The Baltimore Ravens kick off the next phase of their offseason with mandatory minicamps. Taking place from June 11-13, the Ravens will be taking the next step in preparation for when training camp begins in the middle of July.
But as was the case with organized team activities, Baltimore has a goal in mind. From improving on certain things to ironing out the initial depth chart at a few positions, the Ravens are hoping to come out of minicamps more polished than before.
Here’s what Baltimore is eyeing up for their mandatory minicamps, starting today.
Full attendance
As a mandatory minicamp, the players are required to be in attendance or face a fine. Though we might not see everyone on the field due to various injuries and precautions, all 91 players should be at the Under Armour Performance Center for a few days.
It’s not only nice for fans to hear about all their favorite players, but it gives Baltimore a chance to gauge where they really stand.
We already know some players won’t be in practicing, like first-round pick Marquise Brown, who is rehabbing from offseason surgery to correct a Lisfranc injury. But key players like outside linebacker Matthew Judon and safety Tony Jefferson getting back on the field is a step in the right direction.
Health
The Ravens have not had the greatest luck in previous seasons in the health department. Since 2014, Baltimore has put 93 players on injured reserve — an average of nearly 19 per season. Though the goal of minicamp is to build off the early work done in OTAs, a win for the Ravens would be coming out healthier than they went in.
Building up conditioning now is an important step to ensuring players are healthy and stay injury free throughout training camp. Staying cautious with the few players that are battling injuries would be wise as well.
As it stands, Baltimore is expected to see first-round pick Brown truly hit the field for the first time at training camp. Getting the few other players dealing with injuries healthy and not adding any more to the list is the ideal situation for minicamp.
Clearer competitions
There are a number of open roster spots and even a few starting jobs on the line this offseason. But minicamp is where the players can really insert themselves into the discussion. With the schemes firmly in place and the players having a better understanding of the playbook, there should be some more clear-cut competitions.
At wide receiver, which guys can step up and put themselves in the running for the third starting spot? At weak-side linebacker, who is Kenny Young battling? Has Marlon Humphrey cemented himself as a 16-game starter or is there some competition for the job?
The more muddled things get, the longer it’ll take to find a definitive winner. All of these questions will begin to find answers at the Ravens’ mandatory minicamp.
Lamar Jackson improvement
Jackson’s mechanics, consistency and fumbling issues are going to be the top storyline for this team this year. While Jackson’s unique athleticism led to great results on the ground last year, there’s no question he has to improve as a passer in his second season.
Jackson had already spent the offseason working on his mechanics in Florida. Quarterbacks coach James Urban has been drilling Jackson on it and his fumbling issues during OTAs. But we should continue to see Jackson improve during minicamp.
Though Jackson didn’t have the best start at OTAs, criticizing his performance personally, he seemed to improve over the three weeks of OTAs. That could simply be because Jackson learned more of the new offense the Ravens installed for this season. But with more time to digest the new scheme and his current development, Jackson should be far closer to regular-season ready at minicamp.
