Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh wasn’t pleased with some of the coverages during an organized team activity early this week, and he wanted to discuss his concerns with young cornerback T.J. Tampa.
The two had a brief conversation, with Harbaugh doing much of the talking. And it seemed the head coach got his point across to the 2024 fourth-round pick.
“The reps are really good for him,” Harbaugh said following the team’s OTA on Wednesday. “I’ve seen a lot of flashes, flashing some real good plays. Keep chasing the consistency with the technique. T.J. is a young player, in the sense that I don’t even think sometimes he understands how good he is, how talented, how big he is, so I want him to play like a big corner and embrace that as far as his technique. He’s been working on doing that. You see it really coming around.”
Tampa, who battled injuries his rookie season and played just 18 defensive snaps, had a strong finish to OTAs, which feels notable when two accomplished cornerbacks are readily available to a team lacking veteran depth at the position. The Green Bay Packers released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this week after the two sides couldn’t agree on a restructured contract. The Miami Dolphins have made it known that they are preparing to move on from Jalen Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowl corner.
The Ravens have been mum about their interest in either player, and at least trading for Ramsey seems highly unlikely. However, they’ve had interest in Alexander before. That he’s close friends and a former college teammate of star quarterback Lamar Jackson only adds to the intrigue of a potential pairing.
Harbaugh said Wednesday that he’s happy with the team’s cornerback depth, which includes Tampa and rookie sixth-round draft picks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam behind a projected top three of Marlon Humphrey, 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins and veteran free-agent signing Chidobe Awuzie. However, Harbaugh did little to douse the possibility that Baltimore could still add to the position.
“I don’t really look at it as an ‘or.’ I look at it as an ‘and,’” Harbaugh said. “Yes, we’re happy with the guys we have, and I’m very confident those guys are all going to do well, and we turn over every stone. You’re always interested in anything you see on the waiver wire or anything else.”
Zach Orr has ‘truly led the charge’
Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith fielded questions you might expect him to be asked during his availability with reporters Wednesday. He was asked about Odafe Oweh’s body transformation. He was asked about rookie second-round pick Mike Green and the development of several of the other young pass rushers. He was asked about the pass-rush progress of nose tackle Travis Jones.
But Smith had a message that he clearly wanted to deliver, and a reporter finally gave him an opening.
“What have you noticed differently about defensive coordinator Zach Orr now compared to this time last year?” Smith was asked.
“Is this the last question?” Smith asked. “I’m glad this is. I was hoping somebody asked me this.”
Smith went on to deliver more than 450 words of support for Orr, who is entering his second season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Orr shouldered a ton of the early criticism for Baltimore’s poor defensive start in 2024. And, at least according to Smith, he didn’t receive enough praise for the subsequent turnaround.
“I’ve lived it. I’ve walked it. I’ve seen it,” Smith said. “Zach Orr, I’m telling you, is going to be an incredible coordinator, and let me tell you why. When we were struggling last year, I watched him stand in front of these mics every week and talk to you all, and he didn’t flinch. But I also watched him stand in front of the room (when we) played the Bengals, and it wasn’t like we were celebrating because, from a defensive standpoint, they did a lot. They had a great day on us. Zach Orr looked those players in the eye, and he never let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. He stayed in the middle.
“I know last year a lot of people in the media were saying, ‘Well, this guy came in and helped.’ No, Zach Orr did it. Zach Orr, in those rooms, with the coaches, he led, he made the changes, in support (with) Coach Harbaugh and the guys on that staff. But, Zach Orr truly led the charge. I’m a witness to it, and I’ve been wanting to say this, because the dude is the truth. (He) is going to be one of the best coordinators in the league.”
It may seem that Smith’s comments came out of nowhere, but he just verbalized what a few other current and former Ravens assistants have been saying quietly since the end of last season. Whether it was the ascension of Ar’Darius Washington into the starting safety role or the mid-October hiring of longtime defensive coordinator Dean Pees to be a senior adviser, there was quite a bit of praise handed out in connection with the Ravens’ defensive turnaround.
Orr, however, earned even more respect inside the building with how he didn’t make excuses, didn’t point fingers and just continued to work.
Other OTA notes
• Safety Kyle Hamilton, who hasn’t been present since the first week of voluntary OTAs, returned to the practice field Wednesday. A good number of his starting teammates didn’t join him. The list of non-participants included Jackson, running backs Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, wide receivers Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins, tight end Isaiah Likely, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Oweh, defensive backs Humphrey and Awuzie, and defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington.
Awuzie and second-year safety Beau Brade didn’t finish Monday’s practice. Harbaugh said Wednesday that both have minor ankle injuries that are not long-term concerns. Green also wasn’t on the field, but Harbaugh said the rookie was “fine.”
• Jackson participated in just one of Baltimore’s nine OTAs, providing new veteran backup Cooper Rush and 2024 sixth-round pick Devin Leary with plenty of opportunity to operate the Ravens’ offense. It was a struggle at times over the past three weeks, but both players made some quality throws during Wednesday’s practice. Malik Cunningham made a sliding catch on an early Rush delivery. That was part of an active practice for Cunningham, who spent last season on Baltimore’s practice squad.
Rush and Leary also found Dayton Wade and Jahmal Banks for a few big plays downfield. Banks, an undrafted rookie out of Nebraska, played his high school football at St. Frances, which is only about half an hour from the Ravens’ training facility.
• The Ravens have been pleased with the development of rookie kicker Tyler Loop, but the sixth-round pick had a rough go of it on Wednesday. Loop made just 5-of-9 field goal attempts during the team portion of practice. With owner Steve Bisciotti and Harbaugh standing about 10 yards behind him, Loop missed three straight attempts at one point. He did rebound to connect from just over 55 yards.
This hasn’t been the case since 2012, when undrafted rookie Justin Tucker beat out veteran incumbent Billy Cundiff. There will be a kicking competition this summer, and the battle between Loop and fellow rookie John Hoyland will be one of the most spotlighted aspects of training camp.
• Content with the work his players have put in over the past three weeks, Harbaugh canceled Thursday’s OTA, which was initially scheduled to be the 10th and final one. Players will still report to the team facility for meetings and workouts. Harbaugh informed the team of the decision in the post-practice huddle, and the news spurred a loud cheer from the players. The Ravens’ next on-field practice will be Tuesday for the start of the three-day mandatory minicamp.
