Ravens coach John Harbaugh has gotten a snapshot of his first roster during two voluntary mini camps. But beginning today and running through Sunday, Harbaugh will get his first glimpse at the entire picture when the Ravens hold their only mandatory mini camp at their Owings Mills complex before training camp begins in late July.
The Ravens? coaching staff will get its first opportunity to work with the team?s 10 draft choices, including first-round pick quarterback Joe Flacco, in addition to returning veterans Ray Lewis, running back Willis McGahee and safety Ed Reed.
“If you talk to our players, they would say we?re giving them everything,” Harbaugh said. “We?re not giving them everything, there?s still more, but we?re giving them a lot. It?s a whole part of our philosophy. We?re trying togive them as much as we can in the offseason and then parse it back out during training camp.”
The mini camp marks the beginning of what is expected to be a lengthy battle to determine which player ? Kyle Boller, Troy Smith or Flacco ? will be named the team?s starting quarterback. Harbaugh said he?s also looking to see which linemen best fit the schemes of first-year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
“That?s a balancing act, no question about it,” Harbaugh said. “In our minds, as coaches and scouts, we?re definitely making evaluations. You see what you see and you put values on what you see. But you have to remember the game is not played in shorts: it?s played in pads. You don?t want to rule anybody out or in until you put the pads on.”
Boller is taking a similar approach, as he knows his future with the team is very much in doubt with the strides Smith made as a rookie last season and the Ravens? huge investment in Flacco, who was chosen 18th overall in last month?s draft.
“I can?t really worry about what?s going to happen in August,” Boller said. “I just worry about the next day, because I want to do everything I can, regardless if they have a guy here who?s a veteran or if they have a guy here who?s a first-round pick. It wouldn?t matter who it was. I am going to go out here everyday and work hard and try to do everything I can to be the quarterback I want to be so I?m the guy under center when opening day comes.”
Ravens wide receiver Mark Clayton, who is coming off a disappointing season, said his biggest goal heading into training camp is to get a better understanding of Cameron?s offense, regardless of who is the quarterback.
“This offense is tough,” he said. “Just learning this offense is tough, for the guys, it?s just trying to get the basics and the fundamentals down.”
