It’s difficult to draw any conclusions from minicamps when players are running around in shorts and jerseys while directed not to make contact. What you think you see can be misleading.
Probably the most important takeaways from camp are:
• How efficient is the practice?
• Are players carrying out there assignments?
• What’s the progress of injured players?
• Any concerns about conditioning?
Efficiency is key because it leads to more productive training camp practices when teams need to milk the most out of limited time on the field, thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement. That in turn leads to better play during preseason games which enables the coaching staff to get a cleaner look at players looking to make the bottom of the roster.
And let’s face it, building a roster from the bottom up is paramount to success in the NFL. It allows teams to persevere through injuries and eventually say goodbye to free agents looking to maximize their earnings potential without measurably eroding the team’s potential.
Understanding assignments allows players to enable their athletic potential. When they think less they react more quickly. Windows of opportunity close quickly in the NFL. Thinking too much slows down reaction time and it’s that extra split second that can make a difference in making a play or giving one up.
Injuries will also slow players down. Therefore it’s only natural to observe players whose performances were hampered by injury in 2014. Jimmy Smith, Lardarius Webb, Eugene Monroe, Rick Wagner, Terrence Brooks and Michael Campanaro are all key to the team’s success in 2015.
Also key is conditioning. If players show up out of shape they’ll exhaust an inordinate amount of energy to catch up and in doing so they waste energy that could have been used more productively in December and January.
With this in mind, here are a few observations…
CAMP NOTES
Yesterday Terrell Suggs admitted, “I’m definitely not at my fighting weight. I’m pretty much at my walking around weight.” Being a 13-year veteran who had a very productive 12th season in 2014, Suggs understands the drill and there’s little reason to be concerned about him being ready on September 13…A couple others who might benefit from the South Beach diet are Chris Canty and DeAngelo Tyson.
I had an opportunity to spend some time with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti yesterday and we discussed the secondary. Both he and his coaching staff are supremely confident that the defensive backfield will rebound in a significant way. And it isn’t just lip service. Bisciotti has always been a straight shooter. But that said, it’s hard not to be at least mildly concerned about Lardarius Webb. Webb looks tentative and is slow to close on the ball. Marlon Brown found it relatively easy to gain separation from Webb on curls, comebacks and outs. Perhaps Webb is being intentionally cautious but at some point players have to practice like they’ll play. It is something we’ll play close attention to.
The level of Jimmy Smith’s participation is mildly surprising. Facing the 1’s Smith was matched up on Breshad Perriman who was able to beat Smith on a 9-route down the left sideline. Joe Flacco’s pass was slightly too far to the left although Perriman should have made the catch. He didn’t. More alarming (at least momentarily) was the way Smith gingerly jogged off the field. A few plays later he made his way back out to take on more reps. (sigh of relief)
Rick Wagner was MIA. The team is handling his return conservatively but the team doesn’t seem all that concerned about his recovery from foot surgery so for now, it’s probably wise to share that lack of concern…Eugene Monroe was hampered by nagging injuries in 2014 but looks to be in very good shape. He moved well during practice…
Terrence Brooks appears to be ahead of schedule and was a participant yesterday. Word is he’s worked extremely hard to get back, perhaps driven by the opportunity at safety in 2016 when Will Hill, III is likely to depart. Many (myself included) expected Brooks to start the season on PUP. That might still be the case but Brooks won’t go down quietly. For now Hill and Kendrick Lewis sit at the top of the depth chart at safety. Hill is a vocal directory in the backfield. Lewis intercepted a Matt Schaub pass. Cassius Vaughn also picked off an ill-advised Schaub pass later during the session…As expected Michael Campanaro was an observer.
Rookie TE Nick Boyle was stripped by the 5’9” DB Quinton Pointer after catching a pass from Schaub. Pointer returned it for a score. As Boyle walked off the field with his head down, Steve Smith, Sr. barked from the sidelines, “You don’t give up a fumble and walk off the f***ing field!”
Smith had a very productive practice. He caught passes all over the field starting with a 30-yard catch down the right sideline from Flacco. The Ravens QB split the Cover 2 from Webb and Matt Elam. The safety rolled over a bit late. After the catch, Smith spun the ball, looked at Elam and said, “Talk to it!” Smith later beat Kyle Arrington for a 68-yard score during the 2:00 drill. Flacco bought time while rolling to his left and spotted Senior breaking free to the left sideline. Chalk this success to Flacco’s ability to extend the play and Smith for staying with it.
The Ravens practiced running plays from the 2-yard line, presumably to prepare for 2-point conversion opportunities. DeAndre Carter was successful hauling in two consecutive scoring passes, one from Schaub and another from Bryn Renner. Earlier Crockett Gillmore caught a shuffle pass from Flacco for a successful conversion. The pair seem to be developing a solid rapport…Dennis Pitta was sidelined. He hasn’t been medically cleared and therefore unable to participate in mandatory minicamp.
Breshad Perriman had an up and down afternoon. He had a few drops mixed in with some solid plays and later attributed the failures to not making the proper adjustments. He made a nice back shoulder catch down the left sideline from Renner when running with the 3’s during 2:00 drills. The rookie is getting a lot of reps with all 3 units…Jeremy Butler made a great catch hauling in a 25-yard pass from Flacco despite very tight coverage by Arrington…Kamar Aiken ran mostly with the 2’s and Marlon Brown’s reps were with the 1’s. Aiken dropped a laser from Flacco on a comeback route. The ball went through his hands and was nearly intercepted.
Justin Tucker nailed a 67-yard field goal with a diagonal wind from right to left. The kick had about 5 yards to spare. Tucker later missed a 47-yarder after which Senior jabbed at Tucker, “You’re killing me Tuck!” Tucker promptly went to the net for a couple extra kicks, came back later and crushed a 53-yarder.
While addressing the media after practice Terrell Suggs said, “I’m definitely on the back 9” when discussing his career and how much longer he’s looking to play. The length of discussion about retirement thoughts was interesting. If the Ravens win the Super Bowl, might he sail off into the sunset of his career as a champion like his mentor Ray Lewis?
