Tag: Baltimore Ravens training camp

Ravens QBs staying interception free at training camp

Through four training camp practices in pads, the Baltimore Ravens QBs haven’t thrown an interception in any team drills.

Training camp is the time when players try out new things. Quarterbacks will be a little more careless with their throws in an effort to find out what they can get away with while defensive backs will be a little more aggressive as they too need to know what will get them burned. With training camp practices being the time to press a little further, turnovers tend to come early and often. But not for the Baltimore Ravens, who have been perfect thus far in team drills.

Through four practices in front of the media, Baltimore’s quarterbacks have been interception free. That’s not for a lack of effort by the defense, however. In Friday’s practice, defenders got their hands on several passes and nearly came down with some big interceptions, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Cornerback Terrell Bonds nearly had a pick-six and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee tipped a pass of his own. But at least so far, Lamar Jackson and company have remained perfect in the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, according to Penn Live’s Aaron Kasinitz.

With Baltimore having one of the best offenses and defenses in the NFL last season, this battle between the two sides of the ball should remain fierce. Where in previous seasons, one unit was obviously better than the other, this year the team isn’t nearly as one-sided. Those close battles should make everyone better as it sets a higher baseline of play than what the Ravens will typically see on a weekly basis in the regular season.

It’s far too early in training camp to make any definitive statements about the team. But the offense’s lack of turnovers, while the defense is tipping passes, is a positive thing. Hopefully, that translates to the regular season and we see cleaner drives from the offense and more splash plays from the defense.

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Earl Thomas, Chuck Clark get into heated argument at practice

Baltimore Ravens safeties Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas needed to be separated after a heated argument went on too long at training camp

As training camp continues for the Baltimore Ravens, frustrations continue to rise for the players. For yet another day, tensions boiled over to the point of players needing to be separated.

Safeties Chuck Clark and Earl Thomas got into a heated exchange on the practice field at Under Armour Performance Center on Friday. Though neither reporters nor coach John Harbaugh knew what the argument was about, it did require people to get between the two defenders, according to Aaron Kasinitz of Penn Live,

Before people get too alarmed, this is a pretty normal thing at training camp. Seemingly every year guys get into it at practice. With the heat and humidity, as well as the nature of trying to improve and either win a roster spot or more playing time; things can sometimes get a little fiery. It happened earlier in the week as well, with rookie running back J.K. Dobbins getting into it with safety DeShon Elliott. As both Harbaugh and linebacker L.J. Fort noted following practice, these things happen. And I’m sure the coaching staff likes seeing a little fire from the players at this time of the year.

What makes this particular fight more interesting is it being between the starting safeties. It’s usual for players going up against each other rep after rep to get heated but for two guys on the same side of the ball who should be working together to get into that intense of an argument is an oddity. In my time covering the team, I can’t remember a previous instance of it happening between two players at the same position before.

While Harbaugh didn’t seem too alarmed over the argument itself, he did have a problem with how long it took. As Harbaugh continued to press after practice, the team needs to keep their eyes on the prize and prepare for the regular season and not let these moments affect the next reps.

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Ravens get OLB Jaylon Ferguson back at training camp, WR Kenjon Barner hurt

The Baltimore Ravens saw second-year outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson return to training camp after dealing with an injury this week.

The Baltimore Ravens have had a few bumps and bruises throughout training camp. Luckily (knock on wood), the Ravens have been fortunate to not have too many major injuries or too many injuries to key players. In fact, Baltimore actually returned outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson to practice on Friday, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Ferguson missed the first three padded practices of training camp with an undisclosed injury. While coach John Harbaugh said Monday the injury was “just normal training camp-type stuff,” Baltimore is expecting big things from Ferguson this year and needs him to get as many reps in practice as possible to live up to it. With a shortened offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic, every single practice carries a lot of importance.

The Ravens are Ferguson develops into a fearsome pass rusher this season. By not addressing outside linebacker through free agency or the 2020 NFL Draft, Baltimore effectively indicated they felt their young guys will develop into their roles and have more of an impact this season. While Tyus Bowser has impressed early at training camp, Ferguson’s absence has been noticed after such an impressive ramp-up period.

Defensive coordinator Don Martindale heaped heavy praise on Ferguson in the early stages of training camp. Martindale specifically called out Ferguson’s development in the second half of last season and said the full offseason of training has him starting off strong this year. With Ferguson getting back on the practice field in pads, the hope is he’ll continue to make strides in his development and become the impact player Baltimore saw when they selected him in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Ravens only saw Ferguson return to practice, still having wide receivers Chris Moore and Antoine Wesley, and tight end Eli Wolf out with their respective injuries. Late in practice, return specialist Kenjon Barner limped off the field after a big hit and didn’t return, according to Aaron Kasinitz of Penn Live. No update was given about his condition, however, so we’ll see if Barner returns to practice this weekend.

WATCH: Rookies dominate top plays of Ravens’ training camp 8/19

The young pass catchers for the Baltimore Ravens came up with some big plays but it was rookie James Proche’s catch that topped them all.

