The Baltimore Ravens are relying on an impactful year from rookie receiver Breshad Perriman, but that could be a problem. Perriman sustained a knee injury on the first day of training camp and has not practiced since. Perriman underwent an MRI and was expected to be back at this juncture of the summer but is still sidelined.
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Head coach John Harbaugh stated that Perriman’s MRI came back normal, but the recovery is still a work in progress, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk.
"“I hate that he’s not out here,” Harbaugh said over the weekend. “I have a knot in the pit of my stomach in some ways about it. In other ways, I know it’s all out of our control, and I’ll put it in God’s hands and let him take care of it. To me, that’s the best strategy, right there.”"
Without Perriman, the Ravens are dangerously thin on the outside. Baltimore is rolling with 36-year-old Steve Smith as its top receiver. Smith has already announced that this will be his last season, despite amassing another 1,000-yard campaign in 2014, his first with the Ravens. If Perriman misses extended time, Marlon Brown and Kamar Aiken are the primary reserves.
Baltimore has a solid team again, but this is not the deepest offense in terms of talent. The offensive line is one of the league’s best with Eugene Monroe, Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, but the skill players are question marks in a litany of areas. Can running back Justin Forsett repeat his career season under new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman? Can rookie tight end Maxx Williams step up? Are Aiken and Brown going to contribute if Perriman either is hurt or can’t produce immediately?
The Ravens open the regular season with a tough test, taking on the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field.