John Harbaugh Praises Ravens Player Development System

"I just think we have a really good system," Harbaugh said. "We have great scouts. [Executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta]'s obviously a great leader. He's been doing it here for a long time. We've had a lot of success with the undrafted free agents, and we had people who were tryout guys that are in contention to make the team this year. That doesn't always happen. I'm sure there are guys in contention to make the team that other teams didn't even have on their list at all."

One of those tryout players that Harbaugh was referring to who has positioned himself to earn a roster spot on this year's team is rookie corner Keyon Martin, who went undrafted out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

The Ravens were the only team to offer him a chance to prove himself on a tryout basis at rookie minicamp, and he parlayed that into a spot on the 90-man roster. Fast-forward through training camp and phenomenal final two weeks of the preseason, where he stood out on defense and special teams, and now it would be a shock if he didn't make the team.

"It shows you how deep we dig," Harbaugh said. "I think we have a really good system that has been built with deep foundations here, and we operate at a really high level. I also think that we work hard. We develop our players, we bring them in, and we give them reps."

"We're not practicing for [only] an hour and 10 minutes out here. We're out here; we're giving these guys reps; we're giving them walkthroughs; we've got meetings for these guys; we've got extra meetings for the young guys. We try to develop them, because we think if you sign with the Ravens, you should get coached, and you should get every opportunity to have a fair shot. It's not just a token opportunity, [it's] a real opportunity."

For the past three decades since the franchise's inception, Baltimore has been a popular destination for priority undrafted free agents because unlike in some places, it's a true meritocracy. They give the players who perform the best and are the most consistent more reps and chances to prove themselves, regardless of draft or veteran status.

"It helps you bring in guys next year for sure," Harbaugh said. "If I'm an agent, I want to send them to Baltimore, because they're going to get coached, and they're going to have a chance. It also makes your camp better, and when your camp's better [from] top to bottom, you have better practices from top to bottom. So, the 'Lamar [Jackson]s' and those guys, they get better practice, too, because they're going against better players who are better prepared, who are coached better and who know what they're doing. In the end, it makes your whole team better."

These core institutional beliefs and practices are not only what make the Ravens one of the deepest and strongest rosters in the preseason, but they also prepare them to be perennial contenders to win the Super Bowl in any given year. As long as their two-time league MVP quarterback is healthy and they're not absolutely decimated by injuries around him, their high-quality depth can make up for most losses.