With the Ravens holding their last open practice of the summer on Thursday ahead of the preseason finale, I’ve 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. Jackson’s deep passing wasn’t particularly great this summer, but that was a beautiful throw.
2. My biggest defensive surprise of camp was Ar’Darius 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 “looks like a starting corner” and has practiced well, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll suit up. That’s understandable, but you’d 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 “something that we’re kind of working through right now” in Harbaugh’s 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.
7. J.K. Dobbins offered little about his early-camp absence from practices beyond chalking it up to “being cautious.” He also walked back last season’s comments about wanting a bigger workload, saying it’s 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 he’s “99%” 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 “best friends” now. Genuine or not, this is a big year for him.
9. I’d still lean toward keeping Tyler Huntley as the backup quarterback, but let’s be very clear: either backup matters very little if Jackson misses multiple games like the last two seasons, especially in a stacked AFC. That’s why I always revert to the Tom Moore philosophy on backup quarterbacks.
10. Jadeveon Clowney has made a good impression and cited the chance to play for Harbaugh as a big selling point. Acknowledging he’s had “an up-and-down career,” the 30-year-old downplayed facing Cleveland, saying, “I don’t care nothing about what they’ve got going on.” Week 4 should be fun.
11. Given the uncertainty at cornerback, how the Ravens get out of Saturday’s 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 “no-brainer” like Harbaugh said, but he’ll 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 he’ll be a first-ballot inductee.
