ExtremeRavens Posted June 12 Posted June 12 Ravens coach John Harbaugh has said several times that he expects Rashod Bateman to have a breakout season, but the fourth-year wide receiver hasn’t shown that type of ability so far this offseason. In fact, during the second practice of a three-day mandatory minicamp Wednesday, Bateman and quarterback Lamar Jackson lacked timing on several passes, and there were times when Bateman seemed frustrated. Haven’t we seen this before? Look no further than at the beginning of last season, when Bateman’s body language told the story of how he seemed to be the forgotten receiver behind Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and tight end Mark Andrews. He sulked through the early part of the season but still managed 36 receptions for 408 yards and a touchdown. It was good enough for the Ravens to sign the 2021 first-round draft pick to a three-year, $15 million contract extension April 24. But on Wednesday, Bateman seemed irritated when Jackson threw to the opposite side of the field when he was open and then showed frustration when he was part of a clearing route for another receiver. In the last three team periods of the practice, Bateman didn’t participate. Maybe it was because he was injured, but he stood alone for quite some time with a towel draped over his head. By the end of the practice, Bateman and Jackson were standing on the sideline joking with each other. With training camp set to open in about another six weeks, maybe Bateman will show more enthusiasm in practice and a willingness to do whatever it takes for the Ravens to win. Then again, who knows. But this has been far from having a breakout season at this point, especially for a receiver who has the size and speed to become one of the best in the AFC. Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Rasheem Ali carry out a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill during a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back Owen Wright during a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back coach Willie Taggart talks with Justice Hill during a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, right, work with linemen at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back coach Willie Taggart demonstrate a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris, right, talk with linemen at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back coach Willie Taggart, left, talks with wide receiver Zay Flowers at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens rookie running back Chris Collier carry out a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Baltimore Ravens running back coach Willie Taggart, right, setting up a drill at mandatory minicamp in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff)Show Caption of Expand Humphrey on hold? Starting cornerback Marlon Humphrey didn’t practice with the team Wednesday. That’s not surprising, especially with the star cornerback having missed so much time the past few seasons because of injuries, but he did practice Tuesday. Humphrey spent a lot of time stretching and working out on the far lower field during individual periods Wednesday, so the guess is that Harbaugh will address his absence, especially if Humphrey doesn’t practice Thursday. The speculation here is that if either of the team’s 2024 draft picks at cornerback — first-round pick Nate Wiggins or fourth-round selection T.J. Tampa — play well, then Humphrey will become a salary cap cut next season. Humphrey, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is expected to make $14 million in base salary in the 2025 season. Take a lap I still like it when Harbaugh goes old school and makes players run a lap when they jump offsides or commit a false start. It’s like something you see in the Pee Wee League, but it’s still effective. Ask second-year guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. He had a false start early in practice. Bye. Don’t stop believing Every year I get excited about cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis. The 2022 fourth-round pick has good size at 6 feet 1 and 197 pounds and decent speed. He looks the part and has been impressive thus far in practice, but the former Alabama star can’t stay healthy. He has played in only 12 games the past two seasons. Since this is Year 3, the guess here is that his body has physically matured and he should be ready to handle an increased workload. Right? Pick play The worst interception of the day was thrown by rookie quarterback Devin Leary, who stared down tight end Riley Sharp and then had his late pass picked off by cornerback Bump Cooper Jr., who ran untouched for about 30 yards for a touchdown. And yes, his name is Bump Cooper. That doesn’t get any better for a cornerback. Bump & Run. Showing potential Fourth-year receiver Tylan Wallace had several outstanding catches across the middle in which he snagged balls with his hands outstretched instead of allowing the passes to get into his body. That wasn’t always the case with Wallace in the past. He also looks leaner and lighter and might contribute more than just on special teams. It’s great to see a receiver attack the ball. Where’s the beef? My apologies from the former Ravens defensive players who attended practice Tuesday and said the NFL no longer has “big butt” tackles such as former Ravens Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams. Both current nose tackles, Michael Pierce and Travis Jones, are some “thick” young men. Salute A tip of the cap goes to veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet. An errant pass on the sideline went over the head of a receiver and hit a young Ravens fan who was sitting in a chair watching practice. I thought Maulet would give the kid the ball, but he threw it back on the practice field. Bad move. Later in practice, Maulet was on the sideline talking with the kid and might have given him his practice gloves. Well done, Mr. Maulet. Nice catch Every practice, tight end Isaiah Likely has one of those magical moments in which he makes a one-handed catch over the middle. This time, it was about a 40-yard gain on a high pass thrown by Jackson that Likely snatched out of the sky with one hand. The only catch that was better came from undrafted rookie receiver Isaiah Washington, who hauled in a touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone as he wrestled the ball away from cornerback Ka’dar Hollman. Offensive line competition The competition for a starting spot on the offensive line has been tough this offseason, and offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris expects it to get tougher in training camp. The Ravens are looking for two starters at guard and one a right offensive tackle. “You know what, I’ve seen good competition,” D’Alessandris said. “I’ve seen each guy working, and I move them around quite a bit — for their benefit and also for our benefit — because the more they can do, guess what, [they] get to stay in this league longer, because you can play multiple positions, and they’ve all accepted that role and that opportunity. “Andrew [Vorhees] is doing a great job. ‘Sala’ [Aumavae-Laulu] is doing a good job. Josh Jones is doing a good job. Ben [Cleveland] is doing a good job inside there, so you just keep seeing all these young men doing it, and the good news is, this is the time of year where you’re learning assignment, communication [and] playing fast. The contact is not there. That’s going to come. Training camp is what that’s built for along with games. Then, we’ll see how it plays out from there.” At one point in practice, though, Cleveland, a fourth-year guard, was off the main field practicing with what we call “the junior varsity.” That’s not a good sign. Earlier this season, Harbaugh had said Cleveland was expected to challenge for a starting job. Hmm… View the full article Quote
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