Maryland’s OWINGS MILLS Veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens made a choice after considering his injuries from the previous season and his goals for the 2024 campaign.
His best seasons occurred when he played at a smaller weight; he has been selected to three Pro Bowl teams and was named an All-Pro in 2019. It was time to make a small cut after a year in which he missed eight games in all and seldom ever felt well.
“I’m around 190. I came in 195,” Humphrey said, crediting the eating plan established for him by Sarah Snyder, the Ravens’ director of sports nutrition. “I’ve been playing the past couple of seasons around 200 or so, so basically, ever since I tore my pec, I got my grown-man weight on me, and it just never went off. It’s a young man’s game, so I decided to get a little lower.”
An interest in Humphrey’s form existed when training camp started earlier this week. He struggled with injuries for a large portion of the last campaign, beginning with a foot problem that needed surgery sometime in the middle of training camp. He barely made an appearance at any of the team’s offseason drills. Occasionally, he was spotted exercising on a nearby field with an athletic training staff member—a task often assigned to injured players. John Harbaugh, the coach of the Ravens, would only comment that Humphrey was coping with some “nagging” issues.
Humphrey has downplayed worries this week on his health, though. He said on Tuesday that he is now thinner and more agile. His close covering has resulted in multiple incompletes. He has generally been in an excellent position to make a play on the ball, even when he has given up a catch.
“He was getting a little gut last year,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton joked about Humphrey. “He wasn’t playing a lot — he just had a little chunkiness, but he dropped it. He’s got the abs back. He’s looking good out there. He’s running, he’s covering very well right now, and I’m excited to see him this year.”
Later, Hamilton added: “I don’t think the Ravens are what the Ravens are right now without Marlon the past eight years.”
The 28-year-old Humphrey has been a pillar of the Ravens defense. When he performs at his peak, he may shadow the leading receiver for the opponent. He can force turnovers and has a powerful presence close to the line of scrimmage. He has also led on the defensive.
Baltimore thinks that by adding veteran safety Eddie Jackson and drafting Nate Wiggins and T.J. Tampa, it has improved upon one of the best secondaries in the league from the previous campaign. The Ravens’ greatest addition, though, is most likely a healthy Humphrey, who can play both outside and in the slot.
For first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, having Wiggins and Brandon Stephens on the outside with a combination of Humphrey, Hamilton, and seasoned Arthur Maulet in the slot would be a wonderful luxury. Humphrey has not had many injuries in his career aside from the torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2021 season too soon, so the Ravens need him to stay healthy for that to happen. Last season, he learned a lot about staying healthy.
“I had certain injuries where you needed rest, and I think I overtook some of the rest time, and then just thought I could just play in the game Sunday and be my usual self,” Humphrey said. “Probably some of the things I regret. But mainly, it’s such a long season. I wasn’t really used to being hurt a lot. I know a lot of guys go into games hurt — every single game. I’ve done that a ton in my past as well, but last year just was a little different for me. I’m kind of ready for whatever this year.”
Jackson remains sidelined
Due to an unknown sickness, quarterback Lamar Jackson missed his third straight training camp session on Tuesday. According to Harbaugh, Jackson is getting closer to playing again.
“He’s closer to getting out there than he was,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just a matter of when the doctors are going to clear him and he’s going to feel good.”
Jackson initially became ill on Saturday while attending meetings at the Under Armour Performance Center. Prior to the team’s first training camp practice on Sunday, he came back to the building, but team physicians ordered him home, and he has not been back since.
In Jackson’s absence, the Ravens have been led offensively by veteran Josh Johnson. They will practice on Wednesday and play on Thursday.
Faalele getting a chance at guard
It is clear that no firm decisions have been made over Baltimore’s three offensive line openings after three practices. However, Harbaugh stated on Tuesday that the organization intends to give Daniel Faalele a chance to take the starting right guard position.
Through the first week of training camp, Faalele, a 2022 fourth-round pick who has seen little action at tackle in his first two seasons, has been given a longer look at the position.
“We’re going to give it a shot and see how it looks,” Harbaugh said. “Daniel has very good feet for his size. He’s a big man but he can move his feet. He can also bend and create leverage. When you have that kind of size and you’re coming off the ball on some of those combination blocks, we feel like he has a chance with Tyler (Linderbaum) to move people in there.”
Following Morgan Moses’ offseason trade, 6-foot-8, 380-pound Faalele was once thought to be a contender to start at right tackle. His biggest chance to earn a starting position, though, now seems to be at right guard, where he faces Ben Cleveland and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu.
“He keeps working on using his hands,” Harbaugh said of Faalele. “Things happen quicker. You’ve got to get your hands up quicker, get your hands on people quicker, too. He’s working on that part of it, too. We’ll see how he adapts.”
According to Harbaugh, the Ravens still plan to rotate a few players during training camp. He wanted Patrick Mekari, for instance, to get reps this week at right tackle, but in future practices, he may also see time at center and even other spots up front.
Other thoughts, observations
• Harbaugh briefly spoke with outside linebacker Odafe Oweh early in practice, asking him to be less disruptive. Although Harbaugh did not say exactly that, he did caution the fourth-year pass rusher not to become overly aggressive in his chase of the quarterback. After three days of training, Oweh has emerged as the most noticeable defensive player, which is concerning for the offensive tackles and quarterbacks of the Ravens.
“I had to pull the reins in on him a little bit,” Harbaugh said. “He understands to stay away from the quarterbacks as much as possible. We don’t want to have any car crashes out there, but he’s doing a great job. He’s bringing it. He’s pretty much been in the backfield every play, so we appreciate it.”
• During the first three days of camp, Maulet has been a magnet for the football, recording an interception each day. On Tuesday, he made his best pick to date. The five-foot-ten corner leaped high to seize a Johnson pass intended for Nelson Agholor, but he lost control of the ball and fell to the ground.
Have a camp @ArthurMaulet2 ❗ pic.twitter.com/9GC7vvJOgU
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 23, 2024
• Rashod Bateman has produced a couple spectacular plays in each practice, and on Tuesday, he did so again by snagging a deep throw down the far sideline. It seemed as though Humphrey’s hand diverted the ball before Bateman caught it. After a few plays, Bateman turned outside for a large gain after getting loose in the center of the field. Early in camp, the much-maligned receiver has shown promise.
• Veteran Keith Kirkwood and rookie fourth-round receiver Devontez Walker had quiet starts to training, but on Tuesday, they both had huge plays. Walker made a deep catch down the sideline after slipping by seasoned safety Daryl Worley. Kirkwood caught a back-shoulder toss in the end zone corner by outmuscling Trayvon Mullen. Other than that, tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, as well as Zay Flowers, have made plays quite frequently, but the rest of the receiving group has been largely silent.
• These are non-contact practices for a purpose. Derrick Henry caught Johnson’s pass in the flat, but it is obvious that the seasoned quarterback failed to notice Hamilton racing in the direction of the running back. Hamilton swerved at the last second to avoid what would have been an explosive collision. Roquan Smith, a middle linebacker, was nonetheless impressed by how fast Hamilton broke on the ball.
(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
