Rashod Bateman is something of an X-factor this season for the Baltimore Ravens.
Bateman has shown flashes of his talent during three injury-riddled seasons, but has not put up to the type of numbers expected from a first-round pick.
Still, those flashes were enough for the Ravens to offer Bateman a contract extension this offseason — which he said "came out of nowhere."
With the Ravens lacking proven depth at wide receiver, Bateman having a breakout season could help take the offense to another level.
Bateman and Lamar Jackson never lined up during OTAs, so Ravens minicamp was the chance for the two to work on their chemistry.
And according to Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun, it didn't look good on Day 2 of Ravens minicamp on Wednesday.
According to Preston, Jackson and Bateman "lacked timing" on several passes on Wednesday.
Preston reported that Bateman looked frustrated when Jackson missed him while he was open and again later on when he was part of a clearing route for another receiver.
Bateman later stood alone on the sidelines with a towel over his head for a period, according to Preston. He was later seen laughing with Jackson along the sideline.
It is obviously nothing to panic about, but in the Ravens' ideal world, minicamp updates would be more like, "Bateman looks poised for a breakout season!" rather than "Bateman looked frustrated and lacked chemistry with Jackson."
During OTAs, Jackson told reporters that it was a priority to get the ball to Bateman, putting the onus on himself.
The talent is certainly there for Bateman: rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins said during OTAs that he thought Bateman was the hardest Ravens receiver to cover.
Nikhil Metta of Russell Street Report reported on Thursday that Jackson made a nice completion to Bateman during 7-on-7 work.
Again, an off-day in minicamp is not a big deal in the long run, but it's certainly not what the Ravens would be hoping for. If Bateman cannot make the leap expected, the Ravens will have to rely on rookies to step up to fill what is a relatively weak receiving corps.
