Training Camp Primer: Predicting The Winners, 8 Storylines To Watch
By Brett Foote
Aug 12, 2013; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) talks to the media after training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to lunchtime links, where we round up all the latest Ravens news from around the web for your convenient consumption. Today we have a full on training camp primer as we predict the winners of camp battles, give you 8 storylines to watch, review the Raven’s camp to do list, and tell you why Josh Bynes is determined not to be an afterthought.
Jason Marcum is predicting the winners of key training camp battles at Bleacher Report. Some are pretty obvious (Ricky Wagner at right tackle), others not so much (Brandon Williams at defensive tackle). Marcum believes that Darian Stewart will win out at free safety, and he’s probably right. We do think that Terrence Brooks will push him hard, however.
Shehan Peiris has 8 storylines to watch in training camp, including the quarterback dilemma the Ravens are facing. The biggest story to watch, in our opinion, is how quickly the players get comfortable in the new offense. Though we feel confident it will run smoothly, it is one of the most critical (if not the most critical) component of the teams success in 2014.
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Peiris also put together a training camp to do list for the Ravens which includes getting the run game back on track and figuring out who is going to stick in the secondary. The defensive line rotation and red zone offense are keys as well, after the defense wore down last season and the offense often sputtered when in scoring position.
Aaron Wilson tells us that Josh Bynes is determined not to be an afterthought in the Raven’s new look linebacker unit. Bynes is used to being the underdog throughout his career, starting out as an undrafted free agent and filling in whenever possible. Bynes worked his way up from the practice squad to starting six games last season, so we can’t count him out as a role player just yet.
Wilson also tells us that Ladarius Webb is confident the Ravens will bounce back in 2014 (aren’t we all?). Webb has spent some of his time off this summer hosting a free youth football camp, but he hasn’t forgotten about last year. “There were a few games that left us out of the playoffs. We just have to learn from it, Webb said.” He certainly wasn’t the root of the problem as Webb recorded a solid season in 2013, but another year removed from a torn anterior cruciate ligament should help him regain his former dominant form.
What storylines are you watching in camp?