Ravens Training Camp: 'Sky's The Limit' For Baltimore Defense

Training camp for the Baltimore Ravens began on Tuesday, and linebacker Roquan Smith already has high praise for the defense.

Training camp for the Baltimore Ravens started on Tuesday and while the buzz around the team has primarily surrounded the new offense under Todd Monken, the defense has taken strides with linebacker Roquan Smith leading the charge.

Smith is participating in his first training camp with the Ravens after being traded to Baltimore via a midseason trade last fall and has already taken a leadership role in the team. Smith might be new to the group, but he believes the Ravens' defense could be special this year and recently discussed the expectations for his unit.

"The expectations are very high," Smith recently told BaltimoreRavens.com. "We're not weak in any spots if you ask me... If we do our jobs, and we give the ball back to Lamar (Jackson) and the [offense], there's going to be a lot of great things that are going to happen."

Smith is entering his sixth NFL season and has only made the postseason twice. The former first-round pick is also searching for his first playoff victory, which is something he hopes to achieve this year in Baltimore after the Ravens reloaded this offseason. Smith knows it is foolish to be satisfied this early, however, he does not see a limit for Baltimore's defense if everyone does their job and stays on the field.

"It's easy to be paper champs," Smith said. "What really matters is what you do between those lines... If we do what we have to do, I feel the sky's the limit for all of us."

The Ravens' defense allowed the third-fewest points per game in the NFL last fall with 18.5, and if the unit continues to improve, the sky really could be the limit for Baltimore. 

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You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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