Lamar Jackson isn’t playing.
Derrick Henry isn’t playing.
So what is there to watch Friday when the Ravens take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles for their first preseason game?
Coach John Harbaugh has said most of the Ravens’ established starters won’t appear on the field together.
There’s still plenty to learn from games that help the Ravens sort out which players will step into vacated spots and fill important depth roles.
Here’s what you should be keeping an eye on.
1. How the Ravens hold up upfront
Coming into organized team activities, the biggest question for the Ravens was along the offensive line. They’d lost three starters through free agency and trades. Only left tackle Ronnie Stanley and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum remained.
The Ravens added two in the draft. They selected Roger Rosengarten in the second round and Nick Samac in the seventh. They signed a couple of undrafted rookie free agents. But, otherwise, they decided to lean on the guys they had, the depth pieces — and one draftee who missed the season due to injury — from the year before.
Through the offseason, they mixed and matched. Only recently has a glimpse of a starting lineup emerged. Andrew Vorhees, picked in the seventh round after tearing his ACL at the combine last year, has seemingly locked down the left guard position. Daniel Faalele, after a position shift, has dominated the snaps at right guard. Patrick Mekari and Rosengarten have rotated at right tackle, a situation that could carry over to the regular season.
But two of these guys have never played a snap against an opposing NFL player. Rosengarten is a rookie, and Vorhees is essentially a “redshirt” rookie. Faalele, meanwhile, has only a small sample to back him up. Mekari is the only one with a robust resume.
The sooner the Ravens solidify the starters, the better for the other parts of the offense — and the coaching staff’s peace of mind.
2. Who’s third?
Before the offseason began, the Ravens had a clear-cut duo at safety. They returned Marcus Williams, a standout when healthy, and Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton. The question was who would step up behind them. With Geno Stone leaving in free agency, the options were slim. Only Ar’Darius Washington, who missed his first two seasons due to injury, remained on the roster.
Luckily for the Ravens, Washington has returned with a vengeance. He’s been tearing it up in training camp and made interceptions on back-to-back days. They also added veteran Eddie Jackson, seventh-round pick Sanoussi Kane and undrafted rookie Beau Brade.
But the situation at safety might be shifting.
Harbaugh announced Wednesday that cornerback Arthur Maulet was undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, which will keep him out for a few weeks. Since Maulet was playing primarily as the nickel, that might have a domino effect. Hamilton is another option at nickel, which would then open a spot in the starting rotation for one of the safeties competing for a job. Or they could slide cornerback Marlon Humphrey inside, giving an extra cornerback a shot at a starting job.
3. How Trenton Simpson fills big shoes
Even Patrick Queen said he was leaving the linebacker position in good hands with Trenton Simpson. The Pro Bowl linebacker played alongside Simpson in the final regular-season game while Roquan Smith sat out, and Queen had great things to say about Simpson despite knowing he might be his replacement.
Queen signed with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, but Simpson has been watching his film closely, trying to turn himself into a similar every-down ’backer.
Although Simpson has established himself as the favorite to play beside Smith, he has very little game film to back his case up. The game against the Eagles could give an early indication whether the Steelers game set the bar too high — or just right.
4. Did they do enough with the wide receiver position?
The Ravens committed more resources to defending the pass this offseason than to improving their own passing game. They brought back Nelson Agholor and extended Rashod Bateman, but they waited until the fourth round to pick a wide receiver in Devontez Walker. He was the only receiver selected.
The Ravens added Deonte Harty, but that appears to be more about his special teams skills. Many of the other players competing are practice squad guys, undrafted rookie free agents, even a converted quarterback in Malik Cunningham.
Then Bateman went down. He was slow to get up following an outstanding touchdown reception Monday and didn’t return to practice the rest of the week. The Ravens signed veteran Russell Gage the next day.
Jackson has plenty of targets when you consider the tight ends and the running backs. But his selection of wide receivers has narrowed significantly without Bateman.
5. Will they take advantage of their two tight ends?
Speaking of tight ends, the Ravens have two of starting quality in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Both had great showings when they played last year. Yet the Ravens did not often have them both on the field as targets.
Through the offseason, it’s been much of the same. Andrews and Likely have dominated when Jackson targets them. But their domination has happened mostly independently of each other, with little overlap.
It’s unlikely offensive coordinator Todd Monken will show his hand early. Andrews and Likely have proven themselves trustworthy, so they don’t need the extra preseason reps. The Ravens would be testing new systems rather than the skills of the two tight ends, should they put them out there. But it’s a huge question heading into the season, especially given Bateman’s injury.
6. What will the new kickoff look like?
Based on the Hall of Fame Game? Pretty much like a normal kickoff.
But teams have been scheming all offseason, and special teams coordinator Chris Horton said everyone is keeping their plans close to the vest. If they have any creative approaches in mind, they probably won’t deploy them in the preseason, when things don’t count.
Even if it mostly looks the same, there are lots of small details to keep an eye on. Horton wondered if players might call for a fair catch based on muscle memory, forgetting that is no longer an option. At an informational session with an NFL official, Ravens reporters came up with many scenarios.
For example, what happens if a player on the receiving team who isn’t one of the designated returners reaches up and gets a touch on a kick that’s coming in low? Would that be called a short kick and placed at the 40? After some thought, the official determined yes.
So there are loopholes, strange scenarios and room for innovative thinkers — as Harbaugh prided himself on being as a special teams coordinator.
(Need a refresher on the new rules? We got you, right here.)
7. The renovations
The Ravens have spent the offseason sprucing up M&T Bank Stadium.
Many of the changes aren’t available to the regular fan. They’ve created a luxury area called Blackwing Suites. The suites go for hundreds of thousands of dollars and are sold out. They glammed up the club section. They added on-field seats.
But regular fans will notice a difference, too, and they can enjoy the new Miller Lite Gatehouse and Roof Deck.
