Earlier this week, John Harbaugh left out some hope that Jimmy Smith and Asa Jackson would be available for Saturday's preseason game against Washington.
That was squashed on Thursday. Harbaugh said that the top three corners — Lardarius Webb (back), Smith (chest contusion), Jackson (ankle) — will not be available. This isn't a surprise as the nature of both injuries require more rest than anything. Harbaugh did add that Smith could probably participate if this was a regular season contest.
This means more reps for guys such as Chykie Brown, Tramain Jacobs and Dominique Franks. Whereas, most bubble players need top performances in the second preseason game, these three could do themselves a huge favor with a good showing against Washington's first team.
In a sense, Webb, Smith and Jackson's misfortunes are those three corners' gains. It's one final chance to show they are worthy of a 53-man roster spot.