Ravens DC stages medicine-ball contest

Jesse Minter closed a Baltimore Ravens OTA practice this week with a medicine-ball throwing contest between the offense and defense, adding a competitive drill to the end of the session. The practice took place in Owings Mills during the team’s voluntary organized team activities, and the drill was part of what Minter has described as a new end-of-practice period. Dev Panchwagh highlighted the sequence in a May 20 post, saying the goal was to sharpen players under pressure. The Ravens’ own coverage said the period is built around the phrase “at our best when our best is needed.” ### What exactly did Minter add to practice? The Ravens used a medicine-ball toss as a team competition, with offense and defense facing off at the end of practice. Baltimore Sun video from the session said the offense won the contest 3-0 and the losing side did push-ups. Associated Press pickup coverage of the OTA also described players from the offense and defense competing by throwing medicine balls after practice on a hot day in Owings Mills. (baltimoreravens.com) BaltimoreRavens.com said Minter introduced the period as part of a broader practice theme, “At Our Best When Our Best Is Needed.” The team site said he wants each practice to finish with a moment that creates stress, competition or consequence rather than ending on routine work. (youtube.com) ### Why was Dev Panchwagh focused on the drill? Dev Panchwagh wrote on May 20 that the contest was aimed at building mental resilience. In his post, he compared the approach to the situational work long associated with Bill Belichick, whose teams were known for drilling unusual game scenarios and pressure moments. The comparison was Panchwagh’s, not a statement from Minter in the material reviewed. (baltimoreravens.com) The Ravens’ own description of the new practice period supports that framing in narrower terms. BaltimoreRavens.com said the point is to have players perform when they are tired, hot or under competitive strain, which matches the “best when needed” language Minter used to describe the segment. (russellstreetreport.com) ### Was this just a gimmick, or part of a larger OTA pattern? Tuesday’s OTA in Owings Mills was the first open look at how Minter is running practice in his first offseason leading Baltimore. The Athletic reported that Minter has been looking for ways to bring out players’ best “when it’s needed,” while other coverage from the open workout pointed to a more varied and competitive structure at the end of practice. (baltimoreravens.com) The drill also fit the setting. BaltimoreRavens.com said the session ended after a 92-degree practice, giving the team a fatigue element before the competition began. That detail matters because the Ravens themselves presented the segment as a pressure exercise, not only as a light moment in spring workouts. (nytimes.com) ### Where does this fit on the NFL calendar? NFL offseason rules place OTAs in the spring as voluntary team workouts before mandatory minicamp. Ravens Wire’s May 12 schedule rundown said Baltimore’s OTA sessions were set for late May and early June, followed by mandatory minicamp in June. NFL.com’s 2026 schedule hub confirms the league is in its offseason program window ahead of the regular season. (baltimoreravens.com) The next public signs of whether the Ravens keep using the period will likely come in subsequent OTA reports from Owings Mills. Baltimore’s offseason program continues before mandatory minicamp in June, when Minter, his staff and players will have more on-field sessions to install practice routines and competitive periods. (ravenswire.usatoday.com)