OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens opened up the offense on the ninth day of training camp.
The team practiced in shorts on another hot day, but there were some spirited matchups in the 11-on-11 drills.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson found Zay Flowers on a couple of deep routes. Malik Cunningham also made a nifty grab downfield.
Running back Derrick Henry also made a leaping catch in the end zone on a pass from Jackson.
“We worked on a lot of third down, third-and-6-to-12 situations, so some of that stuff comes up, push the ball downfield,” coach John Harbaugh said. “Then we had a big blitz period where the offense hit numerous plays downfield in the blitz period. So, that was important to see, and it was good to see [that] the ball was coming out quick and executing like we need to against that pressure. That’s a big step for us. I thought the guys did a great job with that.”
Injury update: Wide receiver Rashod Bateman returned to practice after dealing with soreness the previous day, but he left early.
“He’s dealing with a little issue — kind of a soft-tissue issue I think he’s trying to nurse through right now,” Harbaugh said.
Outside linebacker Malik Hamm, a Baltimore native who attended City College high school, has a torn ACL and will miss the season. Hamm impressed Harbaugh.
“Malik was doing so well,” Harbaugh said. “[He’s a] local guy, and he had the injury last year. It’s so amazing, because you go back, and I’m watching the tape up until when the injury happened; he was having a great practice. He had numerous run stops, he had a sack, and then just a freaky little thing where he kind of put his foot in the ground and got pushed a little bit right at that moment, and sometimes that’s what happens with the ACL.”
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen “sublexed” his shoulder, which means a partial dislocation.
“It will be a few weeks, and then we expect him to be back,” Harbaugh said.
Key Bridge heroes: The Ravens hosted 50 first responders from the Key Bridge response team at practice. Harbaugh was presented with coins and badges from the respective groups. “[The] fire dive rescue, the whole group, so we appreciate them very much,” Harbaugh said. “It’s very meaningful when we have the real heroes here. So, we honor those guys.”
Athletes Serving Athletes: The Ravens also hosted the nonprofit group, Athletes Serving Athletes, an organization that enlists runners to assist those with limited mobility so that they can participate in mainstream running events. It has become an annual visit for the group who love interacting with the players and coaches.