With the Ravens making moves to shape their initial 53-man roster by 4 p.m. on Saturday, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. It’s a bittersweet weekend as lifelong NFL dreams are fulfilled while others see their football journeys end abruptly. Once an undrafted rookie himself in 2017, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard empathized with the rookie free agents in these “incredibly difficult” pandemic circumstances limiting their opportunities to really impress.
2. When the most discussed roster decisions are the third-string quarterback and a No. 3 tight end, it’s safe to say the championship-hopeful Ravens are loaded. The 16-man practice squad was introduced due to the pandemic, but Eric DeCosta will now be able to retain additional intriguing talents.
3. Lamar Jackson says he’s 100 percent from his recent groin injury and is ready for the season, adding that he’s “really tired of going against our guys.” Cleveland has seen Jackson before, of course, but facing him without having even a tuneup preseason game this summer? To quote Lucius Fox:
4. On the flip side, John Harbaugh acknowledges “a guessing game” trying to anticipate what the Browns will do under new head coach Kevin Stefanski. The preseason is bland from a play-calling standpoint, but you at least get a sense of system structure and how personnel might be used.
5. Jimmy Smith is embracing his new role as a Swiss army knife who could play inside or outside at cornerback or safety, adding that his new responsibilities require “not really that much of a learning curve.” His return after hitting a pandemic-stunted open market was welcomed.
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6. The reporter’s question never mentioned Earl Thomas by name, but Smith offered this when asked what jettisoning a troubled player said about the team’s culture: “If you’re not part of us, we don’t really need you.” That pretty clearly shows where Thomas stood with his former teammates at the end.
7. Justice Hill showing up as absent for Friday’s practice after missing a week of practice to end August is a potentially concerning development. Given how crowded the backfield is with J.K. Dobbins’ arrival, I’m assuming training camp couldn’t have been more frustrating for Hill.
8. Whether it’s D.J. Fluker or ascending rookie Tyre Phillips, the winner of the competition will become the first Raven not named Marshal Yanda to start an opener at right guard since Chris Chester in 2010 — when Yanda played right tackle. Phillips was only 10 when Yanda was drafted in 2007.
9. Friday brought an interesting blast from the past as the Ravens worked out 2014 third-round pick Crockett Gillmore. He last played in 2017 and added a bunch of weight that offseason to convert from tight end to the offensive line, but injuries derailed his career. He’s still only 28.
10. Asked Thursday if he would beat speedy rookie receiver Devin Duvernay in a race, Marquise Brown simply replied, “I don’t race for free.” That’s a young man who understands his worth.
11. Justin Tucker tried to downplay the lack of organic crowd noise for games, but he admitted it could be “uncomfortable in a sense” attempting a game-winning field goal in a usually raucous road environment like Heinz Field. For reference, the Ravens play at Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night.
12. Given the reduced capacities at which a handful of teams are hosting fans, we should put to rest silly complaints about any competitive disadvantage. Several thousands fans spaced out in a massive stadium seem unlikely to eclipse the pre-recorded crowd noise set at 70 decibels for empty venues.
