As far as the Ravens are concerned, the emphasis has changed from the retirement of quarterback Steve McNair to the pace and installation of a new offense.
Minicamps are about concepts and philosophy, and the Ravens were busy instilling them yesterday. Very busy.
New coach John Harbaugh has heard all the stories about how the Ravens' defense worked at a faster pace than the offense, so the offensive guys were setting their own tone yesterday.
The Ravens want the frenetic pace to carry over into the regular season.
"Cam Cameron half-jokingly implied that we should get to the ball faster than our own defense, or any defense we face," said Derrick Mason, the Ravens' veteran wide receiver, referring to the team's new offensive coordinator. "We want to be different than what this offense has been stereotyped the past 10 years."
The Ravens' defense has always had a stronger work ethic and a nastier demeanor than the offense, dating to the early days when the team moved from Cleveland to Baltimore in 1995.
Back then, safeties Eric Turner and Stevon Moore would nail runners on the opening day of training camp, trying to set a tone for the season. Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis has maintained the tradition.
But yesterday - and it was only Day Two of Minicamp, when legs are still fresh - you could tell the offensive players had gotten the message. They jumped from drill to drill. There wasn't much time for walking.
"When we get out here, we're going drill to drill to drill," said Kyle Boller, who is battling second-year player Troy Smith for the starting quarterback position. "There is not any wasted time. I have a meeting here in 20 minutes, and I have to throw in a lunch between that. The tempo has been a lot different.
"In the meetings, everything is very detailed. You've got to know it. They are not going to spoon-feed it to you. You've got to keep learning it. I think that's important. It makes guys be accountable, and that's what we need for our offense to be successful."
The minicamp is a time for learning for both players and coaches. They have to adjust to each other as well as to a new scheme and attitude.
The Ravens will run the West Coast offense, and the basic philosophy will apply. It's an offense predicated on short passes, which can be just as good as running plays.
But the Ravens know they will attack, instead of being attacked.
