OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After a late-summer run of injuries, the Ravens are again moving in the right direction from a health standpoint just days ahead of the 2018 season opener.
Tight end Hayden Hurst (foot) and defensive tackle Willie Henry (hernia surgery) were the only members of the 53-man roster not to participate in the first full practice of the week in preparation for Buffalo. Neither will play against the Bills on Sunday, but depth concerns at cornerback and inside linebacker were eased Wednesday by the returns of Maurice Canady and rookie Kenny Young. Both practiced on a limited basis after missing recent action.
With Jimmy Smith suspended for the first four games of the season, Canady is projected to be the top backup outside cornerback behind starters Brandon Carr and Marlon Humphrey, but he’d been sidelined since sustaining a thigh injury in a joint practice with Indianapolis on Aug. 17. The third-year defensive back finished last season as the primary nickel corner, but he’s primarily practiced on the outside this summer.
Young, a fourth-round pick out of UCLA, suffered a minor knee injury in the preseason finale against Washington last week, but he remains in competition with incumbent Patrick Onwuasor for the starting weak-side inside linebacker spot next to three-time Pro Bowl selection C.J. Mosley. This marks the second straight year in which Baltimore enters the season with a timeshare at that spot after Onwuasor competed for the job with former second-round pick Kamalei Correa early in 2017.
“He’s earned where he is right now,” said Mosley of Young. “Him and ‘Peanut’ both are doing a good job coming in and subbing in for each other. It can be hard sometimes because you want to get in a groove in a game, especially in the preseason, but they’re taking split-reps. That just comes with the talent that they both bring to the table. At some point, one of them is going to have to take that leap. Maybe it won’t be sooner than later, but as long as they’re doing the right things, I’m good with both of them on the field.”
Below is Wednesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DT Willie Henry (abdomen), TE Hayden Hurst (foot)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: CB Maurice Canady (thigh), LB Kenny Young (knee)
BUFFALO
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: WR Ray-Ray McCloud (knee), LB Julian Stanford (nose)
All but two Ravens practice ahead of Sunday's season opener
Luke Jones
Luke Jones is the Ravens and Orioles beat reporter for WNST BaltimorePositive.com and is a PFWA member. His mind is consumed with useless sports knowledge, pro wrestling promos, and movie quotes, but he often forgets where he put his phone. Luke's favorite sports memories include being one of the thousands of kids who waited for Cal Ripken's autograph after Orioles games in the summer of 1995, attending the Super Bowl XXXV victory parade with his dad in the pouring rain, and watching the Terps advance to the Final Four at the Carrier Dome in 2002. Follow him on social media @BaltimoreLuke or email him at Luke@wnst.net.
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