Three of the Most Intriguing People on the 2022 Ravens

Three of the Most Intriguing People on the 2022 Ravens

Coming off an injury-hampered season that saw them go from the No. 1 seed in the AFC to last place in the AFC North in a six-week span, the reloaded Ravens are one of the more compelling teams heading into this season.

With that in mind, The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker identified the 10 most intriguing people in the Ravens organization for 2022.

Not surprisingly, Lamar Jackson was at the top of the list. Here’s a look at three other people named by Walker:

“You might not hear about it outside Baltimore, but there aren’t many players in the league more pivotal than Stanley. The last time he played a full season, he was the best pass blocker in football, and the Ravens finished with the best record in the AFC. His ankle injury midway through the 2020 season created a domino effect from which the offense has never entirely recovered. Jackson grew less and less confident over the 2021 season as it became apparent he could not trust his tackles to provide a clean pocket. …The Ravens have bolstered their offensive line depth through free agency and the draft, but they still don’t have a true stand-in if the Stanley of old does not show up in September. Jackson is the most important player on the team, but Stanley is the guy who allows him to be that player.”

“Here we are again. A loud contingent of Ravens fans wanted [John] Harbaugh to fire Roman after last season. Their gripes — unimaginative passing attack, overreliance on the power game, poorly conceived routes for the wide receivers — have become a chorus echoing behind everything the Ravens do (or don’t do) on offense. [Marquise] Brown reinforced their discontent when, after his trade to Arizona, he said Roman’s system ‘wasn’t for me.’ All this bile for a coordinator whose offense ran all over the league in 2019 and still managed to finish sixth in total yardage last season. … Given the Ravens’ lack of investment in wide receivers and their stockpiling of tight ends, many have wondered if Roman is aiming to recapture his formula from 2019, when the Ravens rolled up rushing yards at a historic rate and thrived on low-volume, high-efficiency passing. Regardless of his approach, Roman, and the hot seat he occupies, will be a story from Week 1 on.”

“The conventional wisdom is that this will amount to a redshirt season for the former Michigan standout, who broke out last year under the Ravens’ new defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald. But Ojabo has said he expects to play at some point in 2022. With his long, powerful frame, he looks the part of an NFL pass rusher, even when he’s merely walking around a practice field in shorts and a pullover. Given his athletic traits and his familiarity with Macdonald’s system, could he make a crucial play coming off the edge in a late-season game? We cannot rule it out, and that means Ojabo’s progress will be a story to watch all season. The Ravens are short of young pass rushers aside from Ojabo’s old high school pal, Odafe Oweh, so they’ll be awaiting the cavalry.”

Is Mark Andrews’ ‘Madden’ Rating Too Low?

Yesterday’s release of the tight end rankings for “Madden” sparked a heated reaction regarding Mark Andrews’ overall player rating in the popular video game.

Andrews is the third-highest-rated tight end, moving up one spot from last year’s rankings, but some feel his 93 OVR (up from last year’s 88 OVR) isn’t high enough. Kansas City’s Travis Kelce (98 OVR) and San Francisco’s George Kittle (97) took the top two spots.

Andrews is coming off one of the best seasons for a tight end in history. Last season he led the position in catches (107) and receiving yards (1,361) and tied for first in touchdowns (nine).