Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith can add his name to the list of battered and bruised members of the secondary this training camp (see: Lardarius Webb and Asa Jackson). Smith injured himself on the first series of Saturday's preseason game against the Cowboys.
While attempting to defend a pass intended for Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, Smith jumped in the air and fell awkwardly on his back, banging his head against the turf. Initially, a possible concussion appeared to be the reason Smith was slow to get up, but he rolled over and began to split blood.
Surprisingly, the Ravens said Smith had a bruised chest, though his x-ray's were negative.
At this time, Chykie Brown is the Ravens top healthy option at cornerback. And given the way Brown has played during training camp, that has to be concerning for Ozzie Newsome & Co.
Options still exist on the free agent market with the biggest name being former Patriots, Eagles and Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel. The Jets had spoken to Samuel earlier this week according to the New York Daily News, but no deal has been made as of yet.
Given that there has been no buzz currently linking the Ravens to Samuel (or any other cornerback for that matter), it's likely that the team is waiting to add a veteran player once cuts begin Aug. 26.
To be fair, Brown played well against the Cowboys and even perfectly timed a deep ball looking like he had eyes in the back of his head. Brown may be finally turning the tables on a poor training camp, but his consistency must be questioned.
It would have been nice to see what Aaron Ross would have done had he not blown out his Achilles during the conditioning test. The Ravens will need to ideally seek a player with Ross' experience to occupy a lower spot on the depth chart and contribute on special teams.
Judging by their performance on Saturday, it's not a matter of "if" the Ravens will add another corner, it's "when."