Ravens’ new regime pulls off a move that John Harbaugh could only dream of

For most of his career, Lamar Jackson has skipped voluntary offseason workouts. Of course, this hasn't affected the two-time MVP on the field, and these workouts are voluntary. Nevertheless, in an ideal world, you would have your quarterback and team leader at these workouts to set the tone. 

Whether this would change with a coaching shift remained an intriguing question around the Baltimore Ravens' offseason. On day one of these voluntary workouts, the answer proved to be a resounding yes. 

While it might seem like a small change, this signals that Lamar is more connected with Jesse Minter and company than the previous John Harbaugh regime. Now it could be argued that Lamar's lack of familiarity with the systems sparked this change, but it's a positive sign, nevertheless.

Based on reports, Jackson's relationship with Harbaugh and Todd Monken wasn't the best. In many ways, Jackson's past indifference to these workouts seemed to underscore his reported disconnection with the coaching staff.

The Ravens valued Lamar's opinion in their head coaching search. As such, things felt bound to change under Minter, and Lamar's attendance at voluntary workouts is a sign that the culture is changing. 

Jesse Minter and company are changing the Baltimore Ravens' culture

There were plenty of gripes to have with Harbaugh, Monken, and Zach Orr last year from a schematic perspective. Without a doubt, this contributed to their catastrophically underwhelming season. 

The general disconnect between the coaching staff and players was also a visible issue last year, though. It might not have popped off the screen as some of the coaching malpractices did, but it was a clear problem, nonetheless. Frankly, you can't win at the highest level when your team (especially star players) is disconnected from the coaching staff. 

We are still in the early stages of the Minter era. Regardless, all signs point to this problem being fixed, and Jackson's appearance at voluntary workouts is further evidence that a strong relationship is being built. 

In some ways, Super Bowl-winning teams are built in the offseason through strong, well-built rosters, connectivity, and togetherness. Of course, we need to see evidence that this translates to winning on the field. However, my point is that the foundation is built before Week 1, and the Ravens finally seem to have that strong foundation with everyone on the same page.

For the Ravens to win at the highest level, they need a change in their culture in addition to their schematics. Thankfully, Minter, Declan Doyle, and Anthony Weaver feel poised to deliver on all fronts.  

All in all, this might seem like a minor storyline right now, but it's a strong sign that things are shifting in a positive direction for the Ravens.