Getty Images

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has never been one to organize offsite workouts with his receivers, something other quarterbacks have commonly done.

But playoff appearances aren’t common in Baltimore lately, so perhaps it’s time for a change.

The Ravens quarterback said he planned to hold a pre-training camp camp with his new receivers, which is something coach John Harbaugh specifically asked for earlier this offseason. From the Manning brothers at Duke to Mark Sanchez and Jets West, quarterbacks have been convening offsite for years but Flacco has resisted the trend.

Making it more helpful is the fact the Ravens turned over their receiving corps this offseason, adding Michael Crabtree and John Brown, and subtracting Mike Wallace, Jeremy Maclin and Michael Campanaro.

“There’s no doubt, that stuff is important and we’ll do it. I’ve already talked about it with John and Mike,” Flacco said, via Jeff Zrebeic of the Baltimore Sun. “I think sometimes those things are just as much or more about developing a relationship with those guys and developing that trust, and for those guys to see that I really like who they are as football players and for them to see hopefully they like who I am as a football player. I think when you can get that relationship going, that’s going to help your football team out a ton.”

The 33-year-old Flacco’s physical condition helps make him available, after he missed training camp last year with back problems, and the team never really came together. The Ravens have missed the postseason three straight years and four of their last five, so it’s time for things to change. They made a concerted effort to shake things up, adding the free agent duo (and perhaps more help is on the way).

“I’ve gotten the chance to watch Michael up close a few times and the physicality that he brings; his route running, too, just how much strength he runs them with. He seems to be able to do a lot of the things,” Flacco said. “You can tell just by throwing with him a couple of times, he’s smooth.

“With John, a couple of years ago when he really came on the radar, you got to see just what he can do, game breaking with his speed and all that. I almost hate to bring up his speed just because I really do think he’s a really good wide receiver. After talking with our quarterbacks coach, James [Urban], and a couple of guys around the building, they really, really believe he’s the real deal. I’m excited about him. The same thing throwing with him. You can see what he has and I’m excited about it.”

Of course, this is a big offseason for Flacco for other reasons. The Ravens have been sniffing around some potential draft picks at the position, and a run of lackluster performances could have them thinking about making changes in the future.