Ex-starter on offensive line, Lewis dealt to Jets

Ravens offensive lineman Alex Lewis, a former starter expected to compete for snaps at left guard this preseason, was traded to the New York Jets on Monday.

Lewis announced Monday morning that he had been released, but NewYork instead acquired the former fourthround pick, pending a physical, before he was put on waivers. The Ravens reportedly received a conditional 2020 seventh-round draft pick in return.

The news comes two days after Lewis, who started training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list while recovering from offseason shoulder injury, had passed his physical.

“Thank you to the Baltimore Ravens for drafting me back in 2016 and giving me an opportunity to play in the NFL,” Lewis wrote on Instagram. “It has been a memorable three years. Appreciate all my teammates and coaches I have met along the way. Loved the atmosphere of Baltimore and the amazing fans that supported us! Unfortunately, I was released today. Thank you Baltimore! ‘As one door closes another opens.’ ”

While Lewis’ decision to rehabilitate away from the team this offseason seemed to displease Ravens officials, he had been a fixture at training camp recently, watching offensive line drills off to the side. Coach John Harbaugh said early in camp that Lewis “looks good. He’s strong. He’s over 320 pounds. Everything looks stable.”

But injuries limited the former fourth-round pick to just 20 games (18 starts) over his first three seasons, and the Ravens will save over $2 million in salary cap space with his release.

At left guard, the competition remains unchanged. Third-year player Jermaine Eluemunor and rookie Ben Powers have taken repetitions there with the first-team offense at camp, with incumbent starter James Hurst often helping elsewhere. Harbaugh indicated Thursday that the team is still looking for a breakthrough player.

“We don’t have a starter there, and who would you want me to put in there?” he said.

After Monday, it won’t be Lewis.

Jackson stands out

The Ravens’ first joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars went off without any testiness on Monday, despite the August heat.

“It was great,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “I think we both got a lot out of it. … It wasn’t a physical practice; it was tag-off. It was good that way, a good, fast practice.”

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson started out throwing crisply in sevenon-seven drills against Jacksonville’s talented secondary. He threaded a beautiful downfield pass to doublecovered wide receiver Jalen Scott and showed excellent timing on his underneath attempts. He missed on more throws in 11-on-11 work but played well overall.

“I thought he looked really good,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see the tape and see if that’s justified or not.”

The Ravens and Jaguars will practice against each other again on Tuesday afternoon before facing off in the preseason opener Thursday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Brown Jr. returns to form

Orlando Brown Jr. entered his second training camp as the Ravens’ projected starter at right tackle. But he was forced to take second-team repetitions for much of the first week after he failed the team’s conditioning test.

Brown has returned to being a first-team fixture since the end of last week, however, and he held his own Monday against the Jaguars’ Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell.

“I use everything in my life as motivation, good or bad,” Brown said. “I’m just happy to be out there right now, and I’m going to continue to work.”

He’s put himself in better standing with the team’s coaches.

“Orlando’s worked hard,” Harbaugh said. “It wasn’t like he was in bad shape, but he was just heavy. He’s done a really good job to knock that weight off. He’s still got a ways to go, but not too far. He’s moving his feet a lot better than he did early in camp, I think, as a result of being lighter.”

Extra points

The Ravens and Jaguars began practice with a joint prayer for victims of the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. … Rookie wide receiver Miles Boykin briefly left the field after getting his legs tangled with a defender in one-on-one drills. But he returned a few minutes, and Harbaugh said he was “good.”