John Harbaugh is still the coach and Joe Flacco still the quarterback, but for the first time in their tenure, hints of sweeping change loom over one of the most stable franchises in the NFL.
More than most NFL players, even rookies, the 21-year-old Lamar Jackson seems in touch with the wonder he felt when he first picked up a football as a grade schooler in Florida.
Q&A: Entering his last season as Ravens GM, Ozzie Newsome reflects on career, colleagues and changes
Ozzie Newsome has one season left as Ravens general manager. Recently, he spent some time with The Baltimore Sun, looking back over his tenure and what might be ahead for the team and the rest of the NFL.
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When Lamar Jackson was taken No. 32 overall in the draft this year, Ozzie Newsome acknowledged they were “building for the future” with the Heisman Trophy winner. But, he added, “In order for us to win this year, we need Joe Flacco.”
From Scottsdale, Ariz., to the University of Oklahoma to Baltimore, rookie tight end Mark Andrews has preached the same message to children once like him: Diabetes doesn’t define you. It’s only a part of you.
Until the Ravens advance deep into the postseason, there will always been questions about leadership surrounding this team. That might change some this year because the Ravens are ready to grow up.
In his first year as defensive coordinator of the Ravens, Wink Martindale is looking to learn from his first experience in that job with Denver in 2010 and put his aggressive coaching style to work.
Out are Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Michael Campanaro. In are Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead IV, along with expectations that they will be able to spark the Ravens’ dormant passing game.
A five-time first-team All-Pro, Reed retired in 2013 and is favored for induction in his first year of eligibility. He’d be the third Raven honored, following tackle Jonathan Ogden and linebacker Ray Lewis.
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Here’s how John Harbaugh and Eric DeCosta might assemble the Ravens' 2021 team.
- Ravens coach John Harbaugh has played it down the middle to avoid creating a rift between himself, the organization and the players, but he should strongly recommend that everyone involved with the team gets the coronavirus vaccine before the start of the 2021 season.
- The Ravens don’t have many holes across their team, offense or defense. Still, some positions are more worrisome than others.
- Former Ravens and Terps wide receiver Torrey Smith and former NFL linebacker and Baltimore native Aaron Maybin unveiled the LEVEL UP Leadership Academy, which is held at the Hilton Recreation Center in West Baltimore after it was closed for more than a decade.
- Hammerjacks, the storied Baltimore music venue known for its hard-rock, punk and metal roots, will breathe new life as a multipurpose outdoor tailgating venue and private event space as early as this fall.
- Mike Preston writes: The Ravens are generally regarded as one of the best drafting teams in the league. It’s time to find out if they are living off history or still near the top.
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- The Orioles struck for four runs in the first inning Wednesday night, and a strong start from veteran Matt Harvey and a unique bullpen performance sealed a 5-2 win over the Astros for the team's first sweep since the season's opening series in Boston.
- Ayala, along with fellow rising senior guard Aaron Wiggins, announced in April his intention to test the NBA draft waters but will now join a Terps team that’s widely expected to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll at the start of the 2021-22 season.
- Ayala, along with fellow rising senior guard Aaron Wiggins, announced in April his intention to test the NBA draft waters but will now join a Terps team that’s widely expected to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll at the start of the 2021-22 season.
- Bobby Benson, the interim offensive coordinator who shaped the Terps into the No. 2 offense in Division I, and head coach John Tillman have expressed a mutual interest in running it back in 2022.
- Carmelo Anthony was selected from a group of five finalists “for his dedication over the past year to pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically marginalized or systemically disadvantaged,” the NBA said.
- Mount St. Mary’s graduate student Brian Sagendorf added his name to the school’s list of All-Americans on Wednesday night, with an honorable mention in the javelin at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
