The Ravens returned to the practice field Sunday after having Saturday's open practice at M&T Bank Stadium cancelled because of heavy rain.
It was the team's first session in full pads, and it was also the first time that starting quarterback Joe Flacco has participated in an entire practice. The Ravens are easing the veteran players into the season because camp started a week earlier than normal, and Flacco had previously only participated in the first hours when the team goes through individual drills and play installations.
But Flacco received a full workload Sunday, and Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg liked what he saw.
"Fantastic start today," Mornhinweg said. "He's on it."
Flacco had a strong overall day. He started full-team drills with a pass to Chris Moore on a rollout, and the third-year receiver made an impressive one-handed grab over the middle of the field.
It's clear that Flacco has a clear command of the team and the offense when he steps to the line of scrimmage. The 11-year veteran drew the defense offsides with hard snap counts on multiple occasions and delivered several nice passes on the day. The practice gave young receivers a chance to catch passes from the starting quarterback because veteran receivers Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead IV and John Brown all went to the locker room after individual drills.
Flacco finished practice particularly strong. He connected with rookie tight end Mark Andrews on a big gainer over the middle of the field in 11-on-11 drills. Flacco also hit rookie receiver Jaleel Scott for about a 15-yard gain on a precision comeback route.
Flacco then capped off the practice with a touchdown pass to Moore in 11-on-11 drills where the quarterback confused the defense by drawing it offsides, then hit Moore in the end zone to finish the day.
Here were some of the other notes from practice:
- Saturday's rain cooled off the temperatures and made for a pleasant afternoon session. The Ravens got in practice just before the rain started to fall again in Owings Mills.
- Rookie tight end Hayden Hurst (soft-tissue issue) didn't practice again and left tackle Ronnie Stanley (undisclosed) also didn't participate. Defensive end Brent Urban wasn't on the field, but the Ravens could be cautious with him after last year's Lisfranc injury. Other players missing from practice were linebacker Kenny Young, offensive lineman Greg Senat and defensive back Bennett Jackson.
- Veteran cornerback Brandon Carr is a true ironman. He's started every game during his first 10 NFL seasons, and it's clear that he takes particularly good care of himself. Even though he's taking limited reps during this first week of practice, he still goes through an extensive stretching routine before and after he actually steps into any drills.
- Rookie safety DeShon Elliott delivered a couple big hits to receivers who came over the middle of the field. The coaching staff spent some time talking with him after one of the hits to stress the importance of not dropping his head to make contact, which would earn him a 15-yard penalty in a game.
- Cornerback Tavon Young continues to show encouraging signs that he's going to pick up where he left off his rookie season before a torn ACL cost him last year. He shut down rookie receiver Jordan Lasley on two straight plays during one-on-one drills, which are extremely difficult drills for defensive backs. Lasley was clearly frustrated after failing to get open during the one-on-one drills, and cornerback Jimmy Smith spent some time talking with him after.
- Wide receiver Tim White continues to have a strong training camp. He made a great catch down the sidelines in one-on-one drills, then came back a few plays later to make a diving snag along the sidelines. He then was the last player off the field as he went straight to the JUGS machine to get in extra work after practice.
