Ravens News 8/1: 100 MPH Fastball and more

Ravens stock report: Who is up and who is down after the first week of training camp? - Jeff Zrebiec

Shemar Bridges, WR: The Ravens have been waiting for one of their six undrafted free agent receivers to thrust themselves in the mix for that fifth receiver spot and Bridges may have done just that last week. The former Fort Valley State player was very involved in Friday’s practice, winning his matchups in one-on-ones and making a few more catches in full-team drills. He carried the momentum through Saturday’s workout, too. At 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, he presents a big target and runs well for a big man. He has the attention of the coaching staff.

Isaiah Likely, TE: The minicamp darling has carried the momentum from the offseason into camp, making several big plays and drawing comparisons to Andrews in the process. There were questions about Likely’s athleticism heading into the draft, but the fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina has shown an ability to get separation from defensive backs and find space, and he’s caught most of the balls thrown in his direction. When you take into account his play and Kolar’s injury, Likely seems close to certain to have a notable Week 1 role with the Ravens as long as he stays healthy and continues to progress this summer.

Ben Powers, G: About a week ago, Powers was considered, at least by people outside the team facility, as an underdog in the starting left guard competition. However, offensive coordinator Greg Roman late last week anointed Powers the front-runner over Tyre Phillips, Cleveland and perhaps Patrick Mekari. It’s still very early, as Roman noted, but Powers certainly is getting the first opportunity to stake claim to the job. Powers has made 19 starts at guard over the past two years, so he’s the most experienced option. He has four or five more weeks to show he’s the most consistent one, too.

10 Takeaways From First Week of Training Camp - Clifton Brown

Young Cornerbacks Are Playing With Swag

Young cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis, Brandon Stephens and Pepe Williams are playing with physicality and challenging wide receivers to get open. They’re winning some battles, they’re losing some battles, but they’re competing and playing with confidence. With the departures of Anthony Averett, Tavon Young and Jimmy Smith, the Ravens’ cornerback depth behind Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters will have a much different look. Baltimore signed veteran Kyle Fuller, who will also battle for reps, but in Week 1 of camp, the younger corners brought swag and intensity to the sessions.

Michael Pierce Is Making His Prescence Felt

After missing mandatory minicamp for personal reasons, veteran defensive tackle Michael Pierce is back and moving bodies off the line of scrimmage. He passed the conditioning test, he’s happy to be back, and he still has more than a month before the Week 1 opener to get in regular season shape. That’s a good sign for Baltimore’s defensive front.

Travis Jones Is a Rookie to Watch

Pierce gave a strong endorsement to third-round defensive tackle Travis Jones after Saturday night’s stadium practice.

“Did you see him tonight?” Pierce said. “That’s all you need to know. Physically gifted. For a big dude he can really move. As soon as he gets his technique down….”

Jones could begin to shine more once padded practices begin Monday.

Ravens WR Devin Duvernay suffers thigh bruise in practice collision; TE Nick Boyle, S Marcus Williams return - Jonas Shaffer

Bateman, Andrews shine

In maybe his best throw of camp, Jackson connected with second-year receiver Rashod Bateman for a nearly 50-yard pass during an 11-on-11 period of practice

Bateman was Jackson’s top wide receiver target throughout Saturday’s practice and continued to stand out as the team’s top option there.

“He does the same thing every practice,” Harbaugh said Saturday. “Every practice is the same. He’s very consistent. And we tell the guys, the true testament of mental toughness is consistency — the ability to do it not just once, but every day, day after day. He’s certainly doing it.”

Tight end Mark Andrews likely ended the night as the Ravens’ most targeted receiver, dominating over the middle of the field.

“It seemed like every ball was going to Mark,” rookie safety Kyle Hamilton said, “and they were completing it.”

Wiser and healthier, Ravens’ Odafe Oweh enters second season looking to dominate: ‘That’s the vision he has for himself’ - Ryan McFadden

“If I wasn’t winning off the first move, I was going to win off the second, or even the third move. And then once the ball was out [of the quarterback’s hand], I was triggering,” Oweh said. “I want to build on that. I want to be more complete in pass rush, be more accurate, [and] win on the first move a lot more.”

Oweh said he’s already seen the work he put in during the offseason paying off. He feels calmer, his legs are stronger and he is reading everything on the field.

Macdonald, the defensive coordinator at Michigan last season, compared Oweh to a dominant pitcher: “When he throws his fastball, it’s up there. It’s 100-plus [mph].”

“It’s just great to see him out there moving around,” Macdonald said. “He’s freaky. I expect him to do some great things for us.”

Oweh spent some time watching Michigan’s defense since his close friend and teammate, David Ojabo, starred for the Wolverines last year. One thing Oweh noticed about Macdonald is that he lets his edge rushers have freedom.

“He lets them be who they are,” Oweh said. “I’m looking forward to how he uses me.”

Jordan Stout Hits Ground Running for Ravens - Todd Karpovich

During the Ravens’ practice at M&T Bank Stadium, Stout planted one ball at the 1-yard line and then he hit another at the 2-yard line.

“Jordan is doing great,” special teams coach Chris Horton said. “Every day, he’s got three of the best coaches over there. These guys are coaching him, they’re drilling him every day, and every day, we’re just trying to make sure that he understands what the standard is because that’s a very important job. You guys have seen it over the years. And we just want to make sure that we get him to where he needs to become game time. But he’s doing a good job, and like I say, every day, we’re just trying to stack and become consistent.”

In addition to punting, Stout has done a good job holding the ball for kicker Justin Tucker. That was an area of emphasis for Stout since the draft.