Practice Report: Zay Flowers Elevates for Impressive Touchdown
Ryan Mink, BaltimoreRavens.com
After suiting up on Tuesday, cornerback Marlon Humphrey did not practice Wednesday. Wide receiver/returner Deonte Harty (personal), safety Kyle Hamilton (elbow), running back Keaton Mitchell (knee), outside linebacker Adisa Isaac (hamstring), and center Nick Samac are still out.
Tight end Isaiah Likely shined for a second straight day. He snatched a tightly-contested catch against Simpson, wrestling it away from the linebacker while tightrope-walking the sideline. Then later in practice, Lamar Jackson’s pass seemed to be floated a bit too long for the open Likely, but he rose high to make another one-handed grab.
Though Likely had the highlight-reel catches, Charlie Kolar was the busiest tight end on the day. He caught a bunch of passes, including one down the seam that drew praise from Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken. The Ravens envisioned the beefed-up Kolar being a key blocker this year, but he’s showing that if they need him to move the chains, he’s another weapon they can count on.
Wide receiver Tylan Wallace had an up and down day. He had an early drop during 11-on-11s but rebounded soon after with an impressive leaping catch over the middle. Tylan later elicited some shouts from teammates when he shook Stephens on a comeback route for a grab, then also made a contested catch against Stephens.
Undrafted rookie outside linebacker Joe Evans had some of his veteran teammates hollering praise for a series of strong pass rushes. Evans posted big sack numbers (28 career) at Iowa. At 6-foot-1, Evans is two inches shorter than anyone else in the Ravens’ outside linebacker room, but he’s flashing.
Expect even more Lamar Jackson in Year 2 of Todd Monken’s offense
Giana Han, The Baltimore Banner
“He’s able to take from the classroom and put it on the field with limited reps,” Martin said. “He can do things once or twice and then show up in a game and execute it.””
Martin said the Ravens have asked “how can we even push it further and give him [Jackson] more responsibility within the offense and doing more things that he likes to do and listening to him and things that he likes and building around that?”
Next year, Jackson will have more responsibility over protections. He’ll change routes and run schemes at the line of scrimmage.
“From us watching film and getting into games, teams changing things up on us, we just want to add extra layers to all of our calls, if anything,” Jackson said.
“We’re seeing a lot of exotic looks, a lot of pressures from [defensive coordinator] Zach [Orr] and his crew,” Martin said. “And it’s good for us, too, because it’s testing our rules and testing our quarterback’s ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage.”
“We don’t really know who the guys are going to be right now,” Jackson said. “We’re not in camp. We’re not close to the first game or anything like that. But right now I feel like we’re taking steps in the right direction. Guys are moving good, running great routes, catching the ball, blocking good. We look pretty smooth, but I can’t tell until we’re in pads.”
Derrick Henry focused on fitting in as Ravens mandatory minicamp kicks off
Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
“It definitely brings a different aspect, because he is a dual-threat quarterback, and he’s dangerous with his legs just as he is with his arm,” Henry said following Tuesday’s practice. “It’s going to be fun and a breath of fresh air not being the center of attention, knowing that eyes are going to be on him, as well. But I’m just excited to get to work and put the work in out here and let it all come together.”
“It’s a lot more chill right now because it’s OTAs, minicamp. He doesn’t have on his pads, so this is not his strong suit,” said Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith. “When he puts his pads on, that’s when he becomes that demon, but it’s great being able to line up across from that guy — one of the best backs of our generation. I have mad respect for him and all the things he’s accomplished, and I still see he has a lot of tread left on the tire, so I’m just excited for him to show the world exactly what he can do.”
Henry averaged just over 17 carries per game during his time with the Titans. In recent years, the Ravens have relied more on a running back-by-committee approach with Jackson doing a chunk of the running. Their leader in rushing attempts last season, Gus Edwards, logged under 12 carries a game, prompting a question to Henry about whether he could be as impactful without the type of workload he was accustomed to in Tennessee.
“My job is being explosive, making explosive runs, being a threat in the run game and anywhere else they ask me to help out this offense,” Henry said. “So, it’s just on me to focus on doing my job, just so I’m a threat to opposing defenses.”
Rejuvenated Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley says poor play last season was ‘killing’ him: ‘Hard for me to live with’
Brian Wacker, The Baltimore Sun
“It was killing me,” he said Tuesday in Owings Mills on the first day of mandatory minicamp. “We may have been playing well, but it was really killing me on the inside knowing that I wasn’t playing to my potential. That’s something that’s hard for me to live with.”
Stanley was flagged for 12 penalties in 13 games last season. Half of them were for false starts and three of them for holding; only Kansas City Chiefs tackle Jawaan Taylor was penalized more among offensive linemen.
“I love Ronnie,” Harbaugh said. “I love who he is, his personality. I also love what he’s capable of doing on the football field.
“You go by what you see as a coach, as Bill Parcells said, not what you remember. What I see from Ronnie is, he’s moving his feet, looks like he’s got a good anchor. Obviously having a talented left tackle playing at a high level would be really good for us.”
2024 All-Breakout Team: Will Levis, Chase Brown, DeMarvion Overshown and more
Gordon McGuinness. PFF
LINEBACKER: TRENTON SIMPSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Simpson steps into the role vacated by Patrick Queen next to Roquan Smith in the Ravens’ defense, and they will hope his Week 18 performance carries over into his first season as a starter. On 26 snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers that week, 21 of which came against the run, he registered three tackles resulting in a defensive stop.