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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Kevin Oestreicher

Roquan Smith says mentality plays big part in expectations for Ravens defense

The Baltimore Ravens found a way to turn up the heat over the course of the 2023 season. They were able to get the most out of multiple key players on all three levels of the defense, and it led to an outstanding year.

When asked his expectations for the team’s 2024 defense, Smith had lofty goals. He explained that mentality is part of why he is able to have those goals, as well as experience playing with his teammates in a system that is widely expected to remain similar from Mike Macdonald to Zach Orr.

“Mentality is definitely a part of it, but I think also with the guys, more experience playing with each other. There are a couple pieces that are gone, but I think the more time that we have together, understanding each other, just bonding throughout camp and [being] willing to put everything on the line just a bit more for one another and knowing what the ultimate goal is to get where we want to go – and we all know where that’s at – but it’s going to start one game at a time and one day at a time honestly, and I’m excited for it.”

The Ravens lost a good amount of talent over the course of 2023, but their core star group remains intact. The team is hoping to finish their expectation of winning a Super Bowl this year, and the defensive will need to have another big year to realize that goal.

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