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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| Baltimore Ravens | |||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | |||
| BAL -- Andrews Sitting Out Monday; Ravens Still Unconcerned (9/04/14:52 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Add Ravens To List Of Teams Not In On Trey Lance (9/01/20:36 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Ravens Release RB Gordon (8/29/14:37 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Andrews Missing Time With Unspecified Issue; Harbaugh Unconcerned (8/28/16:12 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Johnson, Brown See Action With Jackson Sitting Out Exhibition Closer (8/27/00:03 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Bateman Calls Himself 99 Percent Healthy; Looking To Make A Mark (8/25/00:59 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Local Observer Expecting Andrews To Continue Having A Dominant Role (8/24/18:17 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Dobbins Feels Good; RB Hopeful He Gets The Volume To Excel (8/24/00:06 CT) | |||
| BAL -- RB Mitchell Suffered A Shoulder Stinger (8/22/09:37 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Flowers Shines But Ravens' Streak Of Consecutive Exhibition Wins Ends (8/22/00:35 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Dobbins Takes Part In Team Drills, Bateman Works In 7-On-7 (8/18/15:03 CT) | |||
| BAL -- DE Clowney Lands In Baltimore (8/18/14:50 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Beckham Believes Passing Game Will Be Front And Center Under Monken (8/17/21:12 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Jackson Being Given More Say In Play Calling (8/16/00:24 CT) | |||
| BAL -- More On Dobbins Being Activated From PUP (8/14/19:41 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Dobbins To Be Activated Off The Physically Unable to Perform List (8/14/11:37 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Jackson, Starters Won't Play In Preseason Opener (8/10/14:52 CT) | |||
| BAL -- More Details On Zay Flowers' Strong Training Camp (8/10/01:02 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Jackson Frustrated With Slow Start In Camp? (8/10/00:14 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Bateman Activated From PUP List; Returns To Field (8/09/12:37 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Harbaugh: Dobbins Will Return When RB Decides It's Time (8/09/08:28 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Beckham The Star Of Tuesday's Practice; Jackson, Andrews Impress Too (8/09/00:41 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Jackson, Offense Effective In Monday's Practice (8/08/00:51 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Ricard Back To Work Following Hip Surgery; Move To O-Line Coming? (8/08/00:01 CT) | |||
| BAL -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | |||
Current News Updates
9/04 TE Mark Andrews missed another practice on Monday, but the Ravens remain unconcerned about his availability for their season opener against the Texans. HC John Harbaugh said last week that there was no need to panic about Andrews’ absence and he repeated that during a Monday press conference. Harbaugh said that Andrews is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday and that would give him three days of work ahead of Sunday’s game. Wednesday will also bring an injury report that will shed some light on the reason why Andrews has been sidelined.9/01 Though Trey Lance was ultimately traded to the Cowboys, the Ravens are a team that reportedly had some interest in dealing for the quarterback. But according to GM Eric DeCosta, that interest did not exist. “I would say that’s just bad reporting,” DeCosta said Friday, via Kyle Phoenix Barber of BaltimoreBeatdown.com. “If somebody calls you and asks if you’re interested in a player and you say ‘no’ does that mean you’re interested in that player?” DeCosta added, “We’ve got good quarterbacks. We love our quarterbacks. We weren’t looking to add any quarterbacks at all this training camp. That’s what I would say on that. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, aside from starter Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have Tyler Huntley and Josh Johnson on their active roster along with Anthony Brown on their practice squad. Huntley has started eight regular season games plus last year’s Wild Card matchup with Cincinnati since 2021. 8/29 According to Adam Schefter, the Ravens have released veteran RB Melvin Gordon. 8/28 TE Mark Andrews remained out of practice on Monday, but HC John Harbaugh showed no sign of concern about Andrews’ outlook for the start of the regular season. ... Andrews has now missed three straight practices with an undisclosed issue. Harbaugh previously said that Andrews is working through something and he said on Monday that there’s no reason for worry about his status for their September 10 home date with the Texans. “You don’t need to panic about that,” Harbaugh said. “Tell the fans it’s going to be OK. He should be out there practicing next week. I expect him to play in the game and he should be fine. That’s where we’re at with that. ...” We'll continue watching for more. 8/27 As expected, Lamar Jackson did not play for the Ravens in Saturday night's loss to the Buccaneers as Baltimore used the night much as they did the entire preseason — to get an extended look at backups and evaluate lots of young prospects competing for spots on the final roster. Josh Johnson started at quarterback for Baltimore (1-2) and played into the second quarter. He was 6 of 9 passing for 95 yards and one TD before being replaced by Anthony Brown, who played most of the final three quarters and completed 12 of 21 passes for 171 yards and no TDs. ... Charlie Kolar had four catches for 44 yards, building off his strong performance the previous game (three catches, 61 yards) against Philadelphia. