The Ravens held one of their shortest practices of training camp Tuesday, but unfortunately, it ended prematurely for Marlon Humphrey.
While covering Jaylon Moore in the end zone, Humphrey fell to the ground and was slow to get up. When he rose to his feet, the All-Pro cornerback was limping. He gingerly walked to the locker room and did not return.
Head Coach John Harbaugh did not speak with the media Tuesday and there was no immediate update on Humphrey's injury and how long he might be out. ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports that it's only a "mild strain."
However, with Jimmy Smith (ankle) already sidelined, the Ravens' substantial cornerback depth is being tested and other players may need to step up.
If needed, Anthony Averett could step in as the cornerback opposite Marcus Peters, and Averett is well-prepared to handle that responsibility. Coming off his best season, Averett would likely be a starter on many teams that don't have corners as talented as Humphrey and Peters. Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale has complete confidence in Averett's ability.
"I said in front of the defense last night, to me, he's the third-best corner we have on the team," Martindale said. "I think the kid has All-Pro talent. I tell him that every day and he's practicing that way this year. We're really seeing everything go from the practice field to games now and you can just see his confidence building. It doesn't matter who he's covering, to him. He just goes and covers them."
Averett had another strong practice Tuesday in the Ravens' last workout before flying south for joint practices with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday and Thursday at Wofford College (Spartanburg, S.C.).
Aside from Humphrey's injury, here are other notable observations from Tuesday's practice:
- Center Bradley Bozeman (ankle) was back at practice after missing Monday, as the offensive line continued to get healthier. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley practiced for the second straight day and stayed on the field for his longest stint since coming back from ankle surgery. Left guard Kevin Zeitler (foot) also had his second full day of practice. The starter at left guard remains undecided, but the Ravens hope rookie Ben Cleveland (concussion) will return to practice this week and resume competing for the job.
- Wide receivers Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Miles Boykin, and Deon Cain continued to work on an adjacent field as they recover from injuries. Brown (hamstring) continued to move well going through drills, but with Sammy Watkins and Rashod Bateman also out, young wideouts James Proche II, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace, Siaosi Mariner and Moore got plenty of reps Tuesday. Proche had another solid day, and Duvernay made a nice adjustment with his body and caught a long pass while keeping his feet inbounds along the sideline.
- Tavon Young continued to cover receivers aggressively and looked unrestricted in his movement coming back from knee surgery. As one of the NFL's best nickelbacks, Young's return is important to the secondary.
- Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley made several nice throws and continued to play with confidence. If the decision is made for Huntley to be the No. 2 quarterback, he is looking the part.
