50 Words or Less: Brandon Stephens Isn’t Resting on Success
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com
Nobody needs to worry about Brandon Stephens resting on last year’s laurels. He was Baltimore’s most consistent cornerback in 2023 and plans to “take it up a notch.” If that happens, Stephens could be headed for his first Pro Bowl.
Tre Swilling was on the practice squad last season but has sights on a bigger role. He’s making an early bid for a roster spot as a backup safety. Switching from safety to corner worked for Stephens in 2023. Switching from corner to safety may work for Swilling.
Ar’Darius Washington and rookie Sanoussi Kane also had interceptions during practice this week. The competition for the No. 3 safety spot will be interesting whether the Ravens sign a veteran like Jamal Adams or not.
Odafe Oweh looking strong during OTAs is another positive sign for Baltimore’s defense. All-Pro defensive lineman Justin Madubuike is the favorite to lead the Ravens in sacks again, but Oweh could be his biggest challenger.
Wide Receivers Coach Greg Lewis said rookie Devontez Walker has been soaking up information like a “sponge” in OTAs. Walker’s big-play ability is already there, but becoming a more polished route runner could be the key to earning reps on Sundays.
Who will protect Lamar Jackson remains a puzzle for Ravens
Jamison Hensley, ESPN
The line has gone from one of Baltimore’s most experienced groups to its most pressing question mark. The Ravens are in the early stages of working out who will replace three starters upfront after right tackle Morgan Moses was traded to the New York Jets and guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson signed elsewhere in free agency.
Putting together a formidable offensive line is essential, as protecting quarterback Lamar Jackson became a key to success for the team. Baltimore went 8-0 when Jackson was sacked two or fewer times last season (including the playoffs). But when he was sacked three or more times, the Ravens were 6-4 — including a loss in the AFC Championship Game.
Baltimore has plenty of young options at left guard (Josh Jones, Andrew Vorhees), right guard (Ben Cleveland, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu) and right tackle (Daniel Faalele, Roger Rosengarten). The Ravens have been rotating players along the offensive line all offseason.
The only players guaranteed spots on the line are Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley, a seven-year starter at left tackle.
“You don’t know what guys are going to look like,” Harbaugh said. “I always want to look at guys in different spots, unless they’re established at that position. See where they look good, where they look the best, you never know what you might see. Then, see where they’re needed and also where they might be needed sometime during the season.”
PFF Linebacker Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2024 NFL season
Gordon McGuinness, PFF
2. ROQUAN SMITH, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Smith’s trade to the Ravens midway through the 2022 season has taken his career to another level, with the former eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft putting together the two highest-graded years of his career since arriving in Baltimore. He missed just 6.7% of his tackle attempts in 2023, the 10th-best mark at the position.
Ending NFL OTAs could be a win-win for veteran players and coaches
Kyle Goon, The Baltimore Banner
These May and June sessions, without pads and real contact, are voluntary. That doesn’t mean that coaches don’t want to see the whole team present. With 18 players missing on Thursday — including Lamar Jackson, Kyle Van Noy, Derrick Henry and Kyle Hamilton — it seemed clear Harbaugh was at least a little frustrated, even if he felt he couldn’t say it directly.
A report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero indicates that the NFL Players Association is finalizing a proposal to end OTAs in favor of a longer training camp to ramp up for the season. Part of the justification appears to be medical: Pelissero reported that one of the NFLPA’s top concerns is longer recovery time between seasons, hopefully leading to a decline in injuries.
It seemed telling that Harbaugh, who would love to have a full house for OTAs, was intrigued by the idea.
“The thing I’m really encouraged by with a proposal or a thought like that is the fact that the union and the league are working together on it,” he said. “Right now, it’s not probably perfect. I think the different studies they’ve done would say that the timeline is not really great, and so if they can kind of make the timeline better somehow and both the union and the league agree that this is the best way to do it, that would be fantastic.”
NFL divisional rankings post-free agency and draft: AFC North remains supreme; NFC North takes huge leap
Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports
1. AFC North
2023 combined record: 43-25
This division is still the best in football, just based on three teams making the playoffs and the only division with three teams having 10+ wins. The Ravens lost a few key players on the defensive side of the ball (Geno Stone, Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Queen), but added Derrick Henry to a roster that won 13 games.
The Bengals got Joe Burrow back, the Browns have the majority of their roster intact, and the Steelers revamped their roster with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Patrick Queen and Donte Jackson in free agency. Pittsburgh also had an impressive draft class, revamping the offensive line with Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier as the top two picks and adding linebacker Payton Wilson in the third round.
The AFC North will be a battle all season, as the division winner remains one of the biggest wild cards in the league.