The Ravens are through one week of camp and it ended on a good note with the return of Lamar Jackson. Here are where things stand, all in 50 words or less:
In a perfect world, the Ravens' starting five offensive linemen would be clear, but with three vacancies, that was never realistic. They need more padded practices to gauge the replacements' readiness. It's been months of hand wringing since the departures, but the Ravens aren't behind schedule.
This was the plan all along. The Ravens bet on their young offensive line talent. In doing so, they saved a lot of money (spent on other upgrades: e.g. Derrick Henry) and avoided potential banged-up veteran breakdowns. It's too soon to say whether that bet will work out or not.
638: Takeaways From Week 1 of Ravens Training Camp
Our insiders, Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing, talk about their standouts from training camp, the O-line competition, whether this year's defense will be better than last year's, and name their Practice Player of the Week.
The young linemen will not only improve during training camp but also over the course of the season. With that said, they must be good enough to beat the Chiefs Week 1. Baltimore's daunting opening leg to the 2024 schedule puts the heat on the line to grow up fast.
Andrew Vorhees may have a stronghold at LG. It spoke volumes when veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce said Vorhees "is going to be really good." Daniel Faalele has first crack to win the RG job. Roger Rosengarten will get his shot at RT, and Patrick Mekari is a safety net.
It was a bummer that Lamar Jackson missed nearly five practices at the start of training camp, but his return to the field Saturday has already erased that concern. We won't be talking about this in a week, let alone a month, as an issue.
Patrick Queen played nearly every snap last season in the Ravens defense. During his first two seasons combined, he played less than 80% of the snaps. I anticipate that Trenton Simpson, who shined in Day 1 of pads, will see about the same as he steps into a starting spot.
These Ravens caught our eye during Week 1 of training camp.
S Eddie Jackson
CB Arthur Maulet
CB Nate Wiggins
S Kyle Hamilton
CB Marlon Humphrey
DE/DT Broderick Washington
WR Rashod Bateman
OLB Odafe Oweh
DT Travis Jones
DT Justin Madubuike
We've seen Odafe Oweh tear up Ravens practices in previous summers. I'm going to buy stock once again after witnessing Oweh declare himself a permanent resident in the Ravens' offensive backfield this week. If he stays healthy, there's a good chance Oweh reaches double-digit sacks this season.
It will be a collective effort to fill Jadeveon Clowney's shoes. Oweh will pick up part of the slack, and much of it falls on David Ojabo's shoulders. Justin Madubuike will get more help from his fellow defensive linemen, and Zach Orr isn't afraid to send his defensive backs.
It was important for Rashod Bateman to get off to a strong start in camp, even without Jackson on the field. Bateman has always been confident in his abilities, but stacking plays and days could have a snowball effect for him. Next step is improved chemistry and trust with Jackson.
There's no denying that part of the reason why the Ravens secondary has looked so good is because Jackson wasn't there to take shots at it. With that said, Marlon Humphrey got two more picks Saturday. The Ravens secondary will be one of the league's elite, if not top dawg.
J.K. Dobbins says he'll be "one of the best in the league" at running back if he gets enough volume. It's a tragedy he never got to fully show what he's got in Baltimore. He was a star in the making that could've put the Ravens over the top.
