OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It was humbling for inside linebacker Trenton Simpson to play almost exclusively on special teams during his rookie season. He finally saw extensive action on defense in a Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that had no bearing on the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff picture.
He realizes now that it was probably necessary, too.
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“It was a year of growth, and it was a chance to come practice in the NFL,” Simpson said Tuesday after the Ravens’ organized team activity. “That’s a blessing, because I wasn’t rushed and thrown into any type of pressure. I was able to grow every week on the scout team. When I got a chance to play in Week 18, I had 17 weeks of practice, I was ready to roll. It was a blessing, and everything happens for a reason.”
The Ravens drafted Simpson out of Clemson in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft largely with the future in mind. They had Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen, one of the best inside linebacker duos in the NFL, on their roster, so barring an injury to one of the veterans, Simpson’s most impactful work was going to have to be done on special teams and at practice.
He showed he was ready for his closeup against the Steelers with Smith being held out. Simpson played 26 defensive snaps, six more than he totaled through the first 16 games, and finished with seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
For the Ravens, who knew Queen was likely to leave in free agency this offseason, it was a good glimpse into Simpson’s potential. It was telling that after Queen signed with the Steelers in March, the Ravens neither signed an accomplished free-agent inside linebacker — Chris Board was added more for his special teams ability and as a replacement for Del’Shawn Phillips — nor addressed the position in the draft. It’s been made clear that the job is Simpson’s to earn.
“My opportunity is here, and these don’t come around (too often), so I just have to make the most out of it,” Simpson said. “From when we started back and getting going with the OTAs to now, just taking it every day at a time, and then by the time (we’re) ready to roll for game one, I’ll be ready.”
“My opportunity is here.” Trenton on his mindset going into the season pic.twitter.com/JchdezzqYs
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 4, 2024
Simpson has some advantages at his disposal. One, he gets to play alongside Smith, a two-time first-team All-Pro who is Baltimore’s defensive leader. Smith and Simpson have hung out off the field and developed a friendship. Two, the defensive coordinator is now Zach Orr, who was Simpson’s position coach last year. There’s a strong familiarity there.
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Simpson has done his part to prepare himself for the opportunity, as well. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, Simpson said he put on a few pounds this offseason to get bigger and stronger. He’s also clearly been more vocal in talking to his defensive teammates before, during and after plays. A big part of that is having a better feel for the Ravens’ defense.
To that end, Simpson is meeting every day with Ravens first-year inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone.
“It’s a lot different. You look back from when he got to college — he played a lot of safety, transitional linebacker, so you’re seeing the game at a different level from a third-level player to a second-level player,” DeLeone said. “Every day, seeing how he sees the game, getting his run-pass reads, all those types of things, that kind of progress I think is really good.”
QB1 in the building
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson announced his return to the field with several nifty throws. His first completion unsurprisingly went to his favorite target, tight end Mark Andrews. Jackson’s two best throws, though, wound up in the hands of Zay Flowers. Jackson threw a deep ball across the field that Flowers hauled in before heading out of bounds. Jackson and Flowers then connected for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone with the quarterback showing a really nice touch.
Jackson has sparsely attended the voluntary OTAs, going to one of three in the first week and missing all three the second week before returning to the field on Tuesday. During that time, he’s had throwing sessions with fellow Floridians Flowers and Nelson Agholor away from the team facility. Asked about those workouts Tuesday, Agholor called them “top secret.”
GO DEEPER
Ravens' John Harbaugh has little to say about Lamar Jackson's absence from voluntary OTAs
He then, albeit unintentionally, told a story from Tuesday’s practice that illustrated the potential benefits of Jackson appearing at OTAs.
“People don’t realize how cerebral Lamar Jackson is — the conversations he has with you, one on one, about what he sees and what you may see,” Agholor said. “Even today … I had an in-cut, basic (route), and my mannerisms were the reason why I didn’t complete (it), because I saw something and he saw something else. Whether we completed it or not, just then, I got better when I walked to the sideline, and he showed me on the film.
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“He was like, ‘Yo, Nelly, the reason why I’m thinking (you should) keep going is because I look at this nickel, and I see his body language.’ I say, ‘Well, I did take a snapshot of the nickel, and I thought he was going to drop.’ But he said, ‘He’s not going to get there by the time I’m going to zip it; I’m going to zip it 2 yards, here.’ And that was what makes a special quarterback special, because you may see something, but when they allow you to see what they see, you now can be consistent with your mannerisms and your cuts.”
Other thoughts
• With the mandatory minicamp set for next week, Ravens coach John Harbaugh called for a lighter OTA session on Tuesday. It was still a full-speed practice, but players didn’t wear helmets and there was a lot of teaching and coaching taking place. The Ravens had 21 players not participating, so it made sense for Harbaugh to go lighter, especially with what’s in store next week for the veterans.
• While the attention was on Jackson’s return, Ravens veteran safety Marcus Williams also made his first appearance at OTAs that were open to the media. Williams was extremely engaged in the practice, too, talking trash to teammates, chiding the referees and offering a running commentary on certain plays.
3️⃣2️⃣‼️ pic.twitter.com/Mia0WpeGg1
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 4, 2024
• Ravens veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley provided the funniest moment of practice after defensive lineman Brent Urban deflected a Jackson pass. Stanley caught the deflection and then immediately headed upfield. He found some daylight and executed a spin move, which spurred some applause and laughter from the fans watching nearby. For the first time since early in his career, Stanley has been a fixture at OTAs.
After agreeing to a significant pay reduction that sets this up as a contract year, Stanley reported back to the team facility looking healthy and fit. He also appears to be having a lot of fun, which hasn’t always been the case in recent years with the 2019 Pro Bowl tackle dealing with a litany of major injuries. If Stanley gets close to his pre-injury form where he was one of the top tackles in the league, the decision to keep him — and his willingness to accept a significant pay cut — will go down as one of the most important moves of the team’s offseason. Regardless, him being out there at this point of the offseason running freely, joking with teammates and having fun has been a pleasant sight for team officials.
• Daniel Faalele remains a starting candidate and has gotten first-team reps at different spots along the offensive line in the offseason practices. However, Tuesday’s practice was a struggle for the third-year pro. Faalele struggled with the heat — temperatures flirted with the mid-80s — throughout practice, going to one knee on several occasions and getting attention from the Ravens’ athletic training staff. Faalele ultimately exited practice early.
The 6-foot-8, 380-pound Australian has had periodic difficulties making it through hot practices during his young career. It was a major issue early in his rookie season, but it’s something that he’s improved upon. He’ll have some work to do ahead of the start of training camp in late July because it’s only going to get hotter and the Ravens aren’t going to be regularly practicing without helmets and pads.
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• Rookie fourth-round receiver Devontez Walker had a nice afternoon and has come on in recent weeks. On Tuesday, he made a nice catch on a Josh Johnson throw in the corner of the end zone. He then caught a deep ball down the far sideline and did extremely well to get both feet inbounds. He beat fellow rookie T.J. Tampa on both plays. Tampa did get his revenge by breaking up an end zone pass intended for Walker later in practice. We’ll learn a lot more about Walker when the pads come on and the competition picks up, but at 6-foot-1 and 191 pounds, he certainly looks like a promising player who will help diversify the receiving corps.
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(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
