OWINGS MILLS, Md. — One by one the Ravens returned.
“It’s like the first day of school. I almost got dressed up,” said safety Tony Jefferson. “I was putting out an outfit. I was like, 'let me stop.' I was a little two excited.”
There’s no containing Brandon Williams’ excitement or his keen fashion sense. The defensive tackle showed up wearing a donut patterned fanny pack.
“Oh, It’s a fanny, and I’m okay with it. I’m okay with the fanny,” he joked.
Fanny pack and all, Ravens veterans reported for training camp on Wednesday ready to get to work.
“Every year is different. Every year is a different team,” said Williams. “The Ravens of this year is not like the Ravens of last year. We strive to do the same thing and be great every year.”
It’s a big camp for the wide receiver competition. First-round draft pick Marquise Brown reported to camp with the other rookies last week. Willie Snead is sure to see an increased role this year. Chris Moore has his best chance to earn a starting spot.
It’s not only about the guys who are showing up but also about the guys who aren’t. Baltimore took a big hit on defense over the offseason. Several important vets left.
“Sizz (Terrell Suggs) is gone; (Eric) Weddle’s gone; C.J. (Mosley) is gone. There’s a bunch of key pieces missing, but we still have people who can fill in those roles and do great things,” said Williams.
“As far as friendship-wise, we miss those guys in the locker room, but, as far as in the film room and all that, we’re moving forward,” added Jefferson.
Williams and Jefferson are each about to start their seventh NFL training camps. Free agent addition Mark Ingram is about to embark on his ninth NFL camp and first with the Ravens.
“Just come in ready to work, ready to get better, develop that camaraderie with the team, that foundation. We’ve already put in some work. We just got to keep building on it.” said the Ravens running back.
Practice No. 1 of training camp gets going on Thursday morning with the whistles blowing at 8:45 am.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
