The Baltimore Ravens seemed to be having a bad offseason until right around the NFL Draft. They signed Odell Beckham Jr. and agreed to an extension with Lamar Jackson which seemed like it would never happen. The Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season and couldāve won the game. This year, if Jackson can stay healthy, the team has a real chance at bringing home a Lombardi trophy.
Baltimore Ravens training camp start date
Rookies reporting: July 18
Veterans reporting: July 25
First preseason game: 8/12 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Key position battles to watch
Left Guard
The biggest question the Ravens have this offseason is what they will do at left guard. Ben Cleveland was expected to take that step up this season, but so far it hasn’t seemed that way. They’re only through OTAs, but the rookie offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu from Oregon has been getting some buzz. Cleveland, Aumavae-Laulu, and John Simpson will be battling for the spot in training camp and it should be fun to watch.
Running Back
JK Dobbins was supposed to be the guy this season and is due for a breakout year. However, heās reportedly been holding in due to contract issues and the Ravens will not want to deal with this throughout training camp. Gus Edwards is RB2, but he is more of the power back while Dobbins is the speed back. Do not be surprised if Keaton Mitchell takes the role from Dobbins if he canāt figure things out with the Ravens. Justice Hill will also serve a role as heās been their 3rd down back and a strong player on special teams the past few years.
Wide Receiver
Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay, and Beckham are locks to make the Ravensā roster. As long as theyāre healthy, I think itās clear that Bateman and Beckham will be the top two wide receivers for the Ravens this season. Flowers showed impressive run after catch in college and he will slowly be given a bigger role as the season goes on. Agholor has some deep playability and will play rotational snaps. Duvernay has some versatility and can be utilized differently with Todd Monken as the play caller. For the last spot or two, watch for Laquon Treadwell, Tylan Wallace, James Proche, and Dontay Demus. Proche and Wallace have been in Baltimore and contribute on special teams, but Treadwell and Demus can bring a different type of wide receiver to the Ravens’ receiver room.
