Ravens changing practice approach after injury-plagued 2021
After injuries forced the Baltimore Ravens to make several in-season adjustments in 2021, more changes are coming in 2022.
Head coach John Harbaugh said Monday he'll modify his team's practice approach this year - including the amount of time his players spend on the field - as a strategy to help limit the number of ailments on his club.
"We've looked at everything we've done, we've turned over every stone, and we've changed a lot of what we're doing," Harbaugh said. "We're going to approach OTAs differently. We're going to approach (the) training camp big-picture schedule differently in terms of the way we ramp, in terms of the way we time practices, how long we're on the field, what we're doing on the field, (and) how we pace the rhythm of the practices."
He added: "We think we've got some really good ideas, and I'm excited about it. That's priority No. 1, for sure, along with being really good (and) making sure we're putting a good team on the field and we're prepared."
One of those ideas is eliminating joint practices, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. Baltimore held practice sessions with the Carolina Panthers last year.
The Ravens lost several key starters to injury last season, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed the final four games of the campaign.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey were also among the many Ravens players who missed multiple games or didn't play at all in the regular season. Baltimore placed 22 different players on injured reserve last year.
"I don't know if we've reached any conclusions about why the injuries happened. ... We've listened, we've seen all the studies, we've talked to all of the NFL people, all the studies they are doing," Harbaugh said. "And there really are no answers that you can say, definitively, 'This is the cause and effect.'"
Baltimore started last season 8-3. However, the team lost its final six games, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018.