With the Ravens practicing in full pads for their 12th full-squad workout of training camp on Wednesday, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. John Harbaugh confirmed Rashod Bateman will miss “a number of weeks” with a groin injury that could jeopardize his availability for the Sept. 13 opener in Las Vegas. A limited summer didn’t prevent Marquise Brown from shining early in his rookie season in 2019, but this is obviously a disappointing development.
2. It’s unfair to compare him to Breshad Perriman since Bateman didn’t miss a game due to injury at Minnesota and posted on Instagram that it’s the first real injury of his career. That said, he really needs to get healthy after dealing with physical issues dating back to spring workouts.
3. Bateman wasn’t alone as 20 others on the 90-man roster missed practice because of injury or a veteran day off. That’s not exactly what you’re looking for just a few days before the first preseason game. You’d expect Harbaugh to err on the side of caution with most veterans, however.
4. After mostly mild temperatures over the first two weeks, heat was a major factor with several players struggling and another overheard comparing the conditions to the summertime South. Harbaugh noted the toughness required to be “in the fire,” but the workout’s pace was eased at times.
5. Not only were Bateman and Odafe Oweh — who appeared to be practice at less than 100% earlier this week — sitting out, but Ben Cleveland and Daelin Hayes left the field early for undisclosed reasons. It wasn’t the ideal day for the 2021 draft class from an attendance standpoint.
6. Lamar Jackson had a rock-solid day despite not having most of the projected starting offensive line or his top three wide receivers on the field. There’s no reason for any panic, of course, but Bateman’s injury does make it difficult envisioning this passing game hitting its stride by Week 1.
7. Those absences again opened the door for James Proche to continue a superb training camp. He made an excellent catch on a deep throw from Tyler Huntley with Ar’Darius Washington in tight coverage as well as a number of other receptions. He’s always seeking feedback from his coaches too.
8. Chris Westry makes plays on the football every day and broke up a Huntley deep ball intended for Devin Duvernay. I’d like to see the Ravens play the 6-foot-4 cornerback for an extended period of time early in Saturday’s game to see how his impressive practice performances translate.
9. You could have won money Wednesday betting on Eric Tomlinson catching the first two touchdowns of the morning. Despite the blocking tight end typically being a non-factor as a receiver, his roster chances will hinge on how close Nick Boyle is to full strength by month’s end.
10. Ronnie Stanley increased his activity level from Monday and moved well during one-on-one drills with his fellow offensive linemen, easing the sting of the Bateman news. Stanley returning to pre-injury form is critical for the success of this offense, so the more practice time he can log, the better.
11. With the way some of these injuries on offense have been trending, Bradley Bozeman returning to the field after just one missed practice was a welcome sight. It hasn’t been pretty for that group, so at least some continuity at the center position helps.
12. Running backs were active as receivers with Gus Edwards snatching a swing pass for a long gain and Justice Hill catching a rare successful screen pass during an 11-on-11 period. You’d like to see the Ravens run some effective screens to exploit that stress Jackson puts on a front.
