Maurice Jones-Drew Says This Is 'Most Talented Roster Ravens Have Had'
The Ravens have had some loaded teams over the years, but NFL Network analyst and former Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Maurice Jones-Drew thinks this year's roster is different.
"This is probably the most talented roster the Ravens have had," Jones-Drew said.
Jones-Drew said the key for the Ravens to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012 season is for quarterback Lamar Jackson's weapons to step up in the playoffs.
"To me, you have to allow the game to come to Lamar and not force Lamar to have to be everything, to be Superman," Jones-Drew said. "Allow the others to help: [Rashod] Bateman, [Zay] Flowers, [Mark] Andrews; allowing Derrick Henry to run the ball a little bit more in the playoffs."
Jones-Drew repeated the narrative that the Ravens "abandoned their run game" in the playoffs in recent years, but that actually isn't the case.
The Ravens' 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 AFC Championship Game, which saw running backs Gus Edwards and Justice Hill combine for six carries for 23 yards, is an anomaly.
In the previous week's 34-10 win over the Houston Texans in the divisional round, Edwards, Hill, and Dalvin Cook combined for 31 carries for 129 yards.
In Henry's two playoff games as a Raven (both in 2024), he totaled 42 carries for 270 yards and three touchdowns, including 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.
Pundit Is Bullish on Ravens Having an Improved Offensive Line
Ravens in 5’s Gordon McGuinness looked at some of the buzz from the first week of training camp and discussed whether he is buying or selling the hype.
One of the things McGuinness is buying is that the offensive line will be better this season.
"While I think [center] Ethan Pocic is a downgrade over Tyler Linderbaum in the running game, I think they are similar as pass blockers," McGuinness wrote. "Meanwhile the Ravens have upgraded at both guard spots with the additions of John Simpson and Vega Ioane. The guard spots killed multiple drives per game for the Ravens last year, so even if they can be an average pairing it is a huge improvement.
"But that's not the biggest reason for me buying this. That's the addition of Dwayne Ledford as the new offensive line coach. Ledford is one of the best in the game and some of the early noise coming out of training camp has me feeling better about the fundamentals of this unit. The Ravens probably won't have a top-five offensive line in 2026, but if it's even in the top-16 then this offense is going to be just fine."
We'll learn more about the offensive line when pads come on this week.
Ravens Named Best Fit for Veteran Outside Linebacker Haason Reddick
NFL.com’s Grant Gordon looked at the best fits for notable remaining free agents, and he matched outside linebacker Haason Reddick with the Ravens.
"John Harbaugh might be gone but Eric DeCosta is still the Ravens general manager, and Baltimore loves bringing in veteran pass rushers during the summer," Gordon wrote. "Reddick has posted just 3.5 sacks over his past two seasons, which has equated to 23 games split with the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He needs to prove some burst is still left.
"DeCosta's initial plan was to pair Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson together. Adding Reddick to the mix with Tavius Robinson, Zion Young and Hendrickson could be a surprisingly good alternative. Before those aforementioned two seasons of struggle, he had four straight double-digit-sack years."
In addition to the aforementioned players, Mike Green, who showed flashes as a rookie and is poised for a Year 2 leap, is also in the mix, giving the Ravens a good blend of veterans and young players.
However, to Gordon's point, it would be unsurprising if the Ravens added a veteran such as the 31-year-old Reddick.
Gordon also named Baltimore as a potential option for free-agent outside linebackers Joey Bosa and former Raven Kyle Van Noy, as well as tight end and former Raven Darren Waller, although he believes there are other teams who are better fits for those players.
One former Raven who won't be returning to Baltimore this season is outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who reportedly agreed to terms with the Houston Texans over the weekend.
