Ravens CBs Smith, Jackson to sit Saturday

The Ravens will not have their top three cornerbacks for Saturday's preseason against the Redskins, coach John Harbaugh announced on Thursday.

In addition to Lardarius Webb being ruled out for the rest of the preseason with a back injury, corners Jimmy Smith (chest contusion) and Asa Jackson (ankle) will be unable to suit up for the third exhibition. Smith was injured last week against Dallas and was seen coughing up blood as a result. Jackson injured his ankle in a practice a couple of weeks ago.

Smith is a sure-fire No. 2 cornerback on the roster, though Jackson had positioned himself for the No. 3 job before the injury. His main competitors have been vetereans Chykie Brown and Dominique Franks, as well as undrafted rookie Tramain Jacobs.

The Ravens have been snakebit at corner all preseason. When training camp opened, offseason acquisition Aaron Ross tore his Achilles attempting to run the team's conditioning test. Webb then injured his back and the other corners' injuries followed.

The good news for Baltimore is that, at least at this stage, all three are on pace to be ready for the regular season opener against the Bengals. That's one reason not to rush either corner back for a preseason game.

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