Two consecutive days of practice have Ravens outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil feeling optimistic he will be able to make his season debut Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“That's what I'm shooting for,” Dumervil said after participating on a limited basis in Thursday's session. “I'm shooting to try and go out as soon as I can. I just have to continue to keep building that endurance, building that strength and get that explosiveness where I feel like I'm me. I'm excited.”
Dumervil, 5 feet 11, 250 pounds, made just six sacks last season after setting a franchise record with 17 in 2014. In the offseason, he underwent surgery to correct a problem with his foot and was activated from the team's physically-unable-to-perform list Aug. 22.
But a setback related to the operation sidelined him for the first two games. Albert McClellan started in Dumervil's spot, collecting two tackles and no sacks.
Defensive coordinator Dean Pees would not confirm that Dumervil will play in Jacksonville but was encouraged by his participation in practice for the second straight day.
“It's great to see him out there, and when he gets a chance to play, he's going to bring Elvis,” Pees said.
Dumervil seemed happy with how the foot has held up thus far.
“The good thing is, we've got a lot of work on it, we put a lot of stress on it,” he said. “The guys are being smart with how we're progressing with it. The good thing is every time I wake up, it feels the same, so I'm not going backwards.”
Reunion for Perriman, Bortles: Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman and Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles, former teammates at Central Florida, will enjoy a mini-reunion of sorts.
Perriman, the organization's first-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft who played with Bortles for two years, said the quarterback “made things very easy for me.”
“He put the ball in great locations,” Perriman recalled. “I feel like he's a big-play quarterback. He was always looking for the big play. And his poise was crazy. No matter what happened during a game, he just stayed calm and collected.”
Bortles arrived at Central Florida a year after Ravens wide receiver Kamar Aiken left to enter the 2011 draft. After a standout career there, he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft.
Bortles joked that his accuracy in college was aided by Perriman's ability to outleap defenders for the football.
“We had a really good group of wide receivers my last year there at UCF that did a good job,” Bortles said. “He kind of led that group and was the stud of that group. They were fun to throw to. He was fun to throw to. He made a ton of plays, we racked up a ton of yards, and they definitely made my life way easier than I made theirs.”
No comparison: The similarities between Bortles and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers are striking. Both were first-round picks from mid-tier college programs (Roethlisberger was taken in 2004 out of Miami, Ohio) and are physically imposing (Roethlisberger at 6-5, 240 pounds; Bortles at 6-5, 246 pounds).
In fact, Roethlisberger in 2014 called Bortles “a young me.”
But Roethlisberger has guided the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles, while the Jaguars are 8-26 with Bortles, including an 0-2 start this season. Perhaps that's why outside linebacker Terrell Suggs — whose Ravens defense will be tasked with limiting Bortles and the rest of the Jacksonville offense — put a stop to the comparisons.
“No, that guy is special,” Suggs said, referring to Roethlisberger. “We like playing against that guy. But Blake is still a really good quarterback. He has some similarities like extending the play and making plays with his feet.”
Moore happy with opportunities: As a rookie wide receiver, Chris Moore was unsure how much work he would get with the Ravens offense.
The Cincinnati graduate has played in 27.3 percent of the team's offensive snaps through the first two games. Although Moore has caught just two balls for 22 yards, that's more yards than Aiken and running back Terrance West (Towson University, Northwestern High), and his four targets are one more than Aiken's.
“It's crazy,” Moore said Wednesday. “I was even talking to Mike Wallace, and he said, ‘When you're the fifth receiver, you don't get that many reps. But you've been getting a lot. So they must trust you.'?”
Moore is still upset about dropping what appeared to be a sure touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco in Sunday's 25-20 victory at the Cleveland Browns. “That's something that's going to drive me crazy,” he said. “When I watch film, I watch that 20 times. I should catch those.”
End zone: Rookie left tackle Ronnie Stanley practiced fully Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's session. The sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft is dealing with a foot problem. In addition to Stanley, guard-center John Urschel participated fully despite a shoulder ailment. … Rookie running back Kenneth Dixon was the only absence because of injury. The fourth-round pick has been hampered by a strained MCL in his left knee suffered in a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 27. Suggs and right guard Marshal Yanda also did not practice, but their absence was because of non-injury-related reasons. … For the Jaguars, starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum (concussion) and defensive end Jared Odrick (triceps) did not practice for the second consecutive day. They were joined by starting cornerback Davon House (hamstring) and center Brandon Linder (knee). Cornerback Prince Amukamara (hamstring), who started in the season opener before sitting out Sunday's loss at the Oakland Raiders, did not participate for the second straight day. Starting strong safety Johnathan Cyprien (knee/triceps) and wide receiver Allen Robinson (illness) were upgraded to full participation. Starting right tackle Jeremy Parnell (groin) and backup running back Chris Ivory (general medical issue) were upgraded from limited to full participation.
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