The Ravens didn't waste any timing getting to work Thursday morning.
The team hit the practice field early for an 8:30 a.m. practice, with temperatures in the mid-70s. The intensity of practice was dialed back a bit from the previous day, as the Ravens practiced in shorts and shells after four straight practices of full contact.
"We had a great practice," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "Guys had a really tremendous work ethic. They really love football and that's how you get better. You practice, and practice well."
As Harbaugh frequently does throughout training camp, he gave a few veteran players the day off to rest.
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and wide receiver Jacoby Jones all did not participate in practice. Inside linebacker Daryl Smith also sat out practice for the second day as he's dealing with a minor groin injury.
Here were the highlights from Thursday's practice:
- Cornerback Lardarius Webb (back), defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan (back), offensive guard Will Rackley (concussion) and wide receiver Jeremy Butler (groin) all sat out practice. Webb has not practiced since last Friday, but he walked out to the field to watch from the sidelines Thursday.
- First-round pick C.J. Mosley loves to hit. Even on a day without pads, he still wasn't afraid to stick his nose into a pile and initiate contact. During one-on-one coverage drills, Mosley drilled fullback Shaun Chapas as he came off the line of scrimmage and then deflected the pass from quarterback Keith Wenning. It was an impressive hit and deflection.
- Wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. had another strong day of work. He isa safety net for quarterback Joe Flacco on several plays, catching passes in traffic all over the field. He had two particularly impressive leaping catches, where he made fingertip* *catches on bullet passes from Flacco. He also practiced hard, and looked to have a second gear after some receptions.
- Rookie wide receiver Michael Campanaro is clearly making strides and picking up the offense. He showed strong route running during one-on-oneand team drills, gaining separation in the secondary. He's also one of the top options as a punt returner, which could be his initial role on the roster.
- Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is coming along well as a blocker. On one play, he sealed off linebacker Arthur Brown in the secondary allowing running back Bernard Pierce to cut down the sideline for a big gain.
- Pierce is running well and without hesitation. He had a nice spin move in the backfield to avoid a tackler and get upfield. He knows he has a big opportunity in front of him and he's working to lead the backfield during the first two games of the season.
- Second-year outside linebacker John Simon had back-to-back nice plays during full-team drills. He showed a strong pass rush to get into the backfield for what would have been a sack against Flacco, and then he followed it up by deflecting a pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
- Practice finished with a great catch by wide receiver LaQuan Williams in the back of the end zone. Williams caught a perfect pass from Taylor over undrafted rookie cornerback Tramain Jacobs, who had a hand in Williams' face and on the ball. Williams still hauled in the catch and stayed in bounds to finish practice on a strong note.
