For the first time since last season, I got to see quarterback Joe Flacco actually practice, and he looked much like I expected.
The Ravens had their first full practice of training camp Thursday and Flacco was rusty, but there were times when his arm strength was overwhelming.
Early in the practice, Flacco completed a long touchdown pass down the right sideline to rookie receiver Chris Moore. Not only was the pass thrown perfectly in stride, but it seemed to travel 80 yards.
Honestly.
As for the rest of day, Flacco was decent. He was trying to get comfortable with receivers, and it was apparent their timing was off. Flacco moved reasonably well, but more importantly didn't hobble after any plays.
The Ravens didn't ask him to move around a lot or plant and throw hard consistently, but head coach John Harbaugh had to be pleased with Flacco's first full team practice since major knee injuries last season.
Three players stand out
Practice Thursday seemed more geared to getting the team acquainted with off-season installations than individual or one-on-one drills.
But three guys who seemed to have strong off-seasons and were fit are defensive linemen Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan and outside linebacker Za'Darious Smith.
Williams was explosive, but Jernigan was quicker. Jernigan doesn't have a lot of bulk, but his penetration might cause problems in the running game.
Sled drills
I watched the Ravens linebackers in some sled drills Thursday, and two guys that really had strong punches were Albert McClellan and rookie Kamalei Correa. They didn't just strike, but delivered what might have been some knockout blows.
I look forward to the contact drills on Saturday morning. By the way, Correa took a lot of reps at inside linebacker compared to playing outside.
Moore has speed
Moore, the fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati, has some speed and potential to make big plays, but he still drops some easy passes.
It will be interesting watching him in the preseason.
Weddle has natural instinct
I don't know how many years safety Eric Weddle has left to play in the NFL, but he could be a coach somewhere.
He appears to have such natural instincts as a player and as a leader. When he practices, it's as if it was game day.
Pitta update
Tight end Dennis Pitta made some nice grabs Thursday, particularly in the midrange level in the middle of the field.
When he comes off the field, he looks like a guy who is happy to return after dealing with major hip injuries the past three seasons. Pitta and Flacco showed some of their old magic hooking up on passing plays.