The Ravens got a boost Tuesday morning when two key defenders were back on the practice field after missing time with injuries.
Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers and nose tackle Travis Jones both returned when Baltimore resumed work at the Under Armour Performance Center after a day off. Flowers’ absence turned out to be brief, and Jones’ return marked his training camp practice debut.
Flowers had limped off the field last week after what head coach Jesse Minter said was a quad contusion he suffered when he collided with safety Jaylinn Hawkins during a 7-on-7 drill. The timing made the moment feel bigger than it was, especially coming just days after Flowers signed the largest deal for a non-quarterback in franchise history. But he only missed Sunday’s practice in the heat, and Minter said the expectation was always that the star receiver would be back soon.
“I feel really good about where that is at, and I think those types of things may take a couple of days,” Minter said Sunday. “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.”
Jones’ situation carried a little more weight. He had been on the Physically Unable to Perform list while working back from a reported pectoral injury, missing the first couple of weeks of camp and much of the offseason program. After passing his physical, he was cleared to practice Tuesday.
It’s a significant development for a defensive front that is starting to get healthier by the day. Jones is coming off the best season of his career, finishing with a personal-high five sacks while leading Baltimore’s interior defensive linemen in snaps played, with 743, and tackles, with 47.
He now joins two-time Pro Bowler Nnamdi Maduike and veteran nose tackle John Jenkins as the third player in that position group and the fifth player overall to come off P.U.P. Six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, who didn’t begin camp on an injury list, had been eased in early but is now working in full 11-on-11 team drills.
“Expect that room over the next week to two weeks to really, really take shape for us,” Minter said.
With Jones off P.U.P., second-year inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan is the only player still on the list as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL.
Baltimore’s depth chart in the middle of the defense is still being tested, though. The Ravens will have to lean on a group of less familiar names this Saturday when the Philadelphia Eagles visit M&T Bank Stadium for an exhibition game.
Second-year defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles also returned to practice Tuesday after missing nearly a week with an undisclosed injury. Even so, the Ravens are headed toward their first preseason game with the same collection of younger linemen who have been working with the first and second units over the last two weeks while the veterans have been getting healthy.
That group is expected to include Broderick Washington, rookies Rayshaun Benny, Aaron Graves and Dion Wilson Jr., plus second- and third-year players David Olajiga and C.J. Okoye, both international pathway players.
Another situation to watch is veteran reserve quarterback Skylar Thompson, who has also been out with an undisclosed injury. If he can’t play against the Eagles, Baltimore would likely use Pro Bowl backup Tyler Huntley for only a short stint and give undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano out of UConn a longer look.
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