Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said this week that he “absolutely” expects to be healed and cleared for full action when training camp opens next month.
Smith had six screws removed from his foot in April. Smith had a Lisfranc injury in 2014 that forced him to miss half the season and lingered into last season.
“The screws were really bothering my foot; it had my bone swelling up,” Smith said, per the team’s official website. “I think taking them out was the best decision for me. Obviously, it feels way better than it did before.”
The Ravens hope Smith can be their No. 1 cornerback, and they played it safe with Smith through the spring.
“I can run and do other things now without the next day feeling too bad,” Smith said. “Hopefully over this next six weeks, it will heal up even more, and I’ll be able to go 100 percent.”
Smith will be 28 next month. A first-round pick in 2011, Smith signed a four-year extension with the Ravens before the 2015 season and is facing a crucial season as his salary cap number balloons to more than $12 million in 2017.
He’s started 45 of 63 career games and has eight career interceptions.