The Ravens held practice Monday on one of the hottest days of training camp, working for two-and-a-half hours in the afternoon heat.
The players were not in pads, as they practiced in shells and shorts. Despite the break from pads, it was still a tough day of practice to start the week.
"Whoa, the dog days," Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees said as he stepped to the podium after practice.
Here are some of the highlights from practice:
- Cornerback Lardarius Webb had a very good day, showing that he's making strong progress in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Webb was more involved in the full-team portion of practice because it was not full-contact with the team in shells. In the span of about five plays during 11-on-11 drills, Webb had two interceptions and a pass breakup. Both of the interceptions could have gone for touchdown returns, as Webb picked off the passes from quarterback Joe Flacco heading in the opposite direction. "Webby's back," safety Michael Huff shouted several times throughout the day.
- Right guard Marshal Yanda (shoulder) was back on the practice field for the first time during training camp. He was not a full participant in practice, but just getting the Pro Bowler back on the field is a good sign. Also, running back Bernard Pierce returned to action as a limited participant after suffering a bruised knee in the preseason opener.
- Wide receiver Brandon Stokley practiced for the first time since getting signed over the weekend, and the veteran caught one touchdown pass on his first play of full 11-on-11 drills. Stokley had a number of catches during practice, but he is still learning the system and getting back into the football routine.
- Torrey Smith made a great over-the-shoulder catch in the back of the end zone past cornerback Asa Jackson. Smith did not have much separation, but he made the tough catch and was still able to keep both feet in bounds.
- Flacco and wide receiver Tandon Doss did not seem to be on the same page at the start of practice, as the two failed to connect on several attempts thrown Doss' direction. But they improved as practice went on, and Doss caught a pass over the middle of the field, then beat three defenders to the sideline and likely would have scored a touchdown in a real game.
- The always-entertaining Terrell Suggs was giving the officials an earful during practice, letting them know whenever he didn't agree with a call. At one point, he playfully punted a ball into the middle of the field between plays.
- Running back Ray Rice let rookie cornerback Moe Lee know that he can't always jump on the short routes, or else teams are going to pick on him over-the-top. "You can't bite on everything Moe. You're going to get burned one day," Rice said.
- Rookie linebacker Arthur Brown ran through the line of scrimmage with a great burst to defend one running play. They weren't tackling Monday, but Brown would have brought running back Anthony Allen down about three yards deep in the backfield.
- The steamy afternoon didn't bother the coaching staff, as many of them practiced in long-sleeve black shirts. Head Coach John Harbaugh and several assistant coaches even wore sweatshirts during practice and ran from drill-to-drill. Practice is a workout for the coaching staff too.