Baltimore’s passing attack was already deadly, as evidenced by last season’s dominance. But with an influx of offensive talent through the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens’ passing attack seems to be soaring to new heights.

Though it’s just the third day of padded practice at training camp for Baltimore, the rookie pass catchers were on fire. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay and running back J.K. Dobbins had some terrific catches and are looking more than capable of contributing this season. But it was James Proche laying out for a highlight-reel worthy reception from quarterback Robert Griffin III that might be the play of training camp thus far.

Don’t take my word for it, check out the plays and see for yourself.

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Ravens TE Eli Wolf, WR Antoine Wesley dealing with injuries

The Baltimore Ravens offense is having some early depth problems with WR Antoine Wesley and TE Eli Wolf suffering injuries at training camp.

The Baltimore Ravens are beginning to ramp up their training camp practices as they prepare for the regular season. As the intensity heats up, injuries often follow. On the third padded practice of training camp, Baltimore had a few new ones crop up.

Wide receiver Antoine Wesley was the newest absence from practice. Coach John Harbaugh said Wesley is dealing with a “shoulder situation,” with Wesley seeing a shoulder specialist. Harbaugh said they’re not sure if the injury will require surgery or not but preemptively noted Wesley’s likely to miss a few weeks.

Undrafted free agent tight end Eli Wolf was injured at the end of practice after a collision. While Harbaugh downplayed the injury, saying he didn’t think it was a serious issue, the team is waiting to hear about the extent of the injury once the training staff looks at him.

Wolf and Wesley join wide receiver Chris Moore, who has a broken finger, as the Ravens’ current injured player of training camp thus far. Baltimore placed cornerback Iman Marshall on injured reserve after he tore his ACL and MCL prior to pads coming on.

Wesley wasn’t expected to make the team, likely pushing for a spot on the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster. With the Ravens bringing in several wide receivers for workouts this week, Wesley’s injury might push Baltimore to cut him in favor of an unsigned free agent with time remaining in training camp. The Ravens have to be hoping the injury to Wolf isn’t very serious. While he’s an undrafted rookie, he’s in the competition for the third spot on the tight end depth chart.

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Dez Bryant says he doesn’t care about targets, he just wants to win

Seemingly trying to assuage fears, free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant indicated he doesn’t care about targets, only winning.

The Baltimore Ravens decided to bring free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant for a workout. If anyone was concerned Bryant had any of that primadonna attitude he displayed earlier in his career, they might be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Bryant has been called a distraction earlier in his career for antics including yelling at teammates and coaches for a lack of targets. But seemingly looking to assuage any fears about his attitude, Bryant has been active on social media talking about how he’s matured. Just before he gets a tryout with Baltimore, Bryant once again took to social media indicating he doesn’t care how many targets he gets, he just wants to win.

Bryant has been out of football since the 2017 season with the Dallas Cowboys. He tore his Achilles in 2018 with the New Orleans Saints before getting to play in a game there and wasn’t signed last year.

But when Bryant has been on the field, he’s been an outstanding wide receiver. Even his last season with the Cowboys, one of the worst of his career by most metrics, Bryant still put up 838 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. At his peak, Bryant caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014 — the last in a stretch of three years where he topped 1,200 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

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But with two years away, Bryant is at the point of his career where he needs to prove himself, both physically and mentally. The Ravens are undoubtedly going to put him through his paces to see if he can still perform on the field but they’re likely going to see if he’s really matured like he claims and can remain a pleasant teammate and mentor for a young wide receiver room. If Bryant is everything he says he is, he’ll look good in purple and black in 2020.

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Ravens work out WR Dwayne Harris, along with QB and punter

In addition to free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant, the Baltimore Ravens brought in Dwayne Harris, a quarterback, and a punter for workouts

The Baltimore Ravens are bringing in free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant for a workout this week. But he’s not alone.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Baltimore officially had wide receivers Dwayne Harris, Dez Bryant; punter Johnny Townsend; and quarterback Kenji Bahar in for tryouts. The workouts come a day after the Ravens placed cornerback Iman Marshall on injured reserve and coach John Harbaugh said wide receiver Chris Moore would miss a few weeks with a broken finger.

Harris has been in the league for quite some time, entering his 10th year in the NFL and looking for his fourth team. While Harris is listed as a wide receiver, he hasn’t really done much since 2016. Since that time, he’s caught eight passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. However, Harris has seen quite a lot of playing time on special teams and has been quite effective there.

Over his nine years in the league, Harris has returned 180 punts for 1,825 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also returned 163 kickoffs for 4,204 yards and a touchdown. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 after posting an impressive 10 yards-per-punt-return average and a 28.7 yards-per-kickoff-return average.

