What: Ravens mini-camp
When: Tuesday, June 17 through Thursday, June 19
Who: All players are required to attend
Where: Baltimore
Injuries: The Ravens were one of the lucky teams coming out of the OTAs in that no one was lost for the year, however any time a team gets together, there is a chance that someone can go down. The Ravens saw minor injuries to players like Michael Campanaro, but actually got encouraging signs from some previously injured players like left guard Kelechi Osemele, cornerback Lardarius Webb, and others. The Ravens will look to keep injuries, even small nagging ones, to a minimum while practicing the basics and getting ready for the season.
The Ravens, like other teams in the NFL are starting their mandatory mini-camps this week. All players on the roster must attend unlike the previous weeks' organized team activities (OTAs). The Ravens have added a bunch of new cornerbacks yesterday likely for this mini-camp and trying to round out a group that could use some competition from veterans.
While jobs aren't typically lost or won based on mini-camp performance, it will add up to a player's overall evaluation in the eyes of the coaches. An incredible mini-camp performance with a ton of heart, hustle and being on point mentally will definitely not detract from a player's chances of seeing major starting time in preseason and the regular season. However, this camp is similar to OTAs in that it is a mandatory push to get everyone the playbook, test out some new schemes and plays and shake some of the rust from a long offseason. While the Ravens had nearly everyone attend OTAs, players that don't show to this mini-camp without a good excuse can and probably will be fined by the team, so look for any names missing as a less than encouraging sign.
Some of the players worthy of keeping an eye on are rookie C.J. Mosley and second year player Arthur Brown. Both are fighting for the inside linebacker position next to Daryl Smith and this battle will start to heat up this week. Both possess clear physical traits that the Ravens love being that both are from the early rounds of the draft, but this will be a point where the Ravens try and utilize each player's talents and see who fits more into the position and defensive scheme that they want to run this season.
One of the most important battles this year is the offense versus the defense. The Ravens went out and added some key members to the offense and cleaned up a struggling and banged up offensive line in free agency. The new look offense with new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will face off a tough and newly stocked defense led by Dean Pees. With a new safety and a slew of new corners, this will finally be a chance to see how the team as a whole looks early on. While what we see in mini-camp will by no means be a final look on either offense or defense, winning some on the field will definitely be cause for excitement for that unit.