Wallace practices after passing conditioning test
Gillmore tweaks hamstring; deal with OT Long falls apart amid knee concerns
Upon joining the rest of his new teammates on the practice field Friday, wide receiver Mike Wallace said to anybody within earshot, “I’m back.”
Wallace, the veteran who was signed this offseason to give the Ravens more speed on the outside, missed only one full-squad practice. However, his failure to pass the team’s conditioning test loomed over the first day of training camp.
He passed the test in time to participate in his first training camp practice with the Ravens on Friday. Wallace had a quiet session and was mostly held out of the 11-on-11 drills. He did return several kickoffs during the special teams portion of practice. He wasn’t available to reporters after spending nearly a half-hour after practice signing autographs for fans.
Fellow wide receiver Dobson Collins also passed the conditioning test in time to practice. The only Raven who has been unable to pass it is veteran cornerback Jerraud Powers.
Wallace, 29, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, caught 39 passes for 473 yards and two touchdowns with the Minnesota Vikings last season. He signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal with the Ravens in March. Gillmore injured: Tight end Crockett Gillmore rehabilitated from offseason shoulder surgery and made it back to participate in the team’s first full-squad practice Thursday. But 90 minutes into Friday’s session, Gillmore walked off the field with another injury.
Gillmore tweaked his hamstring, which necessitated an MRI, according to coach John Harbaugh. Results weren’t immediately known. Gillmore’s injury came a day after running back Kenneth Dixon left practice with what the team believes is a minor knee problem.
Gillmore caught 33 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns last season but missed six games with calf, back and shoulder injuries. The Ravens still have Benjamin Watson, Maxx Williams and Dennis Pitta at tight end, but Gillmore was expected to have a significant role on offense after his breakthrough 2015. Long won’t be a Raven: It appears offensive tackle Jake Long won’t be joining the Ravens after all.
The player’s physical aroused concerns about his twice surgically repaired right knee. Long tore his ACL in 2013 and 2014.
The sides agreed to terms on a one-year Wide receiver Mike Wallace, a veteran signed in the offseason to give the Ravens more speed on the outside, missed one full-squad practice after failing a conditioning test. contract this week, contingent on his passing a physical. The Ravens were concerned about Long’s knee and asked him to get a second opinion from renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. The team didn’t want to be liable if Long reinjured his knee.
Long, who played in seven games for the Atlanta Falcons last season, has been reluctant to sign an injury waiver as part of the contract with the Ravens. He told ESPN he was “enthused” by the results of his examination with Andrews and remains focused on playing this season. Long, 31, remains a free agent.
The Ravens, meanwhile, remain in the market for a veteran offensive tackle. Their top reserves behind projected starters Ronnie Stanley and Rick Wagner are James Hurst, De’Ondre Wesley and rookie fourth-round pick Alex Lewis.
In failing to close a deal with Long, the Ravens have a vacancy on their 90-man roster. They can use it to sign a veteran tackle or to add another running back with Dixon, Trent Richardson (knee) and Lorenzo Taliaferro (foot) all sidelined. Yanda embraces role: Right guards don’t usually garner a lot of publicity in the NFL, but after getting elected to five straight Pro Bowls, Marshal Yanda has established himself as one of the team’s top players. As the Ravens reshape their offensive line, Yanda’s role in stabilizing the unit is more important than ever before.
Yanda has taken to mentoring Stanley, a rookie tackle, and guard John Urschel, who are projected to be first-year, full-time starters on the left side of the offensive line.
“There’s a lot of pressure,” Yanda said, referring to Stanley, whom the Ravens picked sixth overall out of Notre Dame. “He’s coming in, he’s going to play left tackle for us, and left tackle in the NFL is a hell of a job. He’s going to [face] the best pass rushers on Sunday. But we haven’t put the pads on yet, so obviously it’s tough to gauge right now, but he has done everything right up to this point.”
Yanda hasn’t played left tackle in years, but he has stepped in at right tackle more recently, so he can help Stanley with adjustments.
“He has the right mindset, and he’s a hard worker — keeps his head down, and I love a rookie like that,” Yanda said. “I love a rookie that stays quiet and does his job and just produces on the field. Just do what you do on the field. I don’t need to hear anything else but you doing your job and keeping your mouth quiet. And he’s done that. He’s doing everything the right way.” End zone: Defensive tackle Brandon Williams, who could be a free agent after the season, declined to address whether his agent has engaged in contract talks with the Ravens. “I’m just worried about football,” he said. “They can worry about whatever they need to worry about, but that is above my pay grade.” … Delaware football coach Dave Brock was on the sideline for Friday’s practice. Quarterback Joe Flacco and tight end Nick Boyle played at Delaware. … The Ravens will practice with pads for the first time today, the first of three straight practices in pads — the last being Monday night at M&T Bank Stadium — before a day off Tuesday.