Rookie Adam Randall Keeps Shining, Even As Ravens Take Him Out Of His Comfort Zone

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton had a plan for Clemson offensive weapon Adam Randall.

He referred to the intriguing prospect as a “pet cat” of his and envisioned him as an impactful jack of all trades “Joker” in his offense. He referred to his ability to make dynamic catches as a “superpower” and twice flew staff across the country to work him out.

Payton, whose longtime assistant Declan Doyle is a rookie offensive coordinator with the Ravens, couldn’t really see stuffing handoffs in Randall’s gut 15 or 20 times (“that’s not really what we have in mind”), but he could see utilizing that unique physical package (6-foot-3, maybe 240 pounds) to toggle between fullback and tight end and receiver – slot and even flexed outside – and quite often as an internal piece catching balls out of a running back look.

And that’s exactly what we’re bound to see in the regular season.

In the meantime, the Ravens continue to lean into the parts of that package Randall has done the least. Run the ball, and especially run it under center. Get tested in pass protection. Do all the ugly stuff around the line of scrimmage. If you didn’t know better, you might think that’s all Doyle has planned for him, especially based on Saturday’s preseason debut, but if you watch “The Daily Flock Show” and read this space, you already know better.

It’s clear the staff is getting Randall as uncomfortable as possible and continue to throw new assignments his way, because a Joker needs to be able to so much more than the normal player, and Randall inexperience is not working against him at all so far in his first NFL camp since being the final pick of the fifth round. He made another strong impression Saturday.

“Just that I can go out there and do it,” Randall said of what he was trying to show in a busy preseason debut. “Just going out there and being composed. Some guys get into this environment, and they freak out and do not trust their technique, or they start doing different things. I just wanted to show that I can go out there and do my job [at a] high level."

Serious Workload

Randall was targeted just once in the game. There didn’t seem to be much designed for him at all in that regard, and the Ravens already know he can adjust and pivot and flip his hips to catch the ball. They know he has tremendous eye-hand coordination and can make acrobatic plays.

Instead, he got volume in the trenches.

Randall led the team with 13 touches and 12 carries and would have had more but missed part of an early drive in the medical tent getting checked out. Forcing him to stretch out and get comfortable is what this was all about, and nine times get carried the ball under center – college offenses skew heavily out of the gun – he averaged over four yards per carry on those runs, including a touchdown.

That would almost never be his role on a Sunday, but getting his as comfortable running the ball and taking those handoffs – building trust in that – is prepping him for a Joker role.

“I was just really, really impressed by how physical we were up front,” Randall said. “I think as running backs, we [rushed for] over 120 yards (27 carries for 128 yards). So, I just love that we were really physical in the trenches, fast on the outside and making plays. That is just what the coaching staff has kind of instilled in us, and we are just going to continue to build on that."

Randall didn’t look explosive running the ball and you could tell early on how new much of this is for him. Getting the corner was a struggle at times, but in reality he is going to be catching balls in space with opportunities for favorable matchups and smaller body types around him in coverage he can run over.

"I am kind of disappointed in myself that I had one play where I got tackled by one guy,” Randall explained. “My dad has just always instilled in me just to not let one person bring you down and just be able to keep your legs moving and continue to finish runs and fall forward."

This was just the beginning, and the nuanced duties heading his way in the regular season won’t resemble this baptism by fire. With Derrick Henry and Justice Hill ahead of him on the depth chart, it's about complimenting their skillsets.

“It was magical,” Randall said. “So I’m appreciative, and plenty more to come."

Subscribe To "The Daily Flock" On YouTube For Elite Ravens Coverage:

Add us as a preferred source on Google