2022 Ravens Training Camp - Preview of the Season ahead

Hello all you happy people,

Well last year was sort of a stinker but I keep saying we were due for a bad season and something to bring us back down to Earth. Last year saw us have 26 players on the IR and I am thankful that we got a high draft pick in this year's draft.

So let's review our offseason

Departures:

SS Anthony Levine
CB Tavon Young
OT Alejandro Villanueva
TE Eric Tomlinson
CB Anthony Averett
C Bradley Bozeman
QB Josh Johnson
LB Chris Board
DT Justin Ellis
CB Chris Westry
FS DeShon Elliott
WR Sammy Watkins
WR Miles Boykin
WR Marquise Brown
RB Ty'Son Williams
DT Xavier Kell
CB Khalil Dorsey
P Sam Koch
CB Kevin Toliver
DE Derek Wolfe

Arrivals:
FS Marcus Williams
OT Morgan Moses
DT Michael Pierce
RB Mike Davi
OLB Vince Biegel
DT Brent Urban
CB Kyle Fuller
QB Brett Hundley
OLB Steven Means

Draft
R1/P14 - Kyle Hamilton - S - Notre Dame
R1/P25 - Tyler Linderbaum - C - Iowa
R2/P45 - David Ojabo - OLB - Michigan
R3/P76 - Travis Jones - DT - Uonn
R4/P110 - Daniel Faalele - OT - Minnesota
R4/P119 - Jalyn Armour-Davis - CB - Alabama
R4/P128 - Charlie Kolar - TE - Iowa State
R4/P130 - Jordan Stout - P - Penn State
R4/P139 - Isaiah Likely - TE - Coastal Carolina
R4/P141 - Damarion Williams - CB - Houston
R6/P196 - Tyler Badie - RB - Missouri

Coaching Staff Welcomes:
Mike Macdonald - DC
George Godsey - TE Coach
Zach Orr - ILB Coach
Rob Leonard - OLB Coach
Ryan Osborn - Defensive QC
Sashi Brown - President
Mike Devlin - Assistant Off. Line Coach
Adrian Dixon - Head Athletic Trainer

--

Alright, Preseason is just around the corner and from all of us at Ravens Roost 117, Happy Preseason and Training Camp as we prep for the 2022 NFL Season.

Personally, I'm glad we had a tough go at last year and I'm hopeful that yes, Lamar Jackson will stick with us in the long-term but we need to focus on the now rather than the later on. Jackson is still young and with plenty of good years ahead of him but we certainly can't be brickbrained and let him just run off after this season concludes knowing full and well that we do have a tough customer in his agent, that being his mom, and she's going to want top dollar for her kid much like what Mahome-boy got ($504 million), Josh Allen ($258 million), or Matt Stafford ($160 million).

Now, Baltimore can't be stupid and let Lamar just jet. Ravens need to give him a worthy contract offer but at the same time, I don't think there's much more he needs to prove. Last year, Baltimore was injured to hell and back and for a patchwork team down the road, we stayed mighty competitive.

Baltimore will begin with 5 of their first 8 on the road which includes trips to New England, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans. The Ravens will need at least a 5-3 or better mark in that "Gauntlet" if they want to be in the playoff picture because more than likely, it will be Cincy and Baltimore fighting for the AFC North Title.

Down the stretch, we will need at least a 7-2 mark for a total of 12-5. Four of our final five games are against division foes but 3 of them are on the road, which flipping sucks because we never seemingly will get the big games at home.

--

Offensively talking:

Lamar Jackson is the key to the offense... I think he's going to get off to a start where he shuts his critics up. Remember that game against the Colts?

Patrick Ricard shed a few pounds in the offseason too so he's down to around 295lb.

The Ravens will be welcoming back J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards from injury as well as Ben Cleveland.

