The air crackled with that late-spring Baltimore optimism at the Under Armour Performance Center. OTAs hummed – the rhythmic thud of pads, the quarterback’s cadence cutting through drills, the low murmur of coaches. It’s the time for building, for installing, for finding that next ‘diamond in the rough’ who might just make the play come December. It’s a time when every rep counts, and every stumble feels magnified, echoing that old ‘gridiron truth’: depth isn’t built in September; it’s forged in these sweat-soaked June afternoons. Lamar Jackson‘s Ravens, perennial contenders built on grit and next-man-up resilience, know this better than most. But sometimes, even the sturdiest foundations feel a tremor.

And then came the downer. As veteran reporter Jeff Zrebiec noted after the Ravens’ seventh OTA session: “The Ravens seventh OTA just concluded. Rashod Bateman had a nice day. TJ Tampa had an INT of Cooper Rush and another end zone breakup. Downer was Beau Brade going down with an injury. He couldn’t put much weight on leg as he was helped off by trainer.” That image – the rookie safety needing assistance, unable to bear weight – cast a sudden, unwelcome shadow over the practice field. For Coach John Harbaugh, a man who preaches preparation like gospel, it was the kind of unfortunate injury news no team wants, a reminder of the sport’s inherent fragility.

So, while the Flock buzzed about Lamar’s whereabouts and Rashod Bateman’s promising extension (3-year, $36.75 M), the focus shifted abruptly to Beau Brade. The UDFA second-year safety out of Maryland (75 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT in 2023) isn’t just another camp body. He embodies the Ravens’ blue-collar ethos – a hard-nosed, productive college captain known for his downhill thumping and locker-room presence, fighting for a spot (11 GP, 3 tackles, 1 solo in 2024) on a defense that prides itself on depth and physicality.

His modest UDFA deal ($2.855 M over 3 yrs, $25 K signing bonus, $45 K guaranteed) reflects the underdog path, but his potential contribution, especially on special teams and as developmental depth, was real. Seeing him helped off, leg buckling, is the kind of moment that tests the ‘next man up’ philosophy before the season even kicks off.

It’s in these moments the Ravens’ unique culture shines. This is a franchise, and a fanbase – the devoted ‘Ravens Flock’ – forged in the image of its city: resilient, tough, and fiercely united. As DL Brent Urban once captured it, “Baltimore is a city that just feels really together… Ravens football is ingrained in that culture.”

The connection runs deeper than wins and losses; it’s woven into the community fabric, echoing Harbaugh’s core mantra of ‘Passion, strength, humility, determination.’ Players feel it. Lamar himself has acknowledged, “Baltimore loves the players and we appreciate it. We love them back.” Losing any piece, even an unproven one like Brade, stings because it feels personal.

Ravens train in the absence of maestro Jackson

This setback landed squarely in the middle of another storyline humming through the ‘Flock’: the conspicuous absence of their $260 million franchise cornerstone, Lamar Jackson. While Bateman flashed his downfield prowess and TJ Tampa (a fourth-round pick aiming to prove he was a draft-day steal) snagged an interception off backup QB Cooper Rush, the electric pulse Jackson brings was undeniably missing.

Jackson, the two-time MVP rewriting the QB record book with every elusive scramble and laser throw (career: 20,059 pass yds, 166 TDs, 49 INTs, 64.9% comp, 102.0 rating; 6,173 rush yds – ALL-TIME QB RECORD – 33 TDs, 6.1 yds/carry), attended just one of the voluntary sessions.

This wasn’t just about missing reps; it hit the wallet. That absence cost LJ a cool $750,000 workout bonus, cash left on the table because the incentive required 80% OTA attendance. Harbaugh, ever the pragmatist, downplayed it publicly, sticking to the league’s ‘voluntary’ script. “OTAs are voluntary,” he’d stated, offering no further commentary on his star QB’s choice.

Jackson himself joked about it upon his Week 3 return, quipping about getting lighter in the Florida sun. But the sentiment echoed something deeper he’d said back in 2022: he preferred to ‘stay away and just grind” on his own terms. While analysts noted it didn’t break any rules, the void left by the league’s most dynamic playmaker during installation periods is always felt.

So, that’s how the Ravens’ OTAs went, a mix of bright spots (Bateman’s connection, Tampa’s ball-hawking) and setbacks (Brade’s injury, Lamar’s costly absence). It’s the NFL’s summer symphony – hopeful melodies punctuated by the occasional dissonant chord. Harbaugh, the steady conductor, adjusts the score. He knows the season isn’t won in June, but it can be shaped by how you respond to the unexpected notes.

The Flock watches, knowing their team’s identity isn’t just defined by Lamar’s magic (Unanimous MVP ’19 & ’23, first QB ever with 4K pass/800 rush yds in ’24) or the star power, but by the collective grit that surfaces when the path gets rocky. They’ve seen it before. They’ll see it again. As the Baltimore sun beats down on the practice fields, the story of the 2025 Ravens adds another, albeit unwelcome, chapter – a reminder that even in the hopeful dawn of OTAs, the game’s demanding rhythm never truly pauses. The next man prepares. The Flock believes.