ExtremeRavens Posted July 31 Posted July 31 After four straight days of fully padded practices, the Ravens dressed down for a slightly less intense day in the heat. In the midst of a six-day practice run that concludes Saturday, Wednesday proved to be just as critical as the offense had an up and down day, injury news came from both sides of the ball and the secondary stood out once again, proving coach John Harbaugh and his staff might have some tough decisions to make before finalizing the 53-man roster. Here are some observations from Wednesday’s practice: Offense does well against the blitz; Lamar Jackson shows command Harbaugh said the offense was working on third-and-long situations, which provided an opportunity for two things: shots down the field for the offense and chances to blitz for the defense. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and his unit performed well against the blitz as the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player found tight end Isaiah Likely open a couple of times for some big gains. Jackson also connected with wide receiver Zay Flowers deep over the middle despite being “pressured” by several blitzing defensive backs. “We had a big blitz period where the offense hit numerous plays downfield, so, that was important to see,” Harbaugh said. “It was good to see [that] the ball was coming out quick and executing like we need to against that pressure. That’s a big step for us.” Ravens training camp, July 31, 2024 | PHOTOS The two best highlights from practice came when Jackson threw a touchdown pass to an eligible offensive lineman and quarterback-turned-receiver Malik Cunningham hauled in a pass from backup Josh Johnson down the sideline for a huge gain. Jackson also stood out in a hurry-up drill, showing more command and mastery of offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system as they enter Year 2 together. Mental mistakes hamper offensive linemen, pass catchers When offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris speaks, everyone listens. When he screams or gets frustrated, everyone listens. With the offensive line still a work in progress as the Ravens look to replace three starters, D’Alessandris was seen laying into Daniel Faalele for what he called “multiple missed assignments,” one of which led to a sack of Johnson as a defender came through the line untouched. The mistakes continued Wednesday, as it was rookie center Nick Samac’s turn to take a lap after committing a false start. Mental errors were not just limited to the linemen as the receivers and running backs took a minute to find their groove in the heat, starting the day with several dropped passes that could be attributed to a mere lapse in concentration. One of those drops came from running back Derrick Henry, who hasn’t always looked sharp catching the ball out of the backfield compared with Justice Hill. Camp battle underway once again Fans who were at training camp last season saw Kyle Hamilton’s “welcome to the NFL” moments come from an unlikely source as the Notre Dame safety battled with a blossoming tight end all summer long. This year, the battle between Likely and Hamilton has been fun to watch as they find themselves matched up quite often in team drills as well as during one-on-ones, with each getting the better of the other throughout camp. Much like left tackle Ronnie Stanley versus outside linebacker David Ojabo on the outside, center Tyler Linberbaum versus defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and Michael Pierce on the interior or any receiver versus cornerback Marlon Humphrey, the battle between Hamilton and Likely is one fans in attendance are treated to everyday. And both players are getting noticeably better because of it. Who stays, who goes in a suddenly crowded secondary? At this time last year, the Ravens might have looked at some fans in the stands with some size and athleticism and asked them to play in the secondary. This year, they have the opposite problem. The strength of the secondary was once again on display Wednesday as defensive coordinator Zach Orr sent anyone he could to hunt on blitzes. The unit has stood out all summer, with Humphrey praising rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins and others on several occasions. Veteran safety Eddie Jackson said he hasn’t seen a room this deep since his national championship days at Alabama. Harbaugh has lauded the growth and potential of the now-healthy duo of Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion “Pepe” Williams and the importance of bringing back cornerback Arthur Maulet. “I felt like he wanted to be here, and we wanted him back,” Harbaugh said. “It’s one of these things, sometimes the right players are looking for the right team, and I feel like Arthur was the right player for us, and we were the right team for him.” Even cornerback Brandon Stephens chimed in on what he sees from the group. “We have guys that can play all sorts of positions — from the top down, to be honest,” he said. “You put guys in different positions you never know … the offense can never know what’s being thrown at them, so being able to have guys that can play multiple positions definitely is in our favor.” But the NFL is a numbers game at the end of the day, and while several defensive backs have been playing well these past couple of weeks, there simply isn’t enough room to keep everyone. And that’s a great problem for Orr, Harbaugh and the front office to have. Injury updates: Tough break for hometown player Harbaugh looked down at the ground in disappointment as he updated everyone on the status of Baltimore native Malik Hamm. “He has a clean ACL tear, so it does mean he’s out for the season, but it also means it bodes well for a very good recovery.” Harbaugh said of the former Lafayette and City College star. As Hamm goes on injured reserve for the second straight season, eyes were also on receiver Rashod Bateman, who didn’t practice Tuesday and left practice early Wednesday after taking a couple of reps. Harbaugh downplayed the injury, describing it as a “soft tissue issue he’s trying to nurse through.” Harbaugh also said that cornerback Trayvon Mullen suffered a shoulder subluxation that will cost the 2019 second-round pick a couple of weeks. Baltimore Sun reporter Brian Wacker contributed to this article. View the full article Quote
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