The Baltimore Ravens won't be a fun team for opposing NFL defenses to face this year.
With Lamar Jackson now 25 lb lighter and working on his play-calling, and Derrick Henry signing in Baltimore to give their run game a new dimension, the Ravens have a 1-2 punch that should be a handful for other teams.
Count Ravens safety Marcus Williams among those who is glad he won't have to tackle Jackson and Henry.
While appearing on NFL Network, Williams said the Ravens' duo will give opposing safeties a "tough time."
"I don't gotta tackle them," Williams said. "I've had to tackle [Henry] before and it is what it is from that standpoint. But these other safeties that gotta go up against them in the division, they're going to have a tough time.
"Lamar looks good, he's throwing the ball great. He looks smooth, fast. I just can't wait to see them both on the field at the same time. I can't wait to see our whole offense on the field, man. It's going to be an exciting year once again."
#Ravens S Marcus Williams with @BaldyNFL and me on The Insiders on @nflnetwork to talk Lamar Jackson/Derrick Henry: “These other safeties that gotta go up against them in the division, they’re going to have a tough time. … I can’t wait to see them on the field at the same time.” pic.twitter.com/jL7bw6brDN
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 21, 2024
As training camp and preseason get underway, it'll be interesting to see how the Ravens' offense takes shape, especially with regard to their pass-run ratio. There seems to be an emphasis on making the passing game more sophisticated, with Jackson calling audibles and working on his cadence at the line of scrimmage. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh also said they wanted to find ways to give Henry more space to run, potentially hinting at more pre-snap action to fool defenses.
There are also a lot of mouths to feed on offense, with Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers, the recently extended and healthy Rashod Bateman, and Isaiah Likely looking poised for a breakout. And you don't sign Henry to your team to make him an after-thought.
However it shakes out, the Ravens have the potential to be an explosive offense — one that opposing defenders dread having to tackle.
