With the Ravens completing mandatory minicamp to conclude the offseason program in Owings Mills, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Jaire Alexander missed 34 games over the last four years, but he made the Pro Bowl in his last two healthy seasons. At $4 million, his signing was a no-brainer upside gamble, especially considering Ar’Darius Washington’s injury and how that derailed plans to use so many three-safety alignments.
2. That’s not to say a veteran safety isn’t still warranted for depth and flexibility, but Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie — who’s also dealt with injuries — combine for an affordable upgrade from Brandon Stephens to go with Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. If second-year cornerback T.J. Tampa steps up, even better.
3. Though Eric DeCosta signed Alexander to strengthen a premium position, it never hurts to keep your superstar quarterback happy by bringing his old Louisville teammate and friend to Baltimore. Only a day earlier, Lamar Jackson said, “Go get him, Eric.” Of course, extending Jackson by next offseason remains critical.
4. The next five weeks provide a final respite from football, but the sting of the Buffalo loss lingers. Marlon Humphrey said, “We have underperformed. I feel like we’ve had championship-caliber rosters. I feel that we’ve prepared like a championship team.” Their stars need to be stars when it matters most.
5. Excluding Washington, the Ravens concluded the spring in a healthy state overall. However, John Harbaugh was noncommittal about the training camp status of third-round offensive tackle Emery Jones Jr., who continues rehabbing his shoulder. That doesn’t bode well for Jones being any kind of a meaningful contributor as a rookie.
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6. Trenton Simpson intercepted Jackson during a 7-on-7 period on Tuesday, which was a encouraging way for the third-year linebacker to finish his spring. While Baltimore is building a defense that doesn’t want to rely on playing two off-ball linebackers in many passing situations, this remains a critical summer for Simpson.
7. Daniel Faalele remains entrenched at right guard, but Andrew Vorhees isn’t being handed the left guard job, which is why coaches have mentioned Ben Cleveland in the starter mix. But given Cleveland’s uncertain status stemming from a DUI and past history in position battles, it’s Vorhees’ job to lose.
8. Tyler Loop rebounded with a better showing Wednesday after a rough final OTA workout last week and an uneven Tuesday practice. You hope those struggles have a callousing effect moving forward rather than being a warning sign of what’s to come. Time will tell, and John Hoyland continues to compete.
9. Much like Chuck Smith’s endorsement of Zach Orr last week, Jackson went out of his way to defend Mark Andrews, citing the tight end’s track record and his own mistakes against Buffalo. Based on minicamp practices, Jackson’s trust in Andrews hasn’t waned, regardless of the latter’s uncertain future.
10. Jackson said he and DeAndre Hopkins see things on the field in a similar manner, which should help their chemistry. Hopkins isn’t going to be a 1,500-yard receiver and doesn’t need to be, but he can still make plays to help Baltimore win in January, which is all that matters.
11. While expressing disappointment over Washington’s injury, Kyle Hamilton offered a strong endorsement for the “very mature” Malaki Starks, calling him “just the right guy” to step up. There will be early growing pains as there were for Hamilton, but Starks has made a strong impression with everyone this spring.
12. I’ll soon offer a post-minicamp roster look, but sleeper candidates to watch this summer include Sanoussi Kane as the No. 3 safety and undrafted rookie cornerback Reuben Lowery, defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell, and interior offensive lineman Darrian Dalcourt as roster hopefuls. The latter two were 2024 practice-squad members.
