Top five takeaways from the first training camp press conference of Ravens RB Mark Ingram
In his first season with the team, Baltimore Ravens veteran running back Mark Ingram became an instant impact player for the offense and fan favorite. He addressed the media for the first time since reporting to training camp on Monday and shared his thoughts on some interesting topics.
Here are the top five takeaways from his press conference minus his comments about being a mentor to rookie running back J.K. Dobbins because they were already featured in another piece:
Doubling down on why he believes the Ravens can have an even better record in 2020-
Last year the Ravens set a franchise record with their league-high 14 wins to just two losses in the regular season. In a recent appearance on NFL Total Access, Ingram predicted that the Ravens would win more than that in 2020. When he addressed the media for the first time entering his 10th training camp and second with the Ravens, he doubled down on those sentiments and cited all the returning players and coaches returning from last year’s team and some of the reinforcements that were brought in this offseason as reasons why he feels that way.
“We’re bringing back our ballers and player makers, added more ballers, added more playmakers, we got our coaching staff back,” said Ingram. “We just have confidence in each other and that’s the goal to have a better season than we did last year. We didn’t finish how we wanted. We want to be champions and that’s the standard here, nothing less.”
Ingram knows that records aren’t broken by just speaking it into existence. He knows that the process begins by getting better each and every day, by doing the right things on and off the field to ensure that the team is in the best physical condition and mentally prepared to attack each day with a championship mentality.
“We have to work one day at a time,” said Ingram. “You win those 15th and 16th games, you go north of that record by winning each day.”
Staying positive and hopeful despite outbreaks in other sports leagues-
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the world of sports on and off the respective fields of play as we know it and especially in the major American leagues. The MLB has had recent outbreaks since starting up their condensed season and it has left those that follow and play in the NFL wondering how that impact or influence their season when the time comes.
Unlike the NBA and MLS, the NFL and MLB can’t realistically play a full or shortened season inside a bubble. While dozens of players league-wide have decided to opt-out of the 2020 season due to concerns about keeping themselves and their families safe, Ingram is keeping an optimistic view and is hopeful for the season as long as people don’t take unnecessary risks.
“You just try to stay positive,” said Ingram. “You try to stay with the protocols that our team has set for us in the facility. When you leave the facility, you just try to be as safe as possible. Stay at home and just taking all the necessary precautions to make sure that you’re not exposing yourself unnecessarily to things.”
“Obviously we’re aware of it and we’re cautious of it but we’re trying to do the nest we can with the circumstances and we’re just trying to stay positive and stay hopeful.”
The significance of bringing back Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman-
The Ravens offense flourished under Greg Roman in his first full season as offensive coordinator in 2019. He designed a scheme centered around the dynamic dual-threat of quarterback Lamar Jackson that not only resulted in him becoming the just the second-ever unanimous league MVP but also helped the team and Head Coach John Harbaugh deliver on their promise to unveil a revolutionary offense, unlike anything the league had ever seen before.
His unit led the Ravens to a franchise-best and league-high 14-2 record in the regular season and shattered several single-season records for both team and individual players. He was a popular name when head coaching jobs opened up following the season and even interviewed for the Cleveland Browns position but ultimately was passed over and returned to Baltimore. Ingram believes that continuity at the play-caller position will greatly benefit the offense.
“It’s huge,” said Ingram. “We were comfortable operating together in that offense. Just to be able to grow another year in that offense with our playmakers that we had last year and then adding more playmakers. I think that’s nothing but an advantage for us.
“We’re familiar with the offense, we can just continue to get better in the offense, continue to get better communicating within the offense, adding more nuances offense so have our OC back, great DC back is nothing but an advantage for us.”
Determined to have his best season in year 10-
Entering his 10th season in the league at a position with the shortest shelf life, Ingram attacked his offseason training with the vigor of an undrafted free agent on the roster bubble and not a seasoned vet coming off one of his best seasons to date. A calf injury he suffered late in the regular season limited him in the Ravens’ playoff loss to the Tennessee Titans. He made his rehab from that his first priority and then focused on improving the rest of his body with the hopes of having the best year of his career in 2020.
“I just want to stay sharpening my tools, continue to improve, continue to get better’,” said Ingram. “Obviously any deficiencies you have, you want to make those strengths. Rehabbing my calf at the beginning of the year was my first goal. Making sure I got that back to full strength, got that back to full health, making sure I was able to be explosive, making sure I was able to be functional, making sure I was able to be stable, making sure I was able to do everything that I needed to do to be elite and play at a high level.”
I just try to do everything necessary to make sure that I bring my complete package to the table and have my best season in my 10th season”
Added depth to backfield won’t affect his mindset-
The Ravens have the deepest and arguably the most talented stable of running backs in the league and while some seasoned veterans might view it as an indictment on his ability to be a workhorse or a threat to his playing time, Ingram is accustomed to sharing the load in the backfield. He’s had to split carries with someone else in the backfield every season he’s been in the league which has helped extend his career in the process.
In New Orleans with the Saints during his first eight seasons, he shared the backfield with players like Alvin Kamara, Darren Sproles, and Pierre Thomas and still managed to be productive. He topped 1,000 yards last season with the Ravens even though he shared the load with Gus Edwards, Justice Hill and Lamar Jackson, who led the team in rushing with 1,206 yards. Now that the team has added yet another talented back to the mix in rookie J.K. Dobbins, some are wondering how the carries and touches will be divvied out among the four backs.
“The coaches will decide how to rotate us and how to play us all,” said Ingram, who ran for 1,018 yards for 10 touchdowns last year, averaging 5.0 yards per rush on 202 carries and added another 247 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield on 256 receptions.
“We all have special talents, special abilities. All I do is work my butt off. I compete my butt off no matter where I’m at, no matter who’s in my running back room. That’s just the bottom line. I try to be the best player I can be, bring my best foot to the table every time I step on the field.”
