Bowser knows he’s behind, eager to play
Outside linebacker facing competition for playing time
The signal was loud and clear. One day after Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Tyus Bowser must return to practice quickly because the competition at outside linebacker “is starting to heat up,” the second-year pro attended Monday’s session following a three-day absence caused by a groin injury.
Bowser, a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, is likely battling Tim Williams and Kamalei Correa at a position topped by starters Terrell Suggs and Matthew Judon and backup Za’Darius Smith. Williams, who was selected one round after Bowser, totaled five tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in a 33-7 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. Correa, who was a second-round choice in 2016, finished with six tackles, three sacks and one interception in a 17-16 preseason win against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 2.
“Those guys have been doing whatever they’ve got to do out there,” said Bowser, who also participated in Tuesday’s practice. “They’ve been making big plays in the last two games, and I’m behind. But whenever I get that chance to go out there, I’m just going to do what I’ve got to do.”
Bowser has been dealing with an injured groin since July 27 and has sporadically been in and out of practice. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound Bowser acknowledged the difficulty of overcoming the ailment.
“I can’t do anything about it but get Outside linebacker Tyus Bowser, a second-round draft pick in 2017, returned to practice Monday after missing three days of practice because of a groin injury. myself better, and that’s all I’ve been doing,” he said. “Of course it’s aggravating not to be out there, but all you can do is control what you can control, and whenever it’s your time to get back out there, do what you can do.”
Bowser said he continued to sit in positional meetings and prod his coaches and teammates for information to continue to take what he called “mental reps” during his time away from the field.
“Just getting it down in the classroom, talking to the coaches, talking to the players,” he said. “With the install and new plays they’ve got going on, I’m just making sure I’m up-to-date.”