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely give Baltimore a talented one-two punch at tight end. However, Jackson likes throwing to tight ends and Kolar has shown he can be a difficult cover for linebackers downfield. Kolar is a young tight end with potential who looks capable of handling the No. 3 tight end role. ... Baltimore opens the regular season on Sept. 10 by hosting the Houston Texans. ... You can access complete stats for Saturday's Week 3 exhibition finale via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/25 Plenty of attention has been paid to the new additions to the Ravens wide receiving corps this offseason, but Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers aren’t the only options available to the team. 2021 first-round pick Rashod Bateman remains on hand and he’s been fully participating in practice for the last week after an extended recovery from last season’s Lisfranc injury. On Wednesday, Bateman called himself 99 percent of the way back to health and said that he’s hoping this is the year where everything comes together for him. “My teammates still believe in me,” Bateman said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “They know my capabilities, they know what I can do. I’ve done it before. I do it in practice. It just sucks that the injuries have been in the way for me to prove it to you all and everybody else. Hopefully, the third time is the charm in Charm City. ..." The Ravens will take boosts to their passing game wherever they can find them, but a perfect world would see Bateman, Beckham, and Flowers all thrive in the system being installed by new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. For Bateman, who has played 18 games in two years, health will be a big part of the equation. 8/24 The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (via Rotoworld) believes Mark Andrews “will remain Jackson’s go-to target” based on what he’s seen in training camp. ... As Rotoworld suggests, Andrews will face much stiffer target competition in 2023 than what he’s seen in any other year of his career. Still, the additions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers don’t figure to be enough to make Andrews any kind of an afterthought in Todd Monken’s offense. Andrews remains the No. 2 TE in fantasy behind Travis Kelce because of that connection with Jackson. 8/24 RB J.K. Dobbins didn't go into much detail about his prolonged offseason absence on Wednesday, but he did say he was happy to be healthy and was ready to go for the coming season. "I feel amazing," Dobbins said, speaking to reporters for the first time since he was activated from the PUP list last week. "I feel pretty dang good. I'm just gonna leave it at that because I feel so good." Dobbins missed all of the team's summer workouts and was absent for the start of training camp. He was placed on PUP list due to a chronic knee injury, but Dobbins also hinted at contract matters that held him up from reporting on time. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said at the beginning of camp that there was “some complexity” to Dobbins' absence. Asked about his early absence from camp, Dobbins didn't reveal much of what might have happened behind the scenes. "Uh, that's a tough question," Dobbins said. "I was just, you know, being cautious. My teammates need me, so I want to be there for my teammates. That's all it was. You know, my teammates understood what was going on. It's all good now, I'm out here." Dobbins also clarified one thing: Just because he wasn't practicing didn't mean he wasn't participating in the Ravens' camp activities."I was here the whole time," he said. "I was going to meetings. ..." The Ravens' offseason did a 180-degree turn when Lamar Jackson signed a long-term extension in April following a bitter standoff, and they followed that up by picking Zay Flowers -- one of the Ravens' stars in training camp -- a few weeks later in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Optimism is running high in Baltimore, and Dobbins is foreseeing good things for him and his team. Dobbins on Wednesday called himself "one of the top backs in the league" and believes he can have a big season in 2023 with the right workload. "If I get the volume of some of the other guys," Dobbins said, "it'll be a real good year." 8/22 Rookie RB Keaton Mitchell, who shined Monday night before departing with an injury, suffered a shoulder stinger, sources tell NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. A bullet dodged for the preseason standout in his bid to make the team. 8/22 Rookie WR Zay Flowers showed a national television audience what everyone saw at Ravens training camp -- he's extremely difficult to bring down. Flowers capped the opening drive of Monday might's loss to the Commanders with an impressive 26-yard touchdown in which he took a short catch