News of just a six-game suspension for Deshaun Watson swept over the NFL Monday and Head Coach John Harbaugh was asked for his take after practice.
If the suspension stands, Watson will make his debut on Oct. 23 at M&T Bank Stadium.
"I do have a lot of opinions on it. I'm just not at liberty to share them at this time. That's for the league to decide," Harbaugh said.
However, Harbaugh pointed to the Ravens' decision after the Ray Rice incident not to pursue players with any history of mistreating women. It was a decision made by Owner Steve Bisciotti, in conjunction with Dick Cass, Ozzie Newsome, Eric DeCosta, Pat Moriarty, Harbaugh and others.
"I respect what Steve Bisciotti and Dick Cass created here almost 10 years ago," Harbaugh said. "Basically, we're kind of zero tolerance. You have to know the truth, you have to try to understand the circumstances, but we've stayed away from that particular situation – when we draft players, when we sign them as free agents. That's Steve's decision, and I'm glad that we have that policy."
Ronnie Stanley's Return 'Is Not Going to Be Imminent'
Ronnie Stanley continues to be a part of practice, but with shorts and a T-shirt on from the sideline.
The updates on Stanley's ankle rehab have been encouraging, from the strength of the ankle to the shape Stanley is getting in, but Harbaugh said it's too soon to know yet when he'll be back on the field.
"It's not going to be imminent," Harbaugh said. "He's feeling good. He looks good right now."
Tyler Linderbaum Has Up And Down Day in Pads
One of the players to watch most closely with pads on is rookie center Tyler Linderbaum. Being the smallest offensive lineman in the draft, Linderbaum must prove he can handle the physicality and bigger, stronger defensive linemen of the NFL.
On Day 1, it was a mixed bag for the scrappy Iowa blocker.
On one play, Linderbaum perfectly picked up a blitz by linebacker Patrick Queen and stuffed him at the line of scrimmage. Linderbaum then kept pushing forward, getting after Queen till the play was complete.
On the next play, Linderbaum got a bull rush from 345-pound defensive lineman Michael Pierce and was pushed into the backfield as he tried to reset.
"It's a work [in progress]," Offensive Line Coach Joe D'Alessandris said. "You can't judge it just on today. It's part of the equation of teaching."
What Separates Ben Powers in Left Guard Competition
Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said Ben Powers is in the lead in the competition to be the starting left guard.
On Monday, D'Alessandris shed light on what Powers is doing to stand out in the race with Tyre Phillips and Ben Cleveland, who passed his conditioning test and practiced for the first time Monday.
"It's an ongoing competition right now," D'Alessandris said. "[Powers has] very good vision, he's very instinctive. He's a good communicator. When you do all those things … you have to gel the line together and trust each other. So he's doing a great job."
