On the first throw of 7-on-7 work at organized team activities Thursday, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson hit tight end Hayden Hurst streaking across the middle and away from safety Chuck Clark for a significant gain.
It was arguably the top highlight for the offense in an OTA practice otherwise dominated by the defense. Jackson and the team’s other two quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III and Trace McSorley, struggled to find a rhythm with their receivers as a number of passes hit the ground or fell off a defender’s hands. Many of the completions were of the underneath variety to backs or tight ends.
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An offensive line without its two most accomplished blockers struggled against the defensive front. There were a few drops and a couple of pre-snap penalties.
Of course, none of the issues was all too surprising. The Ravens are in the preliminary stages of learning an entirely new offense.
“It’s been better,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said “The offense is always going to be behind the defense this time of year, especially when the defense has had the system in place for a year. We put a whole new defense in last year. We changed all the terminology, we changed the way it’s structured, we changed the rules, we changed the format, we changed everything. This is the second time through, and our defense is showing that with (their) understanding. Offensively, we’re doing the same thing this year.”
Jackson raised some eyebrows last week when he said that he didn’t know the Ravens would have a “totally different offense,” with Greg Roman taking over play-calling and coordinating duties from Marty Mornhinweg. What probably surprised Jackson was the depth of the changes.
“We spent 10 weeks on the offense, and Greg Roman coordinated that, and the offensive coaches built it from the ground up,” Harbaugh said. “Every word has been organized in a way, every concept has been organized in a way, that we want to build for the long haul, and we want to make it as modern and as applicable as we can, so it can be executed. You have to think through that stuff. The terminology is a lot different, and that’s for all the guys to learn, especially the quarterbacks, because they have to operate. They have to make the calls. You saw a lot of cadences out there today. We’re working on that. All those things are part of the execution of the offense.”
Attendance
Fifteen players did not practice Thursday, and many of them were also absent for last week’s open OTA session. The list of players remaining sidelined were running back Kenneth Dixon (undisclosed), wide receivers Marquise Brown (foot) and Miles Boykin (hamstring), offensive linemen Marshal Yanda and Alex Lewis (shoulder), linebacker Matthew Judon, defensive linemen Michael Pierce and Gerald Willis (calf) and defensive backs Tony Jefferson (ankle) and Cyrus Jones (illness).
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New absences included left tackle Ronnie Stanley, linebackers Pernell McPhee, Alvin Jones and Otaro Alaka and cornerback Brandon Carr.
Veterans Brandon Williams, Jimmy Smith and Earl Thomas all were practicing after they didn’t take part in last week’s open session.
Practice standouts
Jaleel Scott, WR: Ravens receivers didn’t make a whole lot of plays in Thursday’s practice, but the 2018 fourth-round pick was responsible for two of the biggest ones. Scott beat Maurice Canady down the far sideline and Griffin hit him in stride for a long touchdown pass. Earlier in the practice, Scott got inside Marlon Humphrey in the back of the end zone and caught a McSorley touchdown. Scott was extremely quiet in the various offseason and preseason practices last summer before he was shut down for the year with a hamstring injury. In two open practices this year, he has probably made more plays than I saw from him throughout last year’s training camp. He’s playing with more speed and assuredness.
Mark Ingram, RB: When they signed Ingram this offseason, the Ravens said that they thought the veteran back would also benefit their passing game. Ingram averaged just over 40 catches over his previous five seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Ingram caught more passes than any other Raven Thursday, often as a safety valve for Jackson before heading down the field. He also continues to spend a ton of time consulting with Jackson and offensive coaches. It hasn’t taken long for him to emerge as an offensive leader.
Shane Ray, OLB: The Ravens makeshift offense line, playing without Stanley, Yanda and Lewis, had trouble protecting the quarterbacks throughout the practice, and Ray proved particularly difficult for it to handle. On one play, Ray beat an offensive tackle on the edge and forced Jackson to step up in the pocket, where he would’ve been sacked by Kenny Young. On another play, Ray rushed inside and absorbed two blockers as Tim Williams registered the sack from the outside. The former Denver Bronco, who signed a modest one-year deal earlier this month, looks healthy and is playing with a lot of energy.
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Quotable
“He’s too slow to hold.”
