The Ravens begin their second week of training camp on July 29, and they have less than two weeks before their preseason opener on Aug. 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Some starting spots remain up for grabs, and further down the depth chart, players continue to battle for a roster spot. For those whose status is secure, this time is all about working together and getting better as a unit, and for the defense, that’s especially important given significant overhaul on the coaching staff.
Here are five takeaways from the opening week of camp:
1. The first game that matters is more than five weeks away. Lamar Jackson has plenty of time.
The biggest storyline from the first week of practice was who was missing: Reigning league Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson missed the first three workouts, then returned for one day, left that practice early, and was absent again the next day.
The team made a point to announce twice on social media that Jackson would miss practice because of illness, and his first practice did little to assuage concerns when he appeared to have little energy and left after about an hour. He then missed the next practice after an off day.
When Jackson returned to the field Saturday, though, you would never know he had been out virtually the entire week. Jackson opened the workout by playfully catching a 20-yard pass from center Tyler Linderbaum at the end of warmups, which led to roars from young fans lining the field.
Throughout that two-hour workout, Jackson appeared to be energetic and fully engaged. He impressively led a two-minute drive for a touchdown, going 5-for-6 and throwing a touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor.
When the reserves took over for that drill and backup quarterback Devin Leary completed a pass downfield, Jackson ran up behind the play, gesturing for Leary to spike the ball and stop the clock. When Josh Johnson threw a touchdown pass, Jackson ran over to congratulate Johnson and talk a little good-natured trash to the defense. In short, it was vintage Jackson, having fun and fully in his element.
Granted, Jackson wasn’t perfect. In an early drill, his pass to Tylan Wallace sailed behind him and was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey. But Jackson looked the part of a quarterback in command. And that’s a good thing, because this week also showed how badly this team needs Jackson.
It’s no coincidence that that practice was the sharpest of the week for the offense. In the practices Jackson missed, backup quarterbacks Johnson, Leary and Emory Jones struggled to create any rhythm with the offense.
To be sure, Jackson needs to be on the field to establish rapport with Derrick Henry, particularly if they will be doing a lot of mesh-point exchanges, and to further build his connection with Rashod Bateman.
But Jackson has more than a month to ramp up for the first game that matters in Kansas City on Sept. 5. If he continues to show the kind of energy he did in Saturday’s workout, the early camp absences will be quickly forgotten. If he misses more time because of illness in the next couple of weeks, then there could be legitimate concern.
2. Rashod Bateman has been “stacking days.”
Coaches and players talk about the importance of “stacking days” this time of year, putting together one solid training camp practice after another. Amid the inconsistency for the offense without the starting quarterback, one player who has done that is wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
One day last week, Bateman came up with a couple of tremendous catches in a downpour. On one play, he made a sliding catch behind Brandon Stephens. He made another tough catch in heavy traffic and heavy rain across the middle.
“Like all of us, you do some good things, and more good things seem to come,” head coach John Harbaugh said after that soggy workout. “Rashod has been working to make those plays. To see him come out here and make those catches, those are great catches. … That’s what we expect from Rashod Bateman. He’s expected to be a top receiver in the league for us. That’s what we’re planning on.”
The Ravens have continued to say all the right things about their first pick in the 2021 draft, even as critics have questioned Bateman’s consistency and production. In his first three seasons, Bateman has averaged fewer than 400 yards and has totaled four touchdowns, but injuries have been a recurring issue.
The Ravens gave Bateman a contract extension this offseason, and the pressure falls more squarely on him this year with the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. It’s early, but the first week of camp suggested he is ready to take an assertive step forward in Year Four.
3. The offensive line question will persist for a while.
One of the biggest holes entering this season is on the offensive line, where the Ravens must replace three of five starters. Left guard John Simpson was traded, and right guard Kevin Zeitler (Detroit) and right tackle Morgan Moses (New York Jets) were both signed away as free agents.
Media rules prohibit specific revelations about starting alignments in practice, but Harbaugh and coach Joe D’Alessandris will probably mix and match throughout the next few weeks anyway, and the battles could linger late in camp. Last year, rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu looked for much of camp to be the front-runner at left guard, but Simpson ultimately won the job and ‘Sala’ didn’t play a snap all season.
This year, guard Andrew Vorhees is one of the more intriguing stories, as the 2023 draft pick is healthy again after suffering a torn ACL at that year’s Combine. The Ravens traded into that year’s draft knowing 2023 would be a lost year, and they have praised Vorhees’ work ethic and drive as he rehabbed to get ready for 2024.
