When the Ravens begin their offseason workout program on Monday, Head Coach Jesse Minter will gain more valuable insight into his team.
Which players will be in the best condition? How strong will attendance be, and how quickly will players begin to grasp the new systems being installed on offense, defense, and special teams?
Don't read too much into who reports on Day 1, and who doesn't. It's voluntary, and it's April. It's only Phase 1 in a three-phase ramp-up toward OTAs in May, followed by mandatory minicamp June 9-11.
Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle will be the fourth coordinator that Lamar Jackson has worked with since joining the Ravens. He's won an MVP with two different coordinators – Greg Roman and Todd Monken.
Are you willing to conclude that Jackson won't win a third MVP, or the Ravens won't win a Super Bowl, if he doesn't attend Day 1 of Phase 1? If Jackson's there on Monday, great. If he's not, it doesn't mean he won't have a great season.
Jackson has been down this road before - new system, new coordinator, and he adjusted well to those changes when he had less experience. Minter isn't publicly stressing about how often Jackson will attend voluntary workouts and says he and Jackson are on the same page.
"A lot of that stuff I will probably keep between Lamar and I, but I just think that he's excited for us to connect, for us to build a relationship, for us to trust each other, for us to be able to talk through things," Minter said at the NFL owners meetings.
"You don't become the level of player that he has without a great work ethic, without being a great teammate and without being a leader. I am just excited for him to continue to grow, evolve and become an even better version of Lamar."
As we move into another phase of the offseason, here are my thoughts on the Ravens, all in 50 words or less:
- Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar were targeted 51 combined times last season, and both have departed. I'd love to know how much Baltimore likes Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq. He isn’t the favorite for Baltimore at No. 14, but don't rule him out.
- Doyle was the Bears' offensive coordinator last season when they used two pass-catching tight ends effectively – Colston Loveland (58 catches) and Cole Kmet (48). Doyle has his blocking tight end, Durham Smythe. Another receiving tight end would take some load off Mark Andrews' plate entering his ninth season.
- Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Scott Elliott, a holdover from John Harbaugh's staff, is set to address the media next week. It will be interesting to see if Elliott has made any tweaks to the offseason program with a new staff in place.
- The Ravens never have to worry about Derrick Henry's conditioning. His productivity and longevity are byproducts of his work ethic. Henry isn't just a workhorse during the season. For him, hard work's a year-round thing.
- Minter's comments at the NFL owners meeting about the Ravens being "innovative" on special teams and not just trying to "hang on" were interesting. Blocking kicks and scoring touchdowns on special teams are game-changing plays. Sounds like Minter will hunt for ways to make them happen.
- Speaking of special teams, this is obviously a huge offseason for Tyler Loop, who's had plenty of time to think about how last season ended. Minter saying "we have a lot of confidence" in Loop indicates the Ravens still believe their second-year kicker will be a mainstay.
- Sounds like Minter wants to have at least one joint practice this summer, if not two. Harbaugh also liked having them, and joint practices are becoming increasingly popular around the NFL. For starters who don't play in the preseason, joint practices are the closest thing to the real thing.
- Will the Ravens be aggressive toward trading up in this year's draft? They were willing to surrender two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby. What if Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. falls out of the top 10? Baltimore might consider giving up some draft ammo to move up.
- Some scouts are concerned that Bain has shorter arms than the typical pass rusher. Brian Baldinger of NFL Network isn't worried. He compared Bain's heavy hands to Mike Tyson's. That comp got my attention. I saw Tyson box in person, and it was frightening.
- Veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney says he has "plenty left in the tank" and would welcome a return to Baltimore. Clowney had a career-high 9.5 sacks for the Ravens in 2023 and 8.5 sacks in Dallas last season. It wouldn't shock me if Clowney's on the Ravens' radar.
