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NFL Update: Justice Earns Praise from Mark Ingram, Ateman Getting Work With AB

The latest news from around the NFL, through an orange-tinted lens.

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[USATSI]

We are smack dab in the middle of OTA (organized team activities) season in the NFL, so I thought it was a good time to get you caught up with what’s going on with several former Pokes. Let’s hit on some of the more interesting tidbits I found coming from practice fields as teams prepare for the next step in their offseason training.

Justice Hill earning praise from Mark Ingram

Baltimore’s rookie running back has been impressing its starter early on in practice. Justice Hill recently earned laud from Pro Bowl rusher Mark Ingram following his exploits in camp.

“Yes, he’s definitely a hard worker,” said Ingram of Hill. “He’s smart, [and is] picking up the offense. He can run the ball from what I see so far, and he can come out of the backfield. He’s made some catches on some wheel routes, some catches for a touchdown like a day or two ago. Definitely, coming out of the backfield you can see that he’s fast and elusive, can catch the ball well, and you can tell he has good eyes and vision running the ball.” [RavensWire]

Even with Ingram (the presumed starter), and second-year back Gus Edwards, who was productive down the stretch, Hill has a chance to make an impact. His versatility, and even more so his speed and big-play ability, should help him see the field despite the Ravens crowded RB room.

Marcell Getting in Work with AB

Marcell may be the leading returning receiver for the Oakland Raiders — there’s been a ton of turnover in the Bay area — but he’s not even close to the biggest storyline on the Raiders offense.

Jon Gruden and Co. added Antonio Brown as well as Tyrell Williams to the receiver corps, cranking up the pressure on Marcell to take a step forward in Year 2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After being taken in the seventh round, Ateman spent half his rookie season on the practice squad. But he started six of the last seven games grabbing 15 catches for 154 yards and a score. It will be important for him to make some noise early and often in a suddenly crowed WR room.

Chris Carson Out for OTAs Following Knee Operation

Chris Carson has been a spectator during his third year of OTAs in Seattle after undergoing offseason knee surgery. But it doesn’t seem to cause much concern to his head coach.

“He’s had a little bit of work done. He looks great,” Carroll said of Carson, who was on the field Tuesday but not wearing a helmet and watching his teammates do OTAs.

“I don’t know, a couple weeks from being back, I think.” [Tacoma News Tribune]

Carson will look to build off of a breakout sophomore season in Seattle where he established himself as the Seahawks’ No. 1 RB rushing for 1,151 yards (fifth in the NFL) and nine scores (seventh).

Tre Flowers Enters Year 2 Toting Big Expectations

Carson’s teammate, Tre Flowers is looking to build on his own big rookie season where the fifth-round pick who played safety in college, started 15 games at cornerback.

And he didn’t just start, he excelled. According to Pro Football Focus, Flowers recorded the second-lowest passer rating allowed on short-area throws by a corner in the league in 2018.

And NFL.com writer Adam Rank tabbed Flowers as Seattle’s “Breakout Star” for 2019.

The 2018 fifth-round pick was really good against short-yardage throws; he allowed a passer rating of 51.4 on short yardage, the second-lowest total in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s going to be the leader of the reformed Legion of Boom. [NFL.com]

Lenzy Pipkins Mixes it up with Teammate in Practice

Lenzy Pipkins was added to the Cleveland Browns practice squad during last season, and signed a futures deal with the team on January 1. Apparently things have been heating up during OTAs this spring.

Receiver Derrick Willies and cornerback Lenzy Pipkins got into a rare OTAs physical altercation Wednesday and had to be separated. As each walked their own ways off the field, Kitchens halted both — and the entire group session — to bring the two back together to talk it out. [ClevelandBrowns.com]

Who knows, maybe it was the continuation of some unknown beef between the two from college. They may have lined up across from each other in Stillwater back in 2016 when Willies played for Texas Tech. Most likely, it was just the product of the ultra-competitive environment that OTAs can be, especially for a pair of former UDFAs trying to make the roster.

Jordan Brailford Impressing Early

Brailford may have been one picked removed from “Mr. Irrelevant” but he’s doing his best to show he can become relevant in Washington’s pass rush attack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s got a long way to go if he wants to earn a roster spot with the Redskins, but it’s good to see OSU’s sack leader showing off his speed and versatility.

Chris Lacy Back in Camp with the Lions

The former Cowboy wideout is back in Detroit trying for a second shot at making the Lions roster, and he’s been

 

Lacy went undrafted in 2018 and had a cup of coffee with the Patriots before signing with the Lions during training camp last year and did some nice things in the preseason, including hauling in a TD catch. He was promoted to the active roster for the Lions’ home finale.

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