The offseason program has come to a close.
After spending the last two months in Baltimore for the voluntary conditioning program, organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp, the Ravens now get a break before training camp opens next month.
As the Ravens wrapped up their final minicamp practice Thursday afternoon, Head Coach John Harbaugh and several key veterans said they were pleased with the work the team accomplished throughout the program.
"I feel like we made the most we could have out of it," Harbaugh said. "I thought our guys maxed everything out. Our coaches did a great job. We're as far along as we could be at this point in time."
NFL rules put restrictions on the amount of work players can put in at team facilities during the offseason months, limiting them to 10 OTA practices and three days of mandatory minicamp.
The Ravens had strong participation throughout the offseason months, as a number of the team's veteran leaders attended the voluntary workouts, and no offseason issues kept anybody out of minicamp.
"I think we've had a great couple of weeks," quarterback Joe Flacco said. "I think we've gotten better and better each week. I think the guys have done a great job of studying, coming out to the field prepared and allowing us to get a lot of work done. I think we look pretty good."
The offseason workouts were perhaps more critical this year than in past years, specifically for the offense. The Ravens are in the midst of their first scheme change since John Harbaugh arrived in 2008, and new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak has worked to install his system over the last nine weeks.
Flacco and other key members of the offense line, wide receivers Torrey Smith, Steve Smith Sr., and Jacoby Jones, and running back Ray Rice, all attended the entire offseason program so they could get the new system down before training camp.
"I've been able to get really, really comfortable and kind of just get back there – go through my reads and have a lot of fun," Flacco said. "I think we look good; it's been a lot of fun. I think everybody has put a lot of hard work in, and because of that we've been able to go out there and work on some of the little things and really get better."
After minicamp practice concluded Thursday, most of the players left the Under Armour Performance Center to enjoy a month away from football before training camp begins in mid-July. This is the Ravens' final break before the 2014 season, and the team is heading into its down time confident about what it has accomplished up to this point.
"Without this, we'd be starting from square one," Flacco said. "There's no doubt about it that these 13 practices have really helped us and are going to help us come training camp and give us a good kickstart into that."
