Rounding Up the Latest Baltimore Ravens Offseason Buzz

The Baltimore Ravens begin the final stage of organized team activities this week with the start of mandatory minicamp.

As the name suggests, this minicamp is mandatory for all currently signed players to attend unless given permission by the team to miss it. For Baltimore, there may be a few guys absent who are rehabbing from major injuries, but for the most part, everyone important is expected to attend.

The good thing about minicamps is that more 11-on-11 team activities are permitted. Article 22 of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement notes that minicamps are part of "Phase 3" of the three-part offseason process.

While fully padded practices are not permitted, the third phase does allow for players to wear helmets and teams to install plays in "live" defense-versus-offense work. This allows for more productive practices to go on.

As minicamp begins, here's a look at the latest buzz surrounding the Ravens.

Terrence Brooks Ahead of Rehab Schedule

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The Ravens appeared to get their free safety of the future when they drafted Florida State's Terrence Brooks in last year's NFL draft (No. 79 overall).

The team expected Brooks, a ball-hawking defender who can play both safety spots, to play significant snaps as a rookie, but that never happened.

Brooks was slow to adjust to the NFL and was often a liability when he did get to play. He played just 245 snaps in 2014 and received a minus-2.1 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Brooks' poor rookie season became even worse when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee in December against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Brooks is far ahead of schedule with his rehab. Even better is the fact that Brooks may not have to open the year on the physically unable to perform list, which would require him to miss the first six games of the regular season. Brooks spoke to Wilson about his progress:

"

I'm breaking on the ball and little stuff like that, but that's got to get better. But that comes with more rehab and getting a little stronger. Everything else feels pretty good. I definitely don't feel like I'm rushing. It's not like I'm hurting myself while I'm doing it. I'm pushing myself. It really feels good.

"

If Brooks is able to return sometime during training camp, he has the chance to compete for significant playing time in 2015. Baltimore lost starting safety Darian Stewart to the Denver Broncos in free agency this offseason.

The team signed Kendrick Lewis to replace Stewart. At the other safety spot, Baltimore expects Will Hill to start, but Matt Elam has been a liability when he's been in.

While Brooks may not win a starting job, he has the opportunity to earn a lot of playing time this year if he can show he's worthy. It's good to see that he may at least have that chance after last year's injury threatened to derail his 2015 season before it even began.

Steve Smith Learning to Be a Mentor

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

The Ravens will have one of the youngest receiving units in the league when the 2015 NFL season begins. That's because all the wideouts on the team but one are on rookie contracts or have less than four years of NFL experience.

The one exception is Steve Smith Sr., who has 15 years under his belt. Common sense would say that Smith would be a leader and mentor to the young Ravens receivers, right?

Not according to Smith, who thinks he can learn as much from the young guys as they can learn from him, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley:

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I feel like I can learn something from them just like they feel like they can learn something from me. So, I may see a guy do a release, and I’ll jot down a note for myself. And then I may see something, and I’ll tell them. I just really look at it as really two professionals evaluating each other and giving out some great input and that’s really it. [It is] less of [being a] mentor, more of just having a conversation. If you walk in there like, 'Hey, I’m the older guy ...' I just go in there [and say], 'Look, I can learn from you; you can learn from me.'

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That's an interesting perspective from Smith, who has five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections under his belt. The 36-year-old sounds more like a young and hungry rookie than he does an aging vet.

While it's nice to hear that Smith still feels there's plenty for him to learn, the other Ravens receivers will need to do a lot of learning during minicamp and training camp.

There's no other proven receiver on the roster after Torrey Smith signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. Marlon Brown and Kamar Aiken have limited starting experience, but the two combined for just 48 catches, 522 yards and three scores in 2014. 

Breshad Perriman is a talented receiver whom Baltimore selected in the first round in this year's NFL draft (No. 26 overall). Still, that doesn't change the fact he hasn't played a down of football in the NFL.

Simply put, Steve Smith needs to accept and embrace the fact that he'll be more of a teacher this year than he will be a student. That's what Baltimore needs him to be to succeed and have a competent passing offense.

Steven Means Making Name for Himself

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

After losing Pernell McPhee to the Chicago Bears in free agency, Baltimore needs to replace the pass-rushing production he brought to the team.

While Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs get most of the run at outside linebacker, both are now over the age of 31. They need to have someone step up and give them a chance to get more rest in 2015.

Defensive end Chris Canty is also 32 years of age, so Baltimore could stand to have someone step up to play defensive end and outside linebacker in its 3-4 defense.

Could that man be Steven Means?

The Ravens signed Means, a career journeyman with just 11 career games under his belt, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived him.

Means wasn't active for any games with Baltimore last year, but the 24-year-old is making noise in OTAs. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome singled Means out as someone who could get some snaps to give rest to Suggs and Dumervil. 

“We still have a lot of picks to try to find someone else to add to ‘Sizz’ [Terrell Suggs], [Elvis] Dumervil and [Courtney] Upshaw and Steven Means, who I think has the ability to play good football for us this year," Newsome said, per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com.

A former fourth-round pick in the 2013 draft, Means had 19.5 sacks during his college career at the University of Buffalo. He doesn't have a sack in the NFL, though, with just six career tackles.

If Means develops into a player capable of making the 53-man roster, it will be an added bonus for the Ravens. If he manages to contribute on defense and play special teams, it will be a huge bonus.