The Baltimore Ravens’ most injury-riddled position absorbed yet another blow when right offensive tackle Oniel Cousins was carted off the field with a headache.
Cousins returned to the team hotel Wednesday night after being evaluated for concussion symptoms.
Cousins has also been dealing with fatigue stemming from weight loss as well as the time he missed while recovering from offseason throat surgery. Cousins had a noncancerous cyst removed from his esophagus.
"He developed a headache, so that’s where we’re at," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I don’t know any more than that."
The Ravens are shorthanded along the offensive line with starting right tackle Jared Gaither out with a strained back and back spasms.
Plus, center Matt Birk is dealing with a neck injury and offensive tackle Stefan Rodgers and offensive guard Daniel Sanders are suffering from shoulder injuries. David Hale was carted off the field Monday with a bruised tailbone.
Reserve tackle Tony Moll took over for Cousins with the first-team offense.
"It definitely felt good for me to able to get in there because I still need to prove who I am, what I’m all about and that I deserve to be with the ones," Moll said. "Since I’ve been here, I haven’t had much of a chance to get in there with the ones. That’s what it takes to be able to be in there with the ones and gain the confidence of the coaches and the staff."
The NFL is taking extra precautions with head injuries this season, making it a major point of emphasis with baseline tests to ensure that neurological activity is normal before clearing a player medically.
Moll missed roughly two weeks with a concussion earlier this season.
"Anything with the head, they’re doing so many things right now trying to figure out what’s causing it and how to prevent it," Moll said. "It’s a good thing that the NFL has taken such major precautions now."
Hale didn’t suffer any structural damage to his back during a collision with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata where he landed on his tailbone.
Hale, who was carted off the field, didn’t fracture any bones, a magnetic resonance imaging exam and X-rays revealed.
Hale is expected to be out for at least the next few days with the bruised tailbone.
WEBB COULD BE ACTIVATED SOON: Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb is making steady progress with his surgically-repaired torn anterior cruciate ligament, improving to the point where he could be on the verge of passing his physical and being activated from the physically unable to perform list.
Webb took a portion of the running test Wednesday at McDaniel College, and his interval times were even better than initially expected.
However, Webb has made it clear that he’s not inclined to rush his rehabilitation schedule since he suffered the knee injury last December against the Chicago Bears. Earlier his week, he said he doesn’t believe he should play in any preseason games.
Webb is already well ahead of schedule and wants to err on the side of caution when it comes to when he’ll begin practicing.
If Webb has concerns about it possibly being too soon to get back on the field, that could put the brakes on the Ravens’ plans.
Regardless of when Webb gets activated, the consensus opinion is that the former third-round draft pick is making an impressive recovery.
"We might want to be cautious with him," Harbaugh said Tuesday "We’re going to be cautious with all these guys. The thing you don’t want to do is have a setback. He’s really doing well. I think he’s progressing ahead of schedule, that’s what I’ve been told.
"It won’t be long before you see him off the PUP and out here practicing with the guys, but I think we are going to be cautious with him. If he can play in the preseason and we feel very comfortable that it’s not going to be a setback, then we’ll do it. If we think there’s any possibility of a setback, then we probably won’t.”
The Ravens eased cornerback Fabian Washington., who tore his ACL last November, back into practice sessions. He’s now slated to start Saturday night against the Washington Redskins and will likely play for a quarter.
GOODEN HAS A NECK INJURY: Inside linebacker Tavares Gooden was sidelined from practice Wednesday morning due to a neck injury.
Gooden got injured against the Carolina Panthers last week and was able to practice Tuesday with no restrictions on contact after wearing a red jersey Monday that signified he was off-limits to hitting.
Now, Gooden’s not practicing at all as the Ravens are hoping that rest will cure what’s ailing him.
"Tavares has got the neck thing from the game," Harbaugh said ."It just keeps tightening back up on him, so we just need to sit him down and settle him down. He’s tried to go the last two days.
"Every time he’s tried to go, it spasms back up, so we just need to settle him down for a couple days and try to get him out there on Saturday."
Gooden was under consideration to start Saturday night. That might be tough, though, unless he’s able to practice today.
So, Baltimore might go with Dannell Ellerbe or Jameel McClain, who started against Carolina.
The Ravens want to evaluate all three candidates to start opposite All-Pro middle linebacker Ray Lewis.
"Yeah, that’d probably be part of it," Harbaugh said. "We also want to get Jameel some work at Sam [strongside linebacker] because he’s a multiple guy, and in order to play the position, you’ve got to get some work there. So, we’ll move those guys around for the next two weeks and we’ll know where we’re at."
McCLAIN SITS OUT: Pro Bowl fullback Le’Ron McClain sat out of practice due to a tight back.
He said he expects to return to practice as soon as today and play Saturday night.
"It’s my back," he said. "It’s a little tight. Coach [Harbaugh] told me to chill out. I’ll come back ready for practice and then get ready for the Redskins."
CARR ON THE MEND: Cornerback Chris Carr is practicing on a limited basis due to a left hamstring injury, but could return to full-team drills as soon as today.
"Slowly, but surely," Carr said. "Last week playing in the game that first play, it kind of hurt a little bit. I kind of got a little overanxious. When you’re out here, you don’t want to feel like you’re milking it. You want to play. I think my conditioning is getting better."
Carr said he’s open to expanded playing time this week after watching Cary Williams take the majority of the work with the first-team defense last week against Carolina.
"Yeah, if they want me to, and if I feel good [today] in practice," he said. "It’s all precarious because in a live situation, it’s different in practice. So, we’ll see."
INJURY UPDATE: Defensive tackle Brandon McKinney (knee) has returned to practice.
"I feel better," he said. "The swelling went down."
Stefan Rodgers indicated that he won’t need surgery to repair his shoulder, which partially popped out of joint
"It’s not bad," he said. "I’ll be back real quick."
Not practicing: Gaither, Rodgers, Birk, Hale, Gooden, Sanders, tight end Davon Drew (hamstring), linebacker Prescott Burgess (migraine), McClain, safety Marcus Paschal (right quadriceps),
The following players are still on the physically unable to perform list: free safety Ed Reed (hip), linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (quadriceps), cornerback Lardarius Webb (knee) and running back Matt Lawrence (knee).
SLIMMED-DOWN SUGGS: During practice, outside linebacker Jarret Johnson asked reporters if they’re planning to write about outside linebacker Terrell Suggs having lost 20 pounds from last season when he tipped the scales at 283 pounds.
"Yes, he should have been moved to guard last year," Johnson said. "But this year he looks good."
Suggs broke into laughter when Johnson said that.
Suggs is on a better diet, cutting down on fried chicken and cookies to get in better shape.
QUICK HITS: Rookie defensive tackle Arthur Jones wrote on his Twitter account that he was fined $5,000 by the league office for an accidental block below the waist against Carolina. "You have to love the NFL," Jones wrote. … Today marks the final training camp practices that are open to the public. Starting Monday, the Ravens shift practice back to their training complex in Owings Mills, which isn’t open to the public. … The Ravens rested several veterans ages 30-and-over, including Lewis, wide receiver Derrick Mason, tight end Todd Heap , nose guard Kelly Gregg and defensive end Trevor Pryce.
