Garrett Downing may be the hardest working guy in show biz—I mean, in NFL public relations. He has to find news angles for the Ravens in the slowest news cycle of the season.
Anyway, here are some of his observations of Ravens OTAs, week 2:
“The competition at wide receiver often takes center stage during offseason practices, and third-year wideout Chris Moore made a strong statement during Thursday’s session of Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
“Moore made two highlight-reel catches, including a diving one-handed snag about 40 yards downfield from quarterback Joe Flacco. On that play, Moore gained separation from veteran cornerback Brandon Carr and then dove to pull in the pass.
“Later in the day, Moore made another strong catch in the end zone during 11-on-11 drills. He found a hole in the coverage and then made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone for the score.
“Moore’s teammates took notice after that touchdown, and receiver Willie Snead even pretended to bow in front of him to show his respect.
“Moore is competing for his role on this year’s team, and he made a strong case for himself Thursday.”
I’m still not completely sold on Chris Moore. He led the team in “drops” last season. Still, the potential is unmistakable.
At best he can be a really nice 4th receiver assuming everyone else is healthy.
Other Garrett Downing notes from practice:
“- Snead had a strong day of his own. The veteran slot receiver knows how to find the soft spot in the coverage and he was a popular target for Flacco. He caught several passes on the day and showed that he has potential to be an immediate impact player for this offense.
“- Linebacker C.J. Mosley returned to practice after missing last week. The players not participating this time included linebackers Albert McClellan (knee) and Bam Bradley (knee), cornerbacks Jimmy Smith (Achilles) and Maurice Canady (undisclosed), safety Anthony Levine (foot), tight end Nick Boyle (personal matter) and right guard Marshal Yanda (foot). Veteran outside linebacker Terrell Suggs wasn’t practicing, but the 16-year veteran has participated throughout the offseason program.
“- Wide receiver Breshad Perriman had an up-and-down day. He caught a touchdown by running past rookie cornerback Anthony Averett, which earned Averett some words from Secondary Coach Chris Hewitt. Perriman was then unable to complete a long pass that hit his hands later in the day when Flacco hit him on a deep pass down the sidelines after he ran by cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
“- Offensive lineman Alex Lewis took reps at center after working at left guard last week. The Ravens are working to determine their top-five players along the offensive line, and they’re experimenting with multiple options. The versatility from Lewis and James Hurst gives the Ravens some flexibility, and this is the time of the year to consider different lineups.
“- Second-year safety Chuck Clark had a nice day. He nearly came up with an interception during 11-on-11 drills when Flacco was trying to hit rookie tight end Hayden Hurst in the flat.
“- Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser flashed his speed by chasing quarterback Robert Griffin III out of the pocket and to the sidelines. Griffin has world-class speed, and Bowser did a good job of running nearly step-for-step with him.
“- Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson had a relatively quiet day. He hit Hayden Hurst for a long pass over the middle during 11-on-11 drills, and he also broke out of the pocket for some nice runs earlier in the day. Jackson is incredibly active in the pocket, whether he’s scrambling to run or extend plays to throw downfield.”
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