4 Ravens Looking For Another Standout Day at OTAs
The media will get another look at the Ravens this afternoon when the team hits the field for Week 2 of Organized Team Activities.
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman stole the show during last week's practice open to the media, and The Baltimore Sun’s Jonas Schaffer outlined six players (we included four below) who reporters will be watching closely today.
WR Breshad Perriman
The third-year target looked every bit the part of a No. 1 receiver last week. He beat cornerbacks with his speed and showed improved chemistry with quarterback Joe Flacco by bringing down a contested back-shoulder throw along the sideline.
"Teammates have praised him. Fans have waited for him," Schaffer wrote. "If he can build on last week's highlights, the hype will grow, too."
S Tony Jefferson
The prized free-agent already looks like a natural fit next to veteran Eric Weddle on the back end of the defense. Jefferson consistently found himself around the ball during last week's practice and Head Coach John Harbaugh said he has been "A-plus in every area."
"Weddle made a seamless transition to his role as a starting safety last offseason," Schaffer wrote. "Now his good friend Jefferson seems to be doing the same. Why else would coach John Harbaugh have given him an A-plus grade last week?"
WR Tim Patrick
The Ravens have five undrafted rookie receivers trying to fight their way onto the roster, and Utah's Tim Patrick had a good performance with the media in attendance last week.
"The undrafted rookie from Utah has good size (6 feet 4, 208 pounds) and showed good hands in the repetitions he got during open OTAs," Schaffer wrote. "Was it a flash in the pan or a sign of more to come?"
CB Maurice Canady
The sixth-round pick from a year ago landed on injured reserve after four games last season, but his physical makeup shows he clearly went to work during his time off the field. The Ravens suddenly have a deep group of cornerbacks, and Canady is out to show what he brings to the table.
"Canady was easy to overlook at the cornerback position entering the offseason," Schaffer wrote. "Scouts dinged his playing style during the pre-draft process, but his physical tools are hard to deny. He came up with a diving interception last week and stood out on special teams. That's a good starting point for a player who might enter training camp on the roster bubble."
Roman Praised as One of 99 People Who Will Shape NFL this Year
We're now less than 100 days away from the start of the NFL season.
With that in mind, ESPN put together a list of 99 people who will shape the upcoming season. At No. 97 on that list, in the "underrated additions" section, was Ravens new Senior Offensive Assistant/ Tight Ends Coach Greg Roman.
"Roman was brought in to overhaul a Ravens running game that has ranked 26th and 28th in the league the past two years," wrote ESPN's Dan Graziano.
The Ravens have stressed the importance of building a strong running game this year, and players praised the new elements that Roman has incorporated into the offense. The Ravens want to be much more balanced on offense compared to last season, and Roman's arrival should help get the ground game on track.
"When Roman was the 49ers' offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2014, only Seattle had more rushing yards than San Francisco did," Graziano wrote. "When Roman was Buffalo's offensive coordinator in 2015, the Bills led the league in rushing."
Boldin's Wife Posts Photo of Him Watching Super Bowl XLVII Highlights
The Ravens may still be on the lookout for a veteran receiver and former Raven Anquan Boldin is probably the best wideout still on the market.
A reunion has been discussed plenty of times over the last couple of months (we've written about it here, here, and here), and Boldin's wife may have added a little more fuel to that fire with an Instagram post yesterday.
Dionne Boldin posted a photo of her husband watching highlights of his tremendous fourth-quarter catch in Super Bowl XLVII. The caption read, "Anytime I catch him watching this must be getting the itch to get back at. It's too early for this ."
Boldin said he plans to play again in 2017 for his 15th NFL season, but he may wait until closer to training camp to sign with a team.
Maybe it's just a coincidence that Boldin was watching highlights from that Ravens championship run. Maybe not. Time will tell.
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