Rookie safety Kyle Hamilton left the field early during Thursday's practice, walking inside with a member of the medical staff. Head Coach John Harbaugh described whatever was bothering Hamilton as "nothing serious."
"We're just managing some stuff with him," Harbaugh said.
The Ravens had 15 players who did not practice Thursday: defensive backs Jalyn Armour-Davis, Marcus Peters and Pepe Williams; linebackers Tyus Bowser, Daelin Hayes and David Ojabo; defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Travis Jones; offensive linemen Ben Cleveland, Daniel Faalele and Ronnie Stanley; running back J.K. Dobbins; tight end Charlie Kolar and wide receivers James Proche II and Tylan Wallace.
However, Harbaugh said some of those players would dress for Saturday's preseason finale against Washington. The Ravens are monitoring each player's load management and deciding each player's participation on a case-by-case basis. Harbaugh said that Lamar Jackson won’t play Saturday, but did not go into specifics about his plans for others.
"There are some starters that need the work, some starters don't," Harbaugh said. "Probably most starters don't. Some of those guys are going to play, we're just managing some of those guys, you have little things come up. It's not one size fits all with issues guys have. Some guys took days, some guys are managing loads. You try to manage that through camp."
Broderick Washington Sees Pass Rush as Key Ingredient for Defensive Line
The Ravens have made no secret of wanting to improve their pass rush, and they're looking for some of that juice to come from the defensive line.
Rookie defensive Travis Jones showed potential as an inside pass rusher before injuring his knee Sunday, and third-year tackle Broderick Washington believes Baltimore's defensive line can be elite. The Ravens got just 5.5 sacks from their defensive line last year.
"I think we can be the best defensive line in the league, honestly," Washington said. "Last year we were No. 1 stopping the run and I think pass-rushing as a whole group, everybody's gotten way better.
"We do more than just stopping the run. Stopping the run comes first, and then we've got to get to the quarterback to help our guys out on the back end. For us to be considered elite, we've got to put it all together as a whole."
Washington said Jones' injury has not diminished the defensive line's determination.
"To be honest, I think even before Trav getting hurt, we all had a chip on our shoulder to go out and show that we're one of the best defensive lines," Washington said. "I don't really know if that motivated us more, because that chip's pretty big already."
Marcus Peters Rounding Into Form
Peters didn't practice Thursday, but the Pro Bowl cornerback is ramping up his activity after missing all last season with a knee injury. Safety Chuck Clark said Peters has an interception in practice during team drills, which reporters had not yet seen take place since Peters returned to the field 10 days ago.
Peters' availability for Week 1 remains uncertain, but he leads the NFL in interceptions (21) since entering the league in 2015. Baltimore's secondary is different with him in the lineup, and Peters has been doing Peters-like things in practice.
"It's a lot of excitement," Clark said. "He came out here is second day a couple of days ago and caught an interception. It's good to see him back. We can't wait to have him out here full going for us."
And Important Game for Running Back Rotation
Rookie Tyler Badie (53 yards) leads Baltimore's running backs in rushing during the preseason, followed by Mike Davis (40 yards), Nate McCrary (40 yards) and Justice Hill (16 yards).
However, it has yet to be determined how many running backs Baltimore will keep on its 53-man roster, and Dobbins' availability for Week 1 is uncertain. The coaching staff is curious to see which backs shine against Washington.
"I do think it's a big game, no bigger than the other two," Harbaugh said. "That's what you look at, the games. They've all done well in the games so far. Badie's actually getting better as he goes here, you'd expect that with a rookie. Justice, he looks as fast or faster than he's ever looked. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I guess that's true with (your) Achilles, too. Mike Davis has looked very good both games."
