The Ravens' defensive line should come into focus soon.
Defensive tackle Travis Jones has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp, reportedly due to a pectoral issue.
"I think Travis will real, real soon, honestly — be starting to work back in," Head Coach Jesse Minter said.
The Ravens signed Jones to a three-year extension near the end of last season, ensuring that he'll be a critical piece of their defensive front for years to come. Despite dealing with some injuries, Jones set career highs with 47 tackles, a team-leading five sacks, and nine tackles for loss last season.
Fellow defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike is still doing individual work, and Aeneas Peebles didn't practice Sunday. Minter said Peebles is expected to return soon, too.
Veterans Calais Campbell and John Jenkins were back in 11-on-11 action Sunday, which helped strengthen the run defense in a physical practice, and more muscle is on the way.
"I expect that room over the next week to two weeks to really, really take shape for us," Minter said.
Veteran backup quarterback Skylar Thompson also missed practice with "something small" and they're trying to get him back and ready for the preseason opener on Saturday night.
Zay Flowers Should Also Be Back Soon
After wide receiver Zay Flowers exited Saturday's practice with a quad contusion from a collision with safety Jaylinn Hawkins, the star receiver wasn't at practice Sunday.
However, Minter said it's no big issue.
"I feel really good about where that is at, and I think those types of things may take a couple of days. It may take one day [or] three days," Minter said. "But, I feel good that he will be back out there being Zay here pretty soon."
Hawkins had another collision Sunday with wide receiver Rashod Bateman as he went up for a pass over the middle. Hawkins forced the incompletion and both players got up and continued practicing without issue.
Afterwards, Minter was asked if there's a teaching point with Hawkins.
"I really don't want to put that on him," Minter said. "I think when you're a safety, and you're breaking on the ball, there is just a little bit of an awareness of not trying to have the body-on-body collisions. We certainly want Jaylinn to play with the mindset and the breaks and anticipation that he plays with, so we will continue to just be really, really careful about that."
Elijah Sarratt Is Starting From 'Ground Zero' After National Championship
Rookie wide receiver Elijah Sarratt was on top of the college football world in January, as Indiana capped an undefeated season with a national championship.
Now a fourth-round pick in Baltimore, Sarratt is working his way back up. That's nothing new for a player who started as a zero-star recruit and transferred twice before getting to Indiana.
"I came from winning the national championship, but that means nothing once you get here. I'm back at ground zero," Sarratt said. "I'm just trying to prove it — to myself, prove it to everybody — every single day, just continue to stack days. That's all I want to do."
Sarratt built a reputation as a contested-catch maverick and touchdown machine in college. He led the FBS with 15 touchdown receptions last season.
Asked what the biggest adjustment has been at the NFL level, Sarratt said it's the details.
"We're super detailed over here," Sarratt said. "I came from a school that was super detailed, but it's on a whole other level here, just split-wise, assignment-wise, [really] everything."
Ravens Have a Strong Wide Receiver Coaching Duo
The Ravens are relying on a bounce back year from Rashod Bateman and drafted a pair of promising rookies in Sarratt and third-round pick Ja'Kobi Lane.
The two position coaches entrusted with coaching them and the entire group up are first-year Wide Receivers Coach Keary Colbert and Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Prentice Gill.
Colbert spent the past three years coaching the Denver Broncos' wide receivers but has reunited with Minter and Gill in Baltimore.
Colbert and Minter coached together, on opposite sides of the ball, at Georgia State in 2013 and then went against each other in the AFC West the past couple years.
"[I] just have a lot of respect for how his guys have played, how they go about their business, the detail at which they run routes, the detail at which they catch the ball and make plays after the catch," Minter said. "So, when it came [about] that he was available, it was a good opportunity for us.
"Then Prentice, I think, is a rising star. He is doing a great job. Those guys know each other from kind of some USC days and complement each other really well, and I really like how both those guys handle that room."
Minter was able to retain Gill, who is entering his third season with the Ravens and has strong relationships with the receivers in the room. Gill and Colbert are both USC alums, which gives them a connection to Lane as well.
Colbert said that even when they were coaching at different places before, they would bounce ideas off each other and talk ball.
"He's very much an asset for me, for our staff, for our room," Colbert said. "I do agree that he's a rising star in the profession. I'm fortunate and blessed to have him as part of his group, him and I getting after it every day. … Hopefully we're here doing it for a while, but when you get good coaches you know at times they're probably going to leave at some point. But while he's here, we're going to do it well together."
