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Practice Report: Nelson Agholor Shows Off His Acrobatics

Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com

Sophomore Daniel Faalele worked at left guard, switching from his usual spot at right tackle. Ben Cleveland was at right tackle. The hulking 6-foot-8, 380-pound Faalele isn’t your typical body type for left guard, but Harbaugh noted that he has quick hands. Harbaugh said he wants to give Faalele “every opportunity to see kind of where he flashes.” The left guard battle is deeper than previously thought.

Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo continue to look good on the edges, stringing outside runs and using their quickness to get into the backfield on pass rushes. New Outside Linebackers Coach Chuck Smith spoke highly of both.

Tight end Isaiah Likely made the catch of the day on a lobbed touchdown pass that he looked to be boxed out on. Likely knifed in behind his defender to get under the pass.

Rookie linebacker Trenton Simpson had a good recovery on a goal-line drill in which he knocked the ball out of fullback Ben Mason’s hands late. Simpson also made a nice play sniffing out a running back screen.

Tee Martin, a ‘quarterback guy’ who now coaches them for the Ravens, has already built trust with Lamar Jackson

Brian Wacker, The Baltimore Sun

Though it’s early in the offseason, Jackson has liked what he has seen out of Monken’s new offense and in turn Martin. Through the first two weeks of the media viewing portions of voluntary organized team activities, there has been a healthy dose of run-pass options, screens, routes out of the backfield and occasional deep throws.

There is an emphasis on being more dynamic — and on giving Jackson more control.

Jackson has looked inconsistent so far, but it’s only June.

“The first thing is the new system and the way we do things in the new system — the drop footwork, the play action footwork, where our eyes go, progressions, reads, the type of accuracy we have to have, anticipation, ball location, things of that nature,” Martin said.

PFF Center Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2023 NFL season

Gordon McGuinness, PFF

5. TYLER LINDERBAUM, BALTIMORE RAVENS

As a rookie, Linderbaum ranked fourth at the position with an 84.2 PFF run blocking grade, and Todd Monken’s arrival as offensive coordinator could lead to more zone runs, which fit his skill set. His 53.5 PFF pass-blocking grade was the sixth-worst at the position, but a lot of this came from rookie struggles against stunts, something that it would be fair to expect a significant improvement from in Year 2.

17. BRADLEY BOZEMAN, CAROLINA PANTHERS

Bozeman had a career year with the Ravens in 2021, earning a 73.6 PFF grade that saw him end the year as the 10th highest-graded player at the position. He didn’t reach those heights in 2022 with the Panthers, but he now has four consecutive seasons with a 63.0-plus PFF grade. He’s an average center in today’s NFL, and that’s quite OK.

Four teams that greatly helped their quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL offseason — and five that didn’t

Judy Battista, NFL.com

Rank 2

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals were rampaging through the AFC late last season before a series of injuries to three starters on the offensive line, including both tackles. They managed this difficult situation until the AFC Championship Game, when the Chiefs sacked Joe Burrow five times. The Bengals, with the rest of their offensive firepower almost entirely intact, did the one thing they could do to give Burrow more support: signing the best available offensive tackle. Welcome, Orlando Brown Jr. The bonus is that Brown’s presence at left tackle pushes Jonah Williams to the right side. Williams wasn’t happy about that initially — he asked for a trade — but things seem to have settled down, and Williams, Cody Ford and La’el Collins, whose timetable for return from knee surgery is unclear, will compete for the right tackle spot. The line was improved but still not great last season. It should be better this year.

Rank 3

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens’ ultimate support for Lamar Jackson obviously came in making him, deservedly, the highest-paid player in the league. But beyond that, they also hired an offensive coordinator in Todd Monken who not only wants to throw the ball, but also knows how to use running quarterbacks (SEE: Georgia product Stetson Bennett — nobody’s going to confuse him for Lamar, but he can move). Then they overhauled the wide receiver room, giving Jackson the best cast of pass catchers — including veteran additions Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor, as well as first-round pick Zay Flowers — he has ever had in Baltimore. The Ravens fielded one of the worst passing offenses in the league last season, but the days of Jackson having to be a one-man band may finally be over.

2023 AFC North race: Will Bengals or Ravens win division crown? Reasons why each team could prevail

Garrett Poddell, CBS Sports

Baltimore Ravens

Now in addition to Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, Jackson has the best supporting cast of his career with the additions of Boston College rookie receiver Zay Flowers, the 22nd overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, in addition to three-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. This trio of pass-catchers is surrounded by complementary speedsters in Devin Duvernay, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor.

Perhaps just as important as the on-field additions is the move made on the sidelines, transitioning from longtime offensive coordinator Greg Roman and his run-heavy offense (their 170.8 rushing yards per game from 2018-22 are the most in any five-year span since the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1975-79, 172.5) to Todd Monken’s more pass-centered attack.

Monken also has four seasons of prior experience as an NFL play-caller, serving as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC from 2016-2018 and the Cleveland Browns OC in 2019. During his final two seasons with the Buccaneers, Tampa Bay had a top-five passing offense each year. Monken’s Buccaneers led the NFL in passing yards per game (320.3) in 2018 with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick as his quarterbacks. No team since has averaged more passing yards per game since.

If Monken could have top passing offenses with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston, imagine what he could do with Jackson. Baltimore’s defense will likely remain stout, so if the Ravens new aerial-focused offense can lift Jackson and Baltimore’s passing game to new heights, the AFC North will be well within their reach.