The Baltimore Ravens are coming off of a 2018 campaign in which they won 10 games and captured the AFC North division title, a run that came as somewhat of a surprise to many who felt that the Pittsburgh Steelers would win the division once again.
But, rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took the reins under center after an injury to Joe Flacco and proceeded to lead the Ravens to a playoff appearance.
Baltimore ended up falling to the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round, but the 2018 campaign still has to be considered a success for the Ravens, as not many people expected them to get that far to begin with.
Now, Baltimore is entering 2019 with some loftier expectations, and with Pittsburgh being even more vulnerable and the Cleveland Browns still having a lot to prove in spite of a marquee offseason, the Ravens could be in line for another division crown.
Still, there are some things that need to go right for them, and they need to get those things right in training camp.
Here are three priorities for Baltimore entering camp:
3. Who Will Replace the Production of C.J. Mosley and Za'Darius Smith?
The Ravens lost several key members of their defense this offseason, including starting linebackers C.J. Mosley and Za'Darius Smith.
The departures of Mosley and Smith cannot be understated, as they were both significant parts of what was a terrific Baltimore defense in 2018, and now, the Ravens have a whole lot of unproven talent in their linebacking corps.
There will be some added pressure on linebacker Matthew Judon, who is coming off of a solid season and is entering his contract year, but youngsters like Tyus Bowser and Kenny Young will be expected to step up immediately.
Also, Patrick Onwuasor is coming off of a solid season in which he totaled 59 tackles and 5.5 sacks, so perhaps he can expound upon what was an impressive 2018 campaign.
2. Establishing a No. 1 Receiver
The Ravens' receiving corps wasn't all that great this past year. Now, after losing John Brown and Michael Crabtree this offseason, it's in an even larger state of flux.
Baltimore does not really have a No. 1 receiver on the roster, with veteran Willie Snead, who is really more of a No. 2 or a high-end No. 3, likely assuming the role heading into training camp.
There is rookie Marquise Brown, but we have no clue how he is going to produce in his first NFL season. The Ravens then have a mix of guys like Seth Roberts and Chris Moore, neither of whom inspires much confidence.
It's not like Jackson is a great passer as it is, so he is going to need some help. The question is, where is that help going to come from? It honestly might have to be Brown, who seems to be the most talented wide out on the Ravens' roster.
1. Making Lamar Jackson More of a Passer
The biggest reason why the Ravens played so well under Jackson this past season was because of his ability to run the football and keep defenses off-balance, as he racked up 695 rushing yards in 2018.
However, as a passer, Jackson left much to be desired, as he threw for just 1,201 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 58.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 84.5 over seven starts.
Of course, that isn't to say that Jackson shouldn't be pounding the football, because he should. After all, it's a huge part in making him who he is, but he absolutely needs to improve in throwing the ball, or else Baltimore's offense is going to be incredibly one-dimensional.
Jackson showed at Louisville that he has it in him to be a fine passer. It's now up to him and the Ravens coaching staff to trust his arm on the professional level.
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