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Training Camp 2018 discussion


Danand

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4 hours ago, Edgar said:

I just heard about this forum and I'm new. Thanks for the heads up...I'm enjoying reading and getting caught up. 

Wow, it's great you joined. I just finished your new Willie Henry video. I'm glad you weren't burned out after charting all of Flacco's throws against pitt lol. Welcome to the forum.

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2 hours ago, DreamKid said:

Wow, it's great you joined. I just finished your new Willie Henry video. I'm glad you weren't burned out after charting all of Flacco's throws against pitt lol. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks for the invite. 

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Some great camp notes from RSR here, unlike that Lombardi nonsense- https://russellstreetreport.com/2018/07/21/camp-notes/tim-white-shines/

-During individual drills I spent some time watching members of the front seven who were guided by feisty defensive line coach Joe Cullen. Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams and Willie Henry were violent. Carl Davis, relatively speaking, seemed less motivated and was asked to repeat the sled drill…Brent Urban looks very healthy and has a bit of a swagger this season. He plays smart, with enthusiasm and hustles all over the field.-

 

Not enough for a verdict yet obviously, but the case is building on two predictions for the season. 1. That Carl Davis won't make the team, and likely will be traded. We don't need to carry 3 NTs. 2. That Brent Urban was a bigger loss last season than most understand, and he's in store for a big year.

I saw Urban on one of the Raven's snapchats and he looks like he's in beast mode. Really great shape, not as much fluff as he carried last year. I can't wait to see a dominating and healthy season from him.

 

-DL/FB Patrick Ricard is an interesting player. He’s just wreaks, “old school”. Most of his work is done with the defense. He wears a white jersey like all defenders and doesn’t spend much time with the offense. His build reminds me of Kelly Gregg but to his credit, he can run. Having a two-way guy like that could save a roster spot – a job for someone on the bubble.-

 

We were keyed in on Ricard still being a two way player back at OTA's, but here's more confirmation. Also it isn't surprising they aren't working a punishing fullback into the offense this early in the process either. That's asking for an increased chance at injuries. Beyond them both being short white DL, I don't see the Gregg comps. Ricard has slimmed down some, albeit to 284-290, but he's far from a traditional NT at this point and never really was one. I think he can play up and down the line, which is the beauty of him as a player, but he's much more of an up field penetrator than he is a nose.

 

-Speaking of the bubble, Breshad Perriman looks like the guy who was picked last when deciding on teams in the schoolyard. He’s just a guy – someone who rounds out the teams but just doesn’t do much of anything. If he makes the team it would purely be a move to save face. Cutting a former first-round pick isn’t a particularly treasured moment by a proud franchise. That said, it’s the right thing to do. If Perriman makes the team, a guy who will be 6th on the depth chart at best and provides next to nothing on special teams, it would be an egregious mistake.

The guy who is deserving of that 6th spot (so far) is Tim White. He gets open, he makes catches and he can return punts. On Friday, White hauled in a couple of deep throws from Jackson, the rookie’s best two throws on the day. One of the deep balls, a tear drop, went for a score. The other was a 60-yard gain. White hauled in a TD pass from RGIII as well on a skinny post during 7-on-7 drills.-

 

We didn't hear much from Tim White during OTAs, but across multiple outlets he's reclaiming the ground he held before his injury last year. Lasley, Scott, and Moore are all locks, alongside the presumed starters Crabtree, Brown, and Snead. So I don't know why he's saying "6th spot" instead of 7th. RSR is typically off with their roster projections though... so whatever.

 

-Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg was sporting a beard and wearing a t-shirt that read, “Chase The Lion”…Bronson Kaufusi was praised by coaches during individual drills. His conditioning is vastly improvedTim Williams looks fast while carrying a sleek physique. It would appear that he’ll be a situational player for long down-and-distant sub packages. Listed at 252 pounds, the second-year edge rusher looks more like 225. Expecting him to hold down the edge as an every-down linebacker in the foreseeable future is akin to counting on Chris Davis to be a contact hitter.-

 

Positive notes on Kaufusi......... I mean.........we'll see....

I'm super happy T-Will didn't try and bulk up. He is what he is, and I want him to be a blur firing off that line.

