Thursday’s final OTA session capped off what’s been a frustrating late spring, with so much of the media fighting over Lamar Jackson’s decisions again, leading to factions of fans once again dividing into camps over the QB. Jackson returned this week to quiet some of it, but it’s just been annoying to be arguing about him again.
Moving on though, I am not going to get into all that too much. Today, let’s talk about the young talent starting to show up for the team.
It starts with getting some faces back to practice:
David Ojabo is also back on field practicing https://t.co/3t4Mbp6PMt
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) June 6, 2024
David Ojabo is in for a critical year three. This is his moment to prove if he is going to be a good NFL player or if factors out of his hands will continue to define him. I want nothing more than for Ojabo to break out and become the player we thought we were getting coming out of Michigan. The Ravens have managed to get by without out him, but it’s time.
Two straight years of season-ending injuries can take a toll on a player, and I hope he doesn’t follow the J.K. Dobbins career arc because no one wants that.
The good thing is that there is a path to Ojabo getting a real opportunity to play, and he has played well when he is on the field. Ojabo has all the talent to be a star pass rusher; it is all about injury and luck going the right way for him.
Another player looking to bounce back from injury is guard Andrew Vorhees.
Andrew Vorhees: “long time coming. Super thrilled to be out there. You get to go out there and be a part of something that’s way bigger than yourself,” pic.twitter.com/kUhesUaCGp
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) June 6, 2024
Just like Ojabo, there is a spot to compete for a job here for Vorhees. The Ravens really seem to believe in him. The media team did a whole deep dive into his story during the offseason and the people upstairs in The Castle seem to believe he can be a great player in the NFL. He is a true mystery box player for the Ravens. People smarter than me think he can be tremendous and rebound from his injury; I know this because of EDC’s roster moves (or lack thereof) at the position.
This leads perfectly into the highlight of the last day of OTA’s:
Highlight of the six OTAs open to reporters: Charlie Kolar diving for a TD catch in a goal-line drill today, despite being held, then punting the ball as far as he could in celebration.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) June 6, 2024
I mentioned that EDC can sometimes give us insight on what he thinks about his roster with the moves he does and doesn’t make. They didn’t have a true playmaker on offense to replace OBJ. Many fans have complained about that, but could it be because they believe more in a guy like Charlie Kolar to be a contributor? EDC trusts the younger players who haven’t had a shot over a washed-up veteran who will eat up cap space.
This is risky, no doubt. Ojabo and Vorhees have track records of being injured, and this trend could continue into 2024. As with Kolar, he is currently tight end three. Is that a position that can make up for the loss of an OBJ? I always see people complain about what EDC didn’t do in this offseason with the receiver corps or the edge rush, but they don’t consider that EDC has solutions to these problems in-house.
Losing veterans like Morgan Moses and Kevin Zeitler could certainly prove to be unwise. But what if the solution is giving younger talent a chance to get those jobs and build something special? In the passing game, perhaps giving Rashod Bateman full-time reps and getting Kolar more involved will help build a brighter future for the team. Watching Jadeveon Clowney walk on the edge absolutely stings, but if Ojabo is healthy, he will need playing time.
That doesn’t even get into the more significant reason why they didn’t make a huge splash for a big-name edge rusher or receiver: the cap. Could the Ravens move a bunch of money and get guys like Danielle Hunter or trade for Stefon Diggs? Of course, but they aren’t doing that because that hurts the overall future of the team. What if Diggs gets injured and isn’t what he used to be? He looked terrible at the end of the season last year, and who is to say it won’t happen again? Hunter was also insanely expensive and bringing him in may have prevented the Ravens from extending a younger player down the road. Fans don’t think like this, but this is what the OTAs show the team: who is ready to play and who isn’t. If something goes wrong when relying on the youth movement, then EDC will adjust.
With OTA season over, it is time to look forward to minicamp, and it is time to see what these younger guys are about and how they can help the 2024 Ravens.
5 Responses
So why bring it up?
Ojabo and Vorhees are two totally different stories. I expect Vorhees to be available while Ojabo is/has been a big question mark. Here’s just hoping both stay healthy.
Good point. One injury (Vorhees) doesn’t make him “injury-prone” as the story suggests. It was one injury. Period. Ojabo, on the other hand, is two years straight of different injuries.
I trust EDC with the Ravens just like I trust Elias making the right decisions for the Os. They won’t be right all the time and injuries are a total crap shoot, but Baltimore is lucky to have two franchises that are stable and well run.
Good point. One injury (Vorhees) doesn’t make him “injury-prone” as the story suggests. It was one injury. Period. Ojabo, on the other hand, is two years straight of different injuries.
I enjoyed this report. I appreciate your insight. Certainly there are questions, we will wait for the answers from all these players.