This offseason has admittedly been a choppy one for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Or, at the very least, it certainly didn’t start off the way he would’ve liked. Back in May, Jackson divulged to the press that he was entirely unaware the team was installing a totally new offense. This rather important news didn’t make it back to the quarterback until he showed up in Baltimore for practice.
Nonetheless, despite the rocky start, Jackson has found his footing once again. Tuesday marked the opening of the Ravens’ three-day minicamp, and those in attendance were quite impressed by the performance put forth by Jackson.
“Lamar Jackson had his best showing of the spring Tuesday,” tweeted ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Of a similar mind was WSNT.net’s Luke Jones, who tweeted that “Jackson’s passing in 7-on-7 periods today was some of his best of the spring.”
The praise from the media is also echoed by some Baltimore coaching staff who have noticed a marked change in Jackson’s progression as a passer. Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban has been particularly complementary of Jackson.
“You’re always chasing consistency,” Urban said, via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. “Consistency in terms of throwing accurately, the mechanics involved, repeating the motion. They certainly haven’t been eliminated, but there are much fewer, ‘Where-did-that-come-froms’ this year when we watch him practice. It looks better in many ways. The ball comes out cleaner, the timing looks better.”
Though there is plenty more practice ahead for Jackson and his offense this offseason, the young passer already appears to be making strides. Just a couple of weeks ago, reports about Jackson during the team’s first few offseason practices were much more ambivalent. The man himself wasn’t enthused by his performances then either.
“I’d say, my first day, I sucked. Second day, I did better. Today, it was all right but it could’ve been better,” Jackson said at a press conference in late May. “I’m always trying to be perfect in practice.”
“It’s been crazy. It’s been everywhere,” Jackson said of his throws. “I feel like my hand is a little too high on the football, and that makes the ball go out of whack a lot.”
