An impressive deep-ball connection between Lamar Jackson and Sammy Watkins was one of the highlights of Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp practice.
Jackson lofted a pass down the sideline that traveled more than 50 yards. Watkins accelerated as he tracked the ball in the air, snared the pass with his fingertips and cradled it into his arms without breaking stride.
It looked like Jackson and Watkins had been teammates for years, and it’s the kind of play they hope to make often this fall. Since Watkins signed as a free agent in March, the veteran receiver has made it a priority to build chemistry with Jackson.
He joined the Ravens’ quarterback for several days of workouts in Arizona along with Mark Andrews, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and J.K. Dobbins. Then Tuesday and Wednesday at mandatory minicamp, Watkins had two strong days of practice, and Jackson is clearly pleased to have Watkins as a new target.
“A big receiver, a nice target, fast guy,” Jackson said. “Sammy’s going to make our job a lot easier, open up one side of the field more, his deep ball ability, shiftiness and route running. He’s a great receiver. I just can’t wait until we start going for real.”
Watkins has seven years of NFL experience playing for three different teams. However, every offense has unique qualities, and Watkins has spent OTAs and mandatory minicamp getting a feel for how he’ll be utilized in Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman’s attack. Moving from the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense to Baltimore’s is an adjustment, but the faster Watkins feels comfortable, the quicker he can run routes without hesitation.
“Honestly, I’ve played in numerous offenses, but this one is very complex,” Watkins said. “It’s a lot of motion, a lot of moving around. Greg can put you in a lot of different places, and honestly, I’m learning from the young guys right now. They’re kind of helping me, putting me in certain spots, and I’m learning certain routes from them, so hats off to those guys. I think that’s the most critical thing – to learn the offense to where I can play fast, block and do all the things I can do on the field.”
Head Coach John Harbaugh has been impressed watching Watkins make plays on a consistent basis during practices. Training camp is still more than a month away, but the Watkins is making the transition to a new team look seamless so far.
“He’s a veteran player so he knows how to pace himself up to the season,” Harbaugh said. “You can see him doing that. That’s what you look for. He’s right on schedule. He and Lamar are getting the groove a little bit, too. Very happy with Sammy, very excited about him.”
