Joe Flacco is clearly still in charge.
Even though the Ravens selected his heir apparent, Lamar Jackson, in the first round of the NFL Draft, Flacco’s teammates see him as the true leader of the offense.
“[We] do whatever he says. If we’ve got something we bring to the table, then we make it work,” receiver Michael Crabtree said.
No other player is being more scrutinized than Flacco in this year’s training camp. Many journalists are doing their best Sigmund Freud imitation, trying to psychoanalyze the veteran quarterback.
Some speculate this could be Flacco’s last year in Baltimore because of his hefty contract. There has also been conjecture that he was irked when the team drafted Jackson.
But there’s really nothing to see.
Flacco has not changed his approach despite the outside noise. He certainly has the support of his teammates.
“I think every year he comes in with his mindset that he wants to be great, mainly because everybody outside of this building doesn’t think he’s elite, and inside the building everybody does think that way,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “So, I think every year he has a point to prove and even more so this year. We bring three quarterbacks in, drafted a first-round quarterback – that’s no new news for anybody in here. It lets them know that in the NFL, at some point in time, people are looking to replace you, and that’s just the nature of the game.
“Since Joe’s been here, he’s one of the players to never get rattled. You never see his emotions too high, too low. He’s always been our quarterback that stayed in the middle and made everything go smooth. That’s kind of how he’s been this offseason, too. He’s come in looking strong, body looking good. He’s out there throwing passes with the guys, so he’s ready to go. We’re not worried about that.”
There’s also been much talk about Flacco playing with more fire because of the potential adversity. While Ravens coach John Harbaugh and some of his teammates see some of that new desire, Flacco is fully healthy for the first time in several seasons. As a result, he has excelled throughout the OTAs and the early part of training camp.
When asked whether he feels energized, Flacco quipped: “Does it matter what I say? You guys are going [to say] it comes from Lamar anyway.”
Nonetheless, Flacco, 32, has been the most criticized player on the Ravens. He threw for 3,141 yards with 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2017. Baltimore’s passing attack was ranked 29th in the NFL, and that played a key part in the team missing the playoffs for a third straight year.
As a result, the team has provided him with more weapons with the signing of veteran receivers John Brown, Willie Snead and Crabtree. Baltimore also added a pair of tight ends — Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews — in the first three rounds of the draft.
There is a sense that this is a make-or-break year for both the players and personnel.
Flacco is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and has a huge arm. He still has a shelf life in the NFL, whether it’s for the Ravens or elsewhere.
Flacco, however, is simply focused on this season and not the outside distractions.
“I come in this building and I work,” he said. “I’m not changing that in any way.”
