We are just a little more than a day away from some preseason Baltimore Ravens football, Flock! How exciting is that?!
In the meantime, we will continue to enjoy training camp highlights with the offense shining and the defense dominating. Honestly? We just can’t get enough Baltimore Ravens football right now and it’s so close that you can almost taste it.
What’s been going on with the Flock in the Twitter-verse as we prepare to head into our first preseason action? Let’s find out in this edition of Out to Lunch.
The biggest story to come out of training camp across the NFL might just be the report that Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith wants out of the windy city. Naturally, it’s time for us to speculate about whether the Baltimore Ravens should be making a play for him to #ComeToTheRavens.
Will #Ravens Be Tempted to Make a Deal for Roquan Smith? – Sports Illustrated Baltimore Ravens News, Analysis and More#Ravensflock https://t.co/sIEMyxm18R
— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) August 10, 2022
it’s obviously something that fans would lose their minds over, and it’s a move that the coaching staff would love to make to add such a talented player to a stacked roster. With Smith, the Ravens would be adding a proven, smart, and talented linebacker to a front seven that should be rejuvenated this year. Smith is also just 25 years old, so he could be a building block moving forward should he become a Raven and stay a Raven.
But therein lies the caveat – can Baltimore find a way to keep Smith with the franchise long-term? Reports are that Smith is looking for a nice payday that is plenty justified for the remarkable career he’s posted to this point. Is this a luxury that the Ravens can afford to make given the ongoing contract situation with Lamar Jackson?
It’s a great thought in theory, but the realism seems shaky. Regardless, we’d all be feeling like this if Baltimore brought in Smith:
Roquan Smith has spent 4 years playing for a not great NFL franchise who has zero pizazz. Get this man in a black Baltimore Ravens jersey on Sunday Night Football running out to For Whom The Bell Tolls with rave master EDC on the pre-game laser light show pronto. pic.twitter.com/1fOzi2hdnf
— Ronald Toothe (@_QuoththeRavens) August 10, 2022
Fantasy Football stock for Rashod Bateman continues to climb for many, including the fine folk over at Fantasy’s Phinest:
Rashod Bateman could be in for a big year filling in as the number one WR for the Baltimore Ravens this season. Bateman could potentially slide into a huge target share after Marquise Brown was traded to Arizona. Don't let him pass you by. #FantasyFootball #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/qFj1bFVdtX
— The Fantasy's Phinest Podcast (@FantasysPhinest) August 10, 2022
Bateman has continually shown out during training camp and feels ready to emerge as a top option for Jackson in the passing game. It’s not hard to understand why and how it came to pass, but the seemingly endless number of highlights we see from Bateman throughout training camp has us all believing in him to be WR1. Fantasy football nuts are also taking notice and clearly like him to be in line for a big season in 2022.
Why do we always have to compare defenses to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens?
The NFL season is around the corner, so what better time to discuss two of the greatest defenses to ever take the field.
Who was better, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or the 2013 Seattle Seahawks? pic.twitter.com/KWsv88MiK7
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 9, 2022
Look, it’s not that the 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense, better known as the Legion of Boom, wasn’t elite or even historic. With that being said, stop comparing them to the 2000 Ravens! Even objectively I can tell you that that defense is the greatest ever. Sorry, not sorry.
I don’t have the time to get into all the nitty gritty details on why the 2000 Ravens defense is the GOAT, but anyone who knows ball knows the answer between who is better, the 2000 Ravens or 2013 Seahawks, is Baltimore.
Is Odell Beckham Jr. destined to become a Baltimore Raven? It’s certainly a possibility that many have speculated and we continue to see more and more odds placing Baltimore high on his list of potential landing spots.
Where Will Odell Beckham Jr Play Game 1 Of The 2022/23 NFL Season?
Los Angeles Rams +125
Green Bay Packers +225
Baltimore Ravens +275
Buffalo Bills +900 👀
Dallas Cowboys +1100 pic.twitter.com/MRbvXdTUJQ— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) August 9, 2022
It makes a lot of sense, and I won’t waste anyone’s time saying what has been said a million times about the OBJ to Baltimore rumors. That being said, Odds Shark giving the Ravens the third-best odds to sign Beckham at +275 feels like a pretty solid line.
I’m not the best bettor in the world, but this is a line that I know many will be monitoring.
Speaking of odds, who has the best chance to go from worst-to-first among NFL teams? FanDuel has narrowed their best odds down to the Denver Broncos and, you guessed it, the Baltimore Raves:
Which team has a better chance going from worst to first in their division?
🔁 Denver Broncos (+260)
❤️ Baltimore Ravens (+160) pic.twitter.com/1dZ765WEV7— FanDuel Canada (@FanDuelCanada) August 9, 2022
The Broncos added a future Hall of Fame quarterback this offseason in the form of Russell Wilson and has itself a very well-built roster. We all know how good the Ravens are now that they’re back to 100% health. While it isn’t completely uncommon for a team to go from worst-to-first, could both the Ravens and the Broncos pull it off in 2022? Maybe don’t leave it out of the realm of possibility. But of course, these two teams will be heavily favored over the rest of the competition.
Enjoy the rest of the week, Ravens Flock, and enjoy the upcoming game tomorrow! When I see you next Wednesday we will have actual Baltimore Ravens football to discuss! Take care, Flock!
