Ravens receive a strong turnout for voluntary OTAs

The Baltimore Ravens officially kicked off their first day of voluntary offseason workouts on Tuesday. And they did so with quite a large group of players in attendance.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley is reporting that as many as 80 Ravens players, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, are present for the first week of voluntary OTAs.

The Ravens concluded their three-day rookie minicamp event on May 16th, but today is when nearly the entire team, veterans and all, will show up for organized team activities.

Hensley is also reporting that an additional four players are expected to show up for the second week of voluntary OTAs giving Baltimore a 94 percent attendance rate — one of the highest in the NFL.

The Ravens will hold voluntary OTAs during May 25-27, June 2-4, June 7-8, and June 10-11. The second week officially begins on the second of next month.

The Ravens will have most of the roster present for OTAs

This year’s OTAs are more important than ever before given the absence of true offseason workouts last year.

As a direct result of COVID-19 restrictions, NFL teams were unable to hold in-person minicamp or OTAs, a development that was expectedly difficult for rookies and young players.

Not only will this be the first session of OTAs for the Ravens’ 2021 NFL Draft class, but it will also be so for their 2020 rookie class.

These workouts should prove instrumental for a number of young players on the Ravens’ offense including the likes of J.K. Dobbins, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, and Tyre Phillips who didn’t get the opportunity to gel with their teammates last offseason.

Now throw in rookies such as Rashod Bateman, Tylan Wallace, and Ben Cleveland and Baltimore’s young offensive core will finally get the chance to work out together in the offseason.

The Ravens are expected to lean on that young core more so than in recent years with the likes of Bateman and Cleveland both projected as day one starters.

It all begins now.

While some teams will only have around 40 or so players in attendance, less than half of their roster (here’s looking at you, New York Giants), the Ravens will have nearly every player present.

That’s a testament to the culture that the organization has cultivated over the years. And it should serve them well both in 2021 and the future.