With the Ravens holding their second full-squad practice of training camp on Thursday afternoon, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. While Lamar Jackson says he and the Ravens continue negotiating when there’s “mutual free time” during camp, he acknowledged the likelihood of a cutoff to talks if a long-term deal isn’t reached by Week 1. The clock is ticking, but his presence and practice participation are reassuring in the meantime.
2. Jackson wouldn’t disclose whether he’s seeking a fully guaranteed contract, saying he’s “going to keep that in-house.” That wasn’t surprising, but it remains key to the likelihood of an agreement anytime soon. You know the Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert camps are watching this negotiation very closely.
3. Contrary to popular belief, many reporters are just as fatigued by the contract saga as fans, but it’s a significant league-wide and local story. Asking about it is our job and Jackson has the right not to answer, but he was more comfortable and open discussing negotiations this time around.
4. The play of the day was a 55-yard touchdown from Jackson to rookie tight end Isaiah Likely, who continues to turn heads. “He’s like a baby Mark [Andrews] right now,” Jackson said. “We’re going to have to see when we put the pads on.” Pretty good early praise.
Likely a baller
@Lj_era8
@DaGorilla4 pic.twitter.com/VIOxKx21T1
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 28, 2022
5. Asked about Michael Pierce after his absence from spring workouts, John Harbaugh complimented the veteran nose tackle for passing the conditioning test before adding, “He can talk about what he wants to do in terms of shaping himself up.” That sounded like he still has some work to do.
6. Harbaugh confirmed Ben Cleveland being on the non-football injury list because he hadn’t passed his conditioning test. Though not the end of the world, it’s certainly not the best look for someone already needing to step up in the left guard competition.
7. Justin Houston said he wasn’t sure whether it’d be with Baltimore, but the 33-year-old always planned to play again this season. “I’ve got too much juice to walk away.” He’s aiming to improve on a season that was better from a metrics standpoint than 4 1/2 sacks indicated.
8. Whether more a product of the early install schedule or a point of emphasis, there’s been plenty of back-shoulder throws early in camp with Rashod Bateman making an impressive grab against Kyle Fuller in a 7-on-7 period. Jackson worked on those throws with Bateman and James Proche in California.
9. It’s been a slow ramp-up with few early highlights, but the competitive juices began flowing when defensive coaches and players strongly objected to Brandon Stephens being flagged on a deep ball intended for Devin Duvernay, insisting the receiver was actually the interfering party.
10. Charlie Kolar will undergo sports hernia surgery early next week with Harbaugh comparing the situation to Bateman’s injury last season. If that’s the case, you wonder if we’ll see the rookie tight end in any game action before October.
11. Tyler Huntley was throwing more on Thursday than in the first open practice as he tries to manage any lingering shoulder tendinitis from the spring. “He hasn’t had any issue with it,” Harbaugh said. “He might feel it just a little bit toward the end of practice.”
12. After recognizing it’s been two years since the death of Baltimore superfan Mo Gaba, Harbaugh watched the highlight of Orioles slugger Trey Mancini’s inside-the-park home run on a reporter’s phone after his press conference. Like everyone else, Harbaugh was amazed by the incredible moment.
