Marlon Humphrey sees Ravens defensive swagger returning

The Baltimore Ravens have spent much of training camp talking about standards. It's a constant conversation. It's one we hear before and after every workout session and during every subsequent interview.

Head coach Jesse Minter has repeatedly emphasized physicality, competition, and attention to detail. Veteran players and assistants have echoed those themes throughout the summer. After two joint practices against the Minnesota Vikings, Marlon Humphrey offered perhaps the clearest indication yet that those messages are beginning to take hold.

Following Thursday's session, he spoke with the media. He was asked whether the defense is starting to regain the swagger that has long defined some of Baltimore's best units. His answer was revealing.

""I will be honest, I have been here a pretty long time. I cannot remember in all my years of practice that we have had [a practice] as good as yesterday. I think the one concern was we lost the two-minute drive on back-to-back days, but I have just really never been a part of a practice as electric as we had yesterday..."

That's not a casual observation. Humphrey is entering his 10th NFL season. He has played for division champions, playoff teams, and defenses loaded with Pro Bowl and All-Pro talent. For a player with that perspective to single out a training camp practice as one of the best he can remember says something about the energy Baltimore brought to Minnesota.

Humphrey pointed to several factors that stood out during the two-day session. Baltimore's secondary spent much of the week matching up with one of the league's most talented receiving groups, led by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The veteran cornerback welcomed the challenge.

"When I think of guys that are extremely hard to guard, Justin Jefferson is definitely in that top four."

Humphrey acknowledged that receivers of that caliber will make plays. What encouraged him was how the Ravens responded. He praised the communication throughout the secondary and repeatedly referenced the energy surrounding the defense.

"The energy level from guys on the field, on the sideline, we were all just really connected."

That connection became a recurring theme throughout his media session.

"If we do not lose that two-minute, it is an A-plus-plus day. [We are working on] getting that swagger back. I think the good thing is when we came in the spring, the coaches kind of set the standard of what it is going to be, and I think a lot of guys have just really bought in. All the guys have really just bought in, and I think if we continue to buy in like that and we just work together the way we are working right now."

Humphrey has never shied away from discussing the Ravens' defensive expectations. He has also been willing to acknowledge when the unit fell short of them. That's what made another portion of his answer particularly noteworthy.

",I think that [is the] standard that we have kind of been chasing and that we have just really let go. I have spoken to that in the past. I think it can definitely be back, and we can be rolling."

Humphrey wasn't suggesting Baltimore has suddenly arrived because of two productive practices in August. Instead, he described a defense working its way back toward an identity that once felt routine inside the organization. His comments also echoed what Minter has been saying throughout camp.

Earlier this week, the Ravens' head coach once again expressed confidence in Humphrey and reiterated what he's said since his arrival. The organization's belief in the veteran cornerback never wavered despite some of last season's frustrations. Minter has consistently pointed to Humphrey's competitiveness, physicality, and leadership as reasons Baltimore expected him to bounce back. Humphrey's performance against the Vikings seemed to reinforce that belief. More importantly, his comments suggested he sees something larger developing around him.

The Ravens still have plenty of work ahead before September arrives. Yet if a veteran who has played under multiple coaching staffs and alongside some of Baltimore's best defenses believes the standard is returning, that observation carries weight. For Humphrey, the encouraging part wasn't simply winning reps against Minnesota. It was seeing a defense begin to resemble the one he believes it can become again.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Marlon Humphrey sees Ravens defensive swagger returning