CAMP NOTES: Jackson-Bateman Chemistry on Display

When DeAndre Hopkins was asked what stands out about Rashod Bateman, the veteran wideout didn’t mention his new teammate’s hands or route-running.

Instead, Hopkins praised “the way [Bateman] competes,” adding that the fifth-year receiver is “hard on himself” and uses matchups with the Ravens’ talented secondary to get better.

“He comes out and works,” said Hopkins on Sunday. “He competes, he loves going against our best corners, and he looks forward to those matchups. That’s what’s stood out the most about him, just how he likes to compete against our best corners.”

Bateman’s desire to best the Ravens’ top cornerback was evident during practice. He beat Nate Wiggins on both of their 1-on-1 reps, creating so much separation that the second-year cornerback appeared to give up on both plays. On the first, Bateman got Wiggins to bite on a double move and blew past him for a deep touchdown; a few minutes later, he faked towards the middle before running up the seam with Wiggins lost behind him. Bateman also beat T.J. Tampa on a deep route during the 1-on-1 period.

Bateman continued his strong practice during 11-on-11 work with several plays highlighting the trust and chemistry between him and Lamar Jackson. On one play, Jackson was rolling right with a rusher chasing after him. He signaled to Bateman to find some open space near the sideline and lobbed a ball over Marlon Humphrey for a first down. Jackson probably didn’t even need to wave at Bateman to get him in the right spot; it looked like the veteran wideout already knew where to be. Towards the end of practice, Jackson was pressured on consecutive reps and looked for Bateman both times.

Bateman said that his ability to stay healthy for the last two years has helped him develop a feel for what Jackson needs from his receivers when he is extending plays behind the line of scrimmage.

“That’s part of playing with Lamar Jackson, and you’ve got to be on the field to learn it,” said Bateman.

Some more highlights from the passing game:

• Zay Flowers put together a nice day. He weaved through traffic to catch a lofted ball from Jackson in the end zone early on and later put Humphrey on the ground with a corner route during 7-on-7’s.
• Jalyn Armour-Davis wasn’t fooled on a Keith Kirkwood double move and stayed all over the veteran before securing an interception deep down field in 1-on-1’s.
• Charlie Kolar went up to get a contested ball against Armour-Davis and reeled in the touchdown. He might be a value play for an anytime touchdown early in the season.
• LaJohntay Wester had a down day, struggling to get separation and dropping a pass when he did.
• Dayton Wade looked especially sharp in the red zone using his speed to get the edge on a jet sweep and showing concentration on multiple passes, including one tipped by Teddye Buchanan.
• Reuben Lowery continued his push for the 53-man roster with an interception off Cooper Rush during a scramble drill.

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O-Line Struggles Early, Bounces Back

The Ravens’ 11-on-11 period began with the usual struggles from the offensive line. A false start from Ronnie Stanley brought Joe Noteboom onto the field, and he was immediately beaten around the edge by Odafe Oweh. If that wasn’t enough, Roger Rosengarten committed a false start on the next play. Jackson spiked the ball and John Harbaugh sent the entire first-team offense off the field.

All three tackles recovered to have strong days against the Ravens’ edge rushers. Stanley swallowed up David Ojabo and Kyle Van Noy, Rosengarten dropped his anchor against a bull rush from Tavius Robinson, and Noteboom used his speed and footwork to out-position Adisa Isaac.

Isaac also had a number of good matchups with Carson Vinson. The rookie lineman typically got the better of the second-year edge rusher. Vinson never lost cleanly, and only gave up ground slowly, two good qualities from a young tackle. Losing slowly buys time for the quarterback and gives other lineman a chance to help out, as Corey Bullock did on one rep when he slid over and put Isaac in the dirt. Isaac did manage to get inside Vinson’s frame and used a long arm to break free, though the ball was already out by then.

Harbaugh seemed pleased with Vinson’s progress this summer. He didn’t mince words about the rookie’s status as a “developmental player” and admitted that the NFL is a “step up” in competition level compared to Vinson’s college years at FCS Alabama A&M.

“I think he gets better every day, and he still has a ways to go,” continued Harbaugh. “But he’s got the tools, he’s got determination, and he’s smart. So, I would expect him to become a really good player.”

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