While Bryant has been the primary focus of these workouts, the addition of Harris points to Baltimore wanting to add yet another special teams player to the mix. The Ravens currently have several players fighting for the return specialist job and with Moore missing time, Baltimore could be looking for another productive gunner as well. Bryant has rarely played on special teams and likely isn’t interested in taking on that role at this stage of his career. But with only one roster spot currently available, that lack of versatility might mean Bryant needs to really impress in his workout to get a contract.

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WATCH: Sights and sounds of 1st padded practice of Ravens training camp

Monday marked the first time the Baltimore Ravens were in pads and the media could watch, giving us our first taste of football in 2020.

It’s finally time for real football. After months of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and wondering if there would even be football this season, players are back on the field and we’re just a little closer to normalcy.

After weeks of ramping up in shorts, the Baltimore Ravens finally kicked off the real portion of training camp on Monday. In pads for the first time this offseason, the players took to the Ravens’ training facility to prepare for the 2020 regular season. While it’s still pretty far from actual live games that matter or even the meat of training camp, it’s our first look at how Baltimore’s players are performing and what we might be able to expect for this season.

Since fans can’t be in attendance at training camp this year, I wanted to give you a taste of what’s going on at the Under Armour Performance Center.

It all starts with the players coming out of the building and onto the field in the morning. We’ll kick it off with the reigning MVP Lamar Jackson.

Linebacker Patrick Queen — the Ravens’ first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft — got on an NFL field for the first time in pads.

The first portion of practice is always individual drills. The players divide into their respective position groups to warm up and knock some of the rust of the previous day off under the care of their position coaches. For the linemen, it means the crisp sound of hands hitting the blocking sled.

For the skill position players, it’s fine-tuning the little thing like sideline catches and the transitions out of a backpedal.

 

After the individual drills are wrapped up, the offense and defense get into their own groups and practice heats up a little bit. For the offense, it means getting the wide receivers and quarterbacks on the same page, running plays without defenders in the way.

The whole team usually gets together for some quick 7-on-7 scrimmages later in the day as practice builds closer to what a game would look like. For the first day in pads, the biggest play of practice was a doozy. Jackson connected with Willie Snead on a deep bomb between two defenders.

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Ravens DB Iman Marshall needs surgery after major knee injury

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

The Baltimore Ravens are finally back on the grass in training camp ahead of the 2020 season this weekend. But not every player will be available to them as they look to build on last year’s 14-2 record and AFC North division title.

Second-year defensive back Iman Marshall suffered a “major knee injury” yesterday, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. The injury is thought to be a torn ACL and MCL, which Harbaugh said will require surgery. If that’s the case, Marshall’s season is likely over.

This is a terrible blow for Marshall after a disappointing rookie season in 2019. Marshall spent the first 10 weeks of the season on injured reserve after suffering an undisclosed injury in the preseason. He was activated prior to Week 11 but only appeared in three games before the end of the campaign, playing just four defensive snaps in total.

Baltimore’s cornerback room is arguably the strongest position on the Ravens’ roster, with two All-Pro players in Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey joining long-time veteran Jimmy Smith in the defensive backfield. Still, the loss of Marshall is a blow to the Ravens’ depth, especially with some questions still surrounding the health of Tavon Young who missed the whole of last season with a neck injury. If Baltimore finds themselves in need of a veteran to fill out the roster, Brandon Carr remains a street free agent. Carr spent the last three seasons with the Ravens, starting all 48 games.

In other injury news, wide receiver and key special teams player Chris Moore also suffered a broken finger over the weekend. This is the second year Moore has suffered a broken finger, which will make it harder for him to lock down his spot on the 53-man roster.

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Ravens C Matt Skura passed his physical

Less than a year after a gruesome knee injury that ended his season, Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura is set to return to the field.

Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura has been one of the more inspirational stories this offseason. After suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, Skura has worked incredibly hard to get back on the field. And as the Ravens put on pads for the first time, Skura will be able to do that. According to the league’s transaction report, Skura has passed his physical and can practice with the team.

Skura tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, and dislocated his knee cap on Nov. 25, in a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams. These types of knee injuries used to be career enders but now players routinely rehabilitate and return to the field about a year later, with it taking a little longer to actually get back up to 100% physically and mentally. Though Skura has been working hard, posting videos of his impressive workouts along the way, a return to the practice field in pads would be an impressive feat. It’s one Baltimore could really use as well.

Center is one of the few positions that have a bit of a competition at training camp. When Skura wasn’t expected to be back to 100% yet, it was figured the team would let guys like Patrick Mekari and Bradley Bozeman jockey for a potential starting spot. But if Skura truly is back, Baltimore’s coaching staff might be able to turn their attention to other competitions. They’d also return 10-of-11 starters from last season’s top-scoring offense.

In the 11 games Skura started for Baltimore last season, the offense put up 2,316 rushing yards combined (210.55 yards per game on average). That alone would have topped the entire NFL last season, not even counting the extra they put on in the final few weeks to break a 41-year old record. For his part, Skura was outstanding, earning a 68.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and allowing just one sack over 11 games.

As the Ravens truly open training camp for the first time this offseason, they’re seeing puzzle pieces come into place.

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