Jaire Alexander is soaking in the Baltimore vibe. After leaving Green Bay for the first time in eight years, his move to the Ravens came on a savvy one-year contract worth $6 million, including $2 million in incentives. He is a critical weapon in Harbaugh’s quest for the Lombardi in hopes of breaking their playoff curse. Even Alexander insists, “I think I’m in a great place.” But questions remain on whether he is the perfect fit for John Harbaugh’s defense. Harbaugh has the work cut out for the locker room: “We think this is the improvement week.” If Alexander is able to avoid last season’s injury bug, the results are guaranteed to be glowing. But for now, things are upside down in Owings Mills.

The Ravens face the Cowboys on August 16. And Jaire Alexander’s presence will be a key factor for a future win. Previously, the locker room had noted the shift with Alexander’s signing. Chuck Pagano said, “He brings a ton of juice and energy.” But Alexander’s absence in the last practice was felt. Just a couple of days back, Alexander had a swollen knee. “He had a little swelling, we kinda wanted to drain his knee today,” Harbaugh said. Baltimore beat reporter Gianna Han reported from the final open practice with fans, noting that the defense looked shaky without him.

Han pointed out, “Chido kind of stuck up at the same time just because Jaire has not been out here, and you know availability is the best ability.” In deep-ball drills, Chidobe Awuzie and Nate Wiggins took most of the reps. Awuzie was often matched with Rashod Bateman, while Wiggins faced Zay Flowers in the red zone. Flowers beat Wiggins one-on-one for a touchdown. Throw in Alexander back in the mix, and the Ravens’ practice sessions begin shining once again.

Alexander’s track record remains strong despite missing time last year with injuries. In 2022, Pro Football Focus recorded his missed tackle rate at just 9.5 percent. Over 78 career games in Green Bay, he logged 287 tackles, 70 passes defended, and 12 interceptions. Now working alongside Lamar Jackson, his skill set is exactly what excites John Harbaugh.

Han added, “John Harbaugh said it’s now or never and the thing is the roster kind of feels pretty set… if Jaire comes back maybe that will be mixed up a little bit.” As the roster puzzle is solved with care in time, Harbaugh’s patience is wearing thin. Because the same mistakes from last season has resurfaced. One could practically spot the smoke coming out of his ears if it continues.

John Harbaugh is attempting to coach out last year’s mistakes

Last season, the Ravens were tied for the second-most penalties in the league. Head coach John Harbaugh made his frustration clear. “The penalties on offense are the one thing that is holding us back – that’s the biggest issue,” he said. The same problem has carried into this offseason. False starts from the offensive line in camp have even pushed the quarterback to lash out.

On the August 11 episode of Locked On Ravens, host Kevin Ostriker summed it up. “John Harbaugh reached his breaking point with penalties at Baltimore Ravens training camp practice on Saturday after another sloppy day.” The repeated mistakes finally forced Harbaugh to take drastic action.

Reporter Gianna Han added more details on X. “John Harbaugh yanked the second offensive line after three false starts in four plays. When asked what happened to making them run laps like he did last year, he said he has a variety of false start punishments he can pull out. Up downs are one of the worst.” The discipline was harsh, but his patience is understandably running low. Last season, the number of penalties was at a high of 132.

Penalties have been a constant headache for John Harbaugh. “The Ravens have been very highly penalized during their training camp practices. And, you know, it’s something that is frustrating for the players, for the coaches, for the fans, for for everybody,” he said. With one of the best modified rosters for 2025, Harbaugh knows they cannot risk another lost shot in February.