He and tackle Roger Rosengarten, the team’s second-round draft pick, are both essentially rookies who could start.
Guard Ben Cleveland is fighting for a starting job in his fourth season, and if he doesn’t win one, his roster spot could be the next thing to go. He, veteran Josh Jones and massive Daniel Faalele are all in the mix, and Faalele, the third-year tackle from Minnesota by way of Australia, is getting a look at guard this summer as well.
“He can move his feet, he’s athletic, he’s flexible, and he’s intelligent, so let’s see what happens,” D’Alessandris said.
Then there’s super-utility player Patrick Mekari. He’d probably love to claim a full-time starter role, but his ability to plug in at any of the five line positions carries tremendous value, and the Ravens might choose to keep him as essentially their “sixth man” up front.
In a positive development, left tackle Ronnie Stanley looks healthy again, and that might hold the key to the entire line. Center Tyler Linderbaum, coming off a Pro Bowl season, anchors in the middle, and the newcomers at guard will surely benefit from that.
Evaluating offensive line play is tough in noncontact periods, but the frequency with which defenders were in the backfield this past week suggests there is still work to be done. The three preseason games might help clarify things.
“I think it’s all going to take care of itself,” D’Alessandris said.
4. The depth in the secondary could lead to some tough roster choices.
The most consistent theme from the first week of camp might have been the depth in the secondary, and the ability of defensive backs to make quarterbacks pay for mistakes.
With Lamar Jackson sidelined, the cornerbacks and safeties feasted on backup quarterbacks making errant throws, and the unit got even stronger with the signing of former Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson. A day after signing with the Ravens, Jackson picked off a pass in the rain and essentially returned it for a touchdown.
Marlon Humphrey, who said he plans to play about 10 pounds lighter than he did during an injury-plagued 2023 season, has had an outstanding start to camp. He had a pair of interceptions in practice twice and was around the ball all week. Kyle Hamilton again looks like a game-changing Swiss Army knife the Ravens will use just about anywhere on defense.
The Ravens came up with at least five interceptions during one practice, including one on the first play of full-team drills when a swing pass glanced off Derrick Henry’s hands and Marcus Williams returned it for a touchdown.
Top draft pick Nate Wiggins had an interception and has looked the part, and the catch of camp thus far might have been by slot corner Arthur Maulet, who soared to pick off a pass intended for Nelson Agholor.
Jalyn Armour-Davis, Damarion “Pepe” Williams and Ar’Darius Washington all have struggled to stay healthy, but all looked strong the first week. Armour-Davis made a nice end-zone interception against Mark Andrews, and Washington had a couple of terrific pass breakups in Saturday’s practice.
The Ravens further added to the depth in the secondary by bringing back Daryl Worley, and he is working with Sanoussi Kane as a backup safety and special teamer.
“We’ve got a lot of talented guys back there,” said pass game coordinator and longtime secondary coach Chris Hewitt. “We’ve got length, we’ve got speed, we’ve got guys who [are] pit bulls.”
The biggest issue for this group, if they stay healthy — a huge if, as history has shown, and indeed, backup Trayvon Mullen went down with a shoulder injury on Sunday ––is there just might not be enough room on the 53-man roster for all who deserve it.
5. Odafe Oweh looks ready to deliver on his first-round promise.
Although the secondary as a group shined all week, a strong case can be made that outside linebacker Odafe Oweh was the best player on the field. With no real contact, it’s sometimes hard to judge a defender’s effectiveness. It’s not hard, though, to notice that Oweh was in the backfield all week.
At one point, head coach John Harbaugh pulled Oweh aside and cautioned against getting too close to the quarterbacks.
“I had to pull the reins in on him a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “He understands, because we have to stay away from the quarterback as much as possible. We don’t want to have any car crashes out there, but he’s doing a great job. He’s bringing it. He’s pretty much been in the backfield every play.”
This spring, the team picked up Oweh’s fifth-year option as a 2021 first-round pick, a vote of confidence that keeps Oweh under contract through the 2025 season.
Oweh said he spent time this offseason training in Atlanta with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who enjoyed a breakout season in 2023. Now Oweh and the Ravens are hoping for the same for Oweh, who has never had more than five sacks in three NFL seasons.
“I’m hoping that he has, I guess you’d call it a breakout year,” Harbaugh said, “… and make those plays on the quarterback. He had a lot of pressures last year. [He] wants to take it to the next level and go ahead and get the quarterback on the ground.”
He can’t really do that on the training camp practice fields, but in Week One of camp, Oweh looked ready to do it as soon as it’s allowed.
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