Michael Pierce Is Back to Playing Weight
As Michael Pierce chased down a quarterback all the way to the sideline during Monday's practice, it became clear that he's come a long way since not being in good enough shape to practice.
No, it wasn't Lamar Jackson who he tracked down, but Trace McSorley, who is pretty fast, too.
Pierce's weight was one of the biggest (no pun intended) storylines entering Ravens training camp. Twelve days in, it's hardly a concern anymore.
Pierce still has a little more weight to lose, but said he's "right around" what he played at last year. There's plenty of time to shed those last pounds before the start of the regular season.
"I feel good, my wheels are turning really well at this point," Pierce said. "What do we have, 35 days until Miami? Somewhere around there, so the countdown is on, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be ready for sure."
Defensive Line Coach Joe Cullen said Pierce is "having a great camp."
"Michael came back a little heavier than we wanted him [to be], but he has really worked hard to get to where he is today, right now," Cullen said. "With him and Brandon [Williams] in there, those are two of the stoutest and best nose tackles in the NFL."
Pierce and Williams looked very stout during Monday's joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags running backs had nowhere to go during a seven-on-seven drill early in practice.
Ravens-Jaguars Open Joint Practice With a Prayer
Before Monday's practice kicked off, the Ravens and Jaguars circled up and took a knee for a joint prayer and moment of silence for the victims and families of El Paso and Dayton.
"I thought that was a really powerful thing," Harbaugh said. "We all took a knee together and held hands, and wanted to honor the people involved there. It's just a tragedy."
Harbaugh also offered condolences to the family of longtime NFL writer Don Banks, who shockingly died in his sleep in Canton, Ohio after covering the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions.
Orlando Brown Jr. Meets Someone His Own Size
Second-year right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. doesn't often get chances to pick on someone his own size, but he got that Monday against veteran Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell.
Brown stands in at 6-foot-8, 345 pounds. Campbell is 6-foot-8, 300 pounds. Campbell is also a four-time Pro Bowler who is entering his 12th season, so it's a good challenge for the Ravens' youngster.
"It's not often that I get to face someone similar to my height," Brown said. "So it's a little bit more awkward for me just because of the leverage and the way things work. I'm used to blocking smaller people. There aren't many guys I've blocked his size. Maybe Shawn Oakley may have been the only guy close, and Carlos Dunlap."
Brown had a strong rookie season after taking over as the starter midway through the year. Still, the Ravens have mixed veteran James Hurst into the first-team mix at times during training camp.
"I use everything in my life as motivation, good or bad," Brown said. "I'm happy to be out there right now, and I'm going to continue to work."
