Strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders is building a better Baltimore Ravens team through the weight room and workouts. In his second season with the team, Saunders is changing up what has been considered the norm for team workouts by not pairing players together based on position, but by need.

“I think we’re doing it different that I’ve been aware that it’s been done in the past. It’s not just really broken down by position, it’s by physical needs,” Saunders said following one of the team’s workout sessions. “Some guys need size, some guys need to put on muscle, some guys need to lose fat, some guys have certain imbalances in their legs, some guys are posterior chain dominant and need leg strength around the knees.”

Based on the attendance and what we’ve seen so far, it appears to be working. Players are showing up and seemingly upbeat according to Saunders. “I think there’s a new found energy, a new found enthusiasm, certainly intensity,” Saunders said. “So we’re going to keep building on that for the next three weeks to nine weeks.”

Players like quarterback Joe Flacco and safety Eric Weddle have spoken highly of what they’re doing already. Weddle has even gone as far as to promise this will be the strongest Ravens team the franchise has known.

“Holy smokes, Steve is killing us in there with the running and the lifting,” Weddle said per the Ravens’ Garrett Downing. “I can guarantee you this: We will be the strongest, most in-shape Ravens team that this team has ever had.”

Part of what might be making this new workout work is Saunders also pairing players together to get the most motivation out of each participant. “What I tried to do was go through the roster of guys based on last year, based on who I saw this offseason and say ‘alright who can I pair together’ and there’s a leadership component to that.”

Not only are each players’ needs important, but teaming up veterans with the young guys gets them to impart their years of working knowledge to the next class of guys. That type of teamwork could pay off on the field.

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It seems like miles away from the football field, but a quality team is built in the offseason and the weight room. The Ravens appear to be doing it the right way.