little extra intense.
“The pads are coming on Monday, so it’s going to be exciting to see,” Harbaugh mentioned after Saturday’s open observe at M&T Bank Stadium. “That will be the first time. The biggest thing to look for with practice is how the guys handle the mental part of it. All of a sudden, they’ve got something more to think about — the physical part of it — and not let it be too big for you.”
With the preseason opener quick approaching, this subsequent week provides some Ravens a possibility to construct on a powerful begin, and different Ravens an opportunity to show their inventory round. Here’s a take a look at who rose and who fell in the course of the crew’s first week of camp.
Risers
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson has been essentially the most spectacular Raven in camp, which might’t harm his leverage the following time he meets with basic supervisor Eric DeCosta to hammer out a contract extension. Playing underneath an ever-intensifying highlight, Jackson seems unburdened by expectations or stress. He confirmed as much as his information convention Thursday upbeat and talkative, even keen to elucidate his Twitter spat with former Raven Bernard Pollard.
Most encouraging, although, is Jackson’s growth as a passer. Over his profession, he’s struggled along with his accuracy on deep photographs. He’s additionally been reluctant to aim back-shoulder throws, preferring as an alternative to search for receivers crossing over the center. Early in camp, his greatest completions have come from these two classes. If Jackson can proceed to keep away from throwing interceptions, the Ravens’ passing assault shall be in good condition come Week 1.
WR Rashod Bateman
The 2021 first-round decide has lived as much as expectations in his first camp because the Ravens’ prime huge receiver, quieting considerations about his readiness as a substitute for Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Those inconsistent fingers he confirmed in offseason exercises? Not an issue in camp. Field-stretching pace? Bateman caught as much as an almost 50-yard bomb Saturday down the precise sideline. Consistency? “He does the same thing every practice,” Harbaugh mentioned Saturday.
As the flag-bearer for a much-scrutinized huge receiver group, Bateman must keep wholesome and productive within the weeks forward. But he’s seemingly already in sync with Jackson, and he’s fared effectively in his one-on-one matchups with Marlon Humphrey, the type of elite cornerback he’ll see extra usually this season.
TE Isaiah Likely
Likely’s 55-yard landing catch in 11-on-11 motion Thursday is now all of the extra spectacular contemplating the separation he created towards Brandon Stephens, one of many Ravens’ higher defensive backs in camp. The fourth-round decide ended June’s obligatory minicamp on a excessive, incomes targets and reward from Jackson, and his manufacturing has continued in camp.
Even if Likely struggles early as a blocker, he ought to have a task within the Ravens’ passing recreation. After Mark Andrews mentioned Likely has “got a little bit of me in him,” Jackson likened him to a “baby Mark right now.” Both tight ends had been extremely productive faculty gamers whose draft inventory fell over athleticism considerations. Both have sufficient savvy and measurement to beat these limitations.
G Ben Powers
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman mentioned Friday that Powers has “probably taken the lead” within the left guard battle, signal for a lineman whom Ravens coaches have been reluctant to embrace at occasions. Powers, who’s coming into the fourth and last yr of his rookie contract, began 12 of the 13 video games he performed in final season. He appeared in 29 straight video games from 2020 to 2021 till struggling a foot harm in December.
It’s unclear simply how large of a lead Powers has on Tyre Phillips, who lined up with the first-team offense within the first 11-on-11 interval of Saturday’s open observe. But Powers has put himself in good place coming into the primary week of padded practices.
ILB Patrick Queen
Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald mentioned Friday that Queen is “on a great trajectory right now.” After bouts of inconsistency over his first two seasons in Baltimore, the 2020 first-round decide seems like a possible every-down presence for the protection. Queen has buzzed across the pocket as a blitzer, and the Ravens’ imposing defensive position ought to free him to make performs as a sideline-to-sideline run stopper.
