Steve Smith Sr. is doing some lobbying these days on Justin Tucker's behalf.
The Ravens kicker is hoping to get a long-term deal rather than play this season under a one-year restricted free-agent tender, and Smith decided to deploy his negotiating skills during Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice. It was the perfect opportunity with Owner Steve Bisciotti in attendance and sitting alongside General Manager Ozzie Newsome.
Tucker made a case for himself by drilling a 67-yard field goal with room to spare during a two-minute drill near the end of practice. Smith looked up to Bisciotti and Newsome and made the money sign with his fingers.
A few minutes later, Tucker had another long field-goal attempt, but this time he missed a 54-yard kick. Smith let Tucker hear about it, acting as if he's his agent.
"C'mon Tuck," he shouted. "You have to make kicks! How am I supposed to get my three percent?"
Here were some other highlights from the first minicamp practice of the week:
- The overall two-minute drill period near the end of practice made for some exciting moments. In addition to chiding Tucker, Smith also caught a long pass down the sideline from quarterback Joe Flacco that he ran in for a touchdown. Smith looked back at the defensive backs to make sure they knew he just ran by them.
- Smith was vocal in his leadership. He chided rookie tight end Nick Boyle for not jogging back to the huddle after having the ball stripped out of his hands, and also got on rookie wide receiver DeAndre Carter for not showing enough hustle coming off the field after a deep incompletion. The intensity and speed of practice was ramped up with all the veterans participating, and it was an adjustment for the rookies.
- Rookie receiver Breshad Perriman had an up-and-down practice. He dropped a few passes early, including a long pass where he had a few steps on cornerback Jimmy Smith, but bounced back to make tough catches later in the day. Perriman attributed the drops to losing his focus during the uptempo pace in hot conditions.
- A good sign for the Ravens is that Jimmy Smith is showing some signs of ramping up his intensity during practice. Smith, who is recovering from foot surgery, participated in full team drills and showed good speed as he chased Perriman in the secondary. Head Coach John Harbaugh said Smith still isn't 100 percent yet, but his effort in practice showed that he's getting back into his old form.
- Wide receiver Jermey Butler had another strong day. He showed off sure hands in traffic, catching a handful of passes from Flacco and backup Matt Schaub. His most impressive catch of the day came during the two-minute drill where he hauled in a first-down with cornerback Kyle Arrington in coverage.
- Carter had a nice touchdown snag on a fade route during goal-line drills. He gained separation from safety Brynden Trawick and pulled in the touchdown I in the corner of the end zone.
Wagner, Zuttah Sit Out Practice
Right tackle Rick Wagner and center Jeremy Zuttah both didn't practice.
The two starters are recovering from injuries, as Wagner suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 15 and Zuttah reportedly had offseason hip surgery.
Harbaugh did not provide an exact update on their status.
With Wagner and Zuttah out, Jah Reid worked with the starters at right tackle and John Urschel was at center. Rookie offensive lineman Robert Myers, who reportedly has a shoulder injury, and wide receivers Michael Campanaro (thigh) and Aldrick Robinson (knee) also did not practice.
"All those guys that weren't practicing today have some tweak," Harbaugh said.
