The Baltimore Ravens are hoping to take their offense to a new level by giving Lamar Jackson more responsibility.
According to ESPN's Jamison Hensley, the Ravens are working with Jackson to allow him to call audibles at the offensive line more often.
Hensley writes that the Ravens are "challenging" Jackson to change calls, change protections, and change his cadence before the ball is snapped. It's all in an effort to keep defenses off-balance and keep Jackson engaged.
"It's like that smart kid in the classroom, you can't allow them to get bored, right?" Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin told Hensley. "He's like that. You have to constantly add things, tweaks and things of that nature and responsibilities."
Martin told Hensley that Jackson is already "outstanding" at it and will continue to get better.
Adding such responsibilities to Jackson's plate is something Hall of Famer Steve Young mentioned when he said Jackson needs to be part of a dynamic offense to become an all-time great quarterback. If Jackson can master his new skills, the two-time MVP might still go up another level.
According to Hensley, the Ravens only drew an opponent off-sides once last season. And in the Ravens' much-maligned loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship, Jackson was sacked four times.
The Ravens have been working on Jackson's new pre-snap responsibilities in OTAs and minicamp. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said it looked good at times, but the Ravens have a "long" way to go.
Harbaugh has hinted that the Ravens will be adding wrinkles to their offense this year. In discussing how the Ravens want to use Derrick Henry, Harbaugh said they'd do some things to get him more space.
"Maybe even in some ways we’ll create some opportunities because we’re going to possibly spread the defense out just a little bit more," Harbaugh said. "There won’t be as many eyes on him, maybe not as many helmets directed towards him when he gets the ball, and we’ll be able to create just a little more space for him."
Jackson's play-calling abilities could factor into that, if the Ravens are able to fool defenses into thinking a different play is coming.
There will be a lot of eyes on Jackson and the Ravens this season as the NFL worlds waits to see if Baltimore can get over the hump. It certainly appears the Ravens are exploring all avenues to improve.
