What to watch for at the Ravens’ open practice at M&T Bank Stadium

The fanbase as a whole gets its first look at backup quarterback Matt Schaub Monday, at a practice that for better or worse could shape perceptions of him going forward. Schaub’s reputation certainly wasn’t sterling these last few seasons with the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders, and if he doesn’t impress the home fan base in this open practice and the upcoming preseason games, he might start off on the wrong foot here in Baltimore.

This group loses a little bit of its luster without rookie first-round pick Breshad Perriman and with Marlon Brown limited by a back injury, but no position will be under more scrutiny than this group Monday. Every throw to players like Kamar Aiken, Brown, Michael Campanaro, Jeremy Butler, and a host of others will be charted and analyzed, and a good showing in these conditions could be a huge benefit in the competition for playing time.

The Achilles heel of the 2014 Ravens has had mixed results in training camp this year, with returning players Lardarius Webb and Asa Jackson frequently targeted for completions in drills and 11 on 11. Such things traditionally favor the offense in training camp and practice — it’s incumbent on the defense not to get anyone injured — but even with that, this group will have something to prove, and might want to show fans early that they’re ready for a turnaround. Hamstring injuries to Rashaan Melvin and Tray Walker make this group a little thin, but it’s still worth checking out.

Though there’s no Perriman to see, fans will get plenty of looks at rookie running back Buck Allen. Allen has been a frequent pass target out of the backfield, and gets lots of looks in the ground game, as well. It might be difficult for him to unseat Lorenzo Taliaferro as the top reserve at the position, but the jostling between them in camp could be one of the most entertaining things to watch.

The Ravens spent the offseason hyping up outside linebacker Steven Means, and there’s been plenty of fan interest in last year’s training camp standouts Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore, both of whom missed 2014 with injuries. Add in emerging star Timmy Jernigan and rookie outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, and the Ravens have quite a stable of athletes to get after the quarterback with. Fans will get a look at them all Monday.