Before veteran Eddie Jackson landed in Baltimore, the safety got a ringing endorsement from a Ravens defender. Linebacker Roquan Smith told reporters that he put in a good word to management about Jackson.
“Yes, I always tell the truth,” Smith said (via the team’s website). “I have great respect for Eddie [Jackson] and [I’ve] known Eddie since I came into the league. Like I said earlier, I think he’s a great asset for our team. [He’s] obviously been making plays in this league for a very long time, and with the pieces that we have here, and then with his talent, and having him in his role, I think it will go well for us.”
Jackson previously spent his entire seven-year career with the Bears, and he played more than four of those seasons alongside Smith. After starting all 100 of his appearances in Chicago, Jackson won’t be nearly as relied upon in Baltimore. The team is mostly looking for a replacement for Geno Stone, who often played with Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton in three-safety looks.
Smith also touched on the major shakeup on the sidelines. Inside linebackers coach Zach Orr replaced Mike Macdonald as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, and the star pass-rusher is optimistic that the new defensive play-caller will seamlessly replace the former defensive play-caller.
“I think are very similar that’s here, and I have a great deal of respect for Zach [Orr and] his mindset,” Smith said. “He’s been out there on the field, and believe it or not, obviously him and Mike [Macdonald] are two totally different people, and they’re unique in their own way, but through the headset, they actually sound the same. Every voice I’ve heard through a headset all sounds the same. I’m like, ‘Is that Mike or something?’ I told ‘Z.O.’ one day during OTAs, so it’s pretty funny. I’m excited for ‘Z.O.,’ for him to showcase what he’s able to do with the pieces that we have here and showcase it to the world. We’ve all been doubted before, [how] things may not be as good as this, that or the third, but the game gives us the opportunity to prove that. I have a great deal of respect for ‘Z.O.,’ and that he’ll prove it week-in and week-out, and it’s going to start here in training camp, preparing for the year.”
More notes out of Baltimore…
- Rashod Bateman‘s 2022 foot injury ultimately led to surgery, and the receiver’s 2023 offseason was focused on recovering from that operation. Now a year removed from his rehab, the wide receiver believes he’s completely past the issue. Bateman told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic that his foot is no longer a problem and he’s 100 percent healthy heading into training camp. Bateman hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing in Baltimore, although he did rebound from his disappointing sophomore campaign, finishing 2023 with 32 catches. The Ravens are clearly still optimistic about Bateman, as the team handed him a three-year, $15MM extension this offseason.
- Zrebiec writes that the only certainties on the Ravens’ offensive line are the starting spots for Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum, although the writer also opines that Patrick Mekari, Josh Jones, Andrew Vorhees, and Roger Rosengarten will make the roster in some capacity. Beyond those six linemen, Zrebiec writes that the rest of the team’s OL corps could be competing for up to four roster spots, with the likes of Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu benefiting from the team’s decision to avoid veteran reinforcements.
- Fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa recently underwent sports hernia surgery, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The rookie is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks. The Iowa State product joins a deep cornerbacks grouping that’s headlined by Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, and rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins.
Always cool to see former players end up in noticeable coaching roles. Orr has big shoes to fill, as does would defensive coordinator for the Ravens in any other era. Baltimore is known for rock solid defense, but Orr does have thing that most coaches don’t-experience in actually doing it.
I thought Bateman got screwed last year. IE. there was serious doubt Lamar would be a Raven unless his demands were met.
One such demand was getting OBJ. I thought that accommodation by the the owner and FO was the deciding factor in Lamar staying. And it was well worth it. Different sport but kind of reminds of the Yankees move to extend Rizzo. Hedge move to keep Judge in the Bronx and not signing with SF.