Veterans report to the Under Armour Performance Center on Tuesday and then on Wednesday, Training Camp 2023 is underway beginning at 2:35PM.
It was a busy offseason for the Ravens that didn’t exactly start out well given that it was shrouded in controversy, thanks to the Lamar Jackson contract talks that seemed to be going nowhere for an extended period. Thankfully, that saga has fallen from sight in the rearview mirror and with a few key signings and draft picks to complement Lamar and his record-setting contract, the Ravens appear to have addressed most areas of weakness, particularly with a healthy roster.
Each training camp is wrought with unique challenges and it’s those challenges that we will hone in on during training camp this summer. Here are a few…
[Related Article: Happy Camp Week!]
Running Back
On paper, this isn’t necessarily a challenge for the Ravens. J.K. Dobbins returns and is likely to play with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder to create leverage for his next contract. Gus Edwards has had plenty of time to heal and should return to form; Justice Hill looked spry in limited action in the 2022 backfield while UDFA Keaton Mitchell is a small but explosive player out of East Carolina.
So, what’s the challenge?
Contract drama from Dobbins could invite a “hold-in”. Dobbins made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the way he was utilized in 2022 and given his history of injuries, he’ll be looking to protect his body against what he might believe to be unnecessary punishment during camp and the preseason. To counter this anticipated drama the Ravens have agreed to terms with veteran Melvin Gordon. I get the chess move here by GM Eric DeCosta, but is Gordon the right play? He hasn’t exactly been a model of health and his carelessness with the football (5 fumbles on 115 touches), now playing for a coach who has next to no patience for putting the ball on the carpet, just doesn’t feel like a good match. That said, Gordon is a nice pass catcher out of the backfield and the team’s OC, Todd Monken, is known to utilize assets to exploit opponents’ weaknesses. Perhaps the Ravens have added another in Gordon.
Corner
There’s Marlon Humphrey and then there’s a bunch of guys. Rock Ya-Sin is a physical corner who can play aggressively in short space but he lacks top end speed to keep up with the AFC North receivers and he’ll need help over the top. The rest of the group has promise but they’re relatively unproven. Most fans would have been more relieved to see DeCosta make a play for some depth at CB instead of agreeing to terms with a veteran RB. The bet here is that the Ravens will acquire another corner and hopefully one worthy of starting. Until then we’ll keep a keen eye on who shows up beginning Wednesday.
Edge
It seems that with each passing year as training camp approaches, the Ravens are short on pass rushers. This year is no different. During the past two summers, the Ravens signed Justin Houston to a one-year deal. Despite the fact that he’s now 34 years old, Houston remains a productive edge rusher and the hope is that he returns to Baltimore to give it another go. With the departure of Calais Campbell, Houston’s leadership would also be a welcomed addition to the team’s locker room.
This past week, the Ravens had veteran edge defender Kyle Van Noy in for a visit. Van Noy, while he doesn’t pack the punch as a pure pass rusher that Houston brings, he’s a versatile defender who would fit nicely with the Ravens. DC Mike MacDonald treasures those Swiss Army Knife style of players and Van Noy would be another, which could afford the team the luxury of moving another superior athlete around – namely Odafe Oweh.
Time will tell how this all plays out. Perhaps the Van Noy visit was to get Houston to make a move. Maybe not. But until DeCosta fills what appears to be a void, we’ll keep our collective eyes set on the guys who are signed and ready to do battle along the defensive edge.
Kyle Van Noy is an excellent option for the Ravens to bring in. I studied the last 5 games of the season & he can play. All 5 of his sacks came in the last 5 games. Plays very well against the run. Very smart in coverage. Active, versatile football player.#Ravens #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/mGicOllvNb
— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) July 22, 2023
3 Responses
Nice pre-camp summary.
As for Gordon: if Dobbins plays and all three of the Dobbins-Edwards-Hill trio is healthy, I doubt he’ll crack the 53.
Mitchell has been a nice pre-camp story, but he has a VERY uphill battle to make the final cut. People seem to underestimate Justice Hill’s chances of making the roster. I think he’s a damn near lock, as he is a key special teamer. I think Mitchell will end up on a PS – we’ll see which team’s.
The Ravens fortunes rest solidly on the shoulders of Lamar Jackson! As he goes, so go the Ravens……
It’s spring training. Time to see what the team looks like with Mac in his 2nd year and Todd in his first. Even though most of the playing in the exhibitions will be by the youngsters, it will be interesting to see what the players look like in practice.
RB? I don’t think it matters who we have because we will not be so run heavy this season. In addition we have at least 2 decent RBs(3 if JK plays). If JK holds out it, it only hurts himself. I don’t see him missing the regular season. Gordon? I still question the signing this early. I think we could have given reps to Mitchell and then if needed added another experienced RB later at a decent price.
CB? I hope these youngsters like JAD and Pepe improve drastically. I like Marlon and Ya-Sin although I question our depth. I wish we had a good #3 in case of emergencies. The good thing is that we have a deep secondary with our safeties and that should help out.
Edge? I love bringing Chuck in and the way Mac utilizes his players. I do think Ojabo will have a very good season and Oweh will improve. I worry about Bowser and think we need depth. I could see Houston signing later and maybe adding another Edge(Van Noy would be nice). I think the interior will help with the rush and collapsing the pocket which should be a big plus. This IMO will be a big year for Oweh and Bowser. Will they perform or still be major question marks due to availability and lackluster play.
Yes I see we may need help. CB first and Edge second. I don’t worry about RB. Let’s see how things go this off season. Most importantly let’s stay healthy.