Baltimore Ravens Training Camp: 3 Early Storylines to Watch

The Baltimore Ravens have a talented roster entering training camp this summer. 

After winning 10 games and advancing to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs last year, Baltimore is once again primed to make a playoff run it hopes culminates in a Super Bowl victory.

After all, the Ravens twice led by two scores at New England in the playoffs before the Patriots rallied for a late win. They went on to win Super Bowl 49, but that could have been Baltimore had it closed the deal in Foxborough.

That said, there are some interesting storylines to watch that could determine if Baltimore is even able to make it back to the playoffs this year.

Here's a look at the three most pivotal stories to watch once camp opens. 

Transitioning to Another New OC

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For the third straight offseason, the Ravens enter training camp having to learn a new offensive system thanks to a new coordinator being hired.

In 2013, Baltimore had Jim Caldwell for the first full offseason after he was promoted to offensive coordinator in the middle of the 2012 season. He left to become head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2013 and was replaced by former Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak.

Under Kubiak, the Ravens ranked 12th in total offense last year, while quarterback Joe Flacco finished with a 91.0 quarterback rating. That was the second-highest mark of his seven-year career.

It also resulted in the Denver Broncos hiring Kubiak as their new head coach this offseason. With Kubiak gone, Baltimore hired former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman as the new OC.

Did Baltimore adjust as well to Trestman as it did with Kubiak? 

While it remains to be seen, the Ravens did get off to a good start in OTAs this offseason. As ESPN.com's Todd Karpovich reported, Flacco and the rest of the unit looked good in Trestman's offense during the spring workouts. 

However, those were padless practices that won't compare to the full-speed contact football they'll see once the pads are on in training camp. 

Still, a quality start to adjusting to Trestman's offense is a good sign for things to come as training camp nears. 

Breshad Perriman's Adjustment to NFL Game

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The Ravens are counting on first-round pick Breshad Perriman to play a big role in the offense during his rookie season.

The 26th overall pick out of UCF in the 2015 NFL draft, Perriman enters a Baltimore team in desperate need of depth and playmakers at wide receiver.

The unit is in bad shape after Torrey Smith left this offseason to sign with the San Francisco 49ers. That left Steve Smith Sr., Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown as the only receivers back from last year. 

Not only does Perriman have a chance to grab a starting spot, but he could become the No. 1 receiver this year—if he can adjust to the NFL game and overcome some of the weaknesses he had in college.

Perriman was an explosive playmaker at UCF over his three-year college career. In 2014, he caught 50 balls for 1,044 yards (20.9 YPC) and nine touchdowns.

Unfortunately, he had several drops in college, and that was a problem in minicamp as well, as Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun reported. "But within the first 90 minutes of a two-hour practice, he dropped four passes," Preston wrote. "Granted, two were difficult, including one fade in the end zone, but he also dropped two passes on short turnarounds. These were clunkers that hit him square in the hands."

Perriman has to get rid of those drops and improve his focus. He's attributed his drops to lapses in concentration, which is no excuse, especially for an NFL player. 

If he wants is to become the featured weapon Baltimore needs him to be, Perriman must cut down on drops.

Another area he must improve is his route running. As NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted in his scouting report of Perriman, his route running was limited in college:

"

Raw in his routes, relying on speed and athleticism over any precision. Rounds routes and is inconsistent at selling and finishing routes that don't involve him as primary target. Sits and waits on the throw rather than working back to it. Redirected in his routes more than expected for receiver his size.

"

Perriman was known as a one-trick pony who could beat most of the corners he faced deep down the field with his speed (4.24 40-yard dash) and size (6'2", 212 lbs). 

That won't work as well in the NFL with faster and stronger defensive backs now covering him. Perriman has to expand his ability to run the entire route tree and not just deep routes or quick slants. 

It's unrealistic to expect him to suddenly run great routes and completely rid himself of drops as a rookie. However, he has the ability to improve significantly upon them in training camp, the preseason and even throughout the regular season.

As is the case with any rookie, there will be growing pains with Perriman. How he responds and improves upon them will determine how successful he is this year and going forward for Baltimore. 

Dennis Pitta's Playing Status

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With camp almost here, there's still a lot of uncertainty surrounding Dennis Pitta. 

He may be forced to retire this year because of chronic hip issues, but he may opt to sit out this season. Either way, not having the veteran tight end would be a significant blow for the team.

As of now, doctors have not cleared Pitta to practice fully with the Ravens. Adding to that, ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley speculated Pitta may open the year on the PUP list, which will force him to miss at least the first six games of the 2015 regular season.

Not having Pitta to open the year would be a tough blow, even with rookie Maxx Williams waiting to take over the starting role. Baltimore traded up in the second round to select Williams in this year's draft.

Many believed he was the best tight end prospect this year. Williams led the Minnesota Golden Gophers with 36 catches, 569 yards and eight touchdowns this past season. 

While he will likely be a good NFL player, it's never safe to assume a rookie is ready for a full-time starting role. That would likely be the case if Pitta doesn't play next year.

It would essentially force Williams into a starting role, assuming he can beat out the unproven Crockett Gillmore for the job. It could lead to unnecessary growing pains he might not otherwise endure if he were able to develop and learn behind Pitta.

If nothing else, having Pitta could help with the development of Williams, even if the rookie is starting. And as mentioned in the previous slide, it's not like Baltimore has a ton of reliable pass-catchers.

Williams and Pitta may very well end up being two of the top pass-catchers in this offense if both play this year. Whatever happens, having a healthy Pitta playing would be a huge plus for Baltimore.