



Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has continued to work out at the team’s facility in Owings Mills the past couple of weeks, coach John Harbaugh said Sunday at rookie minicamp. Whether that continues remains to be seen.
While the NFL’s investigation into the voluminous sexual misconduct allegations by several massage therapists against Tucker continues, Harbaugh was asked about the potential awkward dynamic that would likely exist should Tucker and rookie kicker Tyler Loop both be on the field when the team gathers for voluntary organized team activities at the end of the month.
“From the standpoint of the investigation, we don’t know anything,” Harbaugh said. “So you can’t make any decisions based on that. Every decision we make has to be based on football. There’s a lot of layers to that.”
Tucker, 35, is the team’s longest-tenured player after signing with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He’s also the most accurate kicker in NFL history, holds the league record for longest field made (66 yards) and is the leading scorer in the organization’s history.
The Ravens had never drafted a kicker before using a sixth-round pick last weekend to take Loop out of Arizona.
It was a move Baltimore viewed as necessary given the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the investigation and the possibility of Tucker being suspended. Tucker is also coming off the worst year of his career, having made just 73% of his field goals last season.
Sunday marked the first time that Loop had a chance to show off his leg to local reporters in practice. He was also joined by former Wyoming kicker John Hoyland, who received an invite to the Ravens’ and Denver Broncos’ rookie minicamps.
Both kickers missed some field goal attempts during the nearly two-hour practice, but each has an impressive collegiate resume.For his career, he made 67 of 80 field goals (83.75%) to finish with the highest field goal percentage in school history.
He was also the top kicker on senior special teams coach Randy Brown’s draft board.
“It was good to see it,” Harbaugh said of Loop’s leg. “It was good to hear it. The way the ball comes off his foot is impressive.”
Hoyland was an honorable mention All-Mountain West pick for the Cowboys last season after converting on 15 of 19 field goals, which included making 14 of 15 from inside 50 yards. His season-long was from 54 yards against Boise State, and he finished his career with a school-record 366 career points.
As for Tucker?
The Ravens’ first voluntary OTAs will take place May 27-29, so it’s possible the team could make a decision by then.
If they release Tucker, they’d almost certainly do so with a post-June 1 designation, which would save $4.2 million in salary cap space.
“All the different things that you take into consideration, whatever we decide to do in the next few weeks will be based on football,” Harbaugh said.
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