Rashod Bateman can be a number one wide receiver and personally, Tylan Wallace, James Proche, and Dein Duvernay should be back up to snuff

Ravens have a project player in Daniel Faalele who at 6' 8" 385lb can open some holes for our running backs with his brutal strength. Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum is a tough center with good discipline and strength. Ronnie Stanley will be back healthy and we will see the return of Tyre Phillips who shred some weight this offseason

Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle will be the top 2 tight ends for the Ravens. Charlie Kolar, who is a BIG DUDE, will probably be a 3rd tight end on running formations

Defensively talking:

We should have a tremendous group of defensive players with the likes of Bowser, Bynes (for a third time), Houston, Oweh, Queen.

Calais Campbell is back because he believes in the team.

You look at Armour-Davis, who is FAST ON HIS FEET! Humphrey, Clark, and Fuller are back healthy. Marcus Peters and Marcus Williams will be the damn bash brothers.

Special Teams:

Kicker Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL History right now, I hope he has even better season this year

Punter Jordan Stout is the new punt man this year. 6' 4" 202lb with a strong leg.

--

Let's talk season

The Ravens will have 9 games on CBS (WJZ-13), 3 games on FOX (WBFF-45), One game on NBC (WBAL-11), and one game on Amazon Prime Video but will have be shown on either 13 or 11 per the NFL rules.

The games I'm not looking forward to:

At Tampa Bay on October 27. First of all, Tom Brady has REACHED the pinnacle of achievement already, there is nothing more he can win, all he can do is break records, and that seems to be all of what he is doing... So he's equaled Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson in terms of single-player championships... But I am telling you, one good hit might just be his demise this season. He's 45... there's nothing more he can do to win... and what he did by un-retiring was just wrong. There's nothing more this man can do....

Vs. Miami on September 18. Last year, we suffered a humiliating defeat to the Dolphins, a game we should've won. Miami hasn't had a lot of success in Baltimore and personally, I don't expect it to come here, seeing as how they really didn't improve too much this season.

The game that is the most interesting:

At New York Giants on October 16. Ok, we just played a game at the Jersey Jets week 1 at New Meadowlands, so now we got to go back to New Meadowlands again to take on the Jersey Giants. I say that because THEY PLAY IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY! THEY ARE NOT IN NEW YORK! I'm wondering if this is a first, a team playing in the same stadium twice in one season? The Giants have a new coach but the same problems: A sucky quarterback who can't throw for crap!

The game that ultimately determines our season:

Vs. Cincinnati Bengals on October 9. Now if you're like me and you're hopeful for a 4-0 start? Chances are, we might just get there depending on how we manage our four toughest games. Embarrassed last season at home by Cincy, it might be different this time because all Cincy did was talk trash. Big Smoke will be just a puff this year because with additions we made... It's not going to be a pretty game...

This is way I see the AFC North:

Ravens: 12 W - 5 L
Bengals: 11 W - 6 L
Browns: 5 W - 12 L
Steelers: 5 W - 12 L

Bengals really just stood pat during the offseason but they have Joe Burrow as their starter. Burrow I think is going to get brought back down to Earth this year because now that the Ravens have seen him in his true form and not his rookie form, Ravens know his moves.

Browns... they're just the Browns... You trade Mayfield, you give a FULLY guaranteed contract to a player that is going to have a huge amount of baggage hanging on his shoulders... I don't get it... How stupid can the Browns BE! Browns being the Browns.

Steelers... They made no moves, they had a D+ draft, and there is no more Roethlisberger (Thank God), but then again, they made a very wise move in selecting Kenny Pickett who does have a good arm, only problem is, the critics kept giving him crap about his hand size.

--

The Ravens had another solid draft (A+'s across the board) and personally, it's time for all the haters and nay-sayers to get off of Lamar Jackson's back. I think Lamar has something more to prove this season and ultimately, he just might do that.

--

There's so much more I can say in this post... But your guess is as good as mine.

--

This is your captain scoring the game winning touchdown and saying see you next time.