The Ravens have a few key players coming off injuries or offseason procedures. Cornerback Lardarius Webb could be back on the field after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Guard Marshal Yanda (shoulder), Haloti Ngata (knee), Terrence Cody (hip) and Jameel McClain (neck) are other players to monitor.

Second-year linebacker Courtney Upshaw got up to 295 pounds during minicamp, and even drew criticism for his diet from Head Coach John Harbaugh. Reports say Upshaw has lost 20 pounds during his time off, but the proof will be when Upshaw steps on the field for training camp.

Wide receiver may be the best competition in training camp. With the trade of Anquan Boldin, the Ravens have an opening at the No. 2 spot. Jacoby Jones is currently the leader there, but it's still an open competition. The Nos. 3 and 4 positions are also up for grabs. Torrey Smith needs to continue to grow into becoming the team's top receiver.

Without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Ravens are without two of their strongest voices. Some of the top candidates to fill that spot are Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs, Ray Rice, Ngata and newcomers Elvis Dumervil and Chris Canty. Who will keep players motivated during the dog days of summer?

A trimmer Suggs certainly looked the part in minicamp. More than a year removed from his Achilles injury, he looked to have more burst, giving promise that a rebound is on its way after he notched just two sacks last season. Now Suggs has to take the next step and show that he can return to the consistent force he was in 2011 when he was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Flacco ended last year on a historic pace, tying Joe Montana with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions in the playoffs. Then he was made one of the richest players in NFL history. Flacco needs to use training camp to keep the ball rolling in the right direction, and hopefully take the next step in his development as the Ravens franchise quarterback.

Baltimore could rely on as many as four rookies to be NFL starters this year. First-round pick Matt Elam and second-round pick Arthur Brown are favorites at safety and linebacker, respectively. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams could beat out Terrence Cody to land a spot and fullback Kyle Juszczyk is in a big spot with the release of Vonta Leach. The rookies' maturation in camp is essential.

The Ravens defense has a lot of new pieces with Dumervil, Canty, defensive lineman Marcus Spears, safety Michael Huff and rookies that will make a big impact. All of those players need to connect with the remaining starters throughout training camp. This is the unit's first opportunity to prove that it cannot only make up for the losses, but perhaps be better.

General Manager Ozzie Newsome has a history of adding last-minute free agents, such as wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Lee Evans, and tackle Bryant McKinnie. There has been a lot of buzz about the possibility of Baltimore bringing on a veteran wide receiver. And with Leach still unsigned, there's a chance he could return as well. It will depend on what Newsome and coaches see on the practice field.

The national media will be asking whether the Ravens are going to have a Super Bowl hangover. Harbaugh will talk about the team's one-day-at-a-time approach. It will be interesting to see the pace of practice, and whether anything changes after taking home the Lombardi Trophy.