Even after losing Torrey Smith to the 49ers via free agency, the Ravens have enviable depth at receiver — depth that’s been crucial given lingering injuries to first-round pick Breshad Perriman and veteran Marlon Brown, as Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun details. Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken have continued their consistent play, and Baltimore has seen hints of talent from Jeremy Butler, Darren Waller, and others.
“I like what I see. The potential is there for those guys, but I want to see more,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “I want to see a guy do it over and over and over again, and we probably aren’t far enough into camp to see that. But yes, we’ve seen flashes from everybody.”
Let’s take a look at more from the AFC North…
- The Browns are waiting for one of their cadre of running backs to assert himself as the clear-cut starter, RB coach Wilbert Montgomery tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West were part of a committee approach in 2014, and now they’re competing with rookie Duke Johnson for playing time.
- One other Browns running back — veteran Shaun Draughn — is reportedly impressing at camp, but his ascendance might be slowed by a possible injury, as Ulrich tweets that Draughn walked off the field today with a cast on his left hand and wrist.
- New Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman utilized the shotgun formation quite frequently as head coach of the Bears, but he won’t use it as much in his new role, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Trestman says Baltimore will be an “under-the-center offensive football team,” which meshes with past Ravens’ offenses — among QBs with 10 games played in 2014, Joe Flacco was under center the fewest amount of times.
- With A.J. Green sidelined by injuries last year, Jeremy Hill emerged as the focal point of the Bengals offense, leading Don Banks of Sports Illustrated to examine whether the second-year running back can have a repeat performance.
A little surprising about Trestman’s approach, given that Flacco has consistently thrived in the shotgun while being less effective under center. But it will be interesting to see how the team’s WR competition shakes out. Lots of potential, but almost all of it is unproven. Aiken and Butler could surprise.