and turned it into a big play. Weaving around the Commanders defense, Flowers had 21.8 yards after the catch on that score, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. As ESPN.com noted, Flowers' elusiveness is a big reason why Baltimore used the No. 22 overall pick on him in this year's draft. The Ravens managed five catches with 20-plus yards after the catch last season, which were the fewest in the NFL. Baltimore saw Flowers' potential immediately. He juked out Pro Bowl middle linebacker Roquan Smith in his first practice of training camp, which led quarterback Lamar Jackson to nickname him "joystick. ..." Meanwhile, as NFL.com's Grant Gordon reminded readers, head of a 2021 campaign in which every Ravens running back was falling by the wayside to injury, Justice Hill seemed poised to break out. Then he tore his Achilles, and he, too, was lost for the 2021 season. Hill has returned to his promising form, though, having looked solid in each of Baltimore's first two preseason tilts. After busting loose for a 37-yard gallop in his team's first preseason tilt, Hill had three 10-plus-yard plays on as many touches. Hill was in on just the opening drive, and he was overshadowed by Flowers, but he's looked explosive and should have locked up a roster spot and opportunities ahead. Provided he's healthy and financially untroubled, J.K. Dobbins should lead the RB corps and be complemented well by Gus Edwards. Hill has made an argument to get some regular-season run, though. ... Finally, for what it's worth, the loss marked the end of a 24-game preseason win streak for the Ravens, who passed the previous NFL record of 19, set by the Green Bay Packers in the 1950s. 8/18 RB J.K. Dobbins participated in full team drills for the first time in training camp, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports. The Ravens activated Dobbins off the active/physically unable to perform list after he passed his physical, but he had participated only in individual drills and offensive installation before Friday. WR Rashod Bateman participated in seven-on-seven drills Friday for the first time this camp after being limited to individual drills. Bateman has worked his way back from foot surgery, which prematurely ended his second season. “They were both out there in team drills, moving around and looking good. That was great to see,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, via video from the team. “I think our training staff, our strength staff have done a great job. Those guys themselves have done a great job. Rashod has worked really hard to get himself back to where he is right now. He looked good today.” 8/18 Jadeveon Clowney's annual wait-and-see approach to free agency has paired him with a new team. The Baltimore Ravens announced on Friday they have reached a deal with Clowney. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Clowney's deal is for one year and worth up to $6 million. 8/17 The Ravens made several moves to revamp their offense during the offseason, including bringing in coordinator Todd Monken and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. While there are still several weeks until the season begins, things are starting to come together — especially in the passing game. On Wednesday, Beckham told reporters that he’s expecting Baltimore to air it out more than the team has in the past. “I definitely think [Monken] wants to throw the ball, and we’ve got a lot of talented guys,” Beckham said in his press conference. “So, I think, just finding ways to get the playmakers the ball in their hands and be an explosive offense — that’s what stands out the most. As things progress — and obviously, we play in September, [so] we still have some time here to work out the kinks and get each and every play and concept down — I think that this will be a very explosive offense. It’s an explosive team, as well. But specifically with the offense, I think that’s the goal, is to be explosive.” To that end, Beckham noted he feels positive about where the team’s deep passing game is headed. Where we’re at today — at this point, whatever day it is in camp — I think we’re in a good place," Beckham said. "It’s just about, like I say all the time, just getting one percent better each and every day. ..." As Profootballtalk.com notes, Lamar Jackson said on Wednesday that he feels like the chemistry is there with Beckham. If Jackson can connect with Beckham and first-round rookie Zay Flowers as he has with tight end Mark Andrews, then Baltimore’s offense should definitely be more explosive in 2023. 8/16 According to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, when Lamar Jackson throws a touchdown pass this season, there's a chance it will come on a route that he suggested. Hensley went on to explain one of the biggest changes in the Ravens' first season under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken is more freedom and input for Jackson. In addition to giving Jackson the leeway to audible, Baltimore is using plays that Jackson has sent to the coaching staff. "I was just on social media, and I saw a couple of routes, and I sent it to [quarterbacks] Coach Tee [Martin] and he was like, 'I'm going to relay the message to Coach [Todd] Monken,'" Jackson said after Tuesday's joint practice with the Washington Commanders. "Coach Monken liked the play, so he put it in practice. We didn't show it today, but I feel like it