OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and quarterbacks coach Tee Martin have made clear at different points this offseason that they plan to give quarterback Lamar Jackson even more responsibility in the team’s pre-snap operation.
At Wednesday’s minicamp practice, Jackson was challenged throughout by an aggressive defense to change routes, run schemes and protections at the line of scrimmage. Martin liked what he saw as the offense had one of its sharper practices since the offseason workouts began.
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“It takes him understanding how we’re blocking things up front to get us to the best run and the best pass for whatever coverage we’re facing,” Martin said. “He’s accepted it and done a heck of a job of getting us into the right play, and today was probably the best day in a long time of him really just having the freedom to do what he wants to do. We saw some really good plays and some positive gains with him doing that today.”
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On Tuesday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the offense was working on using different cadences, which is essentially what the quarterback says to initiate the snap. That partly explained the rash of false start penalties during the practice. Wednesday’s workout brought even more focus on the pre-snap operation.
After the conclusion of the 2023 season, one in which Jackson earned his second league MVP award, the coaching staff initiated a self-scouting process on the offense, in general, and the quarterback, in particular.
“Last year was really a great year in a sense of doing things from a technical standpoint, a new system, new obligations, new responsibilities, progressions, schemes, things of that nature and just building upon what we started last season,” Martin said. “This offseason has been a lot about that. We started with a self-scout of him, and the things from a passing standpoint that we wanted to improve on, technique-wise, reads, things of that nature, from a run-game standpoint. And then build from that to, how can we push that even further and give him more responsibilities within the offense and doing more things that he likes to do, and listening to him and things that he likes and building around that.”
Part of that mindset has been encouraging Jackson to take chances and work on different things, even if that results in some mistakes. This is the time of year to work through that stuff.
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As Martin put it, “You’re not going to give a guy keys to the Ferrari and tell him to (drive) 30 (mph).”
“Sometimes as coaches, you can’t be scared when they make mistakes, and you can’t allow the mistakes that they make to put fear in your heart for not calling that play the next time. Because without that, there is no growth,” said Martin. “With Lamar, I tell him, ‘Hey, man, No. 1, whatever hits your brain first, we’re going to live with it, and as long as we’re all on the same page, it’s not a wrong call. It’s not a bad call.’ So, that’s where it starts, and that gives him the confidence and freedom to go out there and confidently do what he wants to do.”
“We look pretty smooth.” @Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/X2n0dZ1gGa
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 12, 2024
Jackson sticks to the script
Asked after practice about whether he feels faster while playing at a lighter weight than last year, Jackson said, “I feel like Lamar. I do.”
Jackson also didn’t have a whole lot to say about participating in less than half of the team’s 10 recent voluntary organized team activities, which prevented him from earning a $750,000 workout bonus in his contract, per Pro Football Talk.
“I never discuss my contract up here,” Jackson said. “I’m not about to start today. I’m focusing on just getting better and focusing on tomorrow. We just had a great practice. We’re just trying to keep it going. Then, when camp comes, camp is going to come.”
Jackson did say he’d be interested in having a throwing session with his receivers over the next month before training camp starts, but only under one condition.
“They’re going to have to come to South Florida,” Jackson said. “They’re going to have to do it. We have to. We’re trying to get to the Super Bowl, and for us to do that, we have to grind. We have to build chemistry.”
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Other thoughts
• After taking part in some team stuff on Tuesday, veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey was a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice. Instead, he worked out with a member of the team’s athletic training staff on an adjacent field. It’s been a weird offseason for the three-time Pro Bowler who is coming off an injury-plagued 2023. Humphrey was on the field for a few of the OTAs, but he mostly did individual stuff and headed inside when the full-team work began. Harbaugh was asked about Humphrey last week and said he’d participate in some of the minicamp. But he didn’t know how much and also didn’t reveal what, if any, physical issues the cornerback was having. Harbaugh wasn’t on the media schedule Wednesday, but he’ll surely be asked about Humphrey following Thursday’s practice. The Ravens lost a lot of key pieces on defense, and they need Humphrey on the field come September.
• Ravens offensive tackle Patrick Mekari left practice early, although he wasn’t accompanied off the field by a member of the team’s medical staff. Nose tackle Michael Pierce did individual work and then headed off the field to get some conditioning in.
• After a mistake-prone practice on Tuesday, the Ravens were much cleaner and more efficient Wednesday as Jackson and the other quarterbacks repeatedly found tight ends streaking down the middle of the field. There were also a number of well-executed back-shoulder throws, with wide receiver Sean Ryan, in particular, taking advantage of some well-timed routes. One of the day’s two interceptions was hauled in by undrafted rookie cornerback Bump Cooper Jr., who picked off fellow rookie Devin Leary and returned it for a touchdown. Later in practice, Ka’dar Hollman picked off Josh Johnson in the end zone.
• The day started poorly for fourth-year wide receiver Tylan Wallace, who couldn’t haul in a well-thrown deep pass by Johnson in the end zone and then dropped a short pass from Jackson moments later. For the rest of the practice, though, Wallace was on point. He made a leaping catch in the middle of the field to get things started. He then made four or five other catches over the second half of practice. On one comeback route, Wallace shook Brandon Stephens enough that the cornerback briefly lost his footing.
• Cornerback Trayvon Mullen hasn’t been on the field much since joining the Ravens because of injury issues. However, he’s been active this week and made his most notable play of the offseason by staying with Rashod Bateman and then deflecting away a deep pass from Jackson, who is Mullen’s cousin. Mullen did get beat later in practice by a nifty Zay Flowers touchdown grab. The Flowers touchdown came a few plays after the wide receiver collided in the end zone with safety Marcus Williams as the two converged on the ball. Both players got up slowly but didn’t miss any time.
.@Lj_era8 ➡️ @ZayFlowers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Gx2am1LB9z
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 12, 2024
• It wasn’t one of Bateman’s better practices. He was denied by Mullen on one potential touchdown. Hollman outdueled him for the interception in the corner of the end zone on another play. Stephens also drew a friendly response from Bateman after one route when the cornerback got away with pulling the wide receiver’s towel to make sure he didn’t get any separation.
• Once again, the play of the day belonged to tight end Isaiah Likely, who made a leaping one-handed snag of a Jackson pass in the deep middle part of the field. Jackson seemed to want his young tight end to keep running and jokingly chastised him for using only one hand, but it was a pretty play regardless.
• Defensive lineman Justin Madubuike was disruptive all practice. He sacked Jackson to end one full-team session and celebrated with a flying chest bump with Odafe Oweh. Madubuike blew up a few running plays, too. The Ravens’ interior offensive linemen were struggling to block him.
(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