If Queen can proceed to enhance his consciousness in protection, he’ll be one of many Ravens’ most essential defenders — and a prime candidate to put on the inexperienced dot because the protection’s signal-caller. With veteran inside linebacker Josh Bynes, inside linebackers coach Zach Orr and Macdonald, his former positional coach, all again in Baltimore, Queen’s consolation with the protection is clear.
Fallers
G Ben Cleveland
As Harbaugh defined Saturday, he doesn’t make exceptions for his conditioning take a look at: “We’re not going to put a player out there until he can do it.” And by way of Saturday, the fourth day of camp, Cleveland hadn’t handed the take a look at. If the 2021 third-round decide returns to observe this week, his first exercise would seemingly be in pads — a tough take a look at for any participant, however particularly one preventing for a beginning job.
Cleveland can reassert himself within the left guard battle with a powerful preseason, however he’ll return to observe having squandered useful studying alternatives. In an up-and-down rookie yr, Cleveland struggled to transform his uncooked power into gap-clearing energy.
TE Charlie Kolar
If latest historical past is any comfort to Kolar, who’ll miss a number of weeks whereas he recovers from sports activities hernia surgical procedure, coaching camp accidents are nothing new for rookie tight ends in Baltimore. A soft-tissue harm sidelined Andrews for about two weeks in 2018. Hayden Hurst later suffered a stress fracture in his foot and missed greater than a month.
Kolar, the primary tight finish the Ravens drafted since that class, might nonetheless make an impression this season. Bateman appeared in 12 video games final season after getting back from the same harm. But if Kolar’s rehabilitation additionally mirrors Bateman’s, the fourth-round decide would possibly want till subsequent offseason to totally recuperate.
Running backs
The first week of camp shouldn’t be a super setting for working again breakouts — no pads, no hitting, not numerous 11-on-11 run performs. But the Ravens have had extra encouraging begins on the place. Start with the crew’s harm information: J.Okay. Dobbins, who appeared poised for a breakout 2021 earlier than tearing his ACL within the crew’s preseason finale final summer season, has not been cleared to observe. Neither has Gus Edwards, whose restoration from his personal ACL harm might take even longer.
The Ravens’ wholesome working backs, in the meantime, have been strong however unspectacular. After flashing as a receiver in offseason exercises, rookie Tyler Badie has fallen off considerably. Mike Davis and Justice Hill have held up effectively in cross safety, nevertheless it’s unclear how a lot they’ll supply as ball-carriers. New signing Corey Clement continues to be getting his bearings. Can somebody separate from the pack earlier than the preseason opener?
OLB David Ojabo
Nothing’s modified for Ojabo for the reason that Ravens drafted him: He’s nonetheless unsigned, and he’s nonetheless months away, if no more, from being cleared to return from a torn Achilles tendon. The second-round decide was across the crew for offseason exercises, however a disagreement over assured cash in Ojabo’s rookie contract has stored him away from the Ravens’ facility.
Ojabo can proceed his rehab with out the assistance of crew docs, however transitioning to the NFL will be as a lot a psychological problem as it’s a bodily take a look at for rookies. The sooner Ojabo’s again for crew conferences, the happier Ravens coaches shall be.
Undrafted rookies
For the second time in three years, the Ravens’ preliminary 53-man roster might don’t have any undrafted rookies. The crew’s 16-year streak of maintaining a minimum of one undrafted free agent led to 2020, then received again on monitor final yr with the assistance of security Ar’Darius Washington. But a roster crunch this preseason gained’t make a repeat simple.
The Ravens added six huge receivers after the draft, together with notable names like Slade Bolden, a nationwide champion at Alabama, and Makai Polk, who had 1,046 yards final season at Mississippi State. But not even the group’s early standout, Fort Valley State’s Shemar Bridges, has confirmed extra deserving of a roster spot than veteran Jaylon Moore. Other fringe gamers, like former Navy inside linebacker Diego Fagot, will want sturdy preseasons and maybe some roster luck to safe a spot.
Preseason, Week 1
TITANS@RAVENS
Thursday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m.
TV: Chs. 11, 4
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com