Today was the third day of Ravens training camp. It was also only the second practice of Ravens training camp, and the injury bug seems to be sticking around. For the entirety of training camp, the Ravens have been making league headlines, and not for good reasons. Today was unfortunatly a continuation of bad news for the Baltimore Ravens. In the midst of the unfortunate events of the Ravens training camp, there have been signs of hope as well. Here are the headlines coming out of day three of Ravens training camp.
Tight End Crockett Gillmore Injures Leg
It seems that the Baltimore Ravens just can’t catch a break when it comes to injuries. Just a couple days after Joe Flacco’s back injury surfaced, Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore injured his leg during practice. According to reports, Gillmore went down with just five minutes left in practice, and spiked his helmet in rage. It’s hard to blame him for getting angry, as he has dealt with numerous injuries since being drafted to the Ravens. The extent of how bad Gillmore’s injury is remains unknown. Head coach John Harbaugh said that he was still waiting to learn how bad the injury is. This comes at a very bad time for Gillmore, as he was set to have a big role in the Ravens passing game. Hopefully his injury is minor, and heals quickly, as Baltimore can’t afford any more major losses this offseason.
Rookie Cornerback Marlon Humphrey Impresses
Reports coming out of Ownings Mills Maryland today seem to suggest that the offense had a terrible day of practice. Although this is discouraging, there is a silver lining to the offensive disaster. The defense played tremendously well, especially rookie cornerback Marlon Humphrey. According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, Humphrey had an outstanding day, with two interceptions, and being around the ball often.
Ravens first-round CB Marlon Humphrey has gotten off to a good start. Had 2 interceptions today and been around Ball lot.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiecsun) July 28, 2017
As a first round pick, Humphrey is expected to perform for the Ravens almost immediately. While his exceptional performance is encouraging, it should be taken with a grain of salt. The elite starting quarterback Joe Flacco was again sidelined today as his back heals. With Flacco out, the only quarterbacks on the field were Ryan Mallet, Dustin Vaughan, and now David Olson. None of these quarterbacks can play anywhere near Flacco’s caliber, resulting in a less efficient offense. Regardless of the offensive situation, Humphrey played well, and that is a good sign for Baltimore.
Ravens Sign Quarterback David Olson
The Ravens threw a curve ball today when they signed quarterback David Olson. Olson, an arena football player in the Champions Indoor Football League, comes in the midst of speculation that Baltimore would add quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Olson is going to be mainly a camp arm for the Ravens, and does not prevent signing Kaepernick in the future. With Flacco out for a week or so, the Ravens needed another quarterback to throw for drills. This is where Olson fits more than Kaepernick. Kaepernick is more than an arm for Ravens training camp. If Baltimore was to sign Kaepernick, they would make him the long term backup for Joe Flacco. If the Ravens feel they need to replace Ryan Mallet as the backup quarterback, they will go after Kaepernick, but if not, they will stay put.
