Correa begins roster push with INT
Perriman’s drop leads to interception; rookie Edwards has strong start
CANTON, OHIO – Ravens linebacker Kamalei Correa is among the former high draft picks fighting for a job on the team this year, and he helped his case with a first-quarter interception Thursday night against the Chicago Bears.
Correa ripped the ball away from a Bears receiver and returned the pass from Chase Daniel 19 yards to set up a field goal. He added three sacks and a forced fumble.
Correa was a second-round draft pick out of Boise State in 2016, but he underwhelmed as a rookie and then failed to beat out Patrick Onwuasor for a starting job in 2017.
The Ravens hope to unlock his potential by moving him back outside, where he was projected to play coming out of college. They want to see him play more instinctively, something he did throughout the first half against the Bears. Perriman’s mishap: Ravens receiver Breshad Perriman didn’t help his chances of making the team, at least on the opening series of the preseason.
Perriman was running a slant in pattern and dropped a near-perfect pass from quarterback Robert Griffin III. The pass bounced off his hands and was intercepted, which eventually led to Daniel throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Burton. Perriman finished with two catches for 19 yards.
Perriman, a fourth-year player, will have to perform well to make the roster. The 2015 first-round draft pick has struggled with injuries and dropped passes over his first three seasons. To remake their receiver corps, the Ravens brought in three new starting receivers during the offseason in Willie Snead IV, Michael Crabtree and John Brown. They also drafted two rookie receivers. Strong start for Edwards: Rookie running Ravens linebacker Kamalei Correa, left, celebrates with linebacker Kenny Young (40) and cornerback Tavon Young after intercepting a pass in the first quarter. Correa, moved to outside linebacker this offseason, also added two sacks in the first half. back Gus Edwards, a free agent out of Rutgers, has performed reasonably well in training camp and he’ll continue to get more opportunities throughout the preseason.
Edwards rushed 10 times for 35 yards and also had a 23-yard reception. He is a big back at 6 feet 1 and 238 pounds, but has shown the ability to be a receiving weapon out of the backfield.
He does run too upright at times, but that will be something he’ll have to focus on if he wants to make the final roster. Bringing pressure: Chicago coach Matt Nagy might not want to comment on it, but the Ravens hit the Bears with a lot blitzes and pressures up front. They finished with four sacks, three by Correa.
A lot of teams hold off on the stunts and games up front. It is only the preseason, but the Ravens were bringing cornerbacks off the edges as well as running twists with the defensive linemen.
It was reminiscent of the days when former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan was calling plays and he brought pressure all the time regardless of the game or situation. Ryan clearly irritated opposing head coaches in the preseason.