The Ravens held their final Organized Team Activity (OTA) practice open to the media Thursday.
They practiced on a cool afternoon, with the final few minutes of drills held in a slight drizzle.
Here some of the highlights and key notes from Thursday's session:
- Rookie linebacker Arthur Brown was back on the field after having surgery to repair a sports hernia. He participated in individual and team drills four weeks after having the surgery. Getting the second-round pick back is a good sign for the Ravens, as he's expected to challenge for a starting role.
- Wide receiver Tandon Doss had a good day of practice. He caught a number of passes from Joe Flacco, including a highlight-reel grab in the end zone where he leapt over cornerback Corey Graham.
- Flacco is known for his big arm, but he showed off a little versatility with his legs. During 11-on-11 drills, Flacco rolled out of the pocket to his left, avoided a sack by defensive lineman Arthur Jones and then cruised into the end zone. He's faster than he looks.
- Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor is better known for his speed coming out of the backfield. He showed that off on one play where rookie defensive lineman Will Pericak was giving chase, but Taylor easily side-stepped the pass rush and jogged in for the score.
- Running back Bernard Pierce is working to improve his hands this offseason. The second-year running back showed off the fruits of his labor with a great catch down the sideline on a 20-yard pass from Flacco. He made the catch right on the sidelines with outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil in coverage.
- Tight end Ed Dickson looks like he's getting more involved in the passing game, which is a priority for him this offseason. He caught a number of passes from Flacco and was versatile in his route tree, catching short passes in the flat and also deeper passes over the middle of the field.
- Undrafted rookie tight end Matt Furstenburg is also carving out a role in the passing game. He was more of a blocker in college, but he flashed strong hands with a tough catch from Taylor in the flat. Taylor put some zip on the football, but Furstenburg was still able to make the fingertips grab.
- Tommy Streeter is still raw in some of his routes, but he's able to use his size to his advantage. He has shown the ability to go up and pluck balls out of the air, and did just that on a fade route in the end zone over rookie cornerback Marc Anthony.
- Â Torrey Smith continues to make strides. He shines at wide receiver and had one of the highlights of the day with a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch on a perfectly-placed ball from Flacco. Smith made the catch behind Graham and finished off the play by streaking down the field for a touchdown.
- For the third straight week, the Ravens had strong attendance at the voluntary workouts. Veterans Ray Rice, Joe Flacco, Vonta Leach, Haloti Ngata, Bryant McKinnie, Michael Huff and Elvis Dumervil all participated. Terrell Suggs, Marshal Yanda and Chris Canty were not in attendance, but the entire roster is expected to be back in Baltimore for mandatory minicamp next week.
