Baltimore Ravens: An Interesting Offseason

Let’s take a look into the Baltimore Ravens’ offseason thus far.

In Baltimore, there has been much buzz about the Ravens although it is currently baseball season. The draft was almost a month ago and fans are still left to wonder how the picks will turn out. Also, many Ravens are recovering from injury and doing interesting things that are non-football related.

Ravens Rookies

The 2016 NFL Draft spanned from April 28-30 and there were many mixed outlooks on how Baltimore drafted this year. Some say that the Ravens were scared off from guys with character issues and wanted to change the look of their franchise. Others also say that the Ravens took a hit in the talent department when they let the likes of a Noah Spence go past them.

It remains to be seen what will become of these rookies. They are young; they seem like they are hungry, focused and want to just play ball. That’s what you would like to see from players on a team that went 5-11 last year. With that being said, they have to polish their play.

Guys like Keenan Reynolds (Wide Receiver) and Alex Lewis (Left Guard) have had to change their positions. Lewis will have to fill some huge shoes to win the spot of the departed Kelechi Osemele. He was once an offensive tackle at Nebraska, so moving to guard shouldn’t be too big of a task. As for Reynolds, he is learning to play a completely different position altogether and has made some strides according to Head Coach John Harbaugh.

“Keenan is doing a heck of a job. It’s definitely a transition. It’s real,” Harbaugh said during rookie minicamp. “He’s a guy that has a lot of work to do, but he has the ability to pull it off.”

Ronnie Stanley also will be the key cog in protecting quarterback Joe Flacco from devastating hits. So far, he has looked to have quick footwork and is a good run blocker. As of right now, I would actually move him to right tackle and move Rick Wagner along to the inside at guard.

Remember, Eugene Monroe is a very solid left tackle when healthy, he just needs to stay healthy. Stanley could use this year to mature as an offensive lineman and then next year he can compete for the starting job.

Job Competition

At receiver, the Ravens have a lot of competition. That is great for a team that had Steve Smith Sr. go down with an Achilles rupture during the middle of the season and Michael Campanaro, who was placed on the injured reserve with a herniated disc and Breshad Perriman had a partially torn PCL, which didn’t allow him to play during his rookie season.

The Ravens went out and got Mike Wallace during free agency, drafted Reynolds and Chris Moore, Aiken was re-signed, Perriman, Smith Sr. and Campanaro have returned from injury, plus Daniel Brown, Jeremy Butler, Chris Matthews and Kaelin Clay are back after being midseason additions in 2015.

Keep in mind, four of those probable six spots are occupied. I expect Smith Sr., Aiken, Perriman and Wallace to be on the team for sure. We shall see who makes the team after those spots are taken. Some players will have to contribute on special teams, either in the return game or kickoff coverage. It’ll be an interesting one.

Not only is there a huge dogfight at receiver and offensive line, there is a competition in the secondary and at running back. Lardarius Webb is competing for a starting job at safety with Terrence Brooks and Kendrick Lewis. I definitely expect to see him win the position because he has the best ball skills of the three safeties. They will be alongside Eric Weddle, who is possibly a future Hall of Famer.

Also, they have battles to be had at the cornerback position. Webb will also most likely serve as the nickel cornerback. Shareece Wright will compete with rookies Maurice Canady and Tavon Young for a starting position alongside Jimmy Smith.

At running back, the Ravens have an overload of talent. Rookie Kenneth Dixon is a dual threat out of the backfield, a la Ray Rice. Justin Forsett will return from a broken arm and Lorenzo Taliaferro foot injury. Buck Allen, Terrance West and Trent Richardson will round out the group.

Richardson’s Journey

For many of those that have seen Trent Richardson’s career so far, they may have forgotten that he was one of the greatest running backs to play at Alabama. He also has shed about 22 pounds this offseason. Richardson looks to be in great shape and seems to have regained focus.

Richardson even weighs less than what he was listed at when he played in college. Let’s see how this will pay off for the former number three overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Flacco, Smith Sr., Perriman and Suggs’ Recoveries

Flacco is expected to be back during training camp according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun:

This should come as no surprise to Ravens fans. ACL injuries usually take about 4-6 months to fully recovery. Since his injury was in November, he should be back in action by training camp with ease.

Smith and Terrell Suggs should also be ready for training camp. Achilles ruptures take up to six months to fully heal. Luckily for Suggs, his injury was earlier on during the season. Smith should also be ready for training camp too.

Also another thing to note from Suggs per ESPN:

"Suggs was charged with driving with a suspended license and failure to notify authorities after striking a fixture. Suggs said after the incident he “may have fallen asleep” before allegedly crashing into a wall. Both charges are minor. Suggs is currently recovering from a September Achilles’ tear. He is expected to be ready for Week 1."

These charges are pretty minor, however, the Ravens should keep Suggs focused if they want him to return to the force that he once was.

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Perriman is already back, or so it seems, from his partial PCL tear. He was sighted sprinting at team headquarters and will be back for OTAs per ESPN:

"The Ravens won’t hold practices until May 24, but they released photos and video evidence of Perriman running full stride with teammates. Perriman was running fast on video, but didn’t make any cuts. He was also spotted without a brace on his troublesome knee. The 26th overall pick in last year’s draft, Perriman didn’t play a single down as a rookie due to persistent PCL injuries."

This should be an interesting season for the Ravens and maybe even one to remember for the ages. Let’s see what happens.