Ravens continue to rest veteran tight end Daniels

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens conducted their final full practice ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys as veteran tight end Owen Daniels continued to be absent from the field.
The former Houston Texan was absent from practice for the second straight day after offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said Daniels was simply receiving a day off on Thursday. Daniels’ two-day absence following the Ravens’ off-day will raise some eyebrows as the 31-year-old has had a quiet training camp thus far.
“We decided to rest his legs a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “He had been going pretty hard, so [we wanted] to [rest him] a little bit. Whether he’ll play in the game, we’ll just decide and see how he feels. But there’s no injury involved there.”
Daniels hasn’t shown great explosiveness when running routes against man coverage this summer after being limited to five games due to a broken leg in his final season with Houston. With starting tight end Dennis Pitta back to full strength after last season’s hip injury, the Ravens don’t need Daniels to handle a full workload, but Kubiak is known for using multiple tight ends in his West Coast offense.
The Ravens continue to be shorthanded in the secondary as cornerbacks Lardarius Webb (back) and Asa Jackson (ankle) failed to practice on Thursday with neither expected to play in the second preseason game of the summer. Offensive lineman Will Rackley (concussion) and defensive tackle Terrence Cody (active physically unable to perform list – hip) also continue to be sidelined.
Harbaugh expects starters to see more playing time in the second preseason game than they did against San Francisco last Thursday.
“Normally, in the second preseason game you get a quarter, maybe a little more than a quarter,” Harbaugh said. “Some of that will be individualized for different players; we’ll have some play counts for a few guys, including Joe [Flacco] and some of the defensive players. We’ll see how it goes, but basically, about a quarter is what you’re looking at — maybe more. It could get close to a half; it could even be a half for some of the starters.”
Thursday’s practice was a lighter workout with players working in helmets, shells, and shorts. The Ravens will conduct a closed walk-through on Friday before departing for Texas in anticipation of their first ever preseason meeting against the Cowboys.