After completing just 58.2 percent of his passes in 2018, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson knew he had some work to accomplish heading into his second year.
The Ravens have a new offensive scheme with coordinator Greg Roman, who said early in the offseason the offense would be tailored to Jackson's skill set as a dual-threat quarterback.
But Jackson took it upon himself to improve by working out with his receivers in Florida during the offseason and focusing on fundamentals, footwork and mechanics.
So, what's the early assessment with the first week of organized team activities, which involved three days of on-field work, in the books? By all accounts, Jackson appears improved and more than held his own by completing well-placed passes throughout the on-field session.
The signal-caller, though, provided a blunt critique on his three-day performance and knows he can do better.
"I'd say my first day, I sucked," Jackson told reporters Thursday, via the Ravens' official website. "Second day, I did better. ... Today was alright, but it could have been better. I always try and be perfect in practice. It was alright for the first week."
Jackson's desire to adjust his throwing mechanics currently involves spending time in the film room watching himself.
He told reporters that he has spotted some good, such as his hip firing like the coaching staff prefers, but he also identified an issue with how the ball still tends to wobble when it leaves his hands.
Remaining critical of what he's seen, Jackson provided a solution on what he needs to do in order to throw a tighter spiral.
"I would say my hand placement," Jackson said. "I feel like my hand will be a little too high on the football sometimes and that will make the ball go out of whack sometimes. A lot, not sometimes, a lot."
Meanwhile, Jackson's honest evaluation on where he stands now shouldn't cause alarm.
It is May, after all. And the Ravens still have seven days of OTAs remaining followed by a three-day mandatory minicamp from June 11-13 before training camps kick off in late July.
The good news is Jackson has identified what he must improve as he adjusts to a new offensive scheme with a desire to become a well-rounded quarterback.
"I want to focus on everything," Jackson said. "I don't feel like I have everything down pat. I'm not really confident in just saying, 'Oh, yeah, I'm good at this and I'm bad at that.' I'm bad at everything right now where we should be."
