With the Ravens holding their eighth open workout of training camp and second straight padded practice on Thursday afternoon, I’ve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. A first-round rookie exited early for the second straight day with Tyler Linderbaum hurting his left foot during a 9-on-7 blocking drill. John Harbaugh said “all indications are it’s nothing serious at all” after X-rays were clean, but he’ll have additional testing to be sure. It definitely created some anxiety.
2. The news wasn’t good for Vince Biegel, who tore his right Achilles tendon two years after tearing his left one with Miami. The 29-year-old saw extensive reps and had a good chance of making the team with Baltimore lacking outside linebacker depth. He was injured just minutes before practice ended.
3. With the heat index touching triple digits for the 2 1/2-hour practice, the Ravens had a “halftime” break at the recommendation of team doctors. Players escaped the heat for roughly 10 minutes while Harbaugh held an impromptu question-and-answer session with fans. Understandably, he danced around a Lamar Jackson contract question.
4. Other than the second 11-on-11 period in which the offense committed three penalties and surrendered multiple sacks, the execution and poise on both sides of the ball was commendable when considering the conditions. I rarely mind the heat, but it was pretty brutal just watching from the sideline.
5. The play of the day was a beautiful 65-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to James Proche. The third-year receiver continued his strong showing with a difficult touchdown grab as Jackson rolled to his right. A fired-up Proche celebrated with a high five to the unknowing official signaling touchdown.
.@Lj_era8 with a
to @jamesproche3
@Oakley pic.twitter.com/tfwGBlXHtw— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 4, 2022
6. Proche wasn’t the only target to shine as Isaiah Likely caught touchdowns on back-to-back plays — the first from Brett Hundley and the second from Jackson — during a 7-on-7 red-zone period and grabbed another in an 11-on-11 red-zone drill. The rookie tight end continues to stack good performances.
7. I’ve heard offensive linemen discuss the challenge of switching from one side of the line to the other, but Ja’Wuan James — who’s practicing extensively at left tackle for the first time since high school — described it “as trying to wipe your butt with your other hand.” Say no more.
8. Often matched against Odafe Oweh, Morgan Moses praised his attention to detail by saying, “We’ll literally stop in the middle of the play … because he wants to know, ‘Why did you set me like this?’ Any time you get a guy like that, the sky’s the limit.” Oweh’s been impressive.
9. Originally scheduled to talk to media on Thursday, Nick Boyle sat out his second practice in three days, which is a little unusual for even a veteran. He’s certainly been moving around better than he did last year, but that’s something to monitor.
10. Ben Mason left practice early as a staff member carried his helmet and walked him inside. Harbaugh didn’t provide a post-practice update on the second-year fullback as reporters were more focused on the health of Linderbaum and Biegel.
11. Practice began with kickoff and kick return drills as roster hopefuls had to quickly acclimate to the heat as they sprinted downfield. It was interesting to see some veterans hit the field earlier than usual to get used to the conditions while others stayed inside as long as possible.
12. Officially under contract after holding out for more guaranteed money in his third year, David Ojabo watched practice from the sideline. The assumption has been that he’ll go on the active non-football injury list as he continues rehabbing his Achilles, but that hasn’t shown up on the transaction wire yet.
