Maryland’s OWINGS MILLS Without two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field, the Baltimore Ravens’ training camp got underway on the first day. Jackson started having symptoms on Saturday. Team physicians sent him home when he showed up at the Under Armour Performance Center on Sunday for the first session.
Coach John Harbaugh gave a forceful speech at the close of camp on Day 1 regarding the organization’s goal for Jackson, a 27-year-old who is getting ready for his sixth season as the team’s full-time starter.
“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the National Football League. That’s the vision,” Harbaugh said.
Speaking about “the vision” with Jackson last week and publicly expressing it after practice on Sunday, Harbaugh addressed the quarterback’s criticism of the club after some of its losses.
Harbaugh’s response lasted nearly three minutes. He’s always staunchly supported Jackson, but his comments Sunday marked his most passionate defense yet of the highly scrutinized signal caller.
“To be honest with you, I read the stuff. I see these guys saying what they’re saying on the shows. At least, I get clips of them because they come up on your phone,” Harbaugh said. “The good ones, I just scroll past. That’s candy. That’s not real. But the bad ones, I read it right away. I don’t let it go. That’s OK. That’s part of the deal. Lamar, for whatever reason, there’s a lot of good things said about him, but there’s a lot of stuff that’s said that you just scratch your head about and kind of wonder, ‘What’s that person even thinking?’ But we take it personally.”
When Jackson would be able to start practicing, according to Harbaugh, was uncertain. While the quarterback’s start to training camp is obviously not ideal, there should not be much of an influence on the team’s preparation for the team’s first game on September 5 against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, provided he feels better quickly.
As it happened, Jackson had no discussions regarding his contract status or the need to pick up a new offense before reporting for training camp. Under offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the emphasis has been on giving Jackson more authority at the line of scrimmage in his second year.
In response, Jackson completed a career-high 67.2 percent of his passes for a personal-best 3,678 yards, 24 touchdown passes to seven interceptions, and 821 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last season in Monken’s first year as the play caller. He was just one vote away from taking home his second MVP trophy in a unanimous vote.
But Jackson’s and the offense’s lackluster performance in the AFC Championship Game defeat to the Chiefs marked the end of Baltimore’s season. A portion of the criticism directed towards Jackson’s playoff performance was mitigated by the performance.
However, Harbaugh stated unequivocally that the Ravens continue to have faith in Jackson and the offensive line. The tone for another season of high expectations for the squad and for his quarterback was established by Harbaugh’s remarks on Sunday.
The Ravens have been difficult for anyone to deal with when Jackson has been well. They have not made it to a Super Bowl, though.
“It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team, teamwork and by the grace of God and God’s good will,” Harbaugh said. “That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.”
Attendance is strong
The lone unexpected absence from the Ravens’ opening day of training camp was Jackson. Out of the 91 players on the team, 86 were present on the practice field and completely engaged in the workout. Jackson, running back Keaton Mitchell, outside linebacker Adisa Isaac (third round), cornerback T.J. Tampa (fourth round), and undrafted rookie inside linebacker Yvandy Rigby were the only players not there.
After tearing his knee in December of last year, Mitchell is not expected to play again until the second half of the regular season. He is currently on the physically unable to perform list. Following obligatory minicamp in June, Tampa underwent abdominal surgery to repair a double hernia, putting him on the PUP list. Training camp is scheduled to be missed by him for a few weeks.
Due to a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action for almost the entire offseason, Isaac is listed as not returning to football. Although the nature of Rigby’s ailment is unknown, he missed a number of the offseason exercises as well.
Humphrey shines
Before training camp, there was some concern about the health of veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who had only sometimes taken part in structured team exercises and the veteran minicamp. In the month of May, Harbaugh said that Humphrey was experiencing some “nagging” issues after a 2023 season in which the three-time Pro Bowler missed eight games, including the playoff game against the Houston Texans in the divisional round.
Humphrey was one of the most visible players on the field in addition to participating fully in practice. A Josh Johnson pass intended for Tylan Wallace was nicely broken up by him, and he also forced a couple other incompletions with tight coverage.
Despite all the preseason chatter about how poorly the Ravens performed defensively, both with players and coaching, Humphrey getting back to his Pro Bowl level would be a significant advantage. It is only one practice.
“Having Marlon Humphrey at full speed and at his best would be massively beneficial, and that’s what we expect him to be,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in great shape. You saw it today in practice, he looked great. He gives us some great versatility in the back end, moving guys around. So, I would never discount Marlon Humphrey, if I was an opponent. I believe in Marlon. I think he’s one of the best players — one of the very, very best corners — in the National Football League.”
Other thoughts, observations
• There are not many open roster spaces for a member of the team’s undrafted free-agent class to break through and join the 53 because the Ravens are set at a number of positions. However, Dayton Wade, a wide receiver, may present a strong argument. Wade, who finished his senior season of college at Ole Miss with 55 receptions for 830 yards and four touchdowns, had the play of the day on Sunday when he connected with fellow rookie Devin Leary for a long gain. Wade made an over-the-shoulder catch by edging over CB Bump Cooper Jr.
• Safety for veterans It was not until Sunday morning that Eddie Jackson formally signed his free agent contract with the Ravens. There he was on the practice field a few hours later. The newest resident of Baltimore was not exactly welcomed. In team drills, the seasoned Chicago Bear took several reps. Eddie Jackson is not expected to start as long as Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams remain healthy. But the Ravens employ three-safety formations so frequently that it would be appropriate to designate the third safety as the starting position.
Official just in time for Day 1 pic.twitter.com/llZmqK1dV8
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 21, 2024
• The Ravens dismissed undrafted rookie Jordan Toles, a local native who completed his collegiate career at Morgan State, to make way for Eddie Jackson. During the off-season training, Toles showed promise, which may have led to a chance elsewhere.
The offense did not have much moving downfield after Wade’s catch or tight end Isaiah Likely’s back-shoulder reception on cornerback Brandon Stephens in the absence of Lamar Jackson. Mark Andrews, the tight end, and Zay Flowers, the wide receiver, were both fairly active and productive in the middle of the field. Catching a throw, Rashod Bateman turned outside for a great gain that would have been bigger had the wide receiver not fallen. After practice, Bateman noted, “This is the most comfortable I have ever felt with the Ravens.” The first play was made by running back Justice Hill, who caught a wheel route from Johnson. Williams deftly stopped the action to keep himself and Hill apart.
• Harbaugh gave running back Owen Wright, a sophomore, high praise and said he might be a “surprise, breakout kind of person.” Rasheen Ali, a fifth-round rookie, and Wright, a former standout at Monmouth University, are vying for the No. 3 running back position. Compared to previous year, when he played the entire season on the practice team, Wright seems faster and slimmer. He dashed out during a run during Sunday’s practice, tricked a defender, and then moved upfield for a good gain.
Daniel Faalele, a possibility for starting right guard, seemed to be having trouble with the heat and humidity. He practiced for a long while with his knees bent. Throughout his brief career, the 380-pound third-year professional has struggled with heat-related problems. Josh Jones, an experienced offensive lineman, had to run separate laps due to two pre-snap penalties.
• The first interception of training camp came from seasoned cornerback Arthur Maulet, who went to the ground to grab a Johnson pass that escaped wide receiver Malik Cunningham’s hands.
(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
