John Brown has put on a show the last week of practice.
The free-agent acquisition has shown his speed and big-play potential, connecting with Joe Flacco on several deep passes over the last few days. That continued during Tuesday's practice, as he pulled down an impressive grab along the sidelines during 11-on-11 drills.
Brown was defended by second-year cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the play and Flacco put the ball just inside the defender. Humphrey had great coverage, but Brown managed to go up for the football and make a juggling catch as he went to the ground. He then popped up and ran down the field towards the end zone.
Brown is best known for his breakaway speed, but the play showed his ability to make difficult contested catches. The Ravens have praised his hands since signing him in March, and he's brought a new dynamic to the offense.
He seems to have strong chemistry with Flacco on both the deep ball and timing routes, and he's been a popular target for the veteran quarterback. Baltimore's passing game has impressed this summer, and the fifth-year receiver is a big reason for that.
Here were some of the other notes from practice:
- Tight end Mark Andrews (soft-tissue injury) continues to be sidelined. Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser (undisclosed) and running back Kenneth Dixon (reported hamstring) both didn't practice. Safety Tony Jefferson returned to the field after missing practice Monday.
- The Ravens practiced in shorts and shells, as they dialed back the intensity a bit before the preseason opener Thursday in Canton. It was still a fast practice, but there just wasn't as much contact as the previous day.
- The offense finished the day with an interesting up-tempo drill where the group sped through several plays in a hurry-up fashion. Rookie Lamar Jackson was at the helm for the drills, which looked like an accelerated two-minute offense. The period ended with Jackson finding rookie receiver Jordan Lasley on a fade route in the end zone.
- Cornerback Jimmy Smith continues to make solid progress. He's less than eight months removed from a torn Achilles, but he looks like he's in midseason form. Smith has practiced fully from the start of training camp and his quick recovery was on display Tuesday when he ran step-for-step with speedy receiver Chris Moore on a deep ball. Smith didn't give up any ground or show limitations as the pass fell incomplete, and Moore actually drew a flag on the play for pushing off Smith.
- Quarterback Josh Woodrum connected with wide receiver Jaleel Scott on a deep pass down the sidelines late in practice. Scott has shown some big-play potential in recent days, which a good sign for the rookie wideout.
