Ravens News 6/21: Joint practices finalized, importance of rookie receivers and more

Ravens never putting Earl Thomas and ‘comfortable’ in same sentence - Jamison Hensley

“He has never looked ‘comfortable.’ I would not put ‘comfortable’ and ‘Earl Thomas’ in the same sentence,” Harbaugh said. “He has looked determined. He looks like he understands the defense, which I think is what you’re alluding to. He looks crisp and sharp. He has been moving really well. He looks really good to me.”

“Some dogs don’t bark,” Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale said after Thomas joined the Ravens. “They just bite.”

Thomas believes stories about his all-business attitude are a little overhyped. But you rarely see a smile from Thomas on any pictures on his Instagram.

”I’m not that intense, like everybody says,” Thomas said. “In the locker room, guys, they’re starting to understand me and vice versa. These are my type of guys. This is the locker room that I want to be a part of. God just worked it out for me.”

Ravens need rookie WRs Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin to exceed expectations - Mike Preston

It’s unwise to put a lot of stock into offseason training activities and mandatory minicamp practices, but after watching the team work out for three days last week, it was easy to see that the Ravens have a group of mediocre receivers without Brown and Boykin, who were limited because of injuries.

The Ravens were hoping to see whether veterans such as Seth Roberts and Michael Floyd could have an impact or whether young receivers such as Jordan Lasley, Chris Moore and Quincy Adeboyejo could emerge. But the only consistent receivers were second-year tight ends Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst. The rest of the group showed flashes, but nothing that proves that they could be a real threat every Sunday.

The Ravens need this rookie tandem to step up or they will have an ordinary passing game. During minicamp, there were too many dropped passes. Floyd made plays occasionally, but looked slow. Lasley, a second-year receiver, and Roberts had their moments, but were mostly invisible. Willie Snead IV has continued to prove that he is just an average receiver in the slot.

Not Gone, but Forgotten: Who Has the Journeyman Backup QB Belt? - Danny Heifetz

Robert Griffin III

He’s Still in the League?!?!: 5.5

Shared Memory: 9.5

RGIII gets a nearly perfect score in the “Would you start a conversation about this person if they entered a game?” category. He’s also been irrelevant for long enough (since mid-2016) that plenty of people may not realize he serves behind Lamar Jackson as a cautionary tale for his fellow former Heisman-winning mobile quarterback picked in the first round by a team who plays in Maryland. He would cause quite a stir if he returned to action, but he’s still ingrained in people’s minds as a former starter, not a current backup, never mind a journeyman.

Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens finalize details for joint practices - Aaron Kasinitz

The Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles polished off plans for their joint practices this summer.

The teams will share the field in Philadelphia for 1:30 p.m. practices Aug. 19 and 20 before they square off Aug. 22 in Week 3 of the preseason, according to a press release the Ravens sent out Thursday.

Two weeks before heading to Philly, the Ravens will host the Jacksonville Jaguars for a pair of joint practices.