Ravens News 7/26: Natural Succession

10 Ravens, other than Lamar Jackson, who will determine Super Bowl fate

Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun

Safety Marcus Williams

Give Williams credit as well for remaining effective in coverage when he could not hit or chase the ball with his usual abandon. He’s a tough, dedicated player. But with Stone in Cincinnati, the Ravens will need more from their highest-priced safety, whose ability to disrupt deep shots should work hand in glove with Hamilton’s do-it-all game wrecking. The Ravens added a proven No. 3 at the position in veteran Eddie Jackson, but in an ideal world, Williams and Hamilton would play almost every snap for first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

Defensive tackle Travis Jones

Defensive tackle Justin Madubuike broke out last year and earned a hearty extension. Could Jones, who took a more subtle step forward in his second season, be the next Ravens defensive lineman to emerge? As an interior monster, he’s unlikely to match Madubuike’s sack total, but the 6-foot-4, 338-pound Jones was regarded as a third-round draft steal, much like Madubuike. Teammates gush about what he could become, much like they did after watching a rookie Madubuike burst off the line of scrimmage.

Michael Pierce was still the Ravens’ No. 1 option at nose tackle last year, and he’s back, but they would love it if the younger, more agile Jones demands more snaps. That would set up a natural succession in one of the team’s most stable position groups.

Ranking the 11 most important Baltimore Ravens for 2024

Scott Davis, The Sporting News

10. Andrew Voorhees, G

Offensive line might be the biggest question mark on the Ravens this year, as the team looks to replace three of last year’s starters. Voorhees, a 2022 seventh-round selection who fell in the draft because of an injury, is slated to get a chance to win the job. Voorhees sat out the entirety of the 2023 season while rehabbing, so his experience in the Ravens’ system and locker room doesn’t make him the typical first-year player. Given his position and small contract, he could become a coup for the Ravens if he can play at even an average level.

3. Ronnie Stanley, OT

In some ways, the Ravens’ offseason losses along the O-line were a bet on Stanley. The 2019 All-Pro has not been the same player because of injuries over the years. The Ravens restructured his contract this offseason. But Stanley says he is finally healthy and feeling better than he has in the last few years. He is the lone veteran starter on the offensive line (we won’t consider Tyler Linderbaum a veteran yet), and a bounce-back year would be a huge development for the Ravens.

One rookie for each AFC team with the most to gain from 2024 NFL training camp

Ben Cooper, PFF

BALTIMORE RAVENS: T ROGER ROSENGARTEN

By trading Morgan Moses to the New York Jets this offseason, the Ravens opted to forgo certainty at right tackle in exchange for salary cap breathing room. Daniel Faalele, a behemoth at 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds, is the favorite to man that spot, although his 48.3 PFF overall grade across two seasons leaves much to be desired.

Second-round pick Roger Rosengarten will test Faalele for the starting role after not allowing a single sack across 1,235 career pass-blocking snaps at Washington. Of the 32 quarterback pressures charged to him, only five were hits on his signal-caller. Rosengarten brings untapped potential to a pivotal positional battle in Baltimore.

NFL training camp 2024: Ravens and Steelers WRs, Packers RB among veterans who need strong showings

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

WR Rashod Batmean (Ravens)

It’s become an annual tradition among football analysts — hype Bateman in the offseason then see the former first-round pick underperform relative to his natural abilities during the regular season. Now, sure, injuries have created roadblocks for Bateman since he was selected by the Ravens in 2021, yet he was fully healthy last season and caught one touchdown. Didn’t even reach 35 receptions in Baltimore’s newly coordinated offense threw the most passes to date in his NFL career (457).

Bateman is playing on a new deal — he inked a two-year extension in late April for a mere $12.8 million precisely when the receiver market has exploded — so this suggestion isn’t that he’s in danger of being cut at the conclusion of camp.

It’s to suggest he could be fighting for a high volume of targets for the last time in Baltimore this season. It’s not as if the Ravens revamped the receiver room — they only used a fourth-round pick on Devontez Walker — but Mark Andrews begins the season healthy and Zay Flowers enters Year 2 with a full head of steam after an at-times dynamic rookie campaign.

And Bateman’s 2025 salary of close to $4M fully guaranteeing next March 18. He’ll need to finally prove he was worth the No. 27 overall pick this season, and it all starts for Bateman in camp.

Ravens Returner Built For New Kickoff Rules

Jon Alfano, Sports Illustrated

Chris Horton, Baltimore’s special teams coordinator, personally can’t wait to see what Harty can do under the new rules.

“Deonte [Harty] is a special player,” Horton told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s here for a reason. He’s here because of his pedigree and what he’s done in this league. We all know what he can do with the ball in his hands, and this play fits him well. It’s a lot of space. It’s a big-fill play. We’re just looking forward to, really with all of our returners back there, and just seeing how they develop. What do they do well within the schemes that we’re going to put out there?”

Last season, Baltimore averaged 24.5 yards per return to rank 10th in the league, though that barely mattered when teams were barely bothering to return kicks in the first place. What does matter is that previous kick return Devin Duvernay signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, leaving a noticeable hole on special teams. Harty fills that hole well, so the special teams unit shouldn’t miss a beat.