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While wideout Mark Clayton and tight end Ed Dickson watched Thursday's morning practice from the sidelines, their status is not deemed in jeopardy for the Ravens' second preseason game against the Washington Redskins.
In addition, the Ravens are expecting cornerback Fabian Washington back in the starting lineup. Chris Carr seems to be a maybe.
And, Baltimore's offensive tackle situation is tenuous with Jared Gaither (back spasms) definitely out and Oniel Cousins (headaches) possibly sitting after leaving practice Wednesday morning.
Clayton and Dickson Look Promising
The status of both Clayton and Dickson is promising for Saturday night.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Clayton was "just resting" with some "soreness in his legs," and Dickson is suffering from a minor tweak in his hip flexor/groin area, but it was coaches' decision to sit the third-round draft pick.
Washington Confirmed To Play
As for Washington, he is anxious to get back on the field Saturday to mark a return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that cut his 2009 campaign short after 10 games.
Washington's health during camp has been a pleasant surprise, as he has held up to all full-speed action in practice.
"Fabian's held up out here in all the live, full speed drills," said Harbaugh. "Again today, even when you don't go full contact, it's full speed for a corner and the things that he does, and Fabian has had no problems with that. But, a game is different, so we'll be looking forward to that."
Carr Still An Unknown
With Carr, the forecast is leaning in a positive direction. Carr participated fully in practice on Thursday for the first time this week after being previously limited.
The cornerback started last week's matchup with the Carolina Panthers after testing out his tender left hamstring in pre-game warm-ups, but he was quickly pulled from live action after a few snaps.
Carr isn't sure if he'll suit up for the Redskins, but he was enthused with his progress.
"If I feel good enough to play a lot Saturday night, I will," said Carr. "I've felt pretty good out here the last couple of days. I came out here and practiced, did a little conditioning, and during my exercises, my hamstring felt just as strong as my right one. That was a good sign."
Cousins Doesn't Seem Likely
The Ravens' depth will be challenged along the offensive line. Cousins was not on the field Thursday after he was carted off the field Wednesday with what Harbaugh called "headaches."
Baltimore plugged Tony Moll in with the starters at right tackle, and have rookie Ramon Harewood, Joe Reitz and Devin Tyler on the roster.
Washington boasts a slew of solid pass rushers, led by defensive ends Andre Carter and Brian Orakpo, who each totaled 11 sacks last year.
"We're going to go against some really good pass rushers," Harbaugh noted. "They've got some first-rate pass rushers, so I'm looking forward to seeing how our guys hold up. We've worked very hard at it, but we always do. I'm looking forward to seeing it."
Webb Still on the PUP List
While there was some speculation that cornerback Lardarius Webb was coming off the physically unable to perform list today, that wasn't the case.
But, Harbaugh said Webb is "very close" to being activated.
"He's very close. He's right there," Harbaugh said. "That's up to the doctors to make the decision about when he practices. But he's right there and I know he wants to practice."
Cody's Conditioning
The shape of rookie defensive tackle Terrence Cody was a hot-button issue when he didn't pass the conditioning test on the first day of training camp.
It seems that Cody is leaving camp in football form. Listed at 349 pounds, Cody worked hard at keeping his weight and conditioning under control by following a strict diet and running gassers after practice.
"I've felt a lot better ever since the beginning of camp with my conditioning," said Cody.
"I have a menu set up for me every week, where they watch what I eat and how much I eat," he added.
For Cody, one of the toughest parts of camp was simply getting his big engine revving in the mornings.
"The waking up isn't the hard part. It's getting going," said the second-round draft pick. I barely sleep during the night. Give me five hours of sleep and I'm good."
Making that more difficult is his roommate's snoring at night. Cody has roomed with fellow rookie Arthur Jones since they first joined the Ravens in May.
"Ever since minicamp and OTAs, I've mentioned it," Cody said with a laugh. "We both snored, but it depends. I think he tried to go asleep before I do."
Practice Twitterings
- During 11-on-11 work, quarterback Joe Flacco made a quick pump fake and then hit Demetrius Williams in-stride in the end zone, dropping a long pass over his shoulder.
- Wideout Donte' Stallworth might have had the catch of the day when he tipped a pass to himself, spun around and somehow hauled in the reception near the sideline.
- Quarterback Marc Bulger threw an interception to safety Ken Hamlin over the middle, but it seemed that there should have been a receiver there. Might have been a miscommunication.
- Bulger did thread a dart to rookie wideout David Reed in the end zone. Reed made the tough catch through coverage by Hamlin and Chris Hawkins.