 

-Tyus Bowser should be an every-down backer. The question is, “When?” He’s adept in space and had a terrific PD on a pass from JacksonMarlon Humphrey was flagged for pass interference on a deep pass intended for Tim White near the front pylon in the left corner of the end zone…K Kaare Vedvik, really nothing more than camp fodder and relief for Justin Tucker, handled kicking duties during the afternoon. He has a strong leg and could land somewhere. Vedvik is from Marshall University. During no huddle scrimmaging Vedvik hit the crossbar on a 55-yard attempt but later connected from 57 yards out with about 5 yards to spare.-

 

Wink can't afford to not find significant time for Tyus Bowser. He's our best man cover backer, and has a great feel for zone coverage as well. Not to mention his plus ability as a pass rusher. The coaches named him the most productive linebacker during OTAs in term of sacks and picks, and it looks like he's picking up where he left off. We have an embarrassment of riches at OLB. Taking advantage of that wealth properly will be key to our season and a championship run. 

 

-The Ravens first unit offensive line on the day was from left to right: Ronnie StanleyAlex LewisMatt SkuraJames HurstOrlando Brown, Jr…Yanda’s absence kicks Hurst inside and gives Little Zeus (6’8”, 345) more reps with the 1’s…The Ravens were running a ton of Run-Pass-Option plays. Flacco wasn’t on the field during scrimmaging. It will be interesting to see if the pacing of the RPO plays is the same when he’s behind center…On a key third-down play during live scrimmaging Maxx Williams ran out of bounds three yards short of the sticks. The mental lapse triggered chastising from coaches and players.-

 

Lol.

Maxx's case is a sad one. You can watch him run and see how labored it is compared to his rookie year, he just isn't the same. Injuries have capped his potential and he's as good as gone from the team. I see him making another roster as a blocker though. His only shot is avoiding F'ups like this, and the team viewing Mark Andrews basically as just a WR. TE blocking was big for us last season, so who knows?

 

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Love the notes about the defense. I'm interested to see more about how Correa is handling his duties and where he's getting the most PT at.

In terms of Tim Williams, I agree he should stay slimmed down and athletic, and I also agree he should be a 3rd down speed package guy who comes in for Suggs or Judon.

In terms of Tyus Bowser, I would think he would be more of a base package OLB who plays coverage while we allow Judon/Suggs to rush the passer moreso than having Judon in coverage. We just have so much to play with at OLB it's awesome.

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Wow. All 3 of our coordinators had pressers today and Wink's was interesting. He really isn't playing around. According to him "The young guys aren't where they should be", he admitted no one is harder on rookies than him but also said he wasn't happy with some of the 2nd year players either. On the surface this seems like a negative but I love it. It shows he wants every aspect and level of our defense to be in prime condition and just as switched on as the veterans. 

Now who he's specifically talking about I don't know, because any time an individual player was mentioned he talked about how great they're doing. Apparently Flacco got the defense with a number of hard counts today, so I'm guessing that's what he's pissed at. It was the first practice in pads and it sounds like he wasn't happy about Joe and Marty(Who is incredibly annoying....watch his presser) getting the better of his unit in that way. 

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7 minutes ago, DreamKid said:

Wow. All 3 of our coordinators had pressers today and Wink's was interesting. He really isn't playing around. According to him "The young guys aren't where they should be", he admitted no one is harder on rookies than him but also said he wasn't happy with some of the 2nd year players either. On the surface this seems like a negative but I love it. It shows he wants every aspect and level of our defense to be in prime condition and just as switched on as the veterans. 

Now who he's specifically talking about I don't know, because any time an individual player was mentioned he talked about how great they're doing. Apparently Flacco got the defense with a number of hard counts today, so I'm guessing that's what he's pissed at. It was the first practice in pads and it sounds like he wasn't happy about Joe and Marty(Who is incredibly annoying....watch his presser) getting the better of his unit in that way. 

Flacco....?

Hard counts....?

Does not compute.

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2015 Draft... That class is single biggest reason this team hasn't been breaking through to the playoffs. Everyone knocked the 2013 draft, but it was actually a pretty good drafting job with hindsight. 2015 was a true abomination that broke the sails of the 2nd phase of the Flacco/Harbs era Ravens. Perriman isn't even in the competition for the team. I could tell from his comments in this article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-wide-receiver-breshad-perriman-facing-uncertain-future-20180720-story.html. Why are you scared and nervous? This is your 4th training camp. You outclass every single receiver on the roster in physical gifts and pedigree. Why aren't you going in with the expectation that you'll dominate? Maxx's injury probably ruined him. Carl Davis is totally unneeded on this roster.  

