OWINGS MILLS, Md. — You can call Chris Moore the anti-diva receiver.
“I don’t want to just be a receiver for this team. I don’t want to be one of those receivers that start and don’t play any special teams,” he said. “I want to do everything because I feel like I can make an impact whenever I’m on the field.”
The fourth-year pro has been tabbed a potential breakout candidate for this year’s Ravens. By who? Well, only team owner Steve Bisciotti. Those are some great expectations. Moore is ready to reach them.
“I’ve always had some vets in front of me, but this year I’m the vet, and I’m, shoot, one of the oldest guys in the room,” he said. “So it’s my opportunity to step up and make the plays and show these guys why I’m here.”
“Chris is ready to do that and has been ready to do that,” said Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh. “He practices really hard. He makes spectacular catches out here very often. He and I have had that conversation. Let’s go. I think it’s his time.”
What will contribute to it being his time is if second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson gets him the ball on a regular basis. Moore likes what he sees so far from Jackson.
“He’s been throwing it great," Moore said. "A lot of people try to critique him. He’s gotten better every single week. This season I expect big things from him.”
Keeping an eye on Moore, Jackson and the Ravens offense on Thursday was a special guest. The recently retired Paul Johnson was on the field at the Under Armour Performance Center during the team's third of three weeks of voluntary organized team activities. The former Navy and Georgia Tech head coach, who ran the triple option, is meeting and watching film with Coach Harbaugh.
He offered his thoughts on Jackson.
“He can create so many big plays just out of nothing. He’s a dynamic athlete at that position and I’m sure he’s going to get better and better the more he plays,” said Johnson.
One guy not in Owings Mills this week is Gerald McCoy. The Pro Bowl free agent defensive tackle was courted by Baltimore last week before signing in Carolina.
“He’s a good player. We went after him, tried to get him and he didn’t want to be here. So, he wanted to be somewhere else," said Harbaugh. "I move on and forget about him.”
The Ravens put a bow on OTA’s on Friday, then comes the final week of offseason work with mandatory minicamp running next week from Tuesday through Thursday.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
