Much has been made of the Baltimore Ravens' culture that Jesse Minter is building. He's helping his quarterback, Lamar Jackson, along by teaching him how a defensive coordinator thinks. He has shown that no man is above doing any task. Things are going well, and every message has hit the bullseye.
Throughout training camp, one word has surfaced repeatedly when he discusses the Ravens' identity: violence. That doesn't mean reckless play. That doesn't encompass unnecessary aggression. As Coach Minter suggested during a teaching moment for Jaylinn Hawkins,he's looking for 'controlled violence.'
It's an idea that has shown up in multiple position groups throughout camp, and rookie running back Adam Randall may be one of the clearest examples of what
Minter is talking about. The young tailback has made the most of his opportunities, showcasing a violent running style when needed. When the pads came on, Randall didn't change who he was.
Some young backs flash athleticism during offseason workouts and non-contact practices, only to look different when the physicality increases. Randall has done the opposite. The more contact the Ravens have introduced, the more noticeable he has become. Following Sunday's practice, one in which Minter's team was in pads, the head coach spoke with the media and pointed directly to Randall's physical running style when discussing what he's seen from the rookie.
"I think it has been really good, and it has gotten a little bit better each time we're in pads. [Adam Randall] runs behind his pads now, and the defenders... It is like Derrick [Henry], you know? It is like in a 'thud' period, I told Derrick, 'Man, it is really hard for me because I know there are some of these tackles that probably you're running through.' But we're thudding it up, so we're trying to obviously take care of him... With Randall, you kind of see that though, like a bigger back where maybe in a 'thud' tempo that play is blown dead, and now that we're tackling, he runs through an arm tackle, which you love to see."
The comparison to Derrick Henry is notable, even if Minter wasn't suggesting the rookie is the same player. What stood out was the trait being discussed.
Adam Randall is showing the traits the Ravens value
Both Henry and Randall are built to challenge defenders physically. Henry checks in at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds. Randall is also listed at 6-foot-3 and gives up only about 20 pounds. Both possess the size to create problems when defenders are forced to tackle them one-on-one.
For Baltimore, that matters. The Ravens already know what Henry brings to the offense. What they are discovering is that Randall may provide a similar mentality when called upon. That's an encouraging development for a team that wants to wear opponents down over four quarters. It's also convenient that when the Ravens need to protect one violent runner, they can potentially hand the ball to another.
Trust is being earned through physical football at Ravens camp
The most telling part of Minter's comments may have come at the end. The head coach noted that Randall's next opportunity is to "build trust and earn trust of the guys around him."
That trust isn't being earned through words. It's earned through reps, effort, and a willingness to finish runs the way Baltimore expects.
The preseason will provide Randall with a larger stage to continue making his case. For now, however, he appears to be checking one of the most important boxes a Ravens coach can ask of a young player. He's playing the style of football Baltimore wants to be known for, a style that has been synonymous with this team's play for most of its three decades of existence.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Adam Randall is earning trust by embodying Jesse Minter's vision
