The Ravens knew coming into training camp that the competition at wide receiver would be one to watch this summer.
With a week in the books, the position battle is starting to clarify.
Veteran addition Mike Wallace
had another strong practice Friday, and he has shown playmaking ability throughout the week. Quarterback Joe Flacco connected with him several times throughout practice Friday, including on a deep pass down the middle.
Wallace still has the speed to go deep, but he can also work the underneath routes. In addition to the big catch over the middle, Flacco also targeted Wallace on some slant routes to move the chains.
While Wallace shined, rookie receiver Keenan Reynolds had a tougher time at practice. The former Navy quarterback dropped a few passes and struggled to get open. Reynolds is in the middle of a difficult transition from college quarterback to NFL receiver, and he has his work cut out for him over the next few weeks during the preseason.
Here are other notes from the day:
- Several veterans had the day off, including right guard Marshal Yanda, center Jeremy Zuttah, safety Eric Weddle, tight end Benjamin Watson, wide receiver Kamar Aiken and linebacker Albert McClellan.
- Running back Kenneth Dixon returned to practice as a full participant for the first time since injuring his knee on the first day. Wide receiver Michael Campanaro and safety Lardarius Webb were also back on the field after having Thursday off. Tight ends Crockett Gillmore (hamstring) and Dennis Pitta (finger) continue to be sidelined.
- With Gillmore, Pitta and Watson all out, tight end Maxx Williams made the most of his reps. Last year’s second-round pick brought in a dart from Flacco in traffic over the middle of the field, which was one of the nicest plays of the day.
- Flacco continues to make strides after recovering from the torn ACL and MCL this season. He stepped up in the pocket to avoid an outside pass rush and then delivered a dart at one point during full-team drills.
- Cornerback Will Davis also recovered from a torn ACL this offseason, and he doesn’t seem to have any hesitation in his step. He delivered a jarring hit on wide receiver Dobson Collins to break up a pass, and yesterday he brought down running back Stephen Houston with a strong tackle in the backfield.
- Safety Terrence Brooks came up with another interception. Tight end Darren Waller had a ball bounce off his hands during seven-on-seven drills, and Brooks capitalized with the turnover.
- Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg is a master of the details. He stresses the fundamentals in every single drill, and his players take notice. If they don’t go through the drill exactly the way Rosburg wants, he has them get back in line and start again.