An unidentified Raven player after tight end Nick Boyle, known more as a blocker than a receiver, drew a holding call on defensive back Tavon Young.
“Come on now, it won’t hurt you to do it.”
Ravens wide receiver coach David Culley, imploring second-year receiver Jordan Lasley to come back to the ball.
Other observations
1. One of the issues for third-year outside linebacker Tim Williams has been maintaining his playing weight and strength. He tends to lose some of his mass, especially when he’s inactive because of injuries, as has been the case a decent amount over his first two seasons. Williams seems to be in a good place now physically. He is playing fast, too. He’s going to have to prove it over a much longer stretch and that month break between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp will be big for him to keep building, but he is answering the call so far.
2. Third-year outside linebacker Tyus Bowser drew the ire of defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale after Ingram slipped out of the backfield uncovered in a red-zone drill. Martindale yelled at Bowser, reminding him that Ingram was his responsibility in that defensive call. Given the depth along the defensive line and in the secondary, it seems quite unrealistic that the Ravens will be able to keep all four of Ray, Williams, Bowser and McPhee in addition to Judon and rookie third-round pick Jaylon Ferguson. Bowser should have an edge for snaps at strong-side linebacker because he’s shown a comfort level at dropping into coverage. However, he’s going to need to find a consistency that has eluded him in his young career.
3. There’s been a lot of talk about the need for a veteran receiver to help mentor many of the team’s young pass catchers. Willie Snead IV seems to be fitting that role quite well. Despite offseason finger surgery and having to wear a red non-contact jersey, Snead keeps pushing the coaching and training staff to do more and more. Seeing a veteran like Snead out there at this time of year, while working through an injury, is a nice message to the younger receivers.
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4. Speaking of Snead, he had one close call at practice when he and Thomas were nearly involved in a collision after a short reception. Thomas broke on the ball and then tried to avoid Snead, but he did give him a bump. The two veterans walked toward each other to discuss the play and then embraced.
5. This could be a total coincidence, but it was interesting to see veteran nose tackle Brandon Williams taking part in OTAs in the same week the Ravens are trying to sign veteran defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. A McCoy signing certainly wouldn’t affect Williams’ status as the starting nose tackle, but another front-line guy added to the interior mix could affect Williams’ snap total. Having said that, Williams is the last guy I’d need to see on the field at voluntary, non-contact OTAs. Better to save his legs for September.
6. A day after owner Steve Bisciotti downplayed the team’s need for another inside linebacker, Harbaugh made clear that the Ravens are fine with what they have at the position, and don’t need to add to it. That’s a little surprising because behind projected starters Patrick Onwuasor and Kenny Young are six first or second-year undrafted free agents. Harbaugh said the Ravens are excited about their young inside linebackers. With the team’s history in unearthing undrafted free-agent contributors at the position, they deserve the benefit of the doubt.
7. It’s not often mentioned as one of the positions that will have a competition for the starting job, but I think the weak-side linebacker spot is still a bit up in the air. Young remains the frontrunner, but the Ravens really like Chris Board. Onwuasor was highly complimentary about the progress Board is making.
8. Interesting to hear second-year tight end Hayden Hurst acknowledge that he put on 20 pounds of muscle this offseason. Hurst said he feels like it hasn’t cost him speed or explosiveness, and Harbaugh agreed with the former first-round pick’s assessment, but it certainly bears watching. Hurst, after all, was drafted more for his ability as a pass catcher than a blocker.
9. Kaare Vedvik converted two field goals from beyond 50 yards and sent another long attempt wide left. Scouts and personnel guys from other teams aren’t allowed to attend Ravens’ practices, so it’s expected that the team will really showcase the former Marshal kicker in preseason games in hopes that he’ll kick well enough to convince another team to trade a late-round draft pick for him. Justin Tucker will surely want to get a few field-goal attempts under his belt in preseason games to knock off any rust. Otherwise, the Ravens know what they have with him. They’d like other teams to learn what they have in Vedvik, too.
10. Fourth-round running back Justice Hill certainly looks the part. He has a lot of wiggle to his game and seems to be one of those guys who might get tackled for a loss on a few plays, and then all of a sudden, he’ll break a long one. The Ravens can live with the occasional minus three and four yards if they get the occasional home run from Hill.
(Photo: Tommy Gilligan / USA Today)
