Not your ordinary summer vacation
With the conclusion of the rookie minicamp yesterday, the Ravens won’t return to practice until July 22 for quarterbacks, rookies and injured veterans and July 25 for the remaining veterans.
But that doesn’t mean that the players are allowed to slide on their responsibility of staying in shape and absorbing the playbooks, according to coach John Harbaugh.
“Guys have got to work on their own,” he said. “There are skill-specific things at every position. Offensive linemen take pass sets and punch and also work on footwork. Defensive backs, all the footwork and technique. Quarterbacks or receivers can throw or catch, and I think our guys are planning on getting together and throwing and catching – one set on the West Coast and one set here on the East Coast. Those are the little things that guys do to make themselves better.”
Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said one of the first tasks awaiting the offensive players is a pop quiz.
“When we come back, the first thing we give them is a 12-minute test,” he said. “It’s an eight-minute test for the offensive line, it’s a 12-minute test for the skill guys. In all of our segments throughout the year, we start with a test, and we remind them that it’s not really to point anybody out, [but] it’s to find out, ‘OK, where are you? Where do we need to grow from?’ We’ll find out. We’ll test them. ... We give them a timed test, and put a little heat, a little pressure on them and see what they’ve retained. There will be a significant number of guys that will know more when they get back than when they left.”







Comments
I like the level of seriousness being pursued. You have to think it will translate well on the field.
Who's Boller throwing to on the West Coast?
Posted by: pete | June 19, 2008 9:44 PM
I like the sound of this new coaching staff's philosophy. This is a definite departure from the Brian Billick era.
This team needed discipline, and John Harbaugh seems to be the right choice to instill that value on the players.
Posted by: Mike Brown | June 19, 2008 10:06 PM