The Grind Continues

Training camp is a grind. Redundancy is present. Repetition creates familiarity. The goal in part is for players to become so tight with their assignments that it allows their innate athleticism to take over and achieve results that align with their individual skill set.

But to get there, it takes work – a lot of it! And as superfluous as it may seem to the players and even observers, the importance of the work cannot be understated. The sweat, the aches, the mental weariness are all part of the process.

“Iron sharpens iron”.

It’s a cliché the Ravens use repeatedly. Yet it serves as a credo that fuels slow and steady improvement even if the results aren’t initially clear to see.

During Tuesday’s practice, it marked the sixth consecutive session during which the Ravens were fully padded. And after watching the grind, you get the sense that things might soon get a little chippy upon the practice fields of One Winning Drive.

While running through red zone plays, Lamar Jackson tossed a short pass in the right flat to Rasheem Ali. The feisty Arthur Maulet dropped the rookie, burying his shoulder into the RB’s chest just prior to the takedown. This wasn’t intended to be a full contact practice. Maybe Maulet missed that memo. Lamar didn’t take kindly to the tackle and called Maulet out. But it wasn’t the only play during which the defense brought physicality.

DB’s regularly finished plays – passes defensed, in particular, were marked by takedowns of the intended targets. Marcus Williams dropped a shoulder into Mark Andrews’ chest on a 15-yard pass just inside the numbers. Andrews responded with a stare down accompanied by his familiar “first down”.

Perhaps the overzealousness of Zach Orr’s defense is indicative of the modus operandi that the first-year defensive coordinator will embrace. And that may match up well with the collective DNA of his defenders.

Offense v. Defense

There isn’t much to report in the way of explosive offensive plays. The running game seemed to get untracked a bit with a couple of big gainers, one each from Derrick Henry and Bethesda, Maryland native Owen Wright who has splashed more than 5th-round draft pick Ali.

By air, downfield connections were rarities. It seems as if the team is looking to build upon its vertical game but on this afternoon, the long-distance dial ups didn’t connect. What did connect comes as no surprise – Jackson to Andrews.

Andrews leads by example. His work ethic is off the chart. He not only contributed the biggest offensive play – a deep crosser during which he got past the safety and delivered a house call, he also finished the day’s most impressive play. During the two-minute offensive portion of practice, Lamar dropped deep in his own territory and in the face of tremendous pressure from Travis Jones, dropped his arm angle to deliver a pass to Andrews who finished the play with a spectacular diving catch to move the chains.

Sheesh @Mandrews_81 pic.twitter.com/JnizkVjrg7

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 30, 2024

FIRST DOWN!

Andrews’ heroics aside, it was the defense that held the upper hand on Monday thanks in large part to extremely tight coverage on the back end. 7-on-7 sessions are heavily slanted towards offensive success. There is no rush; no one in the quarterback’s face. It is akin to schoolyard touch football. Yet repeatedly, the defensive seven shut down throwing windows, forcing the quarterbacks to check down for marginal gains or just eat the football. Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Kyle Hamilton, Williams, Maulet and rookie Nate Wiggins were all on point with technique throughout the afternoon.

And that kind of coverage might persuade Orr to scheme pressure if the defensive front is unable to get home. He certainly has the personnel to do it.

Wiggins, Humphrey and Stephens are players that I focused on a bit more than others. The Ravens first-round pick looks like the real deal. He has length, closing speed, the prerequisite mental toughness to compete and not allow mistakes to erode his confidence, and his fluid hips allow him to shift easily while mirroring the cuts of the man he’s covering. The same can be said for Stephens who appears ready to earn the next big Ravens contract. Humphrey looks slimmer and is moving very well. His contract suggests that he’s on notice and if this camp is any indication, Marlo has received the message, loud and clear.

Offensive Line

The buzz at camp as it relates to the offensive front, centers on the play of Andrew Vorhees and Roger Rosengarten. When players talk about other players, LISTEN. They see and feel talent. Both Michael Pierce and Ronnie Stanley have spoken glowingly about Vorhees. At this point, the accolades are just words but GM Eric DeCosta’s clever maneuvering to get back into the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft to select a Day 2 talent like Vorhees, could pay tremendous dividends. The NFL stage doesn’t appear too big for the rookie Rosengarten, but I’ll believe he’s ready to start when he competitively battles AFC North juggernaut DE’s like T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson.

The O-line took some hits this offseason. Three 2023 starters are gone. How they’re replaced could largely impact the team’s success in 2024. The right side of the line is a big concern, until it’s not. And if you’re a Ben Cleveland fan and carry hopes that he’ll be a starting guard, may I suggest you lower your expectations and be happy if he makes the team…Daniel Faalele lacks the athleticism to play guard and that’s been the spot where he resides more often than not. The Ravens like to pull their guards and that first step is crucial to the line call’s effectiveness. Faalele’s first step is like that of Frankenstein. That doesn’t mean he can’t be an adequate reserve who can provide a little roster flexibility for offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, but for the native of Melbourne, Australia to be considered a starter, there’s a long way to go.

Jonathan Ogden was on hand and looks great. I couldn’t resist the temptation to wonder if the Hall of Famer could still get it done. I’m pretty sure he could outplay a few of the Ravens players in D’Alessandris’ stable…TODAY!

Other Notes and Observations

Rashod Bateman was absent. Word is, he took a shot to his ribs on Monday and needs rest. It happens, but for some players it always seems to happen. Bateman is one of those players and as such, despite the allure of his raw skills, it’s a challenge to put much confidence in his ability to become a solid No. 2 receiver in the league. His availability will always be a question mark…Monday featured many drops from the pass catchers. On a shallow crosser, UDFA Dayton Wade was targeted. Josh Johnson’s pass caromed off Wade’s hip and into the waiting arms of Chris Board who took the gift into the end zone for six. In Wade’s defense, the pass wasn’t ideal and he did make some plays later in practice. His a UDFA that will be an interesting watch during the fake games.

David Ojabo looks like a JAG. In his defense, he’s coming off ACL surgery and appears to be ahead of schedule. But if camp is any indication, it would be highly optimistic to expect the third-year player to contribute much, particularly early during the season…Odafe Oweh on the other hand, looks explosive and relentless…Rookie QB Devin Leary has a strong arm but he lacks height. That said, he’ll be a fun watch during the preseason…Staying with backup QB, the Ravens should set their sights somewhere else for No. 2 on the depth chart. Johnson, despite John Harbaugh’s apparent affinity for the player, isn’t a guy who can lead the Ravens for 3 or 4 games if needed. And given Lamar’s seemingly regular bouts with various illnesses, it would be naïve for the team to think that 17 regular season starts from the 2023 MVP is a foregone conclusion. It’s not!

More from the grind here…

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