will be good for us." Ahead of this season, Jackson received a sizable new contract (five years, $260 million) and three new wide receivers (Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor). He has repeatedly expressed excitement about the potential of the passing game this year, even suggesting he could throw for 6,000 yards because of all the new weapons. Now, teammates see Jackson putting his stamp on a revamped offense that is looking to bounce back from averaging 20.6 points per game, the Ravens' fewest since 2015. "[Lamar Jackson]'s got a good eye," tight end Mark Andrews told Hensley. "If anybody ever asks him, or you just pick his mind about plays and where he sees the game and that sort of thing ... And now that he's getting that input, it's been great. Yes, he sees the game really well." Earlier this month, Monken said he's a firm believer that you need "to empower" your quarterback for him to play his best. He mentioned that Jackson has become even more diligent and wants to be "elite." Sounds like he'll get every opportunity to do that. 8/14 The Ravens have their leading rusher on the practice field for the first time this year. J.K. Dobbins was activated off the physically unable to perform list Monday after passing his condition test, the team announced. Dobbins didn't participate in any of the offseason spring workouts, including mandatory minicamp, and missed the first 14 practices of training camp. As ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley reported, in his first practice back, Dobbins did all of the individual drills and went through the offensive installation portion of practice with the rest of the starters. He did not participate in full team drills. "He's 100 percent healthy," head coach John Harbaugh said after Monday's practice. "He looks good. He's been training hard. So, he's ready to go." Ravens officials have never specified Dobbins' injury. At the start of training camp last month, Harbaugh said Dobbins' absence had "some complexity to it." This offseason, Dobbins expressed frustration about his contract situation to WJZ-TV. Dobbins, 24, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, is making $1.391 million this season, slightly more than his backups, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, both of whom will earn $1 million. Asked why Dobbins returned Monday, Harbaugh said, "I think it just worked out for whatever reasons it worked out. I'm just trying not to look at it too deeply and be grateful. ..." Also of interest: Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley tweaked his hamstring in Saturday's preseason opener. Huntley didn't practice Monday. "We'll be cautious with that for a little while here," Harbaugh said. "If you think about the hamstrings, you just don't want to re-injure it." Huntley's absence means increased reps for Josh Johnson and Anthony Brown. 8/14 According to Adam Schefter, Ravens’ RB J.K. Dobbins, who has not yet practiced during training camp, is being activated today off the Physically Unable to Perform list. 8/10 According to NBC Sports, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and other starters will not play this weekend. 8/10 According to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, Zay Flowers, Baltimore’s first-round pick, has been the talk of Ravens training camp for his sleek route-running and his now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t moves in the open field. He’s making a franchise, which has never had a Pro Bowl wide receiver, begin to believe it might have landed the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year with the No. 22 overall pick. After the first practice of training camp, quarterback Lamar Jackson nicknamed Flowers “joystick” after he juked past Pro Bowl middle linebacker Roquan Smith. After the third practice, offensive coordinator Todd Monken raved about Flowers’ dangerous playmaking ability. But it goes beyond that. Flowers wants to be an important piece of the offense immediately, and he knows that starts with having a great rapport with Jackson. In the weeks leading up to training camp, Flowers texted Jackson to get together in South Florida, where he could run routes and get a better feel for how he throws the ball. The work didn’t stop when Flowers got to the Ravens facility. He asked the strength and conditioning coaches to schedule him two extra days of leg work. Flowers stands 5-9, 182 pounds, but there’s a lot of power to his game. He believes strong legs make him so explosive on the field. ... When the Ravens took Flowers in the first round, there was some risk involved. Baltimore’s most glaring need was cornerback, not wide receiver, especially after the team spent $18 million this offseason on Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor. The Ravens have also struggled at finding top playmakers at that position, getting a total of two 1,000-yard seasons from 32 drafted wide receivers. But the Ravens had Flowers as their top-rated wide receiver and Flowers has been putting on a show in the first three weeks of training camp, continually getting open with his speed and cutting ability. Flowers’ biggest impact is what he can do after he makes the reception. Instead of running out of bounds or going to the ground, he is looking to make a move to gain more yards. Last season, Ravens wide receivers totaled 551 yards after the catch, fourth-fewest in the league. 