We know Brent Urban is a impact player. He always has been at every shot. But it's a serious question if his body can possibly last a season.

I feel pretty confident that Brown Jr will be the day 1 RT. Hurst lining up in a spot we know Yanda will fill is a good sign.

Bowser and Tim Williams will define this season, as I've said X times before. 

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Some great notes about today's padded practice from the team site- https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/news-and-notes-7-22-qb-lamar-jackson-way-ahead-of-the-curve

https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/practice-report-7-22-joe-flacco-looks-fantastic-in-his-first-full-practice

 

-Flacco ‘Moving and Grooving’ Better Than He Has in Years

Jackson’s development will continue to be closely watched this summer, but Flacco’s improved health could very well be the most important storyline of the Ravens’ summer. After dealing with knee and back injuries in the last two training camps, Flacco is full-speed this year and the difference is evident.

The biggest difference is in Flacco’s movement; he has no limitations as a scrambler or even on designed runs.

At one point in Sunday’s practice, Flacco drew big cheers from the crowd when he zipped through the defense for a carry of about 10 yards on what looked to be a designed run. He also looked fluid on rollout passes and in scrambling within the pocket.-

 

-Martindale ‘Not Happy’ With Young Defenders Right Now

The Ravens have high expectations for their defense, and new Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale challenged the young players in his group. 

“We’re not really happy with where we’re at right now with our young guys,” Martindale said.

Young players are getting plenty of work because veterans like safety Eric Weddle and linebackers Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosley are only taking limited reps right now. Martindale did say that it’s typical to have the first and second year players lag behind at this point, but he still expects more from them.

“Nobody is tougher on young guys than me,” he said. “Our whole focus is getting these young guys up to speed.”-

 

-Rosburg Wants to See Returners Better Protect the Football

The Ravens have an open competition for the punt and kick returner jobs, and the candidates didn’t have a particularly strong day of practice.

Wide receivers Chris Moore, Tim White, Jordan Lasley, Willie Snead and Janarion Grant are among the candidates for the jobs, and they had issues catching the ball cleanly at the start of practice. Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg emphasized the importance of them protecting the football.

“Today wasn’t a real good demonstration of ball skills that I saw back there,” Rosburg said. “I have a lot of things to look at.”

Rosburg has said all offseason that the returner spot will come down to performance in preseason games, and he reiterated that point again Sunday.

“The depth chart will determine itself based on how players play, and we’ll see who does well in preseason,” he said.

-Practice Report 7/22: Joe Flacco Looks 'Fantastic' in His First Full Practice

The Ravens returned to the practice field Sunday after having Saturday’s open practice at M&T Bank Stadium cancelled because of heavy rain.

It was the team’s first session in full pads, and it was also the first time that starting quarterback Joe Flacco has participated in an entire practice. The Ravens are easing the veteran players into the season because camp started a week earlier than normal, and Flacco had previously only participated in the first hours when the team goes through individual drills and play installations.

But Flacco received a full workload Sunday, and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg liked what he saw.

“Fantastic start today,” Mornhinweg said. “He’s on it.”

Flacco had a strong overall day. He started full-team drills with a pass to Chris Moore on a rollout, and the third-year receiver made an impressive one-handed grab over the middle of the field.

It’s clear that Flacco has a clear command of the team and the offense when he steps to the line of scrimmage. The 11-year veteran drew the defense offsides with hard snap counts on multiple occasions and delivered several nice passes on the day. The practice gave young receivers a chance to catch passes from the starting quarterback because veteran receivers Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead IV and John Brown all went to the locker room after individual drills.

Flacco finished practice particularly strong. He connected with rookie tight end Mark Andrews on a big gainer over the middle of the field in 11-on-11 drills. Flacco also hit rookie receiver Jaleel Scott for about a 15-yard gain on a precision comeback route.

Flacco then capped off the practice with a touchdown pass to Moore in 11-on-11 drills where the quarterback confused the defense by drawing it offsides, then hit Moore in the end zone to finish the day.

