Welcome back, Ravens flock. It has been a slow news week (a good thing this time of year), with the Ravens taking a prolonged break after minicamp. Still, we’ve had a bit to talk about this week, with the new helmets, players attacking each other over the internet, and the usual offseason debates.
One item of interest for Ravens fans is always how they’ll be able to watch the team during the summer months. Yesterday, we found out:
Mark your calendars, Training Camp passes will be available July 10 at 11 a.m. ET❗
Info: https://t.co/xaAFvj2ipf pic.twitter.com/Rm3qOAEff4
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 20, 2024
If you hope to go to training camp this year, the parking passes go live on July 10 at 11. This is a really fun time for hardcore football fans. I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone else, however. It gets really crowded, and most of the action can be seen elsewhere, like on Twitter. I will say the highlights of training camp are always the one-on-ones, the stadium practice, and the joint practices with other teams. Due to the ongoing renovations at M&T Bank Stadium, there won’t be a stadium session this year, however.
In the end, give me MLB spring training over NFL training camp every day of the week. Florida in February is a great treat for Marylanders, while 100 degrees in Owings Mills is a tough sell over 100 degrees at the pool or beach.
With that out of the way, I thought it would be fun to reflect a bit, as we enter this long period of no big news.
Do you realize just how long Lamar Jackson has been with the Ravens?
Year 7….. https://t.co/z1b0KOkKAE
— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) June 20, 2024
This isn’t to say that Lamar is running out of time to win a Super Bowl or anything like that. It just seems wild how fast time goes, man. Year seven? I swear he was in his rookie season like a year ago, and I look up, and it’s year seven.
It has been an amazing seven years. Jackson gave the Ravens a new identity, and whenever he is on the field, something special could happen. Yes, the contract drama was awful, but it’s in the past. Lamar might be a top-five pick in Ravens history. While it’s hard to compete with this organization’s legendary draft picks, getting an MVP-level quarterback outside of the Top 10 picks is always worthy of praise.
Next, I want to talk about some good news on the injury front and reflect on the state of the O-Line:
Ravens G Andrew Vorhees’ knee appears to be a “non-issue” per, @jeffzrebiec.
He writes that Vorhees has been at every practice. pic.twitter.com/uVEq05VNF8
— 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 (@LIVERavenNation) June 20, 2024
Speaking of draft picks, I have a scorching hot take, but I fully believe it: Andrew Vorhees will become a stud this year. First of all, he is such a good story. Tearing your ACL at the combine could break someone mentally, but Vorhees used it as motivation and decided to push through injury and train to come back. Vorhees is a mentally tough person who will get the first crack at winning the LG job. I expect him to run with his chance. He is in a situation where he got to learn the NFL before he could step on the field, and if his injury is indeed a non-factor, Vorhees is going to be a stud for a long time. Teams will be kicking themselves for passing on him because he had to “redshirt” a season.
Finally today, let’s talk about a guy who I feel just flies under the radar yet is a huge producer in this offense whenever he gets his name called:
Likely on deck 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FrLaFPpbtL
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 20, 2024
We talk about how OBJ’s departure could open things up for Rashod Bateman, but an underrated aspect is that this could open things up for Isaiah Likely. The Ravens easily have one of the best tight end rooms in football, and I hope Todd Monken will use Likely even more with Andrews back and healthy. He is too good to be ignored, and those two could absolutely eat.
That’s what’s going to help me get through the long slog until training camp: thinking about how good this offense could be if a few things go the Ravens’ way. If Vorhees is good as a rookie and Likely is featured enough to approach his ceiling, this offense – which was already one of the NFL’s best – will go to the next level.
