Nick Boyle's Return Delayed By Knee Procedure
Tight end Nick Boyle will not be on the field as soon as hoped after having a minor clean-up procedure on his knee.
It still remains to be seen whether Boyle will be back in time to play in any of the Ravens' three preseason games.
"When I'm ready, I'm going to be back out there," Boyle said last week on “The Lounge” podcast. "If it's not right away or if it is right away, just know that I'm still putting in my effort every single day to get back out there as fast as I can.
Boyle went down with his season-ending knee injury on Nov. 15. It was his first major injury. He said the surgery was especially tough, as he woke up feeling "like there was a chainsaw going through my bone."
Given that he lives full-time in Maryland, Boyle has been rehabbing diligently at the Under Armour Performance Center the entire time.
Boyle is arguably the best blocking tight end in the league. His return is key for Baltimore's run game especially, as Boyle and fullback Pat Ricard are at the point of the attack.
"He's such a hard worker," Andrews said. "He's the type of guy that's going to come back stronger."
Ravens in 90-Percent Range of COVID-19 Vaccinations
As the league continues to impose more restrictions upon players who are not vaccinated, teams' vaccination rates continue to rise. The Ravens' player vaccination rate is in the 90-percent range now and climbing.
As a team leader and a member of the NFLPA's executive committee, Calais Campbell has spoken with his teammates about getting vaccinated, but it's a delicate balance of wanting to inform but not pressure too much.
"I'm a fan of the vaccination. I got it for myself. I will encourage a guy if he wants to get vaccinated to get more information and if he doesn't, that's fine. And as a [executive committee] member, I'm going to protect him," Campbell said.
"At the end of the day, I'm going to let a person be a grown man and make a decision. I will be a beacon for information. I try to give them as much information as possible if they want it."
According to Pro Football Talk, 14 of the 32 teams now are above 90 percent and 85 percent of the league's players have received at least one shot.
The NFL warned last week of potential forfeits and loss of game checks if unvaccinated players prompt an outbreak during the regular season.
Tyus Bowser Responds to Questions About Ravens' Pass Rush
The biggest question about the Ravens defense heading into training camp is the pass rush. With the losses of Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue and Jihad Ward in free agency, Baltimore had 12 of its 39 sacks from last year depart.
The Ravens added a pair of rookies, first-round pick Odafe Oweh and fifth-round pick Daelin Hayes, who are promising but young. There's still a chance that the Ravens could sign a proven veteran, such as Justin Houston, but that remains to be determined.
For now, Tyus Bowser is a key part of the returning class of outside linebackers tasked with stepping up. Bowser had a pair of sacks last season and five in 2019. After signing a contract extension this offseason, he is in more of a leadership position to help silence the doubts.
"Everybody can have what they say about us. That's totally fine. Everybody can have their own opinion," Bowser said. "Regardless, we've got to go out on the field and produce. The most important thing is coming out with the win at the end of the day. That's all we're focused on.
"Everybody has to work on one accord to get to the quarterback. It's not on just one person."
