Super Bowls cannot be won in July or August, but they can find the foundations in the dog days of the summer. For a team like the Baltimore Ravens, it is all about finding success in the playoffs. But, to get over that playoff hump, they have to point to things that started right now as the ignition.
What are the biggest storylines happening right now that could impact how far the Ravens go this winter?
3. The Baltimore Ravens health is crucial
The biggest thing to derail the Ravens in the past couple of seasons has been their health. They have not been able to stay healthy when it matters and at the positions that impact games the most. There is a reason to believe that things can change this season, but early indications in training camp may say that is not the case.
The Baltimore Ravens already placed both J.K. Dobbins and Rashod Bateman on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Both of them are coming into the season in different situations, but both need a huge year to make a case for their long-term stability in the NFL.
Bateman is returning from an injury, and the team appears to be saying he is on the right timeline. As for Dobbins, he was healthy towards the end of last season. There is not much reason to believe that he should have any issues right now. However, he missed almost all of OTAs and is sitting out now.
Are they being extra precautious, or is this a small hold-in by Dobbins entering a contract year? Either way, it is going to impact the team significantly. Dobbins and Bateman are key names whose health will be significant all season. They need to be watched along with guys such as Ronnie Stanley, Marcus Williams, and Lamar Jackson, who all missed considerable time last season.
2. Is the Todd Monken offense that big of a difference?
The biggest change in the offseason may be in the coaching staff. Greg Roman did a good job getting Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense to where it was. Jackson won an MVP, and the team had plenty of success. However, the offense never took a step. It never branched off or out of anything, and teams started to catch up.
Now, Todd Monken has a chance to crank up the dials and add some changes to this unit. There is a lot of talk about the changes coming out of training camp. The Ravens had consistently been one of the slowest teams in the NFL, but with Monken, all of the talk is about speed and tempo.
Greg Roman packed things in tight, while Monken has talked about spreading teams out wide. Roman relied on the ground game, and now that Jackson is being paid like an elite quarterback, Monken has said that he plans for Jackson to throw much more.
All of this sounds good, or at least intriguing on paper. However, we have to see how it develops and if it gels together on the field when it matters. If the Ravens are a faster, more explosive offense that can attack you from all angles, it will certainly increase the ceiling and put the team in the Super Bowl hunt. That starts right now.
1. What will the Baltimore Ravens do in the slot?
There are only a few starting positions up for grabs, but the one with the most consequences may end up being the slot. Pepe Williams started in the slot last year, but he suffered an injury, and he currently is on the PUP.
When Williams went down, they moved Kyle Hamilton to the slot, and it worked fantastically. However, with Chuck Clark gone, the thought is that Hamilton will start as a strong safety. So, does Pepe Williams get his job back? The Ravens just signed Arthur Maulet, and he started for the Steelers last season. Can he win a job in Baltimore?
Or, do the Baltimore Ravens play Kyle Hamilton 100%, but he spends nickel snaps in the slot and base or other snaps as a strong safety? They could even mix and match and use him in this role at times and let Williams or Maulet play when they need to.
The directions they go with this role will be different and will tell us the ceiling of the defense. If they can unlock Kyle Hamilton as a multi-positional chess piece, it could take the unit to another level. At the same time, if Hamilton struggles to juggle both, and they are stuck with Maulet struggling after getting from Pittsburgh, this could be the one spot that sinks the Ravens unit. How will they handle it?