Assistant General Manager Eric DeCosta said the Ravens read reports from other teams' training camps to see who is doing well, who is healthy, etc.
They do this to gain information about players they may want to trade for or pick up after teams cut rosters to 53 players.
Thus, DeCosta doesn't want to reveal too much about Ravens players who are standing out this year, but he did shed some light on the question when joining "The Lounge" this week.
"You want to talk about those guys, but then you don't really want to put it out there either," DeCosta said. "It doesn't do me any good to talk about these undrafted guys that are really playing well for us. I'm more inclined to look at guys who have made significant strides."
With that in mind, here's who DeCosta named:
ILB Kamalei Correa
DeCosta: "Kamalei Correa has made a good jump this year. He's shown maturity, both on defense and also on special teams. We're excited to see his growth continue. That's been good for us."
Breakdown: Correa has run with the first-team defense next to C.J. Mosley throughout the summer. He's flashed many times in practice, both in coverage and playing aggressive near the line of scrimmage. A missed tackle in the second preseason game wasn't what the team wants to see, but Correa rebounded to have a solid game. The Ravens want to see him transfer more of his strong practice play to the field in the third preseason game.
WR Keenan Reynolds
DeCosta: "I think Keenan Reynolds is a guy that has really improved a lot from when he came in last year as a quarterback to now. He had a nice return, his receiving skills have really improved quite a bit. He's a guy that has made some nice plays for us in practices, and he's really improved a lot as a player."
Breakdown: A converted Navy quarterback, Reynolds has had a steep learning curve early in his career. He has worked diligently to make the transition, and that work is paying off. A 46-yard punt return in the Ravens' first preseason game was a huge moment as he looks to make the roster as the team's primary punt returner.
S Chuck Clark
DeCosta: "Later-round draft pick, we liked him on tape, but he's really shown to us … we liked him on special teams in college quite a bit, but he's shown to us that he's really a viable safety, and he's going to be a guy that pays dividends for us down the road. We're excited about him and think he has a really good chance to help us."
Breakdown: It's not easy to make a quick jump from a college safety to the NFL. The game is much more complex. A sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, Clark has shown good field awareness and been around the ball a lot in practice. The Ravens have their starting safeties in Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson, as well as top backup Lardarius Webb, so for now, Clark will be featured mostly on special teams. But keep an eye on him in case of injuries and in the future.
DE/FB Patrick Ricard
DeCosta: "A guy that has just consistently been really good is the kid from Maine, Ricard. He's played some tight end for us, fullback. He's been consistently good from the time he got here, and he's a guy that we think has a really good chance to help us at some point and make the team and be a good player for us."
Breakdown: DeCosta didn't intend to talk about the team's undrafted free agents, but couldn't help himself from praising Ricard. That may speak to Ricard's standing when it comes to making the 53-man roster. The Ravens are deep on the defensive line with young talent, but Baltimore could find room for Ricard as a fullback if needed.
