Ja’Wuan James Returning to Football

Ja’Wuan James has had quite the history when it comes to injuries, spending a fair amount of time out due to what mostly seems to be his knees. But a horror Achilles Tendon injury in May 2021 while still with the Broncos saw James miss the season and forced him into Surgery. Fast forward to June 2021 and James would go on to sign a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Well, James has finally managed to return to the field after a long and grueling recovery and he will be hoping he’s game ready by September 11th as the Ravens take on the Jets in their opening fixture of the season.

There are still 3 preseason games to go but given the fact James has only JUST started to get back to a position where he can get on the field, it will still likely be a little while before he’s ready to suit up and play. We don’t really know when he’ll play and even the best of us can get things wrong. If he can get the gears moving smoothly again we may see him against the newly rebranded Washington Commanders but in my opinion, it’s very important to have a veteran presence in your offensive line, so is it worth risking getting James back in the lineup too early? It may be best to wait until he is back to full fitness instead and have him ready for when it truly matters.

It’s not like the Ravens are lacking in Offensive tackle anyway, they still have Daniel Faalele, Jaryd Jones-Smith, Patrick Mekari, Morgan Moses, and David Sharpe. A good mix of young and old heads in that lineup, some more experienced than others but plenty to rotate through. But if James can get back to full fitness, he’s likely going to be partnered up with Patrick Mekari who has been making a name for himself for the Ravens over the last few seasons and the higher-ups clearly think he’s got a long future with the franchise after giving him another 3-year deal in December. But what about the rest of the squad?

At quarterback, Lamar Jackson has been kind of under the microscope a little in recent seasons, but honestly, the man is a victim of his own success. After countless awards at the college level and being named the 2019 MVP, it goes without saying that expectations would be high for the Florida-born QB, but he hasn’t quite hit those levels again since. Now he has rookie Anthony Brown, picked up from the Oregon Ducks by the Ravens in May this year. There is potential there and if he can learn from those around him the Ravens could have something interesting on their hands.

And then there’s the defensive line. The Ravens haven’t exactly been anything special in defense, a bit above average but if they’re wanting to take it to the next level they’re going to be wanting players like Michael Pierce and Travis Jones to help them step up. Not to mention they’ve picked up the promising Rookie Travis Jones. Could it be the shake-up the defensive lines have needed?

So what can we expect from the Ravens this season? Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012 they haven’t particularly had the best of times. Only making the playoffs 4 times since and not doing great in any of their attempts. It seems like the experts aren’t expecting much from them as we’re looking at around 16-20/1, a lot of sportsbooks have them tied at around 8-10th favorites to take home the glory.

Check out BetMGM Maryland sportsbook odds for the NFL Season, Ravens to take home the AFC Championship you’re looking at somewhere in the region of 9/1 which isn’t that bad actually. For winning their division, on the other hand, most sportsbooks have them as favorites to take the AFC North at around 8/5, just ahead of the Bengals who come in at 19/10. But what about individual honors?

Lamar Jackson is sitting at 22/1 to be offensive player of the year, the quarterback will be looking to improve on his performances from the last 2 seasons, he has fallen off a little since being named the AP NFL MVP in 2019. In terms of defense, I was actually more interested in Travis Jones, there has been a lot of hype surrounding the rookie and those in and around the club seem more than happy with him, but it looks like, in terms of odds on becoming a defensive rookie of the year, he seems way down the pecking order, being given a massive 66/1 to get the award.

I think the Ravens are a team with quality all over the field, they have the potential to challenge and though on paper there are better teams out there, sport never really works like that does it? Anybody can achieve anything under the right circumstances. Is it time for the Ravens to get back to their best? I think they have it in them to cause a few upsets this season and if they can set a platform to build on, the future could be pretty bright for the Maryland based Franchise.

It’s safe to say that the Ravens will have a lot of work to do to get back to the very top, to get back to where their fans believe they deserve to be. But a veteran presence like Ja’Wuan James could be the ticket to kick-starting their offensive line. Sure that’s just one part of the game but if they can get things to click in that department it’s just one less worry moving into the upcoming season. So, Ravens fans, what are you expecting? Think you’ll make a playoff run? Is setting up for the future something you’d rather see? Let us know!