ExtremeRavens Posted 21 hours ago Posted 21 hours ago The Ravens are close to full health for Sunday’s home opener against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike returned to practice Thursday as a limited participant after missing Wednesday’s session with an ankle injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) also practiced fully after being limited Wednesday. Tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) and fullback/tight end Patrick Ricard (calf) remained out, likely keeping them on the sideline for the second consecutive game. Likely had surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot in late July and Ricard has not practiced since the middle of August, though coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he expected the five-time Pro Bowl selection to return this week. But perhaps the biggest intrigue comes on Cleveland’s side. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins practiced Thursday for the first time since mandatory minicamp in June. Judkins was at the Browns’ complex in Berea, Ohio, on Monday and Tuesday getting back up to speed and in New York on Wednesday meeting with NFL officials as part of an investigation into a potential violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Judkins signed with the Browns last Saturday. The second-round draft pick from Ohio State missed all of training camp after he was accused of domestic violence in Florida. Prosecutors declined to pursue a case against him on Aug. 14 following a state attorney’s office investigation that found inconsistencies in the accuser’s story. “We’ve been able to work with him physically over the last few days,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday. “He appears to be in very good shape, but I think it’s important that we take this day-by-day.” Fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson got the start in Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and had only 29 rushing yards on 12 carries. Jerome Ford was held to 8 yards on six attempts. “We’ll take it day-by-day to see how he continues to progress in practice,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees told reporters Thursday. “It takes some extra work to make sure that we can catch him up after a Wednesday practice, but Thursdays and Fridays are really pivotal days throughout the week, so finding ways to make sure we give him the proper work to give him an opportunity.” Judkins, a transfer from Ole Miss, rushed for 3,785 yards and 45 touchdowns while catching 59 passes for 442 yards in three college seasons. The 6-foot, 221-pound Judkins was considered one of the top running backs in the draft, with analyst Lance Zierlein describing him as a “productive runner possessing good size and great contact aggression.” His potential return would be a significant boost for an offense led by former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. “Yeah, I mean, for us to play well, we have to be able to run the ball better than we did in Week 1,” Stefanski said. “We have to perform better as players. We have to give them a better plan. As coaches, you need to strain a little bit more. You have to use technique a little bit more. It’s all the little things that add up to being a big thing when you talk about having rushing success.” The Browns had four players limited at Thursday’s practice: offensive tackles Jack Conklin (eye, elbow) and Dawand Jones (knee), defensive tackle Michael Hall (knee) and cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder, Achilles tendon). Guard Joel Bitonio returned after getting a day off Wednesday. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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