8/10 Lamar Jackson has shown signs of frustration during a slow start to training camp, with the Baltimore Ravens' defense mostly dominating, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. It hasn't helped that running back J.K. Dobbins and wideout Rashod Bateman haven't practiced. As previously noted, Dobbins appears to be staging a "hold-in" in hopes for a new contract that doesn't appear likely to come. Meanwhile, NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal contends at this stage, he would be surprised if Bateman plays more snaps this season than first-round pick Zay Flowers, who has reportedly been a consistent bright spot in camp. 8/09 Receiver Rashod Bateman (foot) has been activated from PUP list and returned to practice Wednesday. 8/09 J.K. Dobbins hasn’t practiced in training camp. The official reason is that he’s on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a knee injury. But there’s been speculation that Dobbins is declining to practice because he’s unhappy with his contract. Head coach John Harbaugh said when Dobbins practices is up to him. “The ball is in J.K.'s court,” Harbaugh said. “We have talked. We talked again yesterday. We had a great conversation. I do expect him back very soon, but I don’t have anything to say about it. It’s up to J.K., so hopefully that will happen soon.” Harbaugh thinks Dobbins knows that practice is important. “Generally speaking, to be a great player, you know you need to put in the time and the effort and just get with the team and get right,” Harbaugh said. "[J.K. Dobbins] wants to do that in his case, and that’s why I kind of expect him back here pretty soon. ...” As Profootballtalk.com notes, Dobbins is due $1.4 million this season, the final year of his rookie contract. Like most NFL teams, the Ravens seem content to tell the top running back on their depth chart he can play for the contract he signed, whether he likes it or not. 8/09 After leaving practice early Monday, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. not only returned Tuesday but was the star of practice. According to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, Beckham made a one-handed catch in the corner of the end zone in one-on-one drills. He then caught in a 40-yard pass downfield from Lamar Jackson during team drills, pulling in the ball despite tight coverage from Marlon Humphrey. "He's right on schedule," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "The last couple of days has been his most work, and he's probably had his best days. ..." Meanwhile, Jackson made one of his best throws of camp when he rolled to his left and found tight end Mark Andrews running deep across the field. Jackson's ability to open his hips, launch a deep dart and put it in the perfect spot for Andrews to make the catch, with Kyle Hamilton close in pursuit, was impressive. Harbaugh said last week that the metrics on Jackson's throwing (such as velocity) look quite good, and that throw showed it. For what it's worth, Andrews won the majority of his battles against Hamilton in what continues to be one of the best battles in training camp. In the first 11-on-11 drill of the day, the first-team offense marched down the field mostly thanks to two completions to Andrews, then one to Isaiah Likely. Andrews also later made a one-handed sideline grab during 11-on -11 work. 8/08 A day off did the Ravens offense some good. After Saturday's (8/5) nine-interception practice, the offense didn't turn the ball over once Monday (8/7) and was sharper throughout. According to the team's official websit, Lamar Jackson had an accurate day and the offense got especially hot in the red zone in the latter portion of practice. The Ravens' offense won on the practice scoreboard by a wide margin. ... Also worth noting: The play of the day came from Odell Beckham Jr., who made a tough sliding grab on the sideline despite tight coverage to convert on a third-and-12. Beckham also moved the chains on a fourth down earlier in the "drive." His flair for making clutch plays should be a great weapon for Jackson. Beckham left practice early and went inside, but Harbaugh said there was no injury. "Just a rep count. He had enough. His numbers were there. [He] worked hard, had a great day, I thought, and we're just going to monitor that as we go. Like we said, we'll be smart about it," Harbaugh said. Tight end Mark Andrews also took in the latter portion of practice from the sideline in bare feet. "Yes, he's OK. I mean he just. ... It's hot. It was towards the end of practice. Sometimes, I get like, 'OK, we're good, we're good,'" Harbaugh said. .... Tight end Isaiah Likely was the go-to guy after Andrews went to the sideline, catching three straight outs with safety Kyle Hamilton in pursuit. Likely continues to show his knack for being a tough cover. He also used a nifty dip-and-reverse move in a red zone drill to catch a touchdown against cornerback Daryl Worley. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor continued to show his hops, elevating to catch a back shoulder toss from Jackson against defensive back Ar'Darius Washington. Agholor and Jackson have shown a good connection on that play throughout the summer. 8/08 Fullback Patrick Ricard made his practice debut Monday as Week 3 of Ravens training camp kicked off, and he came back with a new wrinkle. Ricard has been working his way back from offseason hip surgery. It's the second time he had a hip procedure during his career. He passed his physical Monday and was removed from the PUP list. The bruising blocker has gone to four straight Pro Bowls, but the fullback's role will evolve in new offensive coordinator Todd Monken's offense, which won't use as many "heavy" personnel packages as Greg Roman's scheme. That being the case, head coach John Harbaugh said there is a chance 6-3, 305-pound Ricard will get reps on the offensive line. 8/08 Todd Monken returns to the NFL as the Ravens new offensive coordinator after spending the past two seasons as the OC at the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs scored 65 points in the CFP National Championship Game on Jan. 9, the school's second consecutive national title. The Bulldogs posted 198.1 rushing yards per game, adding 273.8 passing yards per game. In 2022, Georgia led the nation in total net yards (7,517) and total points (616), with former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett throwing 27 touchdowns, while rushing for 10 more. Over the last two seasons, Georgia's offense ranked No. 5 in in the country in points per game (39.8) and No. 8 in scrimmage yards per game (472.0). Monken did it using packages that suit the Ravens' current personnel and physical style well. Georgia's most common package was "12" personnel (one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers), which it ran on 59 percent of its plays. In his most recent NFL season (2019 with Cleveland), Monken directed a Browns' offense that featured running back Nick Chubb, who produced the league's second-most rushing yards (1,494) and tallied eight touchdowns. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a single-season career-high 3,827 passing yards, adding 22 touchdowns. In 2018, Monken helped Tampa Bay lead the NFL in passing offense (320.3 ypg) and finish third in total offense (415.5 ypg), setting single-season club records in each category. The 57-year-old Monken succeeds Greg Roman, who parted ways with Baltimore after six seasons on Harbaugh's staff. If all this -- along with the addition of potential playmakers Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr., who join Mark Andrew and Rashod Bateman -- seems like it's designed to get more out of Lamar Jackson, that's because it is. ... Worth noting: Bateman (foot) and J.K. Dobbins opened camp on the PUP list. Dobbins' is of concern since it's not entirely clear if his absence is due more to a lingering knee issue or his contract. Harbaugh said on 8/5 that Bateman has a “chance to be out there soon."
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 Team Review
Grade: B
For most of the offseason, the dominant storyline surrounding the Ravens was the future of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. But after some franchise tag and media drama, Jackson got his massive extension from the team. And with that new payday in hand, a new offensive coordinator (Todd Monken) and improved passing-game weapons at his disposal, Jackson has some lofty aspirations in 2023. “I think I told someone like man I wanna throw for like 6,000 yards with the weapons we have,” Jackson said. “And I’m not an individual award-type guy or a stat watcher, I just want to do that because no one’s ever done it and I feel like we have the weapons to do it.” Those new weapons are both a veteran and a rookie. Before Jackson was even re-upped, the Ravens agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Odell Beckham Jr. The rookie is Zay Flowers of Boston College, who the Ravens drafted at No. 22 overall in 2023. It’s not guaranteed that those arrivals will create an aerial explosion in 2023. Beckham hasn’t posted a 1,000-yard season since 2019 and missed all of 2022 with an ACL tear. Flowers, while talented, is an unproven option. But combined with tight Mark Andrews (the No. 2 option at the position behind Travis Kelce in the opinion of most fantasy pundits) and a pretty compelling argument can be made that these are the best weapons Jackson has ever had at his disposal. Mind you, Jackson is the only quarterback in NFL history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards twice. In his MVP season of 2019, Jackson was the No. 1 fantasy quarterback by a massive margin. But Jackson has also missed 10 games over the past two seasons. There’re all kinds of upside present with Jackson in 2023. But there’s more than a little risk as well. The Ravens backfield will be led in 2023 by J.K. Dobbins, who missed all of 2021 and most of 2022 thanks to a pre-season ACL tear two years ago. However, Dobbins came on strong down the stretch last year, and Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta expects big things from Dobbins this season. I’m really, really impressed with his passion, his work ethic, the way that he battled back from a very, very serious knee injury. It was very impressive to me to see how he really kind of matured over the course of the season,” he said. “He came back from that second procedure surgery that he had, and he started to really look like that old J.K., which is extremely exciting for the organization. And we fully expect J.K. to have a great year this year.” If DeCosta is right, Dobbins has the chance to be a real bargain for fantasy managers this season. | |||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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