There’s been a positive buzz surrounding the Baltimore Ravens heading into the 2024 season, especially after they signed Derrick Henry in free agency.
Tight end Mark Andrews believes adding the four-time Pro Bowl running back alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson will open up things for other playmakers.
"It's incredible, man,” Andrews said Saturday when Ravens veterans first reported to training camp, via team transcript. “When you have a guy like Derrick (Henry), and then you've got No. 8 (Lamar Jackson) in the backfield, it's ... we've been against Derrick so many times in the last seven years I've been playing here, so just knowing the type of player that he is, how tough he is and the type of game plans you have to have for a guy like Derrick. ... It's going to be all eyes on him and (No.) 8.
“So, for us, being around those guys, it's making the plays that are going to open things up for some really good things, which I'm excited about."
Henry, who is coming off his second-straight 1,000 rushing-yard season and fifth overall, is the type of veteran workhorse that Baltimore hasn’t had dating back to when Jackson was drafted in 2018. Joining a Ravens offense that led the league in rushing in 2023 (156.5 yards per game), Henry will no doubt garner attention from defenses in 2024, including the dual-threat QB handing him the ball.
The Ravens excelled during offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s first season, ranking sixth in total yards per game (370.4) and fourth in points per game (28.4) during what was Jackson's second MVP-winning campaign. The Ravens earned the league's best record and secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, however, Baltimore fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Andrews, who's season derailed due to ankle and leg injuries, managed to return in the AFC title game but saw little impact. He played in nine games, racking up 45 receptions, 544 receiving yards (the lowest total of his career) and six touchdowns before the injury. The veteran tight end is feeling healthier with training camp underway, and he also says he feels more comfortable heading into Year 2 of Monken’s offense.
"It's great. It's only going to evolve more and more, I think, as guys get more comfortable -- as always, in Year 2, after having an offense and learning it,” Andrews said. “Things are new, you're trying to figure out who you are as an identity. And I think right now, we've got a really clear picture of what we want to be, how we want to operate and be efficient and give the tools to Lamar (Jackson) and Coach 'Monk' (offensive coordinator Todd Monken) to be in the best play at all times. And yes, it's going to evolve, it's going to look a little bit different, but I think it's going to be really well polished."
The Ravens return largely the same pass-catching unit this season with second-year wide receiver Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, plus tight ends Isaiah Likely and Andrews. Henry's addition figures to bring opportunity for the group in 2024 as Baltimore looks to get over the hump.