Practice Report: J.K. Dobbins Makes Comfortable Return to Practice
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com
“It feels good to have him back here on the field,” Harbaugh said. “He’s excited. We’re all excited. We’ll probably ramp him up a little bit this week and work him in there and try to be smart in how we do it, but he’ll be fine. He’s 100% healthy. He looks good, [and] he’s been training hard, so he’s ready to go.”
Wide receiver Rashod Bateman ran on an adjacent field and participated in some installation work. Bateman was moving well as he continued ramping up from his Lisfranc foot injury.
Newly signed cornerback Tae Hayes spent ample time on the sideline going over coverages with Pass Game Coordinator/Secondary Chris Hewitt. Hayes was signed Monday to add depth with several cornerbacks nursing injuries.
Rookie inside linebacker Trenton Simpson (soft tissue injury) and safety Geno Stone (ankle) returned to practice after missing time last week.
Baltimore Ravens 53-man roster projection following preseason opener
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
Running back (4)
Who makes the cut?: J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell
On the bubble: Melvin Gordon
Long shot: Owen Wright
Toughest call: Keeping Mitchell over Gordon. Gordon has looked good in training camp and showed some juice in the preseason opener. But Mitchell’s speed, elusiveness and return ability make him an intriguing prospect. With Dobbins and Edwards eligible for free agency after the season, it makes more sense to keep a younger back.
Outlook: Who knows when Dobbins will decide to start practicing. What seems highly unlikely is that he’ll sit out the season. Edwards’ usage in camp practices and in Saturday’s game have been curious. Still, unless there are further developments, Dobbins and Edwards will be the one-two punch in the backfield. Hill might make the team for his special teams ability alone, but he has something to offer on offense, too. It’s hardly a lock that Baltimore keeps a fourth back, but the uncertainty and injury history with Dobbins and Edwards justifies doing so.
Ravens roster projection: With injuries and uncertainty, GM Eric DeCosta has tough calls
Jonas Shaffer, The Baltimore Banner
Outside linebacker (4): Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson, Tyus Bowser (non-football-injury list)
Malik Harrison and Trenton Simpson’s inside-outside versatility lends this group some depth, but not enough. Bowser missed mandatory minicamp with a minor knee injury, then entered camp on the NFI list. Harbaugh said two weeks ago that he didn’t know when Bowser, who was still limping around the sideline Saturday, might return. Given Oweh and Ojabo’s injury history, the Ravens will have to be proactive. Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney have made recent visits to Owings Mills, but the wait for a new signing drags on.
Ravens On The Roster Bubble: Stock Rising, Stock Falling After First Preseason Game
Bo Smolka, PressBox
DB AR’DARIUS WASHINGTON
At this point, the stock of every Ravens cornerback on the field is probably going up simply on the basis of being healthy and available.
The bubble is nothing new for Washington, who in 2021 was the only undrafted rookie to make the initial 53-man roster. But then he was waived in the final cutdown last year before working his way back onto the roster via the practice squad. In two seasons, Washington has played in six games.
Washington’s height (5-foot-8) might have a been a factor in him going undrafted, but the Ravens have always liked the way he has a nose for the football. Against the Eagles, Washington made the crucial interception on the Eagles’ two-point conversion attempt that preserved the Ravens’ 20-19 lead in the fourth quarter.
Maybe more important, Washington was all over the field, playing at times in the slot and at times at free safety. He played 72 of the Ravens’ 75 defensive snaps and finished with four tackles in addition to the conversion interception. (Daryl Worley, incidentally, played all 75 snaps at safety, so his stock is surely rising as well.) With the Ravens’ cornerback group already depleted by injuries, a reliable, healthy Washington is one to watch.
Injured Ravens LB Tyus Bowser expected to be ready for season opener; CB Damarion Williams facing longer absence
Childs Walker, The Baltimore Sun
“It hasn’t gotten to that point,” Harbaugh said when asked if Bowser could be in danger of missing the Sept. 10 season opener. “They feel good about it. It’s an agitated knee, I guess. There’s not really anything to say other than that. I think they are being cautious. Today, they did say his knee looked the best it’s looked [with] swelling and things like that. So I know he’ll be back for the season; I know as well as you can know. There’s not a serious problem there; it’s just getting him right so he can play at his highest level.”
Harbaugh said the news is less good for second-year cornerback Damarion “Pepe” Williams, who needs a second surgery on his injured ankle. A screw inserted during the initial surgery caused a slight crack in the bone. “It’s not going to be a season-ender; it’ll be early season, October maybe,” Harbaugh said.
Williams was expected to compete for snaps at nickel back, and his extended absence will add to the team’s concerns about depth at cornerback, though Harbaugh said Rock Ya-Sin, Jalyn Armour-Davis and Arthur Maulet are all “close” to returning to practice.
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