Ozzie Newsome used to making changes in training camp
By Mike Dyce
The Baltimore Ravens lost tight end Dennis Pitta early in training camp with a season ending dislocated hip. The Ravens made some changes on the fly and signed Visanthe Shiancoe.
Something Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he is accustomed to.
“We have a history of making moves just a week or two before the season starts, to be able to put the final pieces together,” Newsome told Don Banks of SI.com. “We did that with [offensive tackle] Bryant McKinnie [in 2011]. He came in just before the last preseason game. We did that with [offensive tackle] Willie Anderson, I think in John Harbaugh’s first year [2008], and with [cornerback] Josh Wilson on defense [in 2010]. It’s awfully early. We don’t play Denver tomorrow, and the season is 16 games long. What you worry about is needing to play real good football going into November and December.”
The Ravens are also expected to move past not having fullback Vonta Leach in the running game and trading away receiver Anquan Boldin. The offense is still a work in process according to Newsome.
“We don’t know yet what our identity is going to be on offense yet, because it hasn’t been established yet,” Newsome said. “It’s not there yet, but it wasn’t there yet when Dennis was out there working. It’s going to be developed through training camp and in the preseason games. Now if Dennis is not going to be a part of the offense all year, the offense has to figure out what it is and what it can do best.
“Are we capable of running the football? Are we capable of getting the ball out faster? It could be an offensive identity where we’re running, going play action, and having speed at receiver. Because we’ve got three guys who are going to get behind people now. And people are more afraid of that than the 10-12-yard completion. They don’t want anybody to get behind them, so they’re going to have to defend the full field because of Torrey, Jacoby [Jones] and Deonte [Thompson].”