Nickel cornerback Arthur Maulet will have arthroscopic knee surgery, Head Coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday.
The procedure will not be season-ending and Maulet's status will be revisited as it gets closer to Week 1.
"He's going to have a scope surgery, a cleanup type of a situation," Harbaugh said. "It will keep him out for a little while but not long-term by any stretch. We can revisit it as we get close to the start of the season and talk about it."
All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton and three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey are both very effective playing the slot in Baltimore's versatile defense. Safety Ar'Darius Washington and third-year cornerback Pepe Williams, who are having strong training camps, can also play slot corner and could see more reps in that role.
Ben Cleveland Getting Longer Look at Center
There is an open competition for the backup center position behind Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum, who's sidelined with a soft tissue injury. Linderbaum's absence has led to increased training camp snaps at center for Ben Cleveland, who's also competing to start at right guard.
Cleveland isn't focusing on whether he'll start or where he'll play. His primary goal is to help the Ravens win.
"I see myself really fitting in wherever I'm needed," Cleveland said. "This week I've been playing a little more center than other places. I'm here to earn a spot on this team and wherever they need me to do that, that's what I'm going to do.
"I feel perfectly fine at center. They started working me in there last year. It's not like they just threw me into the fire this week. I'm definitely extremely comfortable there."
This is a critical season for Cleveland, entering his fourth year in Baltimore as a former third-round pick.
"The stakes are definitely higher," Cleveland said. "At the end of the day, it's the same thing I've been doing for the last three years. Showed up for work every day, giving it everything I've got. Being the best player I can be for this team and myself. Let the chips fall wherever they may."
Cleveland said having Linderbaum to lean on for guidance has been a huge help. Playing center has required Cleveland to react to defensive fronts and communicate with his teammates far more frequently.
"It's definitely more difficult, ain't no doubt about that," Cleveland said. "I feel like I'm extremely football smart. The biggest thing at center is being able to keep a cool head, do things on the fly. It's been nice having somebody obviously as good as he (Linderbaum) is at that position to help me get better myself."
Preseason Opener Will Be Important for Players Competing for Roles
Harbaugh said Lamar Jackson won't play in Friday night's preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson hasn't taken a snap during the preseason in three of the last four years.
However, the Ravens are replacing three starters from last year on the offensive line. Andrew Vorhees is the favorite to start at left guard, but this will be his first game action in more than 18 months since missing last season with a knee injury.
The Week 1 starters at right guard and right tackle have not been determined. Friday night will give young linemen like Cleveland, rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten, guard/tackle Daniel Faalele, and guard Sala Aumavae-Laulu a chance to make a positive impression.
All of them realize the importance of performing well.
"The preseason is kind of our first look at who we're going to be as a team and who we're going to be as an offense," Cleveland said. "We're going to have a lot of different guys playing a lot of different spots."
Rosengarten Says Running Laps Provides Incentive to Reduce False Starts
Any player called for a false start penalty during training camp has been asked to run a lap around the field as punishment. Harbaugh fully endorses the idea.
"The offense is enforcing it – they decided to do that, which I thought was pretty cool," Harbaugh said. "I was not disappointed to see that.
"It's a good impact. Anything that makes you intentional about what you're trying to do – it gets you focused on it."
Rosengarten thinks the attention to detail will carry over into game action.
"You have to know your assignment, and then most importantly, you have to know the snap count at the end of the play call," Rosengarten said. "If running a lap wasn't a big enough incentive to not jump offsides, I don't know what is."
