With the Ravens counting down to their preseason opener against Philadelphia on Saturday night, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. The coaches are still in the honeymoon phase. Jesse Minter hasn’t yet lost a game, but he hasn’t won one either, which makes the expressed degree of buy-in from players all the more encouraging. Time will tell how this goes, but excitement from both sides of the ball is evident.
2. Minter said Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey are both “trending very well to potentially be back next week.” The former being carted off Tuesday looked especially scary at the time, but the Ravens dodged major bullets that reminded of the fair questions about the outside cornerback depth behind them.
3. Though he still has to prove himself as a legitimate No. 1, such potential puts Wiggins on the short list of players Baltimore really can’t afford to lose. Minter should have this secondary playing at a higher level, but you still need that corner who can win on an island.
4. To say the ramp-up for Nnamdi Madubuike has been deliberate would be an understatement as he’s only begun to participate in non-contact position group work the last couple days. Minter said we’ll “start to see him really mix into the action” over the next week or two.
5. Though the defense has enjoyed a distinct advantage over the first few weeks, Lamar Jackson had one of his best practices Thursday. However, what’s really stood out has been his communication with teammates between reps. It’s evident that Jackson’s taking more ownership in Declan Doyle’s offense, which should pay off.
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6. Though Ja’Kobi Lane has made standout catches on a daily basis, it’s been an underwhelming start to camp for Elijah Sarratt. We won’t see Jackson or the bulk of the starters in the preseason opener, but you’d still like to see both rookie receivers flash to continue building confidence.
7. I’m not about to overreact to how a veteran like Mark Andrews looks a month before Week 1, but I hoped to see more from the tight ends collectively over the first couple weeks. Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas made some plays Thursday, which hopefully provides some momentum entering Saturday.
8. Two of the more impressive young defensive backs have been slot corners Keyon Martin and Chandler Rivers. Martin is vying to be part of the dime package mix while Rivers made a terrific play forcing a fumble during a 7-on-7 drill on Wednesday. Both play bigger than their undersized frames.
9. I’m really curious to see what the preseason plan is for Ethan Pocic. Though the 31-year-old is still getting acclimated to a new offense and coming back from the December Achilles injury, I’m far less convinced than I was three weeks ago that he’ll be the Week 1 starting center.
10. This is a big preseason for Emery Jones Jr. after he missed so much of his rookie year recovering from shoulder surgery. The organization still has high hopes for the third-round offensive lineman, but he’ll need to show he’s versatile enough for a game-day reserve spot.
11. After Skylar Thompson’s injury proved more serious, the Ravens signed quarterback Austin Reed on Wednesday. With Jackson sitting out and Tyler Huntley unlikely to play a ton, we’ll see plenty of undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, who hadn’t been getting many reps until this week. Saturday’s quarterback play could be… interesting.
12. We’re finally going to get our first practical look at the new home uniforms. As I said at the time of the much-hyped unveiling in the spring, the true test is how the revamped duds come across while watching games on TV or from the stadium.
