With the Ravens holding their last open practice of the summer on Thursday ahead of the preseason finale, Iโve offered a dozen thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. In our final extensive look at Lamar Jackson before the Sept. 10 opener, he had a strong practice that included a long connection to Odell Beckham Jr. with Brandon Stephens in coverage. Jacksonโs deep passing wasnโt particularly great this summer, but that was a beautiful throw.
2. My biggest defensive surprise of camp was ArโDarius Washington, who intercepted Jackson on Thursday and is the current favorite to be the nickel. His 5-foot-8, 177-pound frame makes it difficult to foresee him playing 50 snaps in every matchup, but he looks like someone who can help this secondary.
3. My offensive surprise was how much Beckham practiced and practiced effectively. The 30-year-old took very few days off and has checked every box thus far. How his speed and health hold up all season remains to be seen, but highlight plays have been there, including a ridiculous one-handed grab Thursday.
4. Asked about Ronald Darby playing Saturday, John Harbaugh said he โlooks like a starting cornerโ and has practiced well, but it doesnโt sound like heโll suit up. Thatโs understandable, but youโd like to see where he is physically in a live-game environment less than 11 months removed from ACL surgery.
5. Jalyn Armour-Davis is practicing and taking full-team reps, putting him in position to play against Tampa Bay. Should that happen, it would be the first career preseason game in which the 2022 fourth-round corner has played. Missing so much time on task with nagging injuries has really hindered his development.
6. Mark Andrews remained sidelined with โsomething that weโre kind of working through right nowโ in Harbaughโs words from Wednesday. As has been stated countless times, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end would benefit from more veteran days off from time to time.
Geno Stone (ankle) has returned.
Ravens not practicing today:
WR Rashod Bateman
FB Patrick Ricard
CB Kevon Seymour
RB Melvin Gordon
TE Mark Andrews
OLB Malik Hamm
WR Shemar Bridges
QB Tyler Huntley
OLB Tyus Bowser
CB Marlon Humphrey
CB Damarion Williamsโ Luke Jones (@BaltimoreLuke) August 24, 2023
7. J.K. Dobbins offered little about his early-camp absence from practices beyond chalking it up to โbeing cautious.โ He also walked back last seasonโs comments about wanting a bigger workload, saying itโs game-flow dependent. Dobbins agrees with everyone that he has much to prove this season to get paid lucratively.
8. Before resting Thursday, Rashod Bateman said heโs โ99%โ healthy, which Baltimore will gladly take if it means he plays all season. Asked about his offseason comments about Eric DeCosta, Bateman said they worked it out and are โbest friendsโ now. Genuine or not, this is a big year for him.
9. Iโd still lean toward keeping Tyler Huntley as the backup quarterback, but letโs be very clear: either backup matters very little if Jackson misses multiple games like the last two seasons, especially in a stacked AFC. Thatโs why I always revert to the Tom Moore philosophy on backup quarterbacks.
Check out @BaltimoreLuke's latest 53-man roster projection ahead of the Ravens' final preseason game: https://t.co/9OGBuXpYXXโ WNST Baltimore Positive (@WNST) August 24, 2023
10. Jadeveon Clowney has made a good impression and cited the chance to play for Harbaugh as a big selling point. Acknowledging heโs had โan up-and-down career,โ the 30-year-old downplayed facing Cleveland, saying, โI donโt care nothing about what theyโve got going on.โ Week 4 should be fun.
11. Given the uncertainty at cornerback, how the Ravens get out of Saturdayโs preseason finale could impact their roster construction more than usual. If someone like Armour-Davis or rookie Kyu Kelly were to get banged up, Eric DeCosta may have no choice but to stash that individual on injured reserve.
12. Terrell Suggs going into the Ravens Ring of Honor was a โno-brainerโ like Harbaugh said, but heโll become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame after 2024. His production following his 2015 Achilles injury likely put him over the top, but I doubt heโll be a first-ballot inductee.
โThat was a no brainer.โ
Head coach John Harbaugh congratulates @untouchablejay4 on his induction into the Ring of Honor: pic.twitter.com/xC7CXaDJsPโ Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 24, 2023
Ravens to induct Terrell Suggs into their Ring of Honor on Oct. 22: https://t.co/l6WRiiNf7Dโ WNST Baltimore Positive (@WNST) August 24, 2023