After a surprise year from both the team and rookie Quarterback Joe Flacco, the Baltimore Ravens have returned to McDaniel College with hopes of picking up from where they left off.
The sidelines were packed with purple and black on Tuesday as fans flocked from everywhere to get their first look at the 2009-2010 squad. While it is just football practice to some, to others it is an opportunity to evaluate draft picks and set expectations. Thus proving, that Training Camp is not just a useless formality.
Before Tuesday it was hard to get a read on how certain players were adjusting to the Ravens system, but with over a week of practice in the books it is easier to make an judgement on their progress.
Newly acquired center, Matt Birk, has one of the biggest transitions, as he moves from the NFC to the AFC. During his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings Birk primarily had to block a 4-3 defense. With his switch to the AFC he has to deal with the more difficult 3-4 defensive scheme. As the center, he has to pick up the blitz as well as block the nose tackle; he has been struggling to do that and is getting off the snap.
Perhaps the brightest part of Training Camp is the offense. Not only is Flacco picking up where he left off, but the receiving core looks solid and running back Ray Rice has emerged as a strong candidate for the starting spot. The starting running back spot looked to be the premiere position battle coming into camp; but with the hamstring injury to receiver Mark Clayton the second wideout spot might have overtaken it.
Even though the Ravens Training Staff seems to think Clayton will be back in a week or two, it is most likely a best case scenario. Looking at the rest of the depth chart Demetrius Williams pops out as the early favorite. He has made some nice plays in offensive drills but hasn't necessarily filled John Harbaugh with a ton of confidence.
What would Training Camp in Baltimore be though without defense?
There weren't many concerns about one of the NFL's top defenses heading into camp. Ray Lewis, the leader on defense, was a small one but he has yet again put himself in the spotlight. He has slimmed down and wants to increase his speed in pass coverage to help restore himself as the top linebacker in the league.
The only other defensive story line is the cornerback battle. It is no secret that cornerback pass coverage was a weak spot last year. Last year Fabian Washington, Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister were the primary corners. While fans know what they are going to get out of Rolle and Washington, Foxworth is a sort of a wild card. He has been inconsistent throughout his career and that has continued through camp.
Foxworth has not shown the awareness needed to be a top corner in the league. On Tuesday he misread pass routes and struggled to get a hand in to break up passes. While Ed Reed can be counted on for interceptions, the corners need to provide the lockdown coverage required to prevent the big play.
Even though the Ravens have several questions thus far through camp, there is no reason to be concerned. They seem to be looking to build on what they did last year and hopefully improve to Division Champions instead of a wild card team. It is a new year and the Ravens look to have big things in their future.
The sidelines were packed with purple and black on Tuesday as fans flocked from everywhere to get their first look at the 2009-2010 squad. While it is just football practice to some, to others it is an opportunity to evaluate draft picks and set expectations. Thus proving, that Training Camp is not just a useless formality.
Before Tuesday it was hard to get a read on how certain players were adjusting to the Ravens system, but with over a week of practice in the books it is easier to make an judgement on their progress.
Newly acquired center, Matt Birk, has one of the biggest transitions, as he moves from the NFC to the AFC. During his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings Birk primarily had to block a 4-3 defense. With his switch to the AFC he has to deal with the more difficult 3-4 defensive scheme. As the center, he has to pick up the blitz as well as block the nose tackle; he has been struggling to do that and is getting off the snap.
Perhaps the brightest part of Training Camp is the offense. Not only is Flacco picking up where he left off, but the receiving core looks solid and running back Ray Rice has emerged as a strong candidate for the starting spot. The starting running back spot looked to be the premiere position battle coming into camp; but with the hamstring injury to receiver Mark Clayton the second wideout spot might have overtaken it.
Even though the Ravens Training Staff seems to think Clayton will be back in a week or two, it is most likely a best case scenario. Looking at the rest of the depth chart Demetrius Williams pops out as the early favorite. He has made some nice plays in offensive drills but hasn't necessarily filled John Harbaugh with a ton of confidence.
What would Training Camp in Baltimore be though without defense?
There weren't many concerns about one of the NFL's top defenses heading into camp. Ray Lewis, the leader on defense, was a small one but he has yet again put himself in the spotlight. He has slimmed down and wants to increase his speed in pass coverage to help restore himself as the top linebacker in the league.
The only other defensive story line is the cornerback battle. It is no secret that cornerback pass coverage was a weak spot last year. Last year Fabian Washington, Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister were the primary corners. While fans know what they are going to get out of Rolle and Washington, Foxworth is a sort of a wild card. He has been inconsistent throughout his career and that has continued through camp.
Foxworth has not shown the awareness needed to be a top corner in the league. On Tuesday he misread pass routes and struggled to get a hand in to break up passes. While Ed Reed can be counted on for interceptions, the corners need to provide the lockdown coverage required to prevent the big play.
Even though the Ravens have several questions thus far through camp, there is no reason to be concerned. They seem to be looking to build on what they did last year and hopefully improve to Division Champions instead of a wild card team. It is a new year and the Ravens look to have big things in their future.
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