With NFL training camps kicking off in July, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Nick Shook has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the AFC North.
Catch up on the Baltimore Ravens' offseason developments and 2024 outlook below.
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 13 (rookies); July 20 (veterans)
- Location: Under Armour Performance Center | Owings Mills, Md. (fan information)
Notable Roster Changes
| 2024 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson | Round 1 (No. 30 overall) |
| Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington | Round 2 (No. 62 overall) |
| Adisa Isaac, Edge, Penn State | Round 3 (No. 93 overall) |
| Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina | Round 4 (No. 113 overall) |
| T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State | Round 4 (No. 130 overall) |
| Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall | Round 5 (No. 165 overall) |
| Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky | Round 6 (No. 218 overall) |
| Nick Samac, C, Michigan State | Round 7 (No. 228 overall) |
| Sanoussi Kane, S, Purdue | Round 7 (No. 250 overall) |
Preseason Schedule
- Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles | 7:30 p.m. ET on Fri., Aug. 9
- Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons | 12 p.m. ET on Sat., Aug. 17
- Week 3: at Green Bay Packers | 1 p.m. ET on Sat., Aug. 24
2024 Schedule Notes
- The Ravens will play more games against 2023 playoff teams (10) than anyone else in the NFL this season.
- Among those 10 games are matchups against both of Baltimore's playoff opponents from 2023: at the Chiefs (who beat the Ravens in the AFC title game) in the 2024 Kickoff Game and at the Texans (whom the Ravens defeated in the Divisional Round) in Week 17.
- Their Week 3 trip to Dallas will feature a clash between 2023's No. 1 overall scoring defense (Ravens) and No. 1 overall scoring offense (Cowboys).
-- NFL Research
What you need to know
1) After losing J.K. Dobbins to injury, the Ravens had to turn to Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell at running back -- and they still led the NFL in rushing anyway, thanks in large part to the dynamic talents of Lamar Jackson. He was nothing short of remarkable en route to winning his second MVP award, but the Ravens would probably prefer if their quarterback didn't have to run as often in order for them to succeed. Enter Derrick Henry, a hulking workhorse with 9,502 career rushing yards to his name, including a 1,167-yard year in his age-29 season. The bruiser is a backfield hammer who could take a ton of pressure off Jackson and make defenses respect Baltimore between the tackles every time he is on the field. This can only mean good things for the Ravens, who were, after all, able to ride last year's formula to the top of the AFC North and the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2023. The rich get richer, provided Henry can continue to produce into his 30s.
2) Will Lamar Jackson reach new heights? We heard last offseason about how Todd Monken was supposed to revolutionize Baltimore's attack after the run-first tenure of ex-coordinator Greg Roman. To my surprise, frankly, the Ravens delivered, finishing with a top-six offense. That unit was still carried by the ground game, though. So what's next? If 2023 was Monken 101, 2024 should be Monken 201, meaning a more intensive experience -- with features like expanded pre-snap options for Jackson and Co., something to which coach John Harbaugh alluded earlier this offseason -- that could produce greater results. Baltimore still finished in the bottom third of the league in passing in 2023, making Monken's play-calling in the AFC title game, with Baltimore uncharacteristically relying on the pass in a low-scoring affair, that much more mystifying. If they can bring the air attack up to speed -- perhaps with a breakout year for receiver Rashod Bateman, from whom Monken said he's seen "tremendous growth" -- the Ravens will be that much more dangerous, perhaps helping them clear the last hurdle standing between them and a Super Bowl. If all of this happens, expect Jackson's name to be included among MVP finalists again.
3) Will the revolving door at offensive tackle finally slow down? Ronnie Stanley played in just 18 combined games between 2020 and 2022, and then he struggling significantly in 2023. But this offseason, he said he finally feels healthy. He reportedly accepted a revised deal in order to stay with Baltimore, setting him up to possibly close out his time there the right way; if everything goes right, the Ravens might finally be able to count on their left tackle again. On the opposite side, rookie Roger Rosengarten joins the starting five as a second-round pick out of Washington, giving the Ravens a young option after relying on veteran Morgan Moses in each of the last two seasons. If Stanley and Rosengarten stay healthy, Baltimore might finally be able to relax instead of having to frequently adjust their lineup up front. Continuity and consistency are key for any offense, and if the line stabilizes, the NFL's sixth-ranked offense in 2023 could be even better in 2024.
4) Is Nate Wiggins the missing piece? Look, it's difficult to find many holes on a roster that was the best in the AFC in the regular season and sent seven players to the Pro Bowl, but I've brought a fine-tooth comb to the party. Ravens fans will likely be the first to admit their team has struggled to find a shutdown corner opposite Marlon Humphrey for much of the last half-decade, with injuries often being the issue on the back end of the defense. Now, though, it feels as if -- at least on paper -- 2024 is the year when Baltimore finally solves those problems. It starts with Wiggins, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash among all defensive backs at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.28 seconds), and while he's a bit on the small side (173 pounds), he has the speed to keep up with top-tier burners. His combination of burst and length should make him a threat to erase passing windows and finally round out the cornerback position for Baltimore with a young talent, as opposed to the veteran tagalongs (e.g., Marcus Peters and Ronald Darby) the Ravens have tried in the past.
5) A byproduct of team success in the NFL is that members of the coaching staff are often poached by other teams, and the Ravens weren't immune to such a pillaging in 2024. Defensive architect Mike Macdonald left for the head job in Seattle. The Dolphins nabbed defensive line coach Anthony Weaver for their open DC job. And defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who oversaw Kyle Hamilton's 2023 Pro Bowl campaign, jumped ship for the DC job in Tennessee. That's a lot of coaching talent lost in one offseason, and the Ravens are hoping their chosen replacements -- headlined by new DC Zach Orr -- will prevent a drop-off in production. The good news: Baltimore's defense is stocked well enough to survive such losses. But time will tell as to whether John Harbaugh's management decisions were sufficient for this organization to continue thriving.
