Looking at the roster, the Ravens are one of the best teams in the NFL.
But teams don’t win championships on paper.
The Ravens have won two in their brief history since moving to Baltimore from Cleveland for the 1996 season, which is why they are considered one of the best franchises in the league.
But each year presents a different challenge, and 2023 will be no exception. Offensively, the Ravens re-signed quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year contract extension worth a reported $260 million in late April. They also upgraded their wide receiver corps by signing free agents Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor and selecting Zay Flowers out of Boston College in the first round of the NFL draft hours after the Ravens and Jackson agreed on a contract.
The Ravens return most of their defense, which was one of the best in the NFL in the final quarter of last season, and coordinator Mike Macdonald is back to coach a unit being led by Roquan Smith, perhaps the best middle linebacker in the game.
Training camp is near, so coach John Harbaugh has to put all the pieces together and build team chemistry. Here are seven areas of concern heading into camp:
1. Embracing a new offensive philosophy
It’s offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s show, and he seems to have the same authority Harbaugh gave to Gary Kubiak when he was in the role in 2014. Monken had a strong presence during the offseason program, but training camp is a different animal as coaches evaluate players and install the scheme. Those two factors will determine how the unit operates, as well as the pace at which it will play. Monken has to get the players to embrace a new philosophy, one that is more balanced between the run and the pass. That was not former coordinator Greg Roman’s M.O.
2. Lamar Jackson’s passing ability
Monken and Jackson are tied together now, and it’s the coordinator’s job to take the quarterback to the next level as a passer. Jackson has to improve his accuracy and learn to put more touch on the deep ball. Monken said he wants to be able to attack the entire field, but that only happens if Jackson can improve throwing the ball outside the numbers.
This isn’t new, and the process won’t happen overnight, but the goal should be to have the passing attack primed for the postseason. Monken and Jackson have said the quarterback will have more freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage, but that will be determined during training camp and preseason games.
3. Solving the wide receiver puzzle
It will be interesting to see how Monken fits this group into the offense. Will Beckham be on the inside, or will it be Flowers? Will Flowers run more short routes because of his explosiveness and big-play ability? That role seemed to belong to third-year wideout Rashod Bateman last year, but he has been bothered by injuries throughout his career. Jackson and Agholor developed nice chemistry this offseason, especially on back-shoulder throws. The knock on Agholor, though, is that he has a history of dropping what should be easy catches.
The Ravens have two good tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, but Likely might be moved outside more often to create mismatches. Somehow, this group has to come together, but there is only one ball to go around. There will be problems at some point this season — that’s predictable. It’s great to upgrade at the position, but divas are still divas. Still, it’s a nice problem to have compared with previous years.
4. Left guard competition
Rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, a sixth-round pick out of Oregon, took most of the repetitions with the starting unit during the mandatory minicamp last month, which indicates he is the front-runner. The Ravens like his size at 6 feet 5 and 322 pounds, and the former offensive tackle does have some quickness. Baltimore thought third-year player Ben Cleveland would win the position, but Cleveland doesn’t appear to be athletic enough to play regularly in Monken’s offense. If the Ravens want to play power football, then the 6-6, 370-pound Cleveland should be the starter. Regardless, they might hit the waiver wire to find another guard, especially if Aumavae-Laulu struggles in the preseason.
5. J.K. Dobbins’ reality check
Someone needs to tell Dobbins to get a grip on reality. Everyone knows he wants a lucrative contract extension, but the Ravens are in no rush to offer a new deal to a player who has missed 27 of 50 regular-season games because of injuries. Dobbins has the talent to continue his success, but those images of him pulling up on two potential long runs last year won’t go away. He’s in the same class with Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen. If both play well this season, both will get good offers, either from the Ravens or another team. It’s that simple.
6. Young edge rushers hold the key
The ideal situation would be for young outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo to have breakout seasons. Imagine that: Odafe in his third year and Ojabo in his second coming off a torn Achilles tendon leading the Ravens’ pass rush. That’s a great scenario in a perfect world, but the NFL is far from perfect. Ojabo has all the physical tools and the moves, but that potential has to translate on the field during meaningful games. Oweh had a strong training camp last year but was fairly quiet when the lights turned on.
At least the Ravens finally hired a pass-rushing specialist in Chuck Smith to work with these young players. Seventh-year outside linebacker Tyus Bowser has shown flashes at times but is more of an all-around player who can cover on the outside. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Ravens brought back veteran Justin Houston late in training camp. Houston led the team in sacks last season with 9 1/2 but lacked consistency and also battled injuries. Signing the 34-year-old is a risk.
7. Which second-year cornerback takes a step forward?
The Ravens either need young players such as Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams to step up, or they could have problems with depth. Each could give the Ravens some options in their second seasons, especially in passing situations. Marlon Humphrey is the team’s top performer at cornerback but plays better in the slot or near the line of scrimmage. The Ravens signed Rock Ya-Sin to play opposite Humphrey on the outside, but Macdonald likes to give opposing teams different looks. He can do that with his two starting safeties — Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton — as well as swing safety Brandon Stephens. The Ravens, though, want to have some dress rehearsals before the regular season, and they can get that if Williams and Armour-Davis are healthy for training camp.