 

Here were some of the other notes from practice:

-Rookie safety DeShon Elliott delivered a couple big hits to receivers who came over the middle of the field. The coaching staff spent some time talking with him after one of the hits to stress the importance of not dropping his head to make contact, which would earn him a 15-yard penalty in a game.

^^^^Wink talked about the above and it's a classic case of a coach not wanting the penalty, but still complementing and admiring the player's speed, aggression, and instincts. "He's going to be a physical, and fast, player". He thought Elliot made great plays.

-Cornerback Tavon Young continues to show encouraging signs that he’s going to pick up where he left off his rookie season before a torn ACL cost him last year. He shut down rookie receiver Jordan Lasley on two straight plays during one-on-one drills, which are extremely difficult drills for defensive backs. Lasley was clearly frustrated after failing to get open during the one-on-one drills, and cornerback Jimmy Smith spent some time talking with him after.

This is exactly what I want, I want our great corners forcing these young WRs to grow and understand what it's going to take to win at the next level against top tier DBs. Good on Jimmy Smith for communicating with a Rookie too. It's great to know we have someone like Lasley who will learn from this and not collapse in on himself like Perriman would.

-Wide receiver Tim White continues to have a strong training camp. He made a great catch down the sidelines in one-on-one drills, then came back a few plays later to make a diving snag along the sidelines. He then was the last player off the field as he went straight to the JUGS machine to get in extra work after practice.

A continued theme from the last practice, the return of Tim White.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

That's the second Jackson to Acklin TD pass the team site has posted, they teamed up for that back of the endzone brilliance during OTAs and added a sequel here today at practice.

Here's that first one in case you missed it-

 

Jaelon is an interesting prospect. First year starter as senior and he dropped 84 catches for 1,369 yards (which ranked second in the FCS) and 14 TDs(10rec 4rush). Set conference records with 19 receptions and 343 yards against South Dakota in September. He's a crazy athlete too-

-Pro day testing showed rare combination of short-area quickness and vertical explosiveness

-Since 2000, only two receivers at Combine posted better combo of three-cone, short-shuttle and vertical

He scored an Ras of 9.27, pushing him far into elite territory as an athlete.  Dropping a 6.64 3 cone, 4.05 SS, and 38' Vert...O.o. He tested like a taller and faster Edelman.

Here's his highlights-

 

Just one more reason these preseason games will be so fun to watch.

 
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One noteworthy thing to track for roster-construction is that RG3 needs to prove he is substantially better than Jackson this offseason. Otherwise there is no point in carrying 3 QBs at least for the tight initial 53. The reports I've seen are mostly: Flacco looks like the guy and Jackson has some impressive flashes. Only a couple reports of RG3 being sharp. 

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45 minutes ago, wackywabbit said:

2015 Draft... That class is single biggest reason this team hasn't been breaking through to the playoffs. Everyone knocked the 2013 draft, but it was actually a pretty good drafting job with hindsight. 2015 was a true abomination that broke the sails of the 2nd phase of the Flacco/Harbs era Ravens. Perriman isn't even in the competition for the team. I could tell from his comments in this article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-ravens-wide-receiver-breshad-perriman-facing-uncertain-future-20180720-story.html. Why are you scared and nervous? This is your 4th training camp. You outclass every single receiver on the roster in physical gifts and pedigree. Why aren't you going in with the expectation that you'll dominate? Maxx's injury probably ruined him. Carl Davis is totally unneeded on this roster.  

We know Brent Urban is a impact player. He always has been at every shot. But it's a serious question if his body can possibly last a season.

I feel pretty confident that Brown Jr will be the day 1 RT. Hurst lining up in a spot we know Yanda will fill is a good sign.

Bowser and Tim Williams will define this season, as I've said X times before. 

Looking at this in context I think you're absolutely right about the 2013 vs 2015 class.

2013 class:

Quote

Sure, the only contributors out of this class were Williams, Juice, Wagner and Jensen but those were all top contributors at their positions - even in the case for Jensen having to wait 4 years to do it. 

2015 class:

Quote

The best player out of this class is Buck Allen. This entire class is so depressing to look at.

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14 minutes ago, Darth Pees said:

2015 class:

The best player out of this class is Buck Allen. This entire class is so depressing to look at.

Probably Boyle. Maybe Smith next, just because I'm Buck Allen's smallest fan.

Either way, no starters, and no one who is even a safe bet for 2nd string. 

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