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Baltimore Ravens players returned to the Under Armour Performance Center Monday for the start of the nine-week offseason workout program. Phase 1, which spans two weeks, essentially amounts to strength and conditioning work and meetings. On-field workouts are allowed in Phase 2. The third phase is highlighted by organized team activities.
All of the workouts until the mandatory minicamp in mid-June are voluntary. For players such as quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, whose arrivals Monday morning were documented by the team, this is a good time to accelerate offseason training, be around teammates and start working toward training camp.
For others, this is an important stretch to make an impression on the Ravens’ decision-makers. With Sunday’s official signing of wide receiver/return specialist Deonte Harty, the Ravens have 60 players on their roster. That leaves room for 30 more additions.
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Most of those roster spots will be filled during next week’s NFL Draft and in the hours after, when the Ravens assemble their undrafted free-agent class. There is also still plenty of room to add veterans, which the Ravens typically do late in the offseason and during the preseason.
The back end of the roster will be shuffled consistently until the start of training camp in late July. That’s why for the following players, having a strong offseason is extremely important.
They’re grouped together because they were both 2022 fourth-round picks who have played and contributed sparingly while dealing with injuries. Armour-Davis has played in 12 games over two seasons. Williams has played in 15 games during that span, all but one coming in 2022.
The Ravens abhor cutting draft picks, but third-year Day 3 picks aren’t going to get grandfathered on the roster unless they can contribute. More than anything, Armour-Davis and Williams have to remain healthy throughout the offseason and training camp. They’ll also need to find a spot in a secondary that will likely get a few new additions next week.
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The 2021 third-round pick has been a bit of an enigma. When he’s played, he’s mostly performed well. But whether it’s because of injuries, inconsistencies in practice or a lack of trust from the coaching staff — which wants Cleveland to play to his size — he hasn’t established himself as a starter. He didn’t get first-team reps last training camp when there was a starting left guard competition. Baltimore now has vacancies at both guard spots following the departures of Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, and this feels like Cleveland’s last — and best — opportunity to become a starter.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said recently the team is still figuring out what they have in Cunningham and was noncommittal on whether the former Louisville standout will focus on the quarterback position or also play some receiver. Harbaugh has also said that the re-signed Josh Johnson would be Jackson’s backup.
In today’s NFL, it makes sense to keep three quarterbacks, so there’s probably a 53-man spot there for Cunningham come September. He’s going to have to seize it because it’s not out of the question that Baltimore either drafts a quarterback on Day 3 or signs one before the start of training camp.
Team officials have expressed confidence in Faalele’s ability to win the right tackle job, which opened with the trade of Morgan Moses to the New York Jets. It makes sense to put that carrot in front of Faalele, but him getting that opportunity would likely mean the Ravens didn’t take a tackle on Day 1 or 2 of the draft. That would be considered a surprise. A 2022 fourth-round pick, Faalele has worked hard on his body, conditioning and fundamentals. When he’s played, consistency has been an issue. He has a lot to gain — and potentially lose — this offseason.
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As long as he’s healthy, Jones will be part of the defensive line rotation. Yet, he can become one of the standouts on Baltimore’s defense if he puts it all together. There are times when the third-year pro out of Connecticut looks unblockable with his combination of power and explosiveness. It hasn’t translated, though, to consistency on the field.
Jones, a third-round pick in 2022, has just 2 1/2 sacks and five tackles for loss in two seasons. It feels like he’s had a bigger impact than those numbers suggest. It also is abundantly clear that there’s another level he can get to. The Ravens need him to take a significant step forward in 2024.
Tight end is one of the few positions where the Ravens don’t need to draft anyone. With Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Kolar and fullback Patrick Ricard, who shares some tight end responsibilities, there isn’t obvious room for anything beyond a few healthy back-end roster bodies to get Baltimore through the preseason. For Kolar, it’s about earning a bigger role on offense. The 2022 fourth-round pick has flashed at times, but consistent targets and steady offensive snaps have been elusive. It’s no fault of Kolar’s. He just needs to continue developing chemistry with Jackson and show he’s worthy of more opportunities.
Charlie Kolar, a 2022 fourth-round pick, played in 15 games for Baltimore last season and was a solid depth piece at tight end. (Rob Carr / Getty Images)
Ojabo has played just five games over two seasons after the Ravens picked him in the second round of the 2022 draft, knowing that he would miss most, if not all, of his rookie year after he tore his Achilles at his pro day. There was hope for a breakthrough last season, but Ojabo struggled in the preseason and then hurt his knee. The Ravens need one of their young pass rushers to develop into a difference-maker, capable of registering eight to 10 sacks. The potential is there for Ojabo, but he’ll need to remain healthy and play with more confidence and assertiveness than he did last summer.
To be clear, Simpson’s roster spot isn’t in jeopardy. The 2023 third-round pick is in line to replace Patrick Queen and start alongside middle linebacker Roquan Smith. The Ravens, however, aren’t just going to hand him the job. Simpson will have to earn it and hold off the other potential candidates, including Chris Board, Josh Ross and perhaps even Malik Harrison.
Simpson had an up-and-down rookie preseason and played little in the regular season. He did shine while getting extensive playing time in the Week 18 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Baltimore has no concerns about Simpson’s speed and competitive level. But he does need to keep getting stronger and more comfortable in the Ravens’ defense.
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General manager Eric DeCosta gave a positive report on Vorhees last week and said the 2023 seventh-round pick has been fully cleared for the offseason program. Vorhees essentially was a medical redshirt in his rookie season after sustaining a significant knee injury during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. With both Ravens starting guards leaving in free agency, there’s an opportunity for Vorhees to earn a front-line job. That decision won’t be made in mid-April. Vorhees, though, can show team officials that he’s made major strides physically, both with his strength and mobility.
On the day reports surfaced that the Ravens agreed to terms with Harty, an All-Pro returner in 2019, Wallace took to his X account and reposted highlights from his game-winning punt return touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in December. The timing may have been consequential, as Wallace has a reputation for being a supportive and unselfish teammate. Yet, Harty’s arrival could threaten Wallace’s roster spot.
The Ravens’ top returning receivers are Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. They’ll likely draft another wideout in the early to middle rounds. If there are no injuries, that would leave only one or two more spots for the other receivers on Baltimore’s roster. Wallace has seven career catches over three NFL seasons. His best chance to stay on the roster is on special teams, and that’s why Harty’s addition could impact him.
(Top photo of David Ojabo: Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
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