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There's not a ton that you can learn from the opening minicamp of the offseason.
The practices are non-contact, drills aren't always done at full-speed, and the rookies haven't had time to get a firm grasp of the new system they'll be working in.
Despite all that, you can definitely pick up on some trends by watching a few days of practice in a row.
I wrote up a few observations after Friday's minicamp; here are some more notes now that the minicamp has come to a close:
- I wrote yesterday that Donte' Stallworth feels like getting into Ravens headquarters early this offseason to work out with the team has helped ease the transition process for him, and it looks like that extra work has paid off. Stallworth looked comfortable this weekend, and made a handful of nice grabs over the three-day session.
- Rookie tight end Ed Dickson looked pretty sharp this weekend in his first pro practices. He showed his ability to stretch the field, and has nice hands in traffic. He also seems like a nice, respectful guy; everything is "Yes, sir" or "No, sir" when you're talking with the Oregon product.
- Terrell Suggs looks like he's slimmed down a bit this offseason, and he showed good speed getting into the backfield on a number of plays over the weekend. He might still benefit from losing a few more pounds, however.
- Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron showcased a handful of trick plays over the course of the minicamps. I thought it was interesting that he would choose to unleash some of the more complicated plays this early in the offseason, but it made the sessions more interesting, for sure.
- It was good to see Jarret Johnson back and running around a little bit early in the camps. Johnson, who played much of the 2009 season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, had arthroscopic surgery this offseason to fix the injury. He did some light work early on in minicamp, and then spent some time mentoring rookie Sergio Kindle, who got reps in Johnson's stead.
- Free-agent cornerback Travis Fisher impressed during a tryout this weekend, and head coach John Harbaugh had some positive things to say about the eight-year veteran after the conclusion of the minicamp. It's a good bet that Fisher is signed at some point soon.
- 2009 fifth-round linebacker Jason Phillips is back and practicing in full after spending last season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury, and he looked good. Phillips, who will compete for a roster spot at inside linebacker, stepped into a passing lane on Saturday and nearly had an interception on a bullet of a